Southport March 6, 2014
John Scott with a 30″ red drum he landed near Bald Head Island after the fish dragged his rod overboard and the anglers snagged the lost pole.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers have been catching some speckled trout all winter long, but they haven’t been putting as much effort in since the season’s been closed until June 15th. Anglers can still find some action while working soft plastic baits and MirrOlures in the local creeks, but it’s a catch-and-release fishery until summer.
Red drum are feeding in many of the same areas and on some of the area’s shallow flats on sunny, warmer days. They’ll bite live and cut baits or soft plastics like Gulp baits pinned to jigheads, and the reds should only get more active as the water warms over the coming month.
March is typically an excellent month for anglers pursuing sea mullet around Southport, with the mud flats near Caswell Beach and off the Cape Fear River channel some of the best spots. A bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp baits will produce fast action with the tasty sea mullet once they make their appearance.
Anglers may also see some bluefish before the month ends, and the first to show are typically the biggest of the year (6-8+ lbs.). The area around the mouth of the river and Jaybird Shoals is a good place to target the spring blues, and they’ll attack a wide variety of baits and lures.
Black sea bass are feeding at bottom structure out in the ocean, and anglers should be able to catch some solid keepers as close to the beach as Yaupon and McGlamery reefs right now. Bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits will produce fast action with the sea bass.
King mackerel should also be schooling up around Frying Pan Tower for anglers willing to make the run. The spring kings will pounce on trolled spoons or dead cigar minnows along with any live baits that anglers can jig up offshore.
Katie Klug with her first speckled trout, an 18″ fish that bit a live menhaden near Southport in early January.
Annette, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that there are still some speckled trout feeding in the area’s creeks, but not many people have been fishing for them since the season is closed until June 15th. Some red drum are feeding in the same areas, however, and anglers can hook both on soft baits like Gulps.
Sea mullet should be showing up in the area over the coming weeks, when they’ll be feeding along the beachfront and inshore around the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Once they arrive, anglers can connect with big numbers of the panfish on bottom rigs baited with cut shrimp. Some pufferfish and croaker should also be biting bottom rigs off the piers and in the surf as March wears into April.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that anglers making the run to the Gulf Stream have decent chances at connecting with some wahoo this month. The fish can be a bit tough to find in early spring, but once anglers locate some active fish they can often put together an impressive catch. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are the best bet for those looking to hook up with a ‘hoo.
Inshore of the break, king mackerel will be feeding in the 40 mile range wherever water temperatures are in the mid to upper-60’s. Dead cigar minnows will attract plenty of attention from the kings once anglers find them.
Anglers can also connect with black sea bass around bottom structure within a few miles of the beaches right now.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that anglers should see king mackerel schooling up in the vicinity of Frying Pan Tower over the course of the coming month. The hungry spring kings will pounce on trolled cigar minnows or flashy lures like Drone spoons.
Black sea bass are feeding at bottom structure from the beachfront out to the Tower, and anglers should be able to connect with some legal (13”+) sea bass as close as five miles out right now. Squid and cut bait pinned to bottom rigs will produce plenty of action with the bass when dropped around the structure.
Bluefish typically make their spring appearance off Oak Island around the end of March or beginning of April, and anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons or casting metal jigs and Gotcha plugs.
