Southport June 7, 2007
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports red hot bottom fishing at the Frying Pan Tower and the area southwest of it. Anglers have caught triggerfish, sea bass, speckled hind grouper, strawberry grouper, red grouper, pinkies, beeliners, tilefish, almaco jacks, hog fish, amberjacks, and African pompano over the past week.
For the hogfish, pinkies, beeliners, and triggerfish, anchor up on the down current side of a ledge and fish cut baits and squid. The fishing slows during tide changes when the current dies.
To target grouper, look for smaller ledges and bottom irregularities that many fishermen overlook. The smallest bottom features frequently hold the largest fish. Live fish like pogies and cigar minnows are often the best grouper baits, but sometimes they prefer cut bait.
African pompano and amberjacks prefer live baits as well. Both usually hang around wrecks and other high profile bottom structure, as well as put up a dogged battle when hooked.
Anglers are also catching plenty of dolphin and king mackerel, both trolling and light-lining while bottom fishing. Live pogies, live cigar minnows, dead ballyhoo, and dead cigar minnows are all good baits, and lately it seems like the pogies are irresistible to the dolphin. Troll them beneath a weightless skirt (like a Blue Water Candy Featherweight), or toss out a pogy or other bait on the surface while bottom fishing to hook up with kings and dolphin.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that the pier action remains hot. Kings are still eating live baits pinned to trolley rigs off the Tee. King fishermen are also catching cobia, big spanish mackerel (up to 5.5 lbs.), and chopper blues. All the big predators are feasting on large schools of menhaden moving down the beach, and pier anglers are netting the menhaden for baits.
Flounder fishing remains good, but there are still some short fish mixed with the keepers.
In the mornings, anglers are catching speckled trout on Gotcha plugs.
Plug casting has also been productive on spanish mackerel and bluefish ranging from live bait size to choppers.
Anglers are catching big pompano, both on bottom rigs baited with shrimp and Gotcha plugs.
The water is 72 degrees.
Jimmy, of Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that fishing has been red hot at the Yaupon Reef. On the bottom, good numbers of keeper flounder are hitting Carolina-rigged pogies and mud minnows. At the surface, anglers light-lining live baits are catching huge spanish mackerel (up to 7 lbs.), kings, and cobia. The spanish will also eat trolled Clark spoons.
Inshore, the flounder bite is on at the Southport waterfront. The flatties are running up to 6.5 lbs. and hitting Carolina-rigged live baits as well as bucktails tipped with strip or soft plastic baits.
Speckled trout are biting well all over Southport waters. Halo and D.O.A. shrimp fished beneath a rattling float will tempt trout to bite, and the fish will also hit live mud minnows and shrimp.
Sheepshead are feeding along the pilings of the Pfizer dock, and fiddler crabs are the prime baits for them.
At the ADM dock bumpers, anglers are catching black drum (from 3-10 lbs.) on cut bait, clams, and crabs.
John, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reports that bottom fishing has been excellent. Boats are bringing in big catches of gag, red, and black groupers. Blacks and large gags (up to 40 lbs.) are coming from deep water to the south, and anglers are finding lots of hungry red grouper further north (offshore from Carolina Beach to Sneads Ferry). Plenty of 3-6 lb. triggerfish are on the feed, too.
Dolphin are all over the Gulf Stream and inshore of it, with the bigger 25+ lb. fish coming from the Stream. Boats are also finding good numbers of wahoo, but most are small (from 15-20 lbs.).
Anglers are encountering a few cobia, but most are still a good distance from the beach.
Snake kings and big 4-5 lb. spanish are chasing bait near the beach.
Billie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that pier anglers are catching speckled trout, kings, and cobia.
Inshore, the red drum fishing is slow, and most of the trout have moved out to the beachfront.
Boats are finding spanish mackerel at the Hot Hole.
Offshore, anglers are catching kings, dolphin, and bottom fish, but very few wahoo or tuna.
