Southport/Oak Island – April 2024
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that surf and pier anglers have found better action when targeting the bottom. Catches have included whiting, pufferfish, some flounder, and even the occasional spot.
Anglers fishing deeper holes near the mouth of the Cape Fear River are landing whiting and pufferfish.
Inshore anglers have started finding some speckled trout out in the ICW as water temperatures start to pull the trout out of their wintering creeks.
Black drum can be caught by targeting docks and bridges with shrimp.
Nearshore anglers are finding good numbers of black sea bass out over structure.
Anglers that have run to the Gulf Stream are catching wahoo.
Rob, of Oak Island Sporting Goods, reports that the surf zone has seen some nice landings, including catches of pufferfish, scattered bluefish, and a bunch of whiting. Anglers are having success with a variety of baits, such as shrimp and Fishbites, and fish are coming from both the local piers and the sand.
Inshore anglers have found a nice push of black drum starting to move around and be active, and there’s also been some caught nearshore off the beaches. Shrimp will be the best bait for targeting the black drum no matter the target area.
A handful of smaller red drum are being caught inside and often along with the black drum, but the speckled trout action has been a bit slow.
Nearshore, the area should start seeing more bluefish caught in the next few weeks, and most look forward to the arrival of spanish mackerel when this cooler water moves out.
John Porter, of Southport, landed this striper in the Cape Fear River using a Rapala Shad Rap.
Hunter, of Dockside Fishing Charters, reports that red drum action remains strong, with the redfish starting to move around a bit more as the water temperatures slide up. Soft plastics are having a lot of success, and they’re great for scouting areas to find the groups of fish that are breaking up and scattering along the grass banks.
Speckled trout haven’t quite moved out of their winter patterns just yet. The up and down of weather patterns have the fish moving back and forth between the creeks and open water.
Black drum remain a consistent target, with fish being caught on Carolina-rigged shrimp around docks, oyster rocks, and holes in the backs of the creeks.
Robert, of Reelin’ Pelican Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are starting to break up and stage along grass lines. A few are starting to strike at topwater plugs, and this action will really pick up if conditions hold and the water temperatures keep moving up.
Speckled trout can be found in holes around the oyster beds back behind Bald Head Island. Live shrimp on a slip float can’t be beat this time of year for the specks.
This same tactic of drifting shrimp will also entice strikes from black drum and sheepshead.
Out in the main river, anglers have been finding some black drum staged up around docks and rock piles. Again, shrimp is their favorite bait choice.
When the opportunity shows to run off the beach, anglers are out looking for false albacore and an outside shot at early Atlantic bonito.
In addition, some black drum are staged up on hard structures in 12-40’, and they’re feeding on shrimp or fiddler crabs.
Kaleb, of River Run Charters, reports that water temperatures are finally in that 60-65 degree range, and this has seen good numbers of whiting pushed into the river mouth. Target the whiting with a basic double-drop rig with a piece of bait shrimp or Fishbites.
Black drum are pushing in with these warmer water temperatures. Anglers are finding them in some of the creeks and along the Southport waterfront.
When weather conditions settle, the area should start seeing some Atlantic bonito off the beach, and right behind them (based on water temperatures) should be the first showing of spanish mackerel.
Devin Creech, of Sunset Harbor, Emily Bourbeau, of Sunset Harbor, and Madison Lee, of Boiling Springs, caught these black drum at Yaupon Reef using fresh whole shrimp. They were fishing with Capt. Tyler Hailey.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that anglers have just started to see the beginning of whiting action around the inlet. Over the next couple weeks, this bite should really kick off.
Smaller bluefish are starting to pop up, and it could be any day when the better numbers arrive.
When a weather window shows, the best option is to run out and do some bottom fishing. April is a great month to catch those larger black sea bass in close, with quality fish in the 60’+ area.
Triggerfish and vermilion snapper will hold on many of the same ledges and hard structures, with the 100’+ areas seeing more consistent catches.
Out in the Gulf Stream, the most consistent action is blackfin tuna and scattered wahoo.
Fred, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that bottom fishing anglers have seen pufferfish and some good-sized whiting striking at bottom-rigged baits.
Some smaller bluefish are also beginning to show up in the counts. Over the next few weeks, the blues only become more common as schools push into the area.
A few smaller speckled trout have started to be mixed in the action, too.
Steve, of Oak Island Pier, reports that the whiting have shown up really well, with many anglers’ catch numbers going into the double digits. This first push was a good quality of fish, and anglers look forward to fish in better numbers moving onto the beach.
It’s pretty uncommon for this time of year, but even a few pompano were mixed in the action.
