Southport June 3, 2004
Tanya, at Ocean Crest Pier, reports no king mackerel this week due to water conditions, but the speckled trout bite has kept most anglers busy. The trout have been biting live shrimp on and off all day. Most of these fish are weighing 1 to 2.5 lbs. A few nice black drum have been caught, with a 6 lb. 15 oz. and a 5 lb. 8 oz. fish weighed in. Flounder are biting mud minnows, and they are improving in size with a 19.5″ fish caught this week. Whiting and spot fishing is still putting meat in the coolers, and bloodworms are the choice of bait.
Tommy, at Long Beach Pier, reports a good speckled trout bite early in the morning, especially with live shrimp. The heaviest of this species has gone as high as 3.5 lbs. Flounder (weighing as much as 3.5 pounds) are biting mud minnows, and the bluefish are still being brought in by the pluggers. Spot and whiting are being reeled in by the bottom fishermen on cut shrimp and bloodworms. No kings or spanish were reported this week. This was most likely due to the dirty water conditions.
Capt. Rick, at Bluewater Point Marina, reports some great fishing days this past weekend. One day saw a strong king mackerel bite in the 18 Mile Rock area. The fish were running 8 to 14 lbs. Multiple hook-ups were common. A 35 lb. cobia was also tossed in on the same day. It bit on a cigar minnow. Scattered dolphin are around the 15 to 18 mile range and on out to the tower area. Bottom fishing was also great over the weekend with black bass, pink snapper, beeliners, grunts, and the occasional triggerfish coming to the dock from the tower area. The grouper bite is further out in 100 to 120 feet of water.
John, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reports that African pompano are just starting to show up around the tower. This area has also been producing some good grouper catches. The black groupers are biting. They spawn in March and April, so with May they start to bite. He’s seen several weighing from 30 to 40 lbs. Soon they’ll shut down and then the beeliners will bite strong. The water around the tower has had good visibility, nothing like the green water of last year. Surface temperatures are running 76 to 77 degrees, and the bottom water temps are around 70 to 71 degrees. There haven’t been many dolphin or tuna bites reported.
Capt. Chuck, of Fishbuster Charters, reports that the flounder bite has improved in the area. You have to catch about 5 before you find a keeper, but he did land a couple weighing over 6 lbs. this past week. The water’s been a little dirty, so it has been necessary to put the bait right on the fish. Menhaden and mud minnows are working, but the river is loaded with menhaden right now so they are a much easier bait to catch. The tout bite is also doing well. He’s been fishing with DOA’s and little menhaden and landing trout in the 18 to 19 inch range.
