Southport July 9, 2009
Madison (age 11) and Preston (age 7) Spangler with a 30 lb. king mackerel Madison hooked at Lighthouse Rocks while fishing with Tucker Pacula on the "Tide One On."
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that just off the beaches anglers are catching plenty of spanish mackerel and sharks. Trolling Clarkspoons around diving birds and concentrations of bait is producing most of the mackerel, which make excellent bait for the Atlantic sharpnose and other sharks in the area.
Spadefish and flounder are holding on nearshore structure within a few miles of the beaches. Carolina-rigged live baits (small ones) are the tickets to hooking up with the flounder.
The spades will take an interest in pieces of the cannonball jellyfish, or “jelly balls,” that anglers can scoop up with a landing net just off the beach.
Some kings are also feeding close to the beaches, and anglers can troll dead cigar minnows or live pogies to tempt the kings to bite.
Further out, structure in the 18-20 mile range is holding more king mackerel, dolphin, amberjacks, and some grouper. Dead cigar minnows will fool the kings, dolphin, and grouper, but the amberjacks are more likely to take an interest in live baits.
Bottom structure even further offshore is holding more dolphin, kings, and AJ’s along with African pompano and bottomfish like gag, scamp, and red groupers, snappers, black sea bass, pinkies, triggerfish, beeliners, and more.
At the offshore structure, anglers can troll with dead cigars for the kings and dolphin, or anchor up and bottom fish. Dropping squid and cigar minnows on bottom rigs will attract attention from all the bottom feeders, and keeping a weightless light-line behind the boat will tempt the kings and dolphin as well.
Mike Martin, of Oak Island, with a 24 lb. dolphin he landed on a flounder rod after it fell for a jigging spoon offshore of Oak Island while he was fishing with Bonner Stiller.
Keith, of Stand’N Down Charters, reports that the king mackerel bite has been steady around the Shark Hole and the Horseshoe. The dolphin bite in the same areas has begun to slow down, but anglers are still picking away at a few dolphin while working on the kings. Most of the mackerel are falling for frozen cigar minnows around 40’ deep on the downrigger. Both naked and pink-skirted cigars have been effective lately.
There’s also been a pretty good king mackerel bite in the vicinity of Lighthouse Rocks, and live pogies seem to be out-producing the cigars there.
Closer to the beaches, the spanish mackerel bite is still going strong, with limits common even on quarter-day trips. The best spanish action has been coming on #00 gold Clarkspoons trolled behind #1 planers.
Wesley Brown and Tommy Thomes, Jr. with 3.5 and 2.6 lb. speckled trout they hooked on live shrimp while fishing from Oak Island Pier.
John, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that inshore anglers are picking up a few trout and red drum in the creeks on live baits and Gulps.
The flounder bite has been excellent inshore, with anglers putting together good catches on live mud minnows fished on Carolina rigs.
Some flounder (to 5 lbs.) have also been turning up in the surf. Surf anglers are also picking up a few red and black drum.
The piers are still seeing a good speckled trout bite for anglers baiting up with live shrimp.
Boaters are reporting good action with king mackerel starting at Yaupon Reef and continuing on out to Lighthouse Rocks, with a few dolphin mixed in further offshore.
Live baits should draw bites from the kings and dolphin, but some anglers have reported dead cigar minnows out-fishing the live baits lately.
Deborah, of Oak Island Pier, reports that the speckled trout bite is still solid in the early mornings. Live shrimp are far and away the best baits for the specks, and the bite is best in the early mornings.
Plug casters are hooking up with some bluefish.
Bottom fishermen are finding some action with spot, spadefish, and pompano.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are finding a mixed bag including spadefish, black drum, pompano, and spot. Shrimp are producing most of the action, but the spot are showing a preference for bloodworms.
Speckled trout are still feeding near the pier, but the hot water has slowed the bite down a bit. Fishing with live shrimp in the early morning hours will increase anglers’ odds of hooking up with the specks.
Spanish mackerel are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs worked from the pier, and plug casters are also hooking up with a few undersized cobia.
Some king mackerel are still close by, but dirty water has kept them away from anglers’ live baits over the past week. The live baiters did hook a tarpon last week, however.
The water is 84 degrees.
