Southport June 9, 2011
Audrey Black, of Mt. Holly, NC, with a 30.4 lb. cobia she landed after a 20 minute fight. The cobe bit a live menhaden near Yaupon Reef while she was fishing with her grandfather.
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that the offshore fishing has gotten even better. King mackerel are feeding around just about any structure that is holding bait, with particularly good action around the Horseshoe last week. Live baits are top choices for the kings, but frozen cigar minnows have also been drawing some bites.
Dolphin are feeding from the king mackerel areas on out to the Stream. Anglers can hook up with them while trolling live or dead baits. Once a school is found, keeping a hooked fish in the water and pitching pieces of cigar minnows or other baits to its schoolmates will often let anglers bail a number of fish before they lose interest.
Bottom fishing has been solid lately as well. Anglers are finding grouper and other tasty bottom dwellers around rocks, wrecks, and other structure in 80’ of water and deeper. The groupers will bite nearly anything at times, but dropping live baits like menhaden and cigar minnows will generally fool more of the larger fish.
For black sea bass, grunts, triggerfish, pinkies, and the rest of the bottom gang, rigs baited with cut baits and squid should put plenty of fish in the box. Fishing where the current is moving generally produces the best bite.
Amberjacks are feeding at higher-relief structure offshore and will pounce on menhaden or other live baits for anglers looking for the kind of workout only a “reef donkey” can provide.
The spanish mackerel bite is still solid along the beaches, and anglers can hook up with plenty of the fish on Clarkspoons behind #1 planers and bird rigs. Casting small metal lures on light tackle is also effective when the spaniards are feeding on the surface.
Large sharks are prowling the beachfront and will readily take cut and live baits.
Tommy, of The Tackle Box, reports that there’s been a decent king mackerel and dolphin bite in the 12-18 mile range off Southport lately. Finding an area with some bait is key to finding the fish, and live menhaden are tough to beat at tempting them to bite.
Bottom fishermen have found a decent grouper bite at offshore structure lately. Live baits are top choices for the larger fish.
Closer to the beaches, spanish mackerel fishing remains excellent, and most anglers are hooking up with the spaniards while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and trolling weights.
The flounder bite has been solid inshore and at Yaupon Reef lately (with some fish over 8 lbs. landed). Smaller live menhaden or mud minnows are the best baits for the flatfish.
Drifting live shrimp under floats in the backwater marshes has been productive with red drum, flounder, and speckled trout recently.
Ray Walley, of Shallotte, NC, with a 5.65 lb. flounder he caught in Lockwood Folly Inlet aboard the "Flat-Serious." Weighed in at the Ocean Isle Fishing Center.
John, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are catching flounder from the backwaters, the ocean piers, and the nearshore reefs. Live baits like mud minnows and menhaden are tough to beat for the flatfish.
Red drum are feeding in the creeks, and anglers are hooking them on live baits, topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, and a variety of other lures.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beachfront. Trolled Clarkspoons are producing plenty of action with the spaniards for boaters.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that bottom fishermen found good catches of sea mullet and pompano last week. Shrimp and sand fleas will tempt them to bite.
Flounder fishing was solid last week as well (with good numbers of keeper fish up to 3 lbs.). Live shrimp and mud minnows are doing most of the damage with the flatfish.
Sheepshead are feeding around the pilings, but not many people have been fishing for them.
The spanish mackerel bite is decent, with plug casters picking up a few fish between the ever-present blues.
Vance, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that some spadefish and pompano have been falling for shrimp on bottom rigs.
Sheepshead are feeding along the pilings and will bite sand fleas or fiddler crabs.
Small live baits on the bottom are attracting plenty of attention from flounder.
Live baiters hooked a tarpon and a few king mackerel last week.
