Southport October 26, 2006
Butch, at Yeah Right Charters, reports that the king mackerel bite has moved a little off the beach, but some can still be caught in the areas of Lighthouse Rocks and the nearshore reefs. The best bite, however, has been in the areas around the 18 Mile Rock, 15 Mile Rock, and the Shark Hole. Try live bait or frozen cigar minnows on the kings.
The grouper have also moved into these king mackerel hotspots. Live bait is usually better for the grouper; however, on some days it may be dead bait that produces.
Like the grouper, the black bass are also moving in closer this time of year. The same areas for kings and grouper should hold schools of black bass very soon.
Closer to the beach, there have been some pompano, whiting, flounder, red drum, and black drum caught. The gray trout should be here, but no real reports of them yet.
The gulf stream has been a little slow, but there are some wahoo and sailfish reports. The yellowfins should show up any time, and when they do look for them at the 100/400 or the Black Jack Hole.
Dave, at Ocean Crest Pier, reports consistent fishing, with excellent catches of flounder as of late. Some anglers are getting limits, with fish ranging up to 5 pounds. Live mullet or strip baits have been the most productive.
Speckled trout are biting fairly well in the mornings on live or cut shrimp.
The bottom rigs with cut shrimp are nabbing whiting, spots, black drum, and some lingering pompano.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish continue to bite plugs and live baits. No kings landed, but they have been sighted cutting bait. It’s just a matter of getting lucky.
John, at Yaupon Pier, reports that lots of black drum are biting on the bottom. Shrimp are the most productive baits for these 3 to 6 pound fish, and shrimp will also draw strikes from some whiting.
Flounder fishing has been excellent for anglers fishing Carolina rigs baited with live minnows. The flatfish are averaging 2 to 3 pounds, with a fair amount of bigger fish mixed in (up to 6 pounds).
Over sized red drum are also hitting the flounder rigs.
Both cut bait and plugs are producing nice sized bluefish.
A 23 pound king mackerel was caught last week.
Jimmy, of Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports excellent speckled trout fishing over the past weeks. Try fishing the oyster rocks near the Southport waterfront. On most days anglers are catching 12 to 20 trout with 3 to 8 flounder thrown in.
Most of the trout are in the 2 to 3 pound class, but bigger fish (up to 5 pounds) are around as well. Soft plastics, such as Trout Killers and curly tail grubs, are drawing lots of bites, as are TT series Mirrolures.
In addition to the Southport waterfront, fishermen are finding trout around the Oak Island Bridge, Battery Island, and the Elizabeth River.
Flounder are around the docks on the Southport waterfront and in the Cape Fear River (such as at the ADM dock). Hopping a bucktail tipped with a pork strip, cut bait strip, or small minnow off the bottom is the most effective flounder strategy right now.
Fishing the docks in Dutchman’s Creek is producing good numbers of red drum from 3 to 15 pounds. Much like the flounder, the drum are finding a bucktail tipped with a strip or cut bait hard to resist.
