Southport June 3, 2010
Robby King, from Oak Island, with a 12 lb. black drum he landed from the island's surf on shrimp.
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that big sharks are making a showing along the Southport area beaches. Anglers who want to fight one of the bull, lemon, blacktip, and other massive sharks feeding nearshore should drift fresh cut baits just off the beaches on heavy tackle and steel leaders.
Plenty of spanish mackerel are still feeding along the beaches, and anglers can hook them on 00 Clarkspoons behind #1 and #2 planers. Bluefish are in the mix with the spanish and especially prevalent at the rip around the mouth of the river. They’ll fall for the same spoons.
When the blues and spanish are chasing bait to the surface, anglers can cast small spoons and other metal lures to the surface activity to hook up on lighter tackle than their trolling gear.
King mackerel are feeding along the beach as well (including some 30+ lb. smokers). Live pogies are the go-to baits for the kings, and anglers can find them schooled up along the beaches. Cobia are mixed in with the kings and may come up to check out anglers’ boats. Having a pitch rod ready with a 2 oz. bucktail tipped with a whole squid will give anglers something to throw at the cobes that they’ll rarely turn down.
Offshore bottom fishing is also productive right now. The fish, however, can be a bit finicky, so anglers may need to check out a few spots before they find actively feeding fish like pinkies, grunts, beeliners, sea bass, and more. Squid and cut baits will fool all the bottomfish.
The same sort of structure in 100+’ of water has been playing host to a good grouper bite, especially for anglers dropping live baits.
Amberjacks are feeding at many of the same areas, and they and the grouper will often fall for a vertical jig when other techniques fail.
The Gulf Stream trolling is still producing some wahoo, dolphin, and blackfin tuna, though the action will wind down as spring gives way to summer. Billfish (like sailfish and blue and white marlin) will be present all summer, however, giving anglers a reason to head to the blue water even when the meatfish bite slows. Ballyhoo rigged under skirted lures like South Chatham Tackle Deep Six Pirate Plugs will fool the Gulf Stream predators.
Jackson Greene, from Elizabethtown, NC, with a 45 lb. wahoo he caught near the Steeples on a ballyhoo under a black/purple skirt. He was fishing out of Oak Island with Chad Devane, Rich Glen, and Bret Hood.
Tommy, of Southport Angler Outfitters, reports that there’s been a solid scamp grouper bite of late at bottom structure off Southport in 100-120’ of water. Live baits (like pinfish and pogies) and dead cigar minnows, sardines, and more will all fool the groupers.
Amberjacks are feeding around high-relief structure in the same areas, and they will take an interest in live baits.
Derek, of Yellow Dog Charters, reports that anglers are finding some excellent action with scamp grouper and amberjack at structure in around 95’ of water lately. Live pogies are attracting attention from both fish.
King mackerel are feeding from the beaches to nearshore structure like Yaupon Reef and will take an interest in live pogies as well. There have been good numbers of pogies along the beach recently, so finding bait shouldn’t be too challenging.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are feeding in the same areas, and while anglers can hook them on trolled spoons and other lures, it’s much more fun to cast Gotcha plugs to the feeding fish on light tackle.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers landed several more king mackerel on live bluefish this past week.
Plug casters stayed busy with spanish mackerel and bluefish last week, with so many blues around that they’re often beating the spanish to the plugs.
More and more keeper flounder are coming over the rails (some to 3.5 lbs. this week), and anglers are hooking them on live mud minnows and other baits.
Those dropping fiddler crabs and sand fleas to the bottom scored some nice catches of sheepshead and black drum last week.
Laurie Watson, of Bolivia, NC, with her first flounder, a 23", 5.9 lb. fish that fell for a live pogy near the Quarantine Station.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that bottom fishermen have been catching some healthy black drum (to 6 lbs.) and pompano (to 3+ lbs.) on shrimp recently. A few slot-sized puppy drum are mixed in.
Anglers fishing small live baits on the bottom are hooking up with good numbers of flounder, many of them keepers.
Plug casters are catching plenty of bluefish and some spanish mackerel.
Live baiters have stayed busy with chopper bluefish (to 11 lbs.) and king mackerel (to 39.7 lbs.) recently. A few cobia have also been showing an interest in the live baits.
