Southport – May 21, 2015
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing good numbers of cobia in the waters off Oak Island at present, and many have been weighed in at the shop. Most of the cobes have been biting live baits, bucktail jigs, and large soft plastics.
King mackerel action has also been strong (with fish to 42 lbs. weighed recently). Several have been landed off the local piers, so some fish have moved to the beaches. There have also been good reports from the Lighthouse Rocks area and on offshore as well, so there seems to be a large body of kings in the area.
Don Davis, of Supply, NC, with a 35 lb., 5 oz. cobia that struck a live bluefish off the end of Oak Island Pier.
Offshore bottom fishing has been producing some impressive catches of grouper along with a host of smaller bottom dwellers like beeliners, triggerfish, and sea bass. Live baits are fooling many of the grouper, with squid and cut baits producing plenty of action on the other fish.
Spadefish have shown up at the local AR’s, where anglers can find them schooled up and lure them to the surface with cannonball jellyfish. Small pieces of the jellyfish for hook baits will tempt the spades into biting.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding along the beachfront and off the inlets. Anglers are tempting both to bite Clarkspoons pulled behind planers and torpedo weights.
Inshore, the flounder bite continues to go strong (with big numbers of legal fish to 20” but not many trophies lately). Anglers can fool the flatfish with live baits or a variety of soft plastics pinned to jigheads and bucktails.
Black drum are on the feed in the creeks and around rocks and bridge and dock pilings in the area. The drum will pounce on fresh shrimp or fiddler crabs, which will also attract attention from sheepshead feeding in the same areas.
Red drum are still looking for meals in the bays and creeks throughout the area’s marshes. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite topwater plugs, soft plastics, spoons, spinnerbaits, and a variety of live and cut baits.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that spanish mackerel action has improved nearshore now that the water’s cleared up after last week’s storm. Most are falling for trolled Clarkspoons.
Cobia and king mackerel are beginning to make a nearshore appearance as well, and anglers can tempt both to bite live baits like bluefish and menhaden.
Offshore, the dolphin bite is in full swing at local blue water hotspots like the Blackjack Hole and Steeples. Anglers have caught some dolphin inshore to the 15 mile range as well. Most are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Bottom fishing has been excellent around offshore structure in the 100’ depths. Gag and scamp grouper, sea bass, triggerfish, beeliners, and more are looking for meals in those areas and biting squid and cut baits well.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have been seeing some excellent dolphin action when making the run to the Gulf Stream. Big numbers of gaffer dolphin are falling for skirted ballyhoo while boats are trolling around spots like the Steeples.
Grouper fishing at bottom structure in 100-200’ of water has also been strong lately. Most of the larger grouper are falling for live baits like pinfish, cigar minnows, and menhaden.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking solid numbers of bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Bottom fishermen are hooking sea mullet, croaker, and pufferfish on shrimp and squid.
Plenty of flounder are coming over the rails for anglers soaking small live baits, but most are undersized.
Anglers casting artificial lures in the early morning hours have been catching some speckled trout, with a few limits last weekend.
Live-baiters have landed a king mackerel and a cobia from the end of the pier over the past week.
