Southport – October 23, 2014
Billy Cipriani, of Ellerbe, NC, with a red drum that struck a live bait near Southport while he was fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still seeing some excellent flounder action around Southport. There haven’t been many monsters, but big numbers of quality fish have (3-5 lbs.) been finding anglers’ baits around the Southport waterfront and Battery and Bald Head islands. Live finger mullet and menhaden have been producing most of the fish, but anglers are also hooking up on soft plastics and bucktail jigs.
Sheepshead are feeding around inshore structure like the Pfizer and ADM docks, and they’re taking a hearty interest in live sand fleas and fiddler crabs dangled close to the pilings.
Anglers bottom fishing in the Cape Fear River channel have put together some phenomenal catches of fat spot lately. Shrimp and bloodworms are attracting attention from the panfish.
Speckled trout action is heating up, and anglers have had good luck with larger specks while casting topwater plugs and MirrOlures in recent days. Big numbers of smaller fish are falling for curlytail grubs and other soft plastics. Anglers are finding the hungry specks in the marshes, creeks, and around the grass islands off the ICW and Cape Fear River.
Red drum are looking for meals in the same places as the specks, and anglers are also hooking them in deeper water out near the river mouth (many over-slot fish mixed in with the keepers). Topwater plugs, soft plastics, and a variety of other artificial and natural offerings are fooling the reds.
Vicki Boyd, of Wilmington, with a 4.6 lb. flounder that struck a live finger mullet in the Cape Fear River near Southport.
Big numbers of larger (many 40”+) red drum are looking for meals at nearshore structure like Yaupon Reef, and they’re biting cut and live menhaden and mullet well.
Some large spanish mackerel are looking for meals in the same places as the big reds. Free-lining live finger mullet in the early morning and late afternoon hours is the way to connect with the big spaniards.
A few king mackerel are feeding in the same areas, but the majority of the king action seems to have moved offshore a bit. The bite’s been good from Lighthouse Rocks on offshore over the past week, and anglers are seeing good numbers of cobia alongside the kings. Live menhaden and bluefish are top choices for both, but anglers can also hook up while pulling dead baits like cigar minnows.
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with black and red drum in the surf and from the piers right now. Shrimp and cut baits are fooling both drum. Some sea mullet, spot, and other panfish are mixed in.
Flounder have also been feeding along the piers and biting live baits fished close to the pilings.
Some king mackerel are still nearshore and taking an interest in live baits that anglers are fishing off the ends of the piers and slow-trolling from boats. More kings have been looking for meals further offshore at spots like Lighthouse Rocks.
Mary Jane Measmer, of China Grove, NC, and Tim Corn with a citation red drum she hooked on a live menhaden at Yaupon Reef. The fish was released after the photo.
Inshore, there’s been some solid speckled trout action in the creeks and around grass islands and oyster beds. Live shrimp are tough to beat for the specks, but anglers are also connecting with good numbers on soft plastics and hard baits like MirrOlures.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that anglers are still seeing plenty of bait and some king mackerel along the beachfront, but the swells from the offshore hurricane last week seemed to slow the bite. The action should improve in the coming days as the water temperatures are still warm and there’s plenty of bait in the area.
Some large spanish mackerel are mixed in with the kings and are falling for smaller live baits. More (but smaller) spanish are biting Clarkspoons and other lures that anglers are trolling just off the beachfront.
Cobia seem to be scattered from the beachfront out to spots in the 20 mile range and are also taking an interest in live baits.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with sea mullet and spot while soaking shrimp and bloodworms on double-drop bottom rigs.
Flounder are falling for live finger mullet fished under the pier.
Anglers are also hooking bluefish on their bottom rigs and while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs from the pier.
