Southport May 31, 2012
Eddie Felts, of Oak Island, with a 10.4 lb. black drum that struck a barnacle beneath Oak Island Pier.
Patrick, of Twister Charters, reports that the bluefish and spanish mackerel action remains strong along the Brunswick County beaches. Both are willingly biting Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and torpedo weights.
Cobia have shown up at nearshore structure like Yaupon Reef, and anglers may run across them around the inlet sea buoys or while spanish fishing. Live baits or bucktail jigs with large soft plastic trailers are the tickets to hookups with the cobia.
A few king mackerel are feeding around Yaupon, and there should be decent king action at spots in around 60’ of water right now. Live baits like menhaden and bluefish are best closer to the beaches, but dead cigar minnows are often just as effective on the kings when they’re offshore.
Black sea bass open to harvest June 1, and they should be easy targets at any structure in the 60-100’ depth range. Squid or cut baits on bottom rigs will produce plenty of action with the bass.
Beeliners are feeding at structure in 90’ and deeper and will also readily bite squid and cut baits.
A bit further offshore, anglers can find gag and scamp grouper at bottom spots in 100-120’, and dropping live baits should produce the biggest fish.
Tommy, of The Tackle Box, reports that the speckled trout bite has been solid in the creeks and around hard structure in the Southport area over the past week (and anglers have weighed in fish to 7 lbs.). Most of the specks are biting live shrimp, though some are falling for soft plastic baits like Gulps.
Neal Sears with a 30" red drum he caught and released near Oak Island. The red bit a live finger mullet while he was fishing with his father.
Red drum are feeding in the creeks and on the flats around Southport, Oak Island, and Bald Head. Topwater plugs, Gulp baits, live menhaden and mud minnows, and a variety of other baits and lures will tempt bites from the reds.
Flounder fishing keeps getting better (with some citation fish weighed in recently). Anglers are finding the fish in traditional spots like the Southport waterfront, rocky structure in the river, the creeks, and the marshes. Live menhaden are top choices for the largest flounder, but Gulp baits are also very effective.
Angie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that pier anglers are catching some chopper bluefish on live baits and Gotcha plugs from the planks. Plug casters are also picking up some spanish mackerel.
It’s been a bit rough for many boaters lately, but trolling Clarkspoons and casting metal jigs around working birds and surface activity will also produce spanish action.
The speckled trout bite has been good at the piers, too, where anglers are connecting with decent numbers in the early mornings on live shrimp.
Brandon Phillips, of Wilmington, with a 70 lb. wahoo that bit an Bomber CD30 in 140' of water near the Blackjack Hole.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that there was an excellent run of sheepshead and black drum from the pier last week (with sheepshead to nearly 10 lbs. and black drum even larger). Barnacles and live fiddler crabs have been doing most of the damage with both fish.
Large chopper bluefish (some to 15 lbs.) are biting live baits on king mackerel rigs fished off the end of the pier.
Smaller bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs.
Decent numbers of flounder are falling for live baits fished under the pier.
