Southport June 13, 2013
David Way and Capt. Wally Trayah, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, with a wahoo that struck a skirted ballyhoo in 150′ of water near the Blackjack Hole.
Steve, of The Tackle Box, reports that anglers are seeing some decent king mackerel action in the 15 mile range, with fish feeding from there out to the 100’ depths. Trolling live baits like menhaden and bluefish or dead cigar minnows is the way to tempt bites from the mackerel.
Some cobia are feeding at nearshore and offshore structure, and they will take an interest in live baits or bucktail/soft plastic combos cast to fish that anglers see on the surface.
Grouper are feeding on rocks, ledges, and other bottom structure in 90’ of water and deeper. Anglers can fool them on a variety of dead and cut baits, but live baits like menhaden and pinfish are the best bets for the largest fish.
Flounder have shown up at nearshore structure like Yaupon Reef, and there’s also been an improving flatfish bite inshore in the creeks (with several 5+ lb. fish weighed in recently). Live baits like menhaden and mud minnows are top flatfish producers, but anglers can also tempt them to bite Gulp baits on jigheads and bucktails.
The red drum bite is still going strong in the creeks and bays. The fish are a bit scattered, so anglers may have to do some searching to find them. Live baits, soft plastics, and topwater plugs can all be effective on the reds.
Speckled trout are a bit tough to find right now, but many of the fish that anglers are catching have been large ones. The best bet for the big specks has been casting live baits, soft plastics, and suspending hard lures around structure like docks.
John, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that there’s been some solid red and black drum fishing around Southport-area docks lately. Live mud minnows and shrimp are fooling both the red (to 30”+) and black (to 4 lbs.) drum.
Will and Eugene Monroe, of Garner, NC, with an over-slot red drum they caught and released near Southport after it bit a Gulp jerkshad.
There’s also been some decent speckled trout and red drum action in the creeks for anglers casting live baits and soft plastics like Gulps.
A few trout are still feeding around the Oak Island piers, and the bite was solid until last week’s tropical storm dirtied up the water. The fish should be back once conditions improve, and anglers can hook them on live baits or artificials like MirrOlures and Gotcha plugs.
Flounder are feeding around structure and in the creeks inshore, and they will bite live baits or Gulps.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that the grouper bite has improved (with both solid numbers and some healthy, 15-20 lb. fish). Scamps, reds and gags are all feeding at structure in the 100’ range and taking an interest in live pinfish and menhaden.
Inshore, there’s been a solid red drum and flounder bite in the local creeks, with the best fishing far up the creeks. Live shrimp are fooling both the reds and the flounder (with some flatfish to 5.5 lbs.).
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are still catching some spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotcha plugs and other jigging lures from the pier.
Some flounder are taking an interest in small live baits fished under the pier, which are also fooling some speckled trout.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with some sea mullet and spot on shrimp.
Live baiters have hooked some cobia from the end of the pier recently.
Vance, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some spot and sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Some speckled trout are taking an interest in live shrimp near the pier.
