Southport May 10, 2012
Rick Embler, of Oak Island, with a 49 lb., 10 oz. cobia he hooked on a live bluefish off Ocean Crest Pier.
Tommy, of The Tackle Box, reports that cobia have made a showing along the Brunswick County Beaches, with anglers reporting several from the nearshore reefs and at least one landed from a pier last week. Live baits are tough for the cobia to turn down, but anglers also stand a good chance of hooking up while casting large bucktails with soft plastic trailers at fish they see cruising on the surface.
King mackerel have also shown up along the beaches and at the nearshore reefs, but the bite is still likely better at spots 15-20 miles and further offshore. Live baits like menhaden and dead cigar minnows will both tempt bites from the kings.
Grouper season has opened, and anglers looking to connect with the tasty bottom dwellers would do best to drop live baits to structure in 100’ and deeper.
Dolphin fishing continues to improve in the Gulf Stream, and there are still some wahoo and blackfin tuna around as well. Ballyhoo rigged beneath skirted trolling lures will fool all the Gulf Stream predators.
Spanish mackerel are still feeding along the beaches, and they will readily strike trolled Clarkspoons or small metal jigs cast at schools of fish feeding on the surface.
Inshore, anglers are finding action with speckled trout in the creeks and around structure. Live shrimp are top choices for the specks, but Gulp baits and other soft plastics and suspending hard baits like Yo-Zuri 3D’s and MirrOlure MR17’s will also tempt them to bite.
Red drum are feeding in the creeks and marshes. Anglers can tempt them to bite live shrimp or minnows, soft plastics, topwater plugs, and often fly casters can also get in on the action.
Patrick, of Twister Charters, reports a good grouper bite at offshore structure in 100-120’ of water, with anglers landing red, scamp, and gag grouper. Live baits are producing most of the action with the grouper, and they help anglers weed out the pesky (and closed to harvest) black sea bass.
Beeliners, grunts, triggerfish, and other tasty bottom dwellers are feeding in the same depth range and will respond well to smaller cut baits.
Amber Overman with a 10.4 lb. bluefish that bit a live mullet in the surf at Oak Island.
Dolphin are still feeding heavily out in the blue water, and anglers put together some solid catches in 120-170’ last week after finding some floating debris. Trolled ballyhoo are tough for the dolphin to pass up, and they will also fool a few wahoo that are feeding alongside them.
There’s still a solid king mackerel bite around Frying Pan Tower, and scattered fish are feeding from there on inshore to the beaches. Dead cigar minnows will produce plenty of action with the kings offshore, while live baits are better bets the closer anglers get to shore.
Cobia have shown up around the artificial reefs, and live baits or bucktails will tempt them to bite.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still feeding along the beaches, where anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons.
Inshore, there’s been a good flounder and red drum bite in the inlets lately, with live finger mullet and tiger-side minnows attracting plenty of attention from both fish.
Angie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of bluefish in the surf, off the piers, and while fishing from boats. Cut baits, finger mullet, and a variety of flashy metal lures will tempt bites from the blues.
Decent numbers of spanish mackerel are mixed in with the bluefish along the beachfront, and trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and trolling weights will tempt bites from the little mackerel.
Anglers landed a cobia from Ocean Crest Pier last week, and more have been seen by boats fishing around nearshore structure. Live baits like bluefish will tempt bites from the cobia.
King mackerel fishing is still best around Frying Pan Tower and other offshore spots, where boats are connecting with solid numbers while trolling dead cigar minnows.
Wilmington City Councilwoman Margaret Haynes with a 6.53 lb. speckled trout that bit a live shrimp near Southport while she was fishing with Capt. Tommy Rickman of The Tackle Box.
Inshore, there are still some sea mullet feeding around the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and bottom rigs baited with shrimp will get plenty of attention from them.
Red drum and speckled trout are feeding in the creeks inshore, and live shrimp or a variety of artificials will tempt them to bite.
Anglers are also reporting decent numbers of flounder inside. Live baits on Carolina rigs and Gulp baits are producing most of the flatfish.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that live baiters landed a few king mackerel and some large chopper bluefish (8-10 lbs.) while fishing from the end of the pier last week.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier.
Anglers fishing small live baits beneath the pier have been connecting with decent numbers of flounder (to 2.5 lbs.).
Bottom fishermen baiting up with shrimp are hooking a few pufferfish during the day and some sea mullet at night.
