Southport June14, 2012
Meredith Moore-Painter, of Greensboro, NC, with a flounder that bit a live menhaden near Oak Island while she was fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters.
Scott, of The Tackle Box, reports that fishing keeps getting better as spring turns to summer. Red drum are on the feed around Southport, and anglers are finding them in the marshes, around docks, rocks, and other structure, and up local creeks. Live shrimp and Gulp baits are top drum producers.
Speckled trout are still feeding in the creeks and around other structure, but as the water continues to warm, they’ll concentrate in areas with more current to keep fresh water moving over their gills. Live shrimp and Gulp baits are also excellent choices for anglers looking for the specks.
The flounder bite is a bit slower than normal for this time of year, but anglers are still catching them around structure in the river and in the creeks, marshes, and around the Southport waterfront. Gulps will fool the flatties as well, but live menhaden often produce the largest fish.
Offshore, bottom fishermen have been loading up on black sea bass, beeliners, grunts, porgies, and more at structure 20-40 miles off Southport. Double or triple-hook rigs baited with squid and cut baits will tempt bites from all the bottom feeders. Grouper are in many of the same areas and will attack larger cut baits or live baits.
Dolphin continue to move inshore of the Gulf Stream, and anglers will soon be seeing them at spots in the 15-20 mile range. Trolling live baits or dead cigar minnows or ballyhoo will tempt bites from the ‘phins.
Mike Hayes, of Oak Island with a 56 lb. cobia that bit a live menhaden near the Shark Hole while he was fishing with Ted Wednt on the "Tailgrabber."
Patrick, of Twister Charters, reports that the scamp grouper bite has been excellent at bottom structure in 100-120’ off the Brunswick County coast recently. Live menhaden or pinfish are producing the largest grouper.
Plenty of black sea bass are in the same vicinity and feeding all the way inshore to structure in 50-60’. Cut baits or squid on multi-hook rigs will allow anglers to catch their five bass limit in a hurry.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been excellent as well along the beachfront, where anglers are hooking up while trolling Clarkspoons behind cigar weights and planers.
Angie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that surf casters are catching some sea mullet, pompano, and bluefish from the sand at Oak Island. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp, sand fleas, and cut mullet will fool all three.
The speckled trout bite has been good from the piers on the island, mostly for anglers fishing live shrimp in the early morning hours.
Some flounder are feeding under the piers, too, and they will inhale a live shrimp or mud minnow.
Offshore, anglers are catching big numbers of black sea bass at bottom structure around Frying Pan Tower. Squid and cut baits on bottom rigs will produce plenty of action with the bass.
King mackerel and dolphin are feeding in the same areas, and both will hit live baits or dead cigar minnows, either on a light-line while bottom fishing or while trolling.
Hans Holmberg cradles a bull dolphin he hooked on a skirted ballyhoo in the Gulf Stream off Southport while trolling on the "Joint Venture."
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that there’s been a solid flounder bite lately (with some 4-5 lb. fish). Mud minnows are producing most of the flatfish bites.
Sheepshead and black drum continue to feed beneath the pier, and anglers in the know are hooking big numbers of both (with some fish approaching 10 lbs.) while dangling barnacles and fiddler crabs next to the pilings.
Speckled trout (some to 4+ lbs.) are also feeding under the pier, and anglers are hooking them on live shrimp on bottom and float rigs. The bite’s been best in the mornings, but some recent afternoons have also produced decent trout action.
