Southport July 12, 2012
Brad Ricker with a red snapper he caught and released near Frying Pan Tower after it struck a live menhaden.
Patrick, of Twister Charters, reports that anglers are still catching good numbers of spanish mackerel while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers, cigar weights, and bird rigs just off the beaches and inlets. The water’s been a bit dirty, so the action’s been a little further offshore than usual in the 4-10 mile range.
Barracuda have shown up around the nearshore reefs, and fishing a live bait near the buoys is a good strategy to hook up with one.
King mackerel are feeding at spots from the 60’ range out to the break, and they’ll take an interest in live menhaden or dead cigar minnows.
Gag and scamp grouper, black sea bass, triggerfish, beeliners, and other bottom feeders are looking for meals at structure in 80-110’ of water. Live baits are the best bet for the groupers, and squid or cut baits will tempt bites from the smaller bottom feeders.
Amberjacks and cobia are in the same areas and will also take an interest in live baits.
Dolphin, wahoo, and white marlin are feeding in the Gulf Stream, and boaters who make the run can hook both on skirted or naked ballyhoo.
Keith Phillips, of Raleigh, NC, with a 7.40 lb. flounder that bit a live mud minnow near Southport while he was fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters.
Tommy, of The Tackle Box, reports that the flounder bite along the Southport waterfront is going strong (with several 5+ lb. citation fish weighed in recently). Live menhaden or mullet are the top choices for the flatfish, and the area’s finger mullet are finally getting large enough to make good baits. They’ll also take an interest in Gulp baits pinned to jigheads and bucktails.
Offshore, anglers are still catching big numbers of black sea bass and beeliners at structure southwest of Frying Pan Tower. Squid and cut baits will tempt plenty of bites from both.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are still catching good numbers of flounder on small live baits fished under the pier.
Speckled trout are feeding around the pier in the early morning hours, and anglers are hooking them on live shrimp.
When the trout bite slows down, large sea mullet (some 1.5+ lbs.) are taking an interest in live shrimp fished off the end of the pier.
Jeremy Fritts, of Lexington, NC, with his first spanish mackerel, a 6.48 lb. citation fish that bit a live menhaden near the Cape Fear River sea buoy while he was fishing with Mike Wright on the "Spread M Wide."
When the water’s been clean, the sheepshead bite has been on, and anglers are hooking the sheeps on barnacles and fiddler crabs dangled close to the pilings.
Angie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with some flounder inshore around Southport and from the ocean piers, but they’ve had to weed through some short fish to get to the keepers. Live baits on Carolina rigs or Gulps pinned to jigheads will both tempt bites from the flatfish.
Some red drum are feeding in many of the same areas as the flounder, and they will fall for the same baits.
Anglers are connecting with some spot from the Oak Island piers while baiting up bottom rigs with shrimp and bloodworms.
