Southport July 26, 2012
Junior Walker with a 2.8 lb. pompano that struck a shrimp off Oak Island Pier.
Tommy, of The Tackle Box, reports that there’s been a phenomenal speckled trout bite around Southport lately. Anglers are finding the specks in the creeks, around hard shoreline structure, and near just about any point or feature that creates a current eddy. Live shrimp drifted beneath floats are the best bets for the specks, but anglers can also hook up on soft plastics like Gulp baits or suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s and Yo-Zuri’s 3D series lures.
Flounder fishing has also been going steady recently (with good numbers of 5+ lb. citation fish). Anglers are hooking the flatfish on live menhaden, finger mullet, and Gulp baits and other artificial lures. Some of the best action has been around the docks and rocky structure on the Southport waterfront, but anglers are connecting with the flatfish all over the area.
The other hot inshore bite has been sheepshead. Anglers are hooking the fish around the ADM docks and other hard structure and on a host of smaller docks and rocks in the area. Live fiddler crabs are the tickets to hooking the hard-fighting sheeps.
Before last week’s southwest winds cranked, up, the spanish mackerel action was red hot around the mouth of the Cape Fear River, with some fish feeding inside the mouth and many more around the tideline and along the beachfront to the east and west. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and other flashy offerings like mackerel tree rigs have been producing the majority of the action with the spaniards.
Not many reports have been coming in from offshore due to the winds.
Angie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still hooking some flounder from the ocean piers and inshore around the Southport waterfront. Live mud minnows, finger mullet, and menhaden (or soft baits like Gulps) are tempting bites from the flatfish.
Speckled trout are still feeding around the piers in the early morning hours, and anglers who make it out before the bite dies for the day are hooking decent numbers on live shrimp.
Sophie Hughes with a speckled trout that bit a live shrimp near Calabash while she was fishing on the "Lil' Bro Bro."
Whenever boats have been able to get offshore lately, the king mackerel bite remains solid around Frying Pan Tower. Live menhaden or dead cigar minnows will fool the kings into biting.
Bottom fishermen are catching plenty of black sea bass, beeliners, and other tasty bottom dwellers at structure around Frying Pan Tower and other spots in 80’ and deeper. Squid, cut baits, and a variety of other offerings will attract plenty of attention from the bass, beeliners, and more.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that the flounder and speckled trout action remained strong off the pier last week until the southwest winds kicked into high gear. Anglers can expect the bite to be back on track when the weather calms down.
Fishing live mud minnows or finger mullet on the bottom next to the pilings is the way to hook up with the flatfish.
The trout are more apt to bite live shrimp suspended off the bottom, and they usually prefer to take their meals in the early morning hours.
Bottom fishermen have been catching pompano (a few solid 2+ lb. fish along with plenty of smaller ones) on shrimp. Some smaller sea mullet are taking an interest in cut shrimp on the bottom rigs, while larger fish have been biting the live shrimp that anglers are using for the specks.
