Southport August 9, 2007
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are finally making a good showing along the beach. Clarkspoons in the #00 size trolled behind #1 or #2 planers should prove deadly on the spanish.
From the Horseshoe offshore to the Gulf Stream, boats are putting together good catches of king mackerel and dolphin. Both live baits and frozen cigar minnows are proving productive on those fish.
For some reason, the wahoo bite has been on fire one day and slow the next. Rigged ballyhoo are the top choice for wahoo baits, but a few have even surprised king mackerel and dolphin anglers trolling cigar minnows.
The bottom fishing is still excellent for grouper and other fish such as beeliners, grunts, triggerfish, pink snapper, and porgies. Spots in 100’ of water or deeper seem to be producing the best results right now, and squid and cut baits are drawing the most strikes.
Anglers are also hooking up with some huge sharks while bottom fishing.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that flounder are still feeding well around the pier. Moving tides seem to be producing the best flounder bites, and live finger mullet or shrimp are the top baits. Most of the fish are solid keepers, and anglers landed flounder as large as 6 lbs. last week.
The solid speckled trout bite is still going on. Anglers are experiencing the best trout action while fishing with live shrimp in the early morning hours.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with whiting, pompano, black drum, and spot. Cut shrimp makes the best all around bottom bait.
Anglers are hooking up with bluefish on a variety of baits and lures.
Spanish mackerel fishing has improved compared to weeks past, due to the clearing water and southeast winds.
No kings were landed last week, but with the improving water quality, it shouldn’t be long before they are feeding on the beach again.
The water temperature is 89 degrees.
Jimmy, of Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that the speckled trout bite is still solid inshore. Most of the trout are feeding around grass islands and creek mouths in the Cape Fear River, Elizabeth River, and off the ICW.
Topwaters remain an effective way to target the trout, and anglers can also hook up with them by casting soft plastic baits such as curly tail grubs and Trout Killers on lead heads. The majority of the trout are in the 1-3 lb. range, but there are some bigger fish (in the 5 lb. class) still around.
Flounder are looking for meals around the Southport Waterfront, Battery Island, Fort Caswell, the Bald Head Entrance, and the Oak Island Bridge. Live finger mullet or peanut pogies will draw strikes from the flounder, but anglers can cover more water while casting bucktails tipped with soft plastic baits such as Trout Killers, Flounder Strips, or curly tail grubs.
The Yaupon and McGlammery Reefs are also holding plenty of flounder right now. Live baits are top choices for fishing out at the reefs.
Gray trout are feeding alongside the flounder at the reefs, and vertically jigging a Stingsilver or Fish Jig should produce some action from the grays. A few big red drum are also around and falling for the jigs.
Anglers who light-line a live bait while flounder or trout fishing the reefs might hook up with some big spanish mackerel.
The ADM dock is holding good numbers of sheepshead and black drum. Most of the drum are under 20 lbs., and they’ll fall for sand fleas, cut mullet, or fiddler crabs fished near the ship bumpers off the end of the dock.
Target the sheepshead by dangling fiddler crabs or sand fleas near the dock’s pilings.
Bluefish are feeding all over Jaybird Shoals, and trolled Clarkspoons should prove irresistible to the blues.
Jon, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reports that the beeliner bite has been wide open over the past week, due to the full moon and high tides.
Boats are bringing in a few red grouper, but the gag bite seems slow.
African pompano have finally shown up around the Frying Pan Tower and nearby spots.
Nearshore, flounder fishing has been excellent at the reefs just off Oak Island.
Billie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that surf and pier anglers are hooking up with whiting, pompano, and flounder.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beach in good numbers, and boats can hook up with them by trolling Clarkspoons.
The flounder bite has been solid around the nearshore reefs.
