Southport – May 29, 2014
Chris Earnes, of Caswell, NC, with a king mackerel that bit a live bait near Oak Island while he was fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that flounder fishing has picked up considerably around Southport (and the first citation fish of the year have come into the shop). The action’s been widespread, with good reports coming from anglers around the Southport waterfront, Oak Island Bridge, and the local inlets. Slow-trolling the creeks has also been producing solid numbers of flatfish recently. Both live baits like mud minnows and peanut menhaden and soft plastics are fooling the flounder.
Speckled trout action has also been solid recently, but the fish remain closed to harvest until June 15. Many of the specks have moved out of the creeks and are feeding in open water and around the islands in the river. Live baits or soft plastics and suspending hard lures are fooling the trout.
Red drum are feeding all over the area, and anglers are finding them in the marshes, creeks, and around structure like docks and bridges. They’ll bite a variety of live and cut baits or artificials like soft plastics and topwater plugs.
Spanish mackerel are on the feed just off the beaches, and anglers are hooking big numbers while trolling Clarkspoons from boats and working Gotcha plugs from the ocean piers.
Cobia have shown back up along the beachfront and out to Yaupon Reef. Both sight-casting to cruising fish and anchoring up with baits on the bottom and surface have fooled the cobes recently.
Jack Eyler, President of the St. James Fishing Club, with a 20″ black sea bass that bit a 2 oz. bucktail with a curlytail trailer near Frying Pan Tower.
King mackerel (ranging from undersized to 30+ lbs.) are looking for meals in the same area and will pounce on live baits or trolled dead baits and spoons.
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that offshore boaters have found some solid dolphin fishing while trolling 50-55 miles off Southport recently.
Closer to the beaches, cobia have started to show back up, but it’s definitely slower than it was before last weekend’s cool front.
Spanish mackerel fishing is turning back on as well, and anglers are hooking plenty of spaniards while trolling Clarkspoons and casting lures from the piers.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen are finding action with some pompano and sea mullet.
Inshore, the flounder bite continues to improve, and anglers are hooking good numbers of keepers right now on live baits and soft lures like Gulps.
Matt Cox with a 23.2 lb. gag grouper that inhaled a 7 oz. Blue Water Candy Roscoe jig in 250′ of water offshore of the 100/400 while he was fishing with Mickey Gilley, Walker Isley, and Chase Henderson on the “SeaWalker.”
Speckled trout and red drum are also feeding in the marshes and creeks in the backwaters, and they’re biting live baits, soft plastics, and topwater plugs.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel action along the Oak Island beachfront has been excellent lately, and anglers are hooking big numbers while trolling Clarkspoons.
Large sharks are feeding in the same areas as the spaniards and will pounce on cut or dead baits.
There are still some cobia around, but they seem to have moved off the beaches a bit.
Dolphin have pushed into the 30-40 mile range off Oak Island, where they’re feeding alongside king mackerel at spots like the Horseshoe and Frying Pan Tower. Both will strike trolled cigar minnows and ballyhoo.
Bottom fishermen are still hooking big numbers of black sea bass, but the best action’s been 15-40 miles out instead of within sight of shore. Dropping squid and cut baits to bottom structure in that range will produce plenty of action with the bass.
Grouper and smaller bottomfish like triggers, porgies, grunts, and more are feeding around structure from the 100’ depths on offshore.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are starting to see more cobia action again from the beach out to nearshore structure. Live menhaden are fooling most of the cobes, both on bottom rigs and on the surface.
The grouper bite remains excellent around bottom structure in 100’ and deeper (with some big gags and scamps caught last week). Live baits are the best bets for the larger grouper.
Gulf Stream trolling is producing fast action with gaffer dolphin at local blue water hotspots. Most are falling for skirted ballyhoo.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet, pompano, and small flounder on bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Some larger flounder and red drum are falling for live baits on the bottom.
Plug casters are hooking up with some spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotchas.
And live-baiters have been getting some cobia strikes recently.
