Southport October 11, 2007
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that the beach king mackerel bite is on. The fish are feeding with such abandon that they’re practically driving the bait onto the beaches. Slow trolling live pogies just offshore should tempt plenty of king bites, and some of the fish will be large ones (30+ lbs.)
Spanish mackerel are also feeding along the beaches. The spanish will strike Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and in-line weights.
It’s October, and that means gray trout and some large red drum are schooling up on the Oak Island area nearshore reefs. Jigging spoons will attract plenty of attention from the grays and reds, and anglers should fish them on moderately heavy tackle, as the big reds (some over the state’s 40” citation minimum size) can be too tough to handle on a typical trout rod.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that the pier king mackerel bite is excellent right now. Anglers fishing live baits on trolley rigs from the pier’s tee landed around 40 kings last week, with the largest weighing 35 lbs.
Spanish mackerel (averaging 2-3 lbs.) are also abundant and feeding heavily near the pier. They’re falling for Gotcha plugs, free-lined live baits, and even shrimp fished on the bottom. Plenty of bluefish are around as well, and they’re taking the same baits as the spanish.
Anglers fishing live baits on the bottom are landing good numbers of flounder averaging 2-3 lbs., with some topping 4 lbs.
The water is still warm enough that anglers are hooking some nice pompano, with a few surpassing the 2 lb. citation mark. Most of the pompano are falling for shrimp fished on bottom rigs.
Bull whiting (up to 2 lbs.) and decent numbers of spot are also falling for the bottom rigs, and they should only become more numerous as the water temperatures continue to fall.
The water is still 78 degrees.
Jimmy, of Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that last week’s winds kept most anglers off the water, but those who went out still found some good fishing.
Flounder are stacked up on the Southport waterfront and at other spots around the lower Cape Fear when anglers can get to them. Carolina-rigged finger mullet are the most popular flounder baits, but anglers can also hook up with the flatties by bouncing a bucktail tipped with a soft plastic bait (such as a Flounder Strip, Trout Killer, or curlytail grub) off the bottom.
Anglers will catch some of the largest flatfish of the year during the fall months, so now is the time to go out and target the doormats.
Surf fishermen are also hooking good numbers of flounder on Carolina-rigged finger mullet, as the cooling water has the flatfish moving from the nearshore structure to the inlets.
Sheepshead are holding around the pilings of the Pfizer dock and other area structure. Anglers targeting the sheepshead should dangle fiddler crab or sand flea baits next to the pilings for best results.
Some big black drum (30-70 lbs.) should still be hanging around the Pfizer/ADM dock bumpers, but not many people have been fishing for them lately.
Anglers found both shelter from the wind and good speckled trout and puppy drum fishing in the smaller creeks last week. The reds and trout will both fall for a variety of soft plastic baits.
Spot have just begun to move into the river channel near the Coast Guard Station.
Pier anglers are also beginning to catch good numbers of spot, along with plenty of spanish and king mackerel.
Boats trolling just off the beach and around the nearshore reefs are finding big numbers of kings (and many are over 20 lbs., with fish up to 44 lbs. weighed in over the week). Slow trolling live pogies is the best strategy to hook up with the kings.
