Southport – June 19, 2014
Tavis McFayden, of Wilmington, with a dolphin that he hooked while trolling near the Blackjack Hole with Billy Goss on the “Wahooligans.”
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that the flounder bite keeps getting better and better (with good numbers of 4-8+ lb. fish this week). Anglers are hooking some fat flatfish along the Southport waterfront, in the Lockwood Folly River, and at inshore structure throughout the area. Most anglers are using live baits, but bucktail jigs and Gulps or other soft artificials will also get attention from the flounder.
The speckled trout fishing remains excellent, and now that the season is open many more anglers are targeting them. Topwater plugs have been very productive for the specks in early and late in the day, and anglers are hooking up on soft plastics and subsurface hard baits like MirrOlures when the sun’s high.
Plenty of red drum are also on the feed in the area, biting well in the marshes and around docks inshore. Live baits, topwaters, soft plastics, and a variety of other artificials will get attention from the reds.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around dock and bridge pilings, oyster rocks, and other hard structure inshore. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs fished tight to the structure are the way to tempt bites from the sheeps.
Out in the ocean, the spanish mackerel bite has been excellent along the beachfront from Oak Island to Ocean Crest Pier. Most anglers are hooking up while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and torpedo weights, but casting Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs is tempting some bites from the spaniards as well.
King mackerel are also feeding not far off the beaches, and anglers have landed kings from Yaupon Reef to spots well offshore over the past week. Live menhaden are tough to beat for the kings.
Bryan Milliken, of Rocky Point, NC, with a fat speckled trout that bit a live mud minnows on a jighead near Southport.
A few cobia are around the same areas and will also pounce on a live menhaden.
Further offshore, bottom fishing around the Horseshoe and Frying Pan Tower areas is producing big catches of black sea bass, grunts, triggerfish, and other bottom dwellers. Most are falling for squid and cut baits.
Dolphin are feeding from the Horseshoe out to the Gulf Stream, and boaters are hooking solid numbers on ballyhoo.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that bottom fishing around structure in 100-120’ of water off Oak Island is producing plenty of action with grouper, snapper, black sea bass, and more. Live baits are fooling most of the grouper, while cut baits and squid are tempting bites from the smaller bottom feeders.
Anglers are hooking a few legal sea bass at structure 7-8 miles offshore, but the keeper ratio is much better at structure further out.
Dolphin have pushed into the 20 mile range, where they’re feeding alongside king mackerel. Both will bite dead ballyhoo or cigar minnows.
More kings are feeding around nearshore structure like Yaupon and McGlamery reefs and Lighthouse Rocks, and live menhaden are the way to go for the kings nearshore.
Some cobia are also showing up not far from shore and biting live menhaden.
Spanish mackerel action has been excellent just off the beachfront, where anglers are putting together big catches while trolling Clarkspoons.
Blacktips, spinners, and other large sharks are looking for meals in the same areas and will pounce on dead and cut baits.
Sarah McAlister, of Monroe, NC, with a red drum she caught and released near Bald Head Island. It struck a live bait while she was fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with plenty of spanish mackerel while trolling Clarkspoons within a few miles of the beach at Oak Island.
Large sharks are feeding in the same areas, and anglers are finding fast action with hammerheads, blacktips, spinners, and more on cut, live, and dead baits drifted not far offshore.
Inshore, red drum and flounder are keeping anglers entertained.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that speckled trout have shown up around the pier, and anglers are hooking them on live shrimp in the morning hours.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with some sea mullet and red drum on shrimp and cut baits.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier.
Live-baiters have landed several more cobia recently.
