Southport October 12, 2006
Butch, at Yeah Right Charters, reports that the big news is that the king mackerel are finally on the beach. There is plenty of bait on the beach now also. The “old sea buoy” has been the hot spot lately. However, you can expect the full moon and the passing of this cold front to most likely slow the bite (or even shut it down for a few days).
The spots have slowed down, but they seem to be starting to bite again. The big run should be just around the corner. All of the other species are biting well now: whiting, spanish, gray trout, speckled trout, red drum, bluefish, black bass, and flounder. And as the water cools, the trout, black bass, and red drum fishing will get even better.
Offshore, the bottom bite is good with vermillion snapper, gray snapper, grouper, amberjacks, triggerfish, and an occasional hog nose snapper.
The word from the gulf stream is a few wahoo with a king mackerel mixed in once in a while, as well as a few blackfin tunas. And the yellowfin tuna should show up anytime.
Jimmy, at Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports good speckled trout fishing. The Elizabeth River and Dutchman’s Creek are both holding plenty of 2-3 lb. trout. Soft plastics such as grubs and Trout Killers have been the most productive lures.
Big red drum are mixed in with the trout. The drum are too large to keep, but they provide quite a battle on tackle suited for the smaller trout.
Flounder fishing has also been quite good. Flatfish up to 6 lbs. are coming from the Oak Island Bridge and the Old Quarantine Station in the Cape Fear River. The fish are also coming from creek banks and oyster rocks in Cedar Creek and the Thoroughfare. Currently, the top technique is casting bucktails tipped with strip baits.
Dave, at Ocean Crest Pier, reports that flounder fishing has been very good, with the average fish being 2 to 3 pounds (and an occasional 4+ pounder mixed in). Live mullet is the way to go for the flounder.
Black drum, whiting, spots, pompano, and spadefish are all biting shrimp on the bottom. The bite has been steady, with no huge numbers of one species lately.
Both speckled and gray trout are picking up, and there are plenty of bluefish and spanish mackerel to toss plugs at.
Tons of bait continue to move along the beach, and an 18 pound king mackerel was landed recently. There should be a run of kings any day as the nearshore king bite is currently doing very well in Long Bay. Water temperatures have been around 77 degrees, so the fish are not going anywhere.
John, at Yaupon Pier, reports excellent flounder fishing, with fish up to 6 lbs. eating live shrimp and finger mullet on Carolina rigs.
Flounder fishermen have also caught and released several over-the-slot red drum during the past week.
Speckled trout (up to 3 lbs.) are hitting live shrimp under floats.
Bottom fishermen are catching a mix of croaker, spots, and whiting on shrimp.
Plug casters are catching bluefish and spanish mackerel, and live baits are producing spanish as well.
A 17.7 lb. king was caught last week.
The water temperature is 76 degrees.
