Southport – July 3, 2014
Colin Jones with a large red drum that bit a live mud minnow near the McGlamery Reef off Oak Island while he was fishing with Austin Jones.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that the flounder action just keeps getting better around Southport, and anglers are catching big numbers of solid fish throughout the area (many 2-3 lb. fish with good numbers 4-5+ lbs.). The area’s finger mullet have finally reached a usable size, and anglers are hooking the flatfish on mullet, menhaden, and mud minnows pinned to Carolina rigs. Yaupon Reef, Fort Caswell, the Southport waterfront, Bald Head Marina, the Quarantine Station, and Oak Island Bridge have all been flatfish hotspots lately.
The speckled trout bite is also going strong, and anglers are connecting with solid numbers of specks while working topwater plugs early and late in the day. Live baits or curlytail grubs and other soft plastics will fool the trout when the sun’s high. Anglers can find them feeding around docks, rocks, and other inshore structure as well as in the marshes.
Red drum are looking for meals in many of the same areas as the specks and flatfish, and they’re falling for all the same baits. Anglers are also tempting them to bite gold spoons and spinnerbaits.
Sheepshead fishing is turning on around dock and bridge pilings and other hard inshore structure. The sheeps will take an interest in fiddler crabs and sand fleas fished close to their homes.
Black drum are feeding in many of the same areas and in the creeks, and they will bite fiddlers, sand fleas, or cut shrimp.
Spadefish are also feeding around structure in the river and will bite shrimp or pieces of jellyfish. More spades are schooling on nearshore spots like Yaupon and McGlamery reefs.
Spanish mackerel are on the feed just off the mouth of the Cape Fear River and along the beachfront. Boaters are hooking big numbers on Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and trolling weights.
King mackerel are feeding around nearshore structure like Yaupon and McGlamery reefs and Lighthouse Rocks. Anglers can tempt the kings to bite live menhaden and other baits. Some cobia are still looking for meals in the same areas and will also pounce on menhaden.
Annette, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are hooking flounder throughout the area, with good reports coming from the backwaters, surf, piers, and nearshore structure in the ocean. Most are falling for live baits on Carolina rigs.
Red drum are feeding in the marshes and creeks and biting live baits as well as a host of artificial lures.
Pier anglers are hooking good numbers of speckled trout on live shrimp, particularly early in the mornings.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that anglers are hooking good numbers of king mackerel around offshore spots like the Shark Hole. Dead ballyhoo have been effective on the kings recently.
Bottom fishing around structure in the 100’ range and deeper is producing plenty of action with gag and scamp grouper. Live, dead, and cut baits will all get attention from the grouper.
Closer to the beaches, the spanish mackerel bite is still good within a mile of shore, where boaters are hooking them on trolled Clarkspoons.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that anglers are hooking big numbers of spanish mackerel while trolling Clarkspoons just off the Brunswick County beaches.
Plenty of hammerhead and blacktip sharks are feeding in the same zone had have a tough time turning down larger-sized live, dead, or cut baits.
King mackerel and dolphin are feeding at spots 15-20 miles off the inlets, and anglers can fool both fish with live or dead baits.
The grouper bite has been excellent in advance of the coming weather, but may be a bit off after
the storm passes.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are hooking plenty of spanish mackerel and bluefish while trolling Clarkspoons along the beachfront.
Drifting live and dead baits in the same areas is attracting attention from blacktip and hammerhead sharks.
Offshore, anglers dropping live baits to structure in the 100-150’ depths are connecting with grouper, amberjacks, and cobia. Triggerfish are feeding in the same areas and will bite squid or cut baits on smaller hooks.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet, spadefish, and more on double drop rigs baited with shrimp.
Some flounder and red drum are falling for live baits fished under the pier.
Speckled trout are feeding around the pier and taking an interest in live shrimp suspended off the bottom.
Plug casters are hooking good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotchas.
Live baiters are still seeing some action with cobia off the end of the pier.
