Southport – July 24, 2014
Roger Olvera, of Oak Island, with a pair of African pompano that he hooked on cigar minnows near Frying Pan Tower.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers continue to weigh in lots of heavy flounder (to 7-9+ lbs.) coming from the local waters. They’re feeding around docks and other structure on the Southport waterfront, rocky areas in the river, grass islands, and in the creeks. Most are falling for finger mullet and peanut pogies on Carolina rigs, but anglers are also hooking some fish on bucktail jigs tipped with live, strip, and soft plastic baits.
The speckled trout action continues to flourish as well (with big numbers of 2-4 lb. fish and some larger). The specks are in many of the same areas as the flatfish, and anglers are hooking them on live shrimp and mullet, soft plastic baits, MirrOlures, and more. Topwater plugs have been effective early and late in the days.
Red drum are in all the same areas and looking for meals on the flats. They’ll bite all the same baits and lures as the flatfish and specks along with spoons and spinnerbaits.
Sheepshead fishing remains excellent as well, with big numbers feeding around the Pfizer dock and Southport waterfront. Dangling fiddler crabs, sand fleas, or barnacles close to the structure where they make their homes is the way to connect with the sheeps.
Doug Bailey with a red grouper that bit squid near some bottom structure in 120′ of water offshore of Frying Pan Tower. He was fishing out of Oak Island with Alan Hogan on the “Too Much Fun.”
Anglers are still hooking big numbers of spanish mackerel while trolling Clarkspoons around the inlet and along the beachfront. Some larger spaniards are falling for light-lined live baits around Yaupon Reef and other nearshore structure in the area.
King mackerel seem to have moved off the beachfront, likely due to the high temperatures, but boaters are hooking them from Lighthouse Rocks on offshore. Live menhaden are producing the majority of the action with the kings.
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that inshore anglers are still hooking excellent numbers of speckled trout, red drum, and flounder around Southport and Bald Head Island. All three are falling for live baits and soft plastics pinned to jigheads and Carolina rigs.
Big numbers of small sharks are making fishing for anything else inshore a bit difficult, though.
Pier anglers are reporting some speckled trout action early in the day, but it isn’t as hot as a few weeks back.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are hooking plenty of spanish mackerel just off the inlets and along the beachfront at Oak Island. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers, cigar weights, and bird rigs are fooling the spaniards.
Kim Fela, of Carolina Beach, with a 31″ red drum that bit a live finger mullet in Snows Cut.
Large sharks are looking for meals within a few miles of the beachfront as well, and drifting with dead or cut baits is the way to get their attention.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some spadefish and sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs and other casting lures that anglers are working from the pier.
Anglers soaking live finger mullet and shrimp around the pilings are hooking some speckled trout, flounder, and red drum.
Live-baiters are seeing some action with cobia off the end of the pier.
