Southport – Winter 2014-2015
Michael Batts (age 8), of Southport, with his first flounder, a 3.7 lb. fish that he hooked near Bald Head Island while fishing with his grandfather.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still finding plenty of speckled trout around Southport (including some to 6+ lbs.). Most of the fish have moved into the creeks due to the falling water temperatures, and anglers can expect them to continue to push further back in the tributaries as it gets even colder. The larger trout seem to be biting suspending baits like MirrOlure MR17’s better than other offerings, but anglers are hooking big numbers of smaller fish on soft plastic baits pinned to jigheads and live baits on Carolina rigs.
Red drum are still feeding on the flats off the Cape Fear River and ICW, but they’ll be moving into the creeks as the mercury drops. They’ll bite all the same baits as the specks, and anglers should be able to target both fish all winter long, particularly on sunnier days.
A few flounder are still mixed in with the reds and trout, but the flatfish action is winding down until spring.
Anglers venturing out into the ocean can find keeper black sea bass at Lighthouse Rocks and other nearshore structure all winter long. The hungry bass will pounce on squid or cut baits pinned to bottom rigs, along with metal jigging lures like Stingsilvers.
Sheila Hill, of Denver, CO, with her first king mackerel, hooked on a ballyhoo behind a black/purple sea witch while she was trolling near Frying Pan Tower on the “ANNALI.”
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers continue to connect with speckled trout and red and black drum in the area creeks, and the fish should spend the winter in the same locations. All three will pounce on live shrimp fished under floats or on the bottom, and anglers can also target the reds and specks with a variety of soft and hard plastic artificial lures.
Off the beaches, there have been plenty of legal black sea bass feeding around bottom structure from the 10 mile range out to the break. Anglers can fool the tasty sea bass with bottom rigs baited with squid or cut baits.
Anglers have spotted some giant bluefin tuna feeding around Frying Pan Shoals recently, but none have been landed yet. Targeting the big fish means trolling heavy tackle with large, skirted ballyhoo around schools of suspended bait or areas of working birds.
King mackerel have moved out to the vicinity of Frying Pan Tower, where they’ll spend much of the winter as long as the water doesn’t get too cold. Anglers can tempt the kings to bite dead cigar minnows, strip baits, or trolled spoons.
Tommy Scheetz with a 59 lb. wahoo that bit a skirted ballyhoo near the Steeples while he was fishing with Capt. Wally Trayah of Oak Island Fishing Charters.
The last reports from boats running to the Gulf Stream included some fat wahoo, and the wahoo should remain in the area for much of the winter as well. Skirted ballyhoo will fool the wahoo along with blackfin tuna and any other blue water predators that boats happen across.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that anglers trolling the Gulf Stream are still finding some solid wahoo action around local hotspots like the Steeples. Most of the fish are falling for ballyhoo rigged behind skirted trolling lures, and anglers should have shots at the ‘hoos for much of the winter as long as the water along the break doesn’t get too cold.
King mackerel have moved out towards Frying Pan Tower and, like the ‘hoos, they’ll spend much of the winter there unless the water temperature falls below their upper-60’s comfort range. Trolling cigar minnows on dead bait rigs will attract plenty of attention from the kings offshore.
