Southport May 10, 2007
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that the kings, cobia, and spanish mackerel have arrived on the beach. Live bluefish or pogies will draw strikes from the kings and cobia. Anglers can get in on the spanish action by trolling Clark spoons on #1 and #2 planers. If you’re catching more blues than spanish, speed the boat up to 7 knots to tempt the spanish.
Jigging Stingsilvers or Hopkins spoons on the nearshore reefs will produce gray trout, and anglers will catch some red drum and bluefish as well.
When the wind lays down enough to get offshore, bottom fishing has been excellent. Big black sea bass, vermillion snapper, grunts, porgies, and black tip sharks are all biting well at ledges and wrecks, along with big red and scamp groupers. The prime baits are live cigar minnows and sardines jigged up from the structure.
Dolphin will start showing up in king mackerel holes soon, and they will readily hit a cigar minnow or live bait.
Gulf Stream trolling is improving, with more yellowfin tuna showing up. Dolphin have arrived, but wahoo fishing has slowed down somewhat. Ballyhoo trolled beneath pink/white, blue/white, black/purple, and red/purple skirts are the hottest blue water trolling baits.
Billie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are finding kings, spanish mackerel, and bluefish on local piers. Some flounder are coming from the piers as well.
Inshore, the speckled trout, red drum, and flounder fishing is picking up, especially in the creeks. Lots of drum have been caught in Davis Creek in particular.
Spanish mackerel are feeding at most of the structure just off the beach.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that the 2007 pier king mackerel season started with a bang. Over two days, pier anglers caught ten kings and two cobia fishing live baits from the Tee.
Flounder and smaller trout have been hitting cut baits on bottom rigs. The trout fishing will get better and the average fish will get larger over the next weeks.
A hot spanish mackerel and bluefish bite has caused many bottom fishermen to tie on Gotcha plugs. Both blues and spanish are averaging 1-2 lbs., with an occasional larger fish.
John, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reports that kings and cobia have shown up on the piers. Following closely on their heels will be 2+ lb. Florida pompano and large speckled trout, and both will be feeding in the surf.
Offshore, the kings are schooled tightly within 15 miles of Frying Pan Tower.
Bottom fishing has been producing mostly beeliners. The full moon shut down the grouper bite, but the gags, scamps, and reds will be feeding heavily over the next few weeks.
Wahoo have been providing most of the action for Gulf Stream boats. Large schools of bluefish are proving to be a nuisance to boats in the stream, well offshore of their normal feeding grounds.
Jimmy, at Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that the backwater flounder bite has gotten hot. Bucktails tipped with soft plastic strip baits are producing well on fish ranging from just legal to 7 lbs. Local hot spots include the Southport waterfront, the Oak Island Bridge, and the Quarantine Station.
Anglers are also catching lots of flounder drifting live and cut baits in Lockwood Folly Inlet and the Cape Fear River mouth. Many short fish are mixed in with the keepers though.
Speckled trout are holding in Wildlife Creek, the oyster rocks near Southport, and behind Battery Island. The trout will pounce on soft plastic baits such as curly tail grubs and Trout Killers.
Red drum are thick in Dutchman’s Creek. Most fish are between 3 and 6 lbs., and they’ll hit the same soft plastics that anglers cast for trout.
Jaybird Shoals is holding huge schools of bluefish. Most of the blues are 1-2 pounders, but there are some choppers mixed in.
