Southport July 29, 2010
John Hansil, of Southport, with a red drum he hooked on a live shrimp at an ICW dock.
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that the water is finally beginning to clear up after two weeks of nasty winds dirtied it. Bait is moving back towards the beaches, and spanish mackerel are again feeding within a few miles of the shore, where anglers can tempt them to bite trolled Clarkspoons and mackerel trees.
The nearshore flounder bite also suffered from the winds, but it seems to be recovering as well. Dropping live finger mullet to the bottom at nearshore structure is the way to fool the flatfish.
Spadefish are schooling up on much of the same structure. Chumming with cannonball jellies and using small pieces as baits is the way to tempt bites from these unusual fish.
The king mackerel bite remains hit-or-miss, with fish feeding at one spot one day and another the next. Trolling with live pogies or dead cigar minnows will produce results on the kings when anglers can find them.
David Bradfield, of Raleigh, with a 49 lb. barracuda he hooked on a light-lined cigar minnow near Frying Pan Tower while fishing with Capt. Eugene Landis aboard the "Bullfighter" out of Southport.
Amberjacks are schooled up at high-relief structure from the 10 mile range on out. Vertically jigging is one of the most effective techniques for tempting bites from the AJ’s.
Offshore bottom fishing doesn’t seem to have suffered much from the wind, as anglers can hook up with grunts, pinkies, sea bass, triggerfish, beeliners, and more at ledges, reefs, and other structure in 80’ and deeper. Squid and small cut baits will tempt bites from the bottom feeders.
Grouper are feeding at much of the same structure and will take an interest in large live and cut baits.
Tommy, of Southport Angler Outfitters, reports that not many boats have made it offshore with the strong winds lately, but commercial boats have been catching good numbers of grouper and beeliners.
Inshore, the water’s been dirty, but anglers have still been able to eke out a few red drum, speckled trout, and flounder while fishing the backwaters off the lower Cape Fear River. Live finger mullet, pogies, and shrimp are producing the best results in the dirty water.
Jamie, Doug, and Daniel Cross and Charles Murphy with a pair of dolphin and king mackerel they hooked on skirted ballyhoo near AR-465.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that bottom fishermen have been catching some pompano on shrimp. The evening tide cycles are producing a decent whiting bite.
Anglers are catching some slot-sized red drum at night on live and cut baits. During the day, flounder are falling for live baits near the pilings.
Plug casters and live baiters are hooking up with some spanish mackerel. And live baiters have had a number of tarpon runs lately, but the fish are tough to land.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that the winds killed a lot of the pier’s action last week, but clearing water should have the king and spanish mackerel back on the feed soon.
Anglers did pick up some flounder while fishing small live baits from the pier last week.
Decent numbers of pompano are falling for bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
