Southport Fishing Report

April 4, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is plenty of action to take advantage of this week. The Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) are biting well on bait Shrimp in the river channel on the Pigfish Ground and the mud flats in front of Caswell. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) and Red Drum (Drum, Red) are in Cape Creek and Cedar Creek. Artificials such as MirrOlures, Gulp baits and Curly Tail grubs are working well. Spinner baits and live bait on a Carolina rig or under a cork has also been productive. A few Flounder (Flounder, Southern) from 2-3 pounds are coming in. They are taking live bait on the bottom using a Carolina Rig. Black Drum (Drum, Black) are holding up in the Elizabeth River, Dutchmans Creek and Davis Canal have also produced a few good fish. They prefer bait Shrimp cast in the middle of channel on muddy bottom. Black Drum are typically on oyster rocks as well. Bluefish have been caught on Jay Bird Shoals so the Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) shouldn’t be far behind. The wind has been so strong oceanside it has been difficult to get out. We hope to see things settle down soon. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

March 29, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Bluefish are thick on J Bird Shoals at the mouth of the inlet. This means the Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) should arrive any time. Anglers are doing well on both Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) and Red Drum (Drum, Red). They can be found in Cape Creek, Cedar Creek, Dutchman’s Creek and Walden’s Creek. Fish the edge of the marsh grass and sandbars to find them. MR 14s are working well to hook them, especially on oyster rocks. Soft curly tailed grubs and artificial Shrimp such as Vudu or Gulp are a good alternative. Baits under a cork or bumped on the bottom with a leadhead are productive. Topwater lures are catching some decent Trout in the heat of the day. The sizes are getting better too. For the Drum, the electric or nuclear chicken on a quarter ounce leadhead is the key. Curly Tail Grubs and Shrimp are also working. There has been several Flounder (Flounder, Southern) caught as the water temperatures didn’t cool down enough to fully move them out. Mud Minnows on the bottom or bucktails with a Flounder Strip and also Falling Tide Lures are working well. Trout and Drum also love the Falling Tide lures on the bottom with a slow retrieve. The mud flats around Castle Beach are holding Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Northern & Kingfish, Southern) taking bait Shrimp and artificial Bloodworms. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – The bottom bite is hot for Black Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black), Ringtails, Grunts, Scamps and a nice mixed bag of other fish. At the tower, the water is warm and we are seeing Kings (Mackerel, King). You can also find them around the Horseshoe area.




Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

March 23, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Anglers are wearing the Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) out on the beaches. The rivers are producing well too. Bait Shrimp and artificial Bloodworms are working best however Squid is a good alternative. The creeks are holding Specks and Red Drum that are biting throughout the day. The moving tide will be your best bet. MR 17s and standard MirrOlures are the preference for Trout (Seatrout, Spotted). Gulp is more productive for Reds (Drum, Red) however the Trout will take it as well. Falling Tide Spinner Baits are also successful for both Reds and Trout. Things should really pick up in the next few weeks. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

March 14, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is still a good bite of fish to take advantage of despite the weather. Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are biting MirrOlures. Rubber Grubs are also productive around the back and the mouths of the creeks. In 20 feet of water there are plenty of Whiting (Kingfish, Northern) and Sea Mullet (Mullet, Striped). Anglers are wearing them out on Shrimp. A few Black Drum (Drum, Black) are here and there. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) were about 20 miles offshore prior to the recent weather front. We hope to see this continue once things settle down.




Oak Island Sporting Goods
910-278-9872

March 7, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The past few days the Spring bite is just beginning to turn on and we are finally seeing a variety of fish being hooked. From the surf, anglers are finding Puffers (Puffer, Smooth) and Black Drum (Drum, Black). Drum can also be hooked from the pier. They typically love structure. In the backwater the main focus has been on the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) this week. Vudu Shrimp has been the key to hooking them along with Puffers and Black Drum. We expect things to heat up quickly as the season progresses. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle
910-457-1221
www.dutchmancreekbaitandtackle.com

March 1, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – As early warm weather begins to push the fish into their Spring patterns Captains and Bait Shops expect the bite to fire back up as soon as this weekend. We are very excited to see what’s going on locally. As of now, towards Wrightsville the water is warming up really quick which is firing up the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) in the rivers and creeks. Bradley Creek, Pages Creek and Hewitt’s Creek are on fire. Drum (Drum, Red & Drum, Black) fishing has turned on around the docks. Anglers are using cut Shrimp to hook them. They are schooled up on the beach around the inlets on the shoals, Figure 8 and Carolina beach Inlet. Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) fishing off the beach and piers is doing well on Shrimp with a two drop bottom rig. Stripers (Bass, Striped) are great in the river. Shad are making their way to the dam so the fish are following them and fattening up. Towards Ocean Isle Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) are the main bite inshore this week. Shrimp and Sand Flea Fish Bites are the best baits to throw this week. Big Reds (Drum, Red) are also biting inshore. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Pro Angler Team

February 21, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are on the surf and backwater. A handful of Puffer (Puffer, Smooth) are mixed in. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) are on the reef. It’s worth the trip out as there have been some good sized Sea Bass caught. If you can get a nice day, the Gulf Stream is home to a decent Wahoo bite this week.

BAIT REPORT – Mud Minnows are scattered around the inshore.


Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle
910-457-1221
www.dutchmancreekbaitandtackle.com

February 14, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – To the South We are still seeing Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) back in the creeks and rivers. Black Drum (Drum, Black) and Sheepshead have been caught as well. Sheepshead are swimming under the bridges and around the pilings.






Pro Angler Team

February 14, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – To the North “February in Southeast NC is one of the tougher months to get out and fish, the weather windows are much smaller and the temp can be downright cold some days. But it’s not all doom and gloom, fishing can be great during February especially when we have mild runs of weather. So far this year we’ve had a very up and down weather pattern so when the mild runs are here; that’s the time to go fishing! Here are a few species I target around Wrightsville Beach other areas of Southeast NC. Cape Fear River Striped Bass (Bass, Striped) are one of my favorites for Winter fishing in our area. I look for the Stripers on drop offs, around pilings and creek mouths. Working baits like Berkley Gulp five and six inch jerk shads and Berkley Havoc grass pigs should get you a bite or two from a Striped Bass. I prefer white and chart pepper neon for the jerkshad and pink, swamp gas and chartreuse silver flake in the Havoc grass pig. I rig my jerkshad and grass pigs on swimbait hooks, in 1/4 oz weight. Mid water crank baits work too, try lures that dive from three to eight feet deep for best results, Rapala X-raps work well. If the crank bait starts to hit the bottom let it float up a bit or trust me you’ll lose it to a log! Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass fishery is a closed fishery and is catch & release only; you must release all Striped Bass. Keep your eyes out for tagged Stripers there are a lot of tagged fish out there. Another fish that can bite well in the River during the winter months is the Blue Catfish. If you would like to give the Catfish a try, use baits like cut mullet, chicken livers and cut eel. I use heavy Carolina rigs when I fish for catfish. Try a TroKar Circle hook in 4/0 to 7/0 depending on bait size with fifty or sixty pound mono leader to make your carolina rig. Look for the catfish on drop-offs from five to twenty feet of water. We have seen some blue cats over thirty pounds caught in the river so try not to use to light of tackle; these are not always your farm pond channel cats! There is one fish that can be caught very easily during the winter months if you find them! This Redfishing (Drum, Red) can be some of the best of the year for catching numbers of fish the deal breaker for this fishery is you have got to good weather, calm seas and bright sunny skies for the ocean schools. I use Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet in colors Pearl/chart tail, New Penny and Rootbeer gold/chart tail also the Berkley Gulp 2 inch & 3 inch Shrimp work well too. Also MirrOlure Catch 2000 Jr lures work well for winter Redfish. On warmer light wind days you can also find some nice schools of Reds in shallow water oyster flats and rocks. The Reds will sun on these dark colored bottom areas for a little extra warm up; this is also where you’ll see some bait fish doing the same thing (warming up). Work these baits slowly in front of the Redfish schools; not right through the school, all this will do is spook the Reds and will make it very hard to catch them. If the Reds are hungry they break away from the school and eat your bait! With the late fall we had, water temps are a bit higher this winter than past winters and the Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) bite has been a good pick most of the Winter! Here are some ways I like to target Speckled trout into later Winter months. A lure that always comes to mind for winter Speckled trout is the MirrOlure in the 52M, 52 MR and TT series. MirrOlure color codes I prefer are – 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP AND Capt. Jot Custom color (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop). Most any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes (a lot easier than spelling them all out here). Working MirrOlures slowly in deeper water breaks and drop offs can produces some very nice trout. If the water gets a bit dirty due to winds or rain/ice/snow, give Berkley Gulp 3 inch shrimp, fire tail Shrimp and Jerkshad a try. Rig the Gulp or Saltwater Assassin Sea shads on lighter jig heads, here too for the trout so you can work them just a bit slower due to the colder water temps. Don’t rule out a nice Gray Trout (Seatrout, Silver) mixed in during the winter while Speckled Trout fishing. Look for the bigger trout to be sitting close to the current, but just off and out of it. Remember these fish are not going to burn calories they don’t have too swimming against the current. Tackle run down – PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes 2500, 3000 & 4000 for the Redfish, Speckled Trout and Striped Bass. Battle II or Clash 5000 & 6000 for Catfish. PENN Battalion in 6’6 inch & 7′ medium and med/hvy action and Battalion 7′ 15-30 class for catfish line Spiderwire Ultracast in ten, fifth-teen and twenty pound Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader for leaders. Capt. Jot’s Inshore Fishing schools are sold out, but I’ll do them again next year so keep your eye here for the announcement during late November 2017. Thanks for reading, stay warm or cool and good fishing to ya! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!”






Pro Angler Team

February 8, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – To the South Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are swimming back in the creeks but they are difficult to find. Artificial Shrimp such as Vudu Shrimp are doing well to hook them on a popping cork. A few Black Drum (Drum, Black) have been caught as well however they are fairly scattered. Two Drop Rigs with frozen Shrimp are working well.

OFFSHORE – Kingfish (Mackerel, King) can be caught around the power plant. Bluefin (Tuna, Bluefin) are closer in to the beach and can be found all the way down to the shoals. Wahoo are being caught towards the stream with a few Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin).




Pro Angler Team

February 8, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – To the North A few Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are moving back into the creeks and deeper holes. They will be swimming dock basins and marinas as well. Live Shrimp is the best bet along with slow presentations of MirrOdines and soft plastics. Work it as slow as possible. Black and Red Drum (Drum, Black & Drum, Red) have been caught on the docks, flats and bays. Your best bet will be to concentrate on the docks. Use Shrimp or Paddle Tails with slow presentations. Natural colors are the best right now. Striper (Bass, Striped) fishing in the Cape Fear River has been good from downtown to the cuts. Most anglers are fishing weedless jerkbaits, deep divers and swim baits around creek mouths and bridges. Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) and Dogfish (Dogfish, Spiny) are on the surf.

OFFSHORE – Kingfish (Mackerel, King) can be caught around the power plant. Bluefin (Tuna, Bluefin) are closer in to the beach and can be found all the way down to the shoals. Wahoo are being caught towards the stream with a few Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin).




Pro Angler Team

January 31, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The wind has been a bit tough for inshore fishing. Anglers are looking for a return on Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) in the canals and backwater. These are good areas to fish so you can avoid the wind. Artificials are working best. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Tuna (Tuna, Bluefin) have been caught from 12-15 miles out. They are chasing the schools of Menhaden and the sizes are great. Kings (Mackerel, King) are around the tower. Anglers are doing well on them trolling baits and lures.




Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle
910-457-1221
www.dutchmancreekbaitandtackle.com

January 24,2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Towards Ocean Isle Beach we are still hearing of Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) being caught. Fish about an hour before and after the tide change using Electric Chicken and MirrOlures. The occasional Flounder (Flounder, Winter) has also shown up.






Pro Angler Team

January 24,2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Towards Carolina Beach the Redfish, Black Drum (Drum, Black) and Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are still biting. MirrOlures and Rapala X Raps are working well to hook them. Look for the Trout in the creeks or stacked up on the jetty rocks. The Reds (Drum, Red) are mixed in but haven’;t schooled up yet. It won’;t be unusual to catch a Drum while fishing for Trout. Dogfish (Dogfish, Spiny) and Gray Trout (Weakfish) are on the reefs. Most of the reef action is about a mile off the beach.

OFFSHORE – To the North Commercial anglers are reporting a great King (Mackerel, King) bite around 30-40 miles. Wahoo are out at the gulf stream. There has been some low numbers of Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) hitting on the troll in the same area.

BAIT REPORT – Pogies (Menhaden) are swimming around this week.


Pro Angler Team

January 18, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – To the North, Stripers (Bass, Striped) have been great in the river despite the seasonal slow down. Jerk Shads rigged weedless have been most productive along with deep divers around the creek mouths and structures. Rattle Traps are best around bridges. Bluefin (Tuna, Bluefin) have moved in to feed on the Pogies. Search for them up to 3 miles off the beach in 30-50 ft of water. They move from day to day but will hopefully stick around. Grab some heavy gear and head out! The Red Drum and Black Drum (Drum, Red & Drum, Black) continue to do well in the creeks and around the docks. To the South, Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) fishing has been great in the backwater. Throwing Trout Tricks is your best bet to hook them. The fish can be a little tight lipped at times so slow the presentation down. Bluefin Tuna (Tuna, Bluefin) continue into this week. They aren’t too far off the beach as they chase the Pogies. You can troll for them.






Pro Angler Team

January 11, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Hey anglers! In order to bring you valuable, up to date content such as regulations, GPS Hotspots, and BRAND NEW features the Pro Angler App Pro Reports will be returning the week of January 16, 2017. Please feel free to take a look at last week’s reports for an idea of what’s biting or give your favorite local bait shop a shout! The Pro Angler App looks forward to bringing you lots of exciting changes as we kick off 2017!






Pro Angler Team

January 3, 2017

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are biting along with a few Drum (Drum, Black). Puffer (Puffer, Smooth) are swimming the surf. Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) and small Croaker (Croaker, Atlantic) are scattered about. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Kings (Mackerel, King) are being caught at the tower and beyond. There are some decent Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) out there on the bottom.




Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle
910-457-1221
www.dutchmancreekbaitandtackle.com

December 27, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There hasn’t been a lot of change into this week. To the North Barring any major change in weather we expect to see the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) and Black Drum (Drum, Black) turn up through to the end of the year. The Flounder (Flounder, Winter) have become sporadic so you may need to put some time in to hook them. Reds (Drum, Red) can be found up higher in the creeks along with deeper pockets and holes in the river. The piers, surf and jetties have all been holding fish fairly consistently. If you are able to make it offshore you can expect a good catch of Sea Bass, Black and Grouper (Grouper, Gag). Start around 10 miles and move out as far as 25. To the South We will consistent see Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) in their Winter patterns.






Pro Angler Team

December 19, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There hasn’t been many reports from the local area into this week. Anglers heading out can expect similar bites to the surrounding area. To the North we are seeing Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) continue to bite into this week. A few Black Drum (Drum, Black) are around. Flounder (Flounder, Winter) are slow. Redfish (Drum, Red) are in the same places and pushing back into the creeks and deeper holes. Trout can be found in the surf. Redfish and Black Drum are hanging around the piers. Trout have been caught off the rock jetty. To the South the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are still here however they are back up in the creeks in the deeper holes for their Winter patterns. We expect this bite to continue until the end of the year. Live bait is your best bet to hook them. With weather and holidays many anglers have not made it out on the water as of late.

OFFSHORE – Wahoo are hit or miss. Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are being caught with them but not consistent. Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) are sporadically mixed in. It hasn’t been as good as the past years however when anglers can get out they are catching some fish. Black Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) and Grouper (Grouper, Gag) are closer in around 10-20 miles. King Mackerel are pretty well gone. If there are some kings around, they’re likely down by the tower.




Pro Angler Team

December 15, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – On the Northern side towards Southport Black (Drum, Black) and Red Drum (Drum, Red) are showing up. Cut Mullet is their preference. Pompano (Pompano, Florida) and Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) are on the beach. Bluefish are mixed in. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) is producing the biggest bite inshore. They are on the beach and in the backwater. MirrOlures and soft plastics will do well. South towards Oak Island The Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) fishing has been awesome this week. This may be the best year in a long time. Rubber baits, DOA, Vudu Shrimp, Gulp and live Shrimp are all working well. They will eat just about anything. Presentation is 95 percent of the game so slow your retrieve down and drop it low. Lockwood Folly River and Shallotte River have been excellent. You can also search the creeks running into the waterway. Anchor in the high water and cast into the creek. A few Red and Black Drum (Drum, Red & Drum, Black) and a couple of Flounder [Flounder, Southern & Flounder, Summer (Fluke)] are also turning up. They are moving more outside but are moving slowly. Mud Minnows and Gulp are working well to hook them. Shrimp are the preference for the Reds. Cut Mullet is working as well right off the surf. Search for the Black Drum in the waterway around the piers and pylons. A few Sheepshead are mixed in taking Fiddler Crabs. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Kings, Wahoo and Blackfin Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin) are swimming offshore. Kings (Mackerel, King) are roughly 20 miles out. Wahoo and Tuna are more towards the gulf stream. A few Bluefin (Tuna, Bluefin) have been sighted but none have been caught just yet.

BAIT REPORT – Schools of Menhaden are still running the coast.


Pro Angler Team

December 7, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Really? Thanksgiving is over here comes Christmas??? Yes it’s December and December can be a good fishing month. Pick your days and the fish will bite! If we get a big cool down, give it a day to moderate a bit to a warmer trend; this will greatly help you to get more bites! I look for warmer days, sunny days and less windy days during December if possible for better bite rates around Southeast NC. In December I catch some of the biggest Speckled Trout(Seatrout, Spotted) all year, but you need to know which lures work better for bigger Trout. Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big Trout in the boat for me and for many other anglers over the years. MirrOlure’s 52M, 52MR and TT series are great big trout baits. Try these lures in colors – 11 (Redhead), 11FGO (Flo.orangehead), 21 (blackback), 26 (redback), 51 (white/white), 704 (pink/yellow), 808 (black/gold/orange), CFPR (chart/pearl), HP (hotpink), Capt. Jot Custom color only available at Tex’s tackle and for great night fishing – PD (purple demon). Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me are Berkley Gulp’s three inch shrimp and there newer four inch Ripple mullet. All the colors have worked well for me, but here is a few that I like for Trout (shrimp pattern) – Sugar spice glow, rootbeer/gold, pearl white and new penny. Berkley Gulp’s Ripple Mullet in colors glow/chartreuse, pearl, rootbeer gold/chart, and Chart pepper are all good trout baits. All of these baits have Gulps great scent, great action and come in some great colors too! Don’t forget the good ole five inch pearl white jerkshad as well. The grub (soft plastic) has been around forever in the fishing world! These days they come in so many different colors, here are few that work well for me when trout fishing. Saltwater Assassin makes a load of different grubs. I prefer the sea shad four inch pattern in colors chicken on a chain, rainbow trout, copperhead, green moon, sweet pea, pink diamond and silver phantom/chart. I rig all these grubs with 1/8oz, Quarter oz and 3/8oz jig heads in colors gray, red and brown. Don’t forget that I rig all of my Speckled Trout lures with fluorocarbon leaders – Trout have very good eyesight and later in the season like December the water can get very clear! Get yourself a good fluorocarbon like Berkley Pro Spec or Berkley Vanish – both of these work great in twenty pound test. Don’t count out live bait if you enjoy fishing with it. Try live smaller Mullets, mud Minnows and live Shrimp. In shallow waters of two to five feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook. In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small number one J-hook (EC L42). Just wait until you feel that Trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook, remember trout have very soft mouths slow hook sets work best! In December another fish I really like to hunt for on sunny, warmer and light wind days is schooling Redfish. I find these schools on oyster rocks/flats, sand bars in the surf and shallow flats on the ICW. In December the Reds are not hard to catch when you find them, but some times finding them can be a challenge. My go to bait for the winter Redfish are scented grub like the Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet or fire tail shrimp; Redfish love these things. Rig grubs with thirty or forty pound mono or fluorocarbon and a darker colored jig heads like red or brown should get the redfish to bite for you. Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historical downtown Wilmington runs the Cape Fear River and in the Cape Fear there are some cold weather biting Striped Bass (Bass, Striped). These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs and grass lines on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures and Berkley Power Bait, Berkley Havoc Grass pig lures and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on you line. Rig these lures on swimbait hooks for weedless fishing, (lots of hangs in the river). Fishing areas with not so many hangs, try a Rapala X-Rap X-10 size in colors Ghost white or green back. Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only! Tackle run down: PENN Battle II, Clash Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 for the Redfish (Drum, Red) & Speckled trout 2500, 3000 & Slammer III 3500 for Striped Bass Rods – PENN Battalion 6’6 inch & 7′ med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound or in eight, ten or twelve pound test for Speckled Trout fishing. Thanks for reading Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and good winter fishing to you! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!



BAIT REPORT – Live bait will be harder to get and keep alive during later December, but on warmer days it will be a little easier to find and fish it.


Capt. Jot Owens Capt. Jot Owens Inshore And Near Shore Guide
910-233-4140
captainjot@yahoo.com www.captainjot.com

December 1, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are still doing well on live and artificial baits. Easy limits can be caught quickly. There are still a few Flounder (Flounder, Southern) from time to time on artificial and live as well. Reds (Drum, Red) are chewing as well. There are tons of them caught on cut bait, artificials as well as Mud Minnows or Mullet using a Carolina Rig on the bottom. Drum (Drum, Black) are in Dutchmans Creek and along the Oak Island bridge. Fish up next to the pylons with bait Shrimp on a two drop rig. Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) are all over the Yaupon Reef taking artificial Bloodworms. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Kings (Mackerel, King) are out at the tower area. Bottom fish are biting offshore as well. We are seeing Gag (Grouper, Gag) and Triggers (Triggerfish, Gray). Everything is on fire. When you can get there.




Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

November 23, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Not a lot has changed this week. Anglers are still wearing out the Redfish (Drum, Red) and Trout (Seatrout, Spotted). Soft plastics and live bait continue to do well for the Trout and the Reds. Drum (Drum, Black) are still turning up on Shrimp. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are still turning up in nice sizes. Search Yaupon Reef and JBird Shoals for Bluefish. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are scattered. Going 15-20 miles out there are still some Kings (Mackerel, King) looking for warm water. Sheepshead are holding up on the Oak Island bridge. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

November 16, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are chewing big time! Soft plastics, live bait and topwater are all working. Some are citation but most are 2-4 lbs. Everyone is getting limits. Black Drum (Drum, Black) is great as well using bait shrimp with a two drop bottom rig. Red Drum (Drum, Red) is doing well on the same setups as Trout. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are being caught in nice sizes and should be moving out soon. Bluefish are out in the ocean around JBird Shoals and Yaupon Reef. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are turning up from time to time. Kings (Mackerel, King) are around the 15-20 miles range. Big Reds are on the Yaupon, McGlamery Reef and the surf. Cut Mullet on a Carolina rig will be best. When you can find live bait such as Pogies or Mullet you’ll be in luck. A 12 lb Sheepshead turned up on the Oak Island Bridge. There are a few nice sizes on structure. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

November 9, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Spot fishing has picked up and the bite is decent so far. It is a good sign as they haven’t been around in a few years. Artificial Bloodworms and bait Shrimp are best to hook them. They are in the Cape Fear river and at the mouth of the coast guard channel. Nice Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) and Croakers (Croaker, Atlantic) are turning up incidentally. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are biting in the backwater. The numbers are unreal. Soft plastics and live bait fished under a cork or a carolina rig on the bottom is working. Slot sized Redfish (Drum, Red) are on the inside. Bull Reds are on the outside. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) can be found on the Southport Waterfront, Cape Creek and Cedar Creek. Live bait fishing the bottom is best. Some anglers are throwing Gulp, Bucktails and Shrimp Posters. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are running the beaches as well as Yaupon and McGlamery Reefs. Bluefish are mixed in with some of the Spanish. Keeper Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) have turned up along with Big Red Drum on the reefs as well. The Redfish are 40 inches and more out there. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Kings (Mackerel, King) have moved out to Lighthouse Rock. The trip is about 15 miles.

BAIT REPORT – Mullet are still around but thinning out. Peanut Pogies or Mud Minnows can be found at creek mouths.


Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

November 2, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are biting off the piers, Yaupon Reef, McGlamery Reef with Bluefish. Light lining live bait is getting the bigger sizes. Artificials and trolling Clarkspoons will hit smaller fish. Sheepshead are biting out at the piers and beachfront. They are up to 10 lbs. They are also biting around the docks and the inside around ADM Pier. Black Drum (Drum, Black) are swimming the creeks taking Bait Shrimp with a two drop bottom rig on the bottom. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are good on the Southport Waterfront. They are nice from 2-5 lbs and even some up to 8 lbs. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are doing well. Most anglers are throwing Mullet Minnows, small Peanut Pogies or Mud Minnows. Bucktails are doing well on the Flounder, Trout and Red Drum (Drum, Red) in the backwater. Shrimp Posters and Gulp on a leadhead is a great alternative. The secret to artificials is to fish slow. A few Spot have shown up this week. The numbers are great and the sizes are decent. Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) are swimming with Spot at the mouth of the coast guard channel, the rivers as well as the Cape Fear River and Pigfish Ground. The weather is expected to be nice the remainder of the week. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – The King Mackerel (Mackerel, King) fishing is hot as a firecracker this week. Pogies, Cigar Minnows and Ballyhoo are working at 15 mile lighthouse rock, the beach and the Shark Hole.




Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

October 26, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – A few Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are hitting in the surf using live and artificial bait. Mullet Minnows and Peanut Pogies on a Carolina rig is the best bet. They are in the inlet and the creeks as well. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are being caught on soft plastics and Cocahoe Minnows. The Falling Tides, Curly Tail Grubs and Gulp are also working. Mud Minnows, Mullet Minnows and Shrimp are productive as well. From the surf the Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) and Black Drum (Drum, Black) are biting. Now and then there is a Pompano (Pompano, Florida). The Red Drum are everywhere you look. Along the creeks there are Flounder, Trout and Redfish (Drum, Red) swimming the edge of the grass banks. At the ADM Pier there are Sheepshead biting as well as Black Drum at the end. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) is still out front. They are scattered. There are plenty of Bluefish. Kings (Mackerel, King) have moved off the beach due to the dirty water. They are around the Lighthouse Rock. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

October 19, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Since the storm the Red Drum (Drum, Red) are on fire. They are everywhere from the surf to Yaupon, McGlamery and to the river channels. Cut Mullet, frozen finger Mullet and Spot or Croaker (Croaker, Atlantic) will do well to hook them. Cape Creek and Cedar creek are holding Flounder (Flounder, Southern) and Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) that are decent sizes. Live bait is great when you can get it. Shrimposters or MR17 MirrOlures are working well along with bucktails with a Flounder Strip or Gulp. The bite has been good and they are wearing the fish out in the surf. Flounder are here too along with Pompano and Black Drum (Drum, Black). Search behind the breakwater down the beach. ON the inside there are Black Drum in the creeks, Elizabeth river, Dutchman’s Creek, Cape Creek and Cedar Creek using bait Shrimp on the bottom. Sheepshead are biting down at ADM Pier using Fiddler Crabs and Sand Fleas up next to the pylons. Plenty of Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Bluefish are available out front this week. Anglers are trolling Clarkspoons or light lining live bait. The Kings (Mackerel, King) have moved out a bit to avoid fresh water. Search Lighthouse Rock to find them. Everyone is catching fish despite the dirty water. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!



BAIT REPORT – The bait is hiding below the dirty water on top and difficult to find by sight. You can try throwing a net at creek mouths in the hopes of getting some.


Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

October 12, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is dirty water but there is also plenty of fish biting. The Reds (Drum, Red) are being worn out in the surf. They are great sizes and everyone in the surf is catching fish after fish after fish. The charters are running to the Hot Hole and the Yaupon reef catching Reds, Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish), Kings (Mackerel, King), and several Flounder (Flounder, Southern) in close. Bucktails or Finger Mullet will work well. Flounder are still on the inside with Specks (Seatrout, Spotted). Specks are taking both live bait and artificials. Topwaters are best early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Up in the heat of the day MirrOlures or Curly Tail Grubs are best. Drum (Drum, Black) are chewing well on Sand Fleas as well as regular bait shrimp. Fish Dutchman’s Creek or Elizabeth River to find the best fish around the Oyster Rocks. There are plenty of keepers. Everything is up to par despite the weather. The end of the Oak Island Pier was taken off by the storm. Fishing is still open however the end is roped off at this time. Spot, Croaker (Croaker, Atlantic) and Mullet are taken off of the pier. Pompano (Pompano, Florida) can be caught from the surf in the area as well. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

October 5, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Nice Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are turning up on live and artificial bait. Bucktails, Flounder strips, Shrimposters and gulp are working. Red Drum (Drum, Red) are biting inside and outside. The sizes are great as 40 inch fish haven’t been uncommon. There are plenty of keepers on Mullet, Peanut Pogies or cut Mullet on a Carolina rig fished on the bottom. Sheepshead are on the pier taking Sand Fleas and Fiddler Crabs. Drum (Drum, Black) are in the creeks and river. Search the oyster rocks with bait Shrimp on the bottom. The Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) have been good. They are taking topwater in the morning or late in the afternoon. Spooks and MirrOlure Top Dogs are productive. In the heat of the day the Gulp, curly tail grubs and Zman baits are best. Out front anglers are wearing out the Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish), Kings (Mackerel, King) and Tarpon. Tarpon have been excellent this year. On Yaupon and McGlamery reef we are seeing big Flounder and Redfish on live and artificial bait. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

September 28, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are in the backwater this week. Mullet, Minnows, Pogies or Mud Minnows are doing well on a Carolina Rig. They are biting in Cape Creek, Cedar Creek, Southport Waterfront, Fort Castle Pier and under the Oak Island Bridge. There are also a lot of Red Drum (Drum, Red) on the same bait along with plenty of Specks (Seatrout, Spotted). When it comes to artificials, anglers are throwing a Bucktail with a Flounder strip on it, Falling Tide Lures and a lot of Gulp. Curly Tails are doing well during the heat of the day for the Trout and the Redfish. Yo-Zuri Spooks and MirrOlures on the surface are better in the morning. Cajun Slays are also working and even Cut Mullet is doing well. Drum (Drum, Black) are taking bait Shrimp and Sand Fleas. Pompano (Pompano, Florida) are coming out of the surf. Sheepshead are swimming the pier as well. You can also troll Clarkspoons up and down the beach for Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Kings (Mackerel, King). Kings are on Yaupon McGlamery Reef light lining live bait for better sizes. Kings on the troll are smaller. Red Drum is thick on the reef as well. They are hotter than the Kings. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

September 21, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Anglers are catching pretty nice Sheepshead up to 11 lbs. There’s lots of them around. Fiddler Crabs, Sand Fleas and Barnacles thrown down beside the pylons on the Southport waterfront should earn you some fish. Up under Oak Island Bridge has been good for them as well. Drum (Drum, Black) are in the creek and Elizabeth river on bait shrimp fished on the bottom at oyster rocks. Nice Pompano (Pompano, Florida) have turned up on Sand Fleas in the surf and there’s some Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Northern) in there too. Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) has been doing really well, especially early in the morning on topwater and late in the afternoons. In the heat of the day they are going after soft plastics and MR17 MirrOlures. Flounder fishing is really good. We are seeing a lot of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) up to 5 lbs. Some people are fishing live bait on Carolina Rigs along Southport Waterfront on Yaupon and McGlamery Reef. Some are fishing artificials such as Bucktails and Shrimp patterns. They are doing well with those inshore. They are also bouncing Bucktails on the reef however they are up to 1-1.5 oz. Spanish Mackerel (Mackerel, Spanish) fishing is top notch. It hasn’t slowed down all year. It is steadily going, even in the dirty water. Kings (Mackerel, King) have shown up on the beach. A few were caught on the beach front the past few days. They will be here in time for US Open King Mackerel Tournament. Big Reds (Drum, Red) are on Yaupon and McGlamery Reef as well. They are up to 40 lbs and 40 inches plus. They are hitting them jigging surf darts off the bottom along with Sting Silvers and live bait. Fishing has been good this past week. We hope it continues. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

September 14, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There have been some nice Flounder (Flounder, Southern) caught in the past week. The sizes are fantastic. They are taking both live or artificial bait. 5 inch bucktails with a strip on it is a great bet. Gulp is also productive. Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are great on Topwater early in the morning or late in the afternoon. In the heat of the day anglers are using MR 17s and soft curly tailed grubs. Reds (Drum, Red) are hitting Cajun Slay or Cocahoe Minnows. The NEW Falling Tide series (which is basically a spinnerbait) is catching Redfish, Specks and Flounder. Big Reds are getting big in the ocean on the reefs. There are Flounders and large Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) mixed in. Kings (Mackerel, King) are starting to show up now and then. There are tons of Tarpon that have been seen, hooked but not brought into the boat. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

September 6, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There have been some nice Flounder (Flounder, Southern) weighed in over 5 lbs. The storm didn’t hurt the bite too much. The Flounder are in the back water, the creeks and out on the reefs as well as in the ocean. Carolina Rigged Finger Mullet is key out on the reef while artificials are working better on the inside. Specks are decent and they are biting early on Topwaters including Spooks or MirrOlures. Sinking baits are working better after 9am. Try something like a MR 17, curly tailed Grubs or Gulp. The Drum (Drum, Black) are eating well in the rivers and creeks using bait Shrimp on a two drop bottom rig. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) have been caught on the troll up and down the beach using Clark Spoons. You can light line live bait for nice Spanish up to 5 lbs on the reefs. Some big Red Drum (Drum, Red) have been caught on the reef and the surf. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – The Kings (Mackerel, King) are still out at 20 miles. Thankfully, the weather is finally offering up some windows to get out there.




Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

August 31, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are a fair amount of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) being caught with live bait on a Carolina Rig or on Gulp Shrimp. Deep creek Shrimp are also productive. Cape Creek and Cedar Creek are great places to look along with docks. They are up to 6 lbs. There are Seatrout (Seatrout, Spotted) turning up in the same areas as well. Buzzards Bay is producing as well. MR 17 Mirrolures are working early in the morning and into the heat of the day. Spooks and topwater baits are great choice as well. These are catching the best sizes. A falling tide lure including a curly tail grub is generally productive in the afternoon when the sun is hot. Red Drum (Drum, Red) are still taking Cajun Slay or Cocahoe Minnows. Falling tide lures in Nuclear Chicken is killer for Red Drum. Anglers are trolling the beach for Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) while the Kings (Mackerel, King) have moved out. They are trolling Clark Spoons up and down the beach. The reefs are productive if you are dropping a silver Surf Dart and bounce it on the bottom. Bluefish and Red Drum are in the area as well. Sheepshead continue to be caught this week. There are good numbers and average sizes. Black Drum (Drum, Black) are around the piers this week. They are taking Crab, Oysters and Clams. Search the bumpers for the best sizes. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

August 24, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Not much has been going on lately. Anglers are catching a fair amount of Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) with a few Trout (Seatrout, Spotted). The water is still warm so a lot of fish are in the deeper water. The beach is slow. Bloodworms or fresh Shrimp are your best bet to catch them. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Oak Island Sporting Goods
910-278-9872

August 17, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have been caught here and there but since the weather is hot they are out a little deeper this week. If you can get a little off the shore they are better. Gulp on a jighead or live Mullet are working best to hook them. Ladyfish are biting as well. Spanish Mackerel (Mackerel, Spanish) are biting early in the morning on live Mullet. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are swimming in 30-40 ft of water. Gulp on a jighead or live Mullet are working best to hook them. Wahoo are farther out and they are biting here and there. The King (Mackerel, King) bite is slow.

BAIT REPORT – The Pogies are on the beach.


Tackle Box
910-363-4891
Fishsouthport.com

August 9, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Nice Flounder (Flounder, Southern) up to 9 lbs are turning up this week. Most are over 5 lbs. Some are taking live, some are taking bucktails or Gulp shrimp. The Southport Waterfront, Cape Creek, Cedar Creek and up under the Oak Island Bridge the Speck (Seatrout, Spotted) fishing has been good early in the morning and late afternoon on topwater baits. In the heat of the day suspending MirrOlures are working better. Live Shrimp under a cork is working as well as Mullet on the bottom with a Carolina Rig. Red Drum (Drum, Red) are good on the falling tide with a Cajun Slay or MR 17 MirrOlure. Spanish are still good on the outside trolling the beach. Light lining live bait over the reef is catching the bigger sizes. Black Drum (Drum, Black) are under the Oak Island bridge, Dutchman’s Creek and Elizabeth river fishing bait Shrimp on the bottom. Sheepshead are over 9 lbs this week. Fiddler Crabs, Sand Fleas and Barnacles are great around the pylons. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – The Kings (Mackerel, King) are in the deeper water towards Horseshoe or the lighthouse rock. There are some Dolphin mixed in. They are farther out on account of water temperature. The bottom fishing is good. Grouper (Grouper, Gag), Vermillions (Snapper, Vermillion) and Black Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) are productive. The Sea Bass are great sizes.




Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

August 3, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Anglers are bringing in a steady catch of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) in all the creeks this week. The reefs are also holding some great sizes when the weather allows anglers to get there. The numbers and sizes are great with fish up to almost 8 lbs. The Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) bite is great early in the morning on topwater baits along with the late afternoons using soft plastics and MirrOlures. Sheepshead have been biting well on the Southport waterfront near the pylons. Sand Fleas and Fiddler Crabs are best bets to hook them. Drum (Drum, Black) have turned up on bait Shrimp on a two drop bottom rig in Elizabeth river. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are still turning up out front for anglers on the troll using clark spoons. Panfish are coming up on on artificials right off the surf. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

July 27, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – A lot of nice Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have turned up this week. Bucktails, artificials, Shrimp and Gulp are all working. Live bait with a Carolina Rig off the bottom has been great on the bottom. The Specks have been great in the early morning and late afternoon using topwater. In the heat of the day anglers are switching to MirrOlures and curly tail grubs. Redfishing (Drum, Red) has been great. A lot of them are in the slot and some are too big to keep. Big Sheepshead are coming off the bottom using Shrimp. Look around the docks and pylons. Black Drum (Drum, Black) are in the same areas. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Mackerel, Spanish in the ocean is dynamite. Everyone is getting their limits very quickly. Kings (Mackerel, King) have moved off the shore a bit. Cobia have moved to the deeper water on the reefs. They are a bit scattered. They are from 40-50 ft around Horseshoe and the Knuckle Buoy. The tower is great for Kings and Cobia. There are Dolphins around Horseshoe as well. Find a weedline and chunk some bait to find them.




Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

July 20, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are biting well right off the beach this week. There are also plenty of Sharks (Shark, Bull) and Bluefish from the surf. The pier reports are slow. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below theshark report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – The Wahoo bite is great so far this week. They are about 60 miles out and anglers are high speed trolling for them. The best color this week has been purple.




Tackle Box
910-363-4891
Fishsouthport.com

July 15, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – From the surf the Blues (Bluefish) are hitting leadheads with a curly tail Gulp. Skates (Skate, Winter), Sharks (Shark, Blacktip & Shark, Bonnethead) and a few Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) are mixed in. Big Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have come up from Yaupon reef. Red Drum (Drum, Red) and Flounder are in the creeks throughout the backwater. Trout continue to hit live Shrimp early in the morning. They are also off the pier and the backwater. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Oak Island Sporting Goods
910-278-9872

July 6, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Fishing continues to be decent for inshore anglers. There are some Bluefish along the surf as are some Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish). The last 3/4 of the pier has angler catching Bluefish, Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Kings (Mackerel, King). There’s limits of Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) being caught with a few Flounder (Flounder, Southern) mixed in.






Oak Island Pier
910-278-6464
oakislandpier.com

June 28, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The fishing hasn’t changed much. Everything is chewing! Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are on the inside and the reef eating both live and artificial baits. Shrimp, Gulp and Bucktails are all working. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are also on the inside in the early morning and late afternoons. Soft plastics are working throughout the day. Search the mouths of the creeks and up inside of them. A lot of Redfish (Drum, Red) have come in on Cajun Slays on a falling tide. Drum (Drum, Black) are caught in the creeks while fishing the bottom with Shrimp. A few Sheepshead have come up on Southport Waterfront under the docks using Sand Fleas and Fiddler Crabs. Out front we are seeing Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) caught by trolling the beach. Bluefish have also been caught. There are some Kings (Mackerel, King) but some have moved out due to the water temperature. They are light lining live bait but store bought Cigar Minnows and Ballyhoo are working too. Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) have been hot right off the beach. There are some Pompano (Pompano, Florida) mixed in from time to time. Pro Angler App Users – Find the best times to avoid the systems and hit the water with your Weather and Tides features!

OFFSHORE – The bottom bite has been great for Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black), Snapper (Snapper, Gray) and nice Grouper (Grouper, Gag). Every now and there there are some Cobia but they are scattered and have moved out for the most part.

BAIT REPORT – Menhaden and Silversides are on the beach this week.


Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

June 21, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is not a lot going on this week. A few Cobia have been caught so far and this has been the main bite. The winds are so strong that it has kept a lot of anglers off the water. When you can get out the Cobia are hitting right off the reefs. We hope to see the bite continue and improve once the weather settles down. Pro Angler App Users – Find the best times to avoid the systems and hit the water with your Weather and Tides features!






Oak Island Sporting Goods
910-278-9872

June 14, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There has been quite a bit of action from the area this week. We are seeing a nice take of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) and Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) being caught. Bluefish, Croaker (Croaker, Atlantic) and Pompano (Pompano, Florida) have also turned up. The Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) have turned up in decent numbers the past week and we look forward to seeing this continue into the weekend.






Oak Island Pier
910-278-6464
Oakislandpier.com

June 7, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Everything is chewing right now! Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are on the beach front hitting clark spoons. Bluefish have shown up as well. Kings (Mackerel, King) are taking live bait on a light line. A few Cobia have also been picked up this week. The reefs are holding some great Flounder (Flounder, Southern) that are hitting live bait on the bottom or 1-1.5oz bucktails. A lot of Flounder have been caught on the inshore up to 5 lbs. Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) have been hooked up to 7 lbs on topwater. The early morning or late afternoon bite has been best. Soft plastics and live bait are working. Sheepshead and Black Drum (Drum, Black) are biting on structures. Red Drum (Drum, Red) are showing up on gold spoons especially.






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

June 1, 2016

Southport

INSHORE – We are seeing some Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) being caught on the pier. Pigfish and Whiting were being caught closer to the breakers. There weren’t any Kings being caught this week on the pier but there were a few last week. Inshore there is a few Reds (Drum, Red) and Drum (Drum, Black) are still showing up. Small Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have been around readily taking Mud Minnows or similar looking artificials. Everybody is pretty excited about the nearshore Cobia being caught while drifting live bait on the nearshore wrecks and reefs and here’s even been some fish over 40 pounds.

OFFSHORE – We haven’t really had offshore reports from here but there is some great offshore fishing north and south of us.




Oak Island Sporting Goods
910-278-9872

May 24, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Anglers are trolling the beach with Clark spoons for nice Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) this week. They are holding up along the front. Live-lining with bait is catching the better fish along the beach. A few Cobia and Kings (Mackerel, King) are also biting well. The bottom fish including Black Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) and Grunts (Grunt, White) are hot by the lighthouse rocks. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) on the inshore are being caught on Gulp on a leadhead or live bait on a Carolina Rig. Drifting the inlet has produced some fish as well. Reds (Drum, Red) are hot this week. Cajun Slay is doing well to hook them. Some other soft plastics and gulp are working too. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are loving Cocahoe minnows or curly tail grubs. Early morning and late afternoon are producing great fish on topwater. Sheepshead and Drum (Drum, Black) are biting well on bait Shrimp. Everything is chewing.



BAIT REPORT – Plenty of Peanut Porgy are biting this week. Mullet are still too small to catch.


Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

May 18, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) are being caught right behind the breakers on small Shrimp on a small hook. The falling tide is the best time to fish for them. From the pier the Whiting and Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are turning up. Bluefish are biting white Gotcha Plugs with a blue head. A few Kings (Mackerel, King) and Cobia have also been caught however they are not consistent yet. Drum (Drum, Black) are still catching out of the backwater and the Reds (Drum, Red) are just starting to show up.






Oak Island Sporting Goods
910-278-9872

May 12, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – We are beginning to see some great fish heat up for the Spring season this week. Anglers are having no trouble at all keeping their lines tight. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are swimming the inshore and have been various sizes so far. Generally jigs work great to hook them from the piers. The Flounder (Flounder, Southern) continue to bite so far and although they are not thick there have been a solid number of catches. Whiting (Kingfish, Southern & Kingfish, Northern) are still hanging around the inshore along with a few Bluefish. A bit farther out the King (Mackerel, King) bite is just starting to heat up as they begin to move back to the area. Shrimp has been a killer bait for just about any fish inshore.






Oak Island Pier
910-278-6464
Oakislandpier.com

May 3, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is quite a bit of action inshore this week. Flounder (Flounder, Southern), Drum (Drum, Black), Redfish (Drum, Red) and Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are all biting in the Sound. The beach is producing Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black), Sharks (Shark, Bull & Shark, Blacktip), Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Blues (Bluefish) on the troll. The Spanish are a great size so far. Clark Spoons are the most productive.

OFFSHORE – Mahi (Dolphin), Wahoo and Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin) are all hitting out at the stream this week. The Stream is at about 60 miles.

BAIT REPORT – There are some Porgy on the beach but they are very scattered.


Tackle Box
910-540-4938
Fishsouthport.com

April 26, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are a few Flounder (Flounder, Southern) caught on the inside. Peanut Porgy and Mud Minnows are working best carolina rigged on the bottom along the waterfront is a great start. Cedar Creek and Cape Creek are producing a few fish. The reefs are also holding Flounder that can be caught on live bait or with bucktails and a bait strip. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) have shown up this week going up and down the beach. There are a lot of Bluefish and some Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern). The Mullet are caught on bait Shrimp. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are being hooked on curly tail grubs or MR 17 Mirrolures. Red Drum (Drum, Red) are taking Cajun Slays and live bait on a Carolina rig. Fish the bottom around oyster rocks, and structure. Drum (Drum, Black) are in the creeks around the oyster rocks and the river. Bait shrimp on the bottom is the best method to hook them. From the pier and old Oak Island bridge you can find some Sheepshead as well. The Kings (Mackerel, King) should show up any day now. When the water warms up they will be right on the beach.






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

April 20, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Anglers continue to catch Drum (Drum, Black) this week. The Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) have slowed down in the surf. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have begun to show up however there is no size to them yet. The wind has been a bit rough for anglers to get offshore this week.

OFFSHORE – Things are still scattered but we expect the warmer weather to bring in some good schools.




Oak Island Sporting Goods
910-278-9872

April 13, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Fishing is slow this week due to the weather. We are seeing a few Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) on live and artificial bait. There are also Reds (Drum, Red) in the creeks this week. Anglers are heading here to get out of the wind. They are hitting live and artificial as well. It’s just a matter of finding the fish. The numbers of both fish are not quite as high as last week but they are still biting. There continues to be some good numbers of Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) however Sheepshead have slowed down. The Drum (Drum, Black) bite is improving, it is still not producing hot sizes however we are starting to see them get bigger. The focus has been inshore as the weather is too rough for anglers to head offshore. Wild Life Bait & Tackle is fully stocked with inventory and ready to rock and roll!






Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

April 5, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are a lot of Whiting (Kingfish, Northern & Kingfish, Southern) and Drum (Drum, Black) being caught in this area so far. There are a few Flounder (Flounder, Southern) being caught but there are no size to them as of yet. The Whiting and Drum are loving fresh Shrimp. The Drum are also taking cut bait if you are looking for something different. Look around the West end point where the river comes in to find them. The Whiting have been up and down the the beach and both ends of the river in Lockwood and Cape Fear. The wind has been too rough for most anglers to get offshore this week.






Oak Island Sporting Goods
910-278-9872

March 29, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Everything is fired up in this area! There are tons of fish to catch this week. We are seeing some great Flounder (Flounder, Southern & Flounder, Summer (Fluke)) that are hitting both live and artificial lures this week. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) have also been doing well and the sizes are great. They are hitting gulp or hard Mirrolures so far. The Redfish (Drum, Red) have also been turning up this week. They have had a consistent bite so far. Live bait is always a great choice. Bluefish are already swimming the area which is unusual for this time of year. Anglers are finding them on Jay Bird Shoals. Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern & Kingfish, Northern) have moved into the area as well. The Sheepshead and Drum (Drum, Black) have continued into this week. They will always seem to go for live Crabs or Shrimp. Everyone is just waiting for the Mackerel (Mackerel, Spanish & Mackerel, King) to move in.



BAIT REPORT – There are plenty of small peanut Porgies and Mud Minnows this week.


Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

March 21, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are still some nice Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) that are turning up this week. They are preferring artificials however live is working too. Redfish (Drum, Red) are turning up on both as well in the creeks and back bay area. Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern & Kingfish, Northern) are turning up on bait Shrimp on a two drop bottom rig. There are also some Drum (Drum, Black) coming up on the same methods throughout the creek. There have been some Bluefish moving into the area as of late. This also leads us to expect some Mackerel, Spanish in the area very soon. Water temperatures are increasing so a Spring bite should be in soon.

OFFSHORE – There are Wahoo being caught offshore. We are also seeing Sea Bass (Sea Bass), Black, Snapper (Snapper, Vermillion) and Grouper (Grouper, Red). The Flounder (Flounder, Southern & Flounder, Winter) bite is slow in the nearshore but we expect it to heat up with the temperature soon.




Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

March 16, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is quite a bit of action from the inshore this week. Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) is being caught in the river and on the beach this week. They are loving Shrimp so far. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) and Drum (Drum, Red) are holding up in the creeks and can be caught on both live and artificial. A few Flounder (Flounder, Southern & Flounder, Winter) have also shown up. Some are keepers. Anglers are fishing the bottom with mud Minnows on a Carolina rig. Anglers should have no trouble catching a few keepers.

OFFSHORE – There are some large Wahoo being caught from the offshore this week. Some are coming in up to 37 lbs. Anglers preparing for the Spring bite can check out our Fish feature which provides tons of tips and tricks to keep your lines tight.




Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

March 9, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Can you believe it’s already March??? I have to say this winter has not been to bad overall, fingers crossed we make it through April mild and that would be a great start to the summer! The fishing has already been a little better with the milder weather and it really is looking good for this spring! Here are the fishing opportunities for March that I like to target. In March the Redfish (Drum, Red) finally start to move around a little more than they have all winter. Not that they don’t move around in the winter, they just start to show up in places they like more during warmer times of the year. This is the time of the year you need to get out and find where the Redfish are going and showing up. In the cooler months I’ve seen crustacean patterns work better for Redfish due to the fact that these baits are a little easier to catch, than say baits like fish patterns. The bait fishes are not really moving yet, but the crustaceans are coming out of the mud and the Redfish know it! On warmer days the crustaceans will move more and these are the days you need to look for Redfish during March. Working scented baits like Berkley Gulp and Gulp Alive in patterns two and three inch shrimp, two inch peeler crab and 3 inch ghost Shrimp should get the Redfish to bite. These baits don’t have paddle tails so you can work them very slow, which is still very important because the water still be pretty cool in March. Find those banks where the sun can warm up shallows just a little more than other places. Look for dark bottom banks and places with less current these are the areas where the water will be warmer and the Redfish will be feeding. Remember to keep your eyes peeled in the shallow water areas for Reds, March can be a very good sight fishing month; just make sure you work the baits a little slower with a fluorocarbon leader for those clearer spring waters. March can be another mouth when Cape Fear River Striped Bass (Bass, Striped) fishing will pick up. You usually do not see as big of fish in March, but the numbers can be good some days. In March the Stripers will start to move into a little bit shallower waters, I look for the Stripers in three to eight feet of water in the early spring. This is when you need to also shallow up your presentation, go lighter with you tackle. I prefer Berkley Gulp jerkshad and Berkley Havoc grass pig lures. I use colors pearl, chart pepper neon and new penny (swamp gas). Using swim bait hooks size 5/0 in 1/8 to ounce should put a Striper on the end of your line! You can also cast mid-water crank baits that dive three to eight feet, don’t let them drag the bottom to much or you will lose your lure to a stump or log! Look for Cape Fear River Stripers around mud-flat edges, bulkheads, creeks and shallow reed-grass edges on sunny warmer days. Don’t count out a nice Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) during the month of March! But what is a trout going to hit in March? This is when you need to know where to start, what lures to try? One of my favorites is the good ole MirrOlure. It’s been around a long time and it is still catching fish, but it’s cold so work them SLOW! The patterns I prefer are the 17MR, 18MR, 52M and 52MR. Colors – MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go to colors around Wrightsville Beach area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP AND Capt. Jot Custom color (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop). Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes. Depths to use these lures – 17MR use these lures in two to six feet of water. 18MR, 52M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth-teen plus feet of water. There is another kind of fishing I like to try in March but there is no saltwater involved. I like to hit the upper Northeast Cape Fear River and Sutton Lake the do a little Large-mouth bass fishing. If you want to try something different try some bass fishing, they are a lot of fun to catch on lighter tackle. Most of the time I use heavy sink worms from Berkley Powerbait in colors black, red shad and blue-flick. Work these worms very slowly off banks and stump beds. If you like to fly fish, try slow sinking small minnow patterns along the grass flats in Sutton Lake on cloudy or foggy days. Tackle run down – PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes2500, 3000 & 4000 for the Redfish, Large mouth Bass and Striped Bass. PENN Battalion rods in 6’6 inch & 7′ medium and med/hvy action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound, Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon for my leaders in twenty to thirty pound. Thanks for reading, get outside and I hope March fishing is good to you!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Fishing Tackle Elite Staff Ranger Boats Pro Staff
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com captainjot@yahoo.com

March 2, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are a lot of Drum, Red and Drum, Black that can be caught fishing Shrimp around the docks. This is where most anglers are fishing this week. Reds can also be found in the surf and the inlet on gulp and spoons. There is a spotty bite in the backwater but this area is not the focus of most anglers. Tons of NEW Spring inventory has arrived, stop in to Intracoastal Angler and check it out!

OFFSHORE – Anglers continue to look for Sea Bass, Black around 10 miles out. The Wahoo bite is on fire around 60 miles. Anglers are pulling Ballyhoo with Blue/White skirts and Islanders. Red/Black is a hot color as well. They are weighing in up to 80 lbs.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

February 24, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Stripers are in the rivers this week. We are also receiving some reports of Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) in the same areas. The Trout are mostly taking soft plastics this week. Drum (Drum, Black) and Reds (Drum, Red) throughout the inshore. The sizes are great so far this week.

OFFSHORE – Anglers have been going out to 45 miles to find Kings (Mackerel, King). There have also been reports of Wahoo and Tuna, Blackfin by the stream. Sea Bass, Black are turning up right offshore so anglers don’t have to travel far to find them on the nearshore wrecks. Chunks of Squid on jigs will do well to hook them.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
texstackle.com

February 16, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The weather has not been ideal for anglers looking to hit the water this week however there are still some fish out there for anyone determined enough. Reds (Drum, Red) are schooling up in the creeks throughout the backwater. You can find them in the deeper holes along with some Drum, Black. Stripers (Bass, Striped) are running the Cape Fear area as well this week. Live bait is always a great option to hook them as the scent plays a huge part in luring them in when the water is rougher. We hope to see conditions improve soon, and anglers can check out our Fish Guide with tons of tips and tricks that will help improve the catch!






Capt. Robert Schoonmaker Carolina Explorer Fishing Charters
910-264-1807

February 10, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are some Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) and Redfish (Drum, Red) way up in the back creeks. There are some bigger sizes of Reds here and there however they are spotty and not easy to get on to. They are difficult to get to this time of year but are there for determined anglers. Most people are waiting for more Spring weather to bring them out. Things are quiet in this area, which is typical of this time of year.






Capt. Kyle Hughes Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters
910-840-7186
http://www.oceanislefishingguide.com/

February 4, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Striper bite has been good from the river this week. A lot of anglers are targeting them with deep diving crank baits, fluke style jerk shads rigged weedless as well as swim baits. The Drum, Red and Drum, Black are being caught by docks on cut Shrimp. The Reds have been biting in the surf on soft plastics and gulp on jig heads as well. The marsh has also been holding both Drum that will bite the same baits. When the water warms up is the best time of day to fish. This is anywhere between 9am and 4 pm when the morning chill moves out and the fish are more active. There are some great Winter Clearance sales to be had at Intracoastal Angler. Stop in and check them out.

OFFSHORE – Lots of anglers are heading out to bottom fish for Sea Bass, Black this week. They have been on ledges and wrecks, from 10-15 miles off. They have been hitting cut Squid or jigs off the bottom. Cigar minnows will be productive as well. Things are slowing down however there is still a decent bite to be had.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

January 22, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The inshore has been productive for a great Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) bite this week. Mirrolures are their preference this week so anglers have been choosing either those or artificial Shrimp such as an Egret Vudu Shrimp. There have also been some Reds (Drum, Red) turning up on the same bait this week. There sizes have been moderate so far. Stripers (Bass, Striped) are being caught down the river. There are also some reports of Bluefish coming in on jigs too.

OFFSHORE – Anglers heading offshore this week will have a great time going after Sea Bass, Black in 30-40 ft of water. Dropping cut bait has been the most productive means of attracting them, especially if you are using Squid. There is also a decent King (Mackerel, King) bite this week around the same area. Throughout the gulf stream anglers are still finding Tuna, Blackfin and Wahoo in great sizes. A skirted Ballyhoo or small lures in blue and white seem to be getting the most action so far.

BAIT REPORT – There have been no reports of bait swimming this week.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

January 15, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is a nice mixed bag of fish throughout the beaches this week. Lots of Puppy Drum (Drum, Red) are turning up in all sizes throughout the surf. There are also reports of some good Bluefish from the beaches on lures. Puffer (Puffer, Smooth) and Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern & Kingfish, Northern) are hitting from the beach too along with a few Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) around the jetties. They are mostly keeper sizes so far. The sound is holding full sized Puppy Drum as well and most anglers are catching their limits. The water is unusually warm for this time of year so the action is still hot and there are even Jellyfish on the beaches.






Rod & Reel Shop
910-842-2034

January 6, 2016

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Well folks, another year and another fishing season has come and gone. I would like to say thank you to everyone that fished with me this year, as I enjoyed fishing with each and every one of you. I certainly have had easier years fish wise but, as always, it could have certainly been worse. Our Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) bite continued on throughout November and into December, and while many of our November and December Trout were on the smaller side, they certainly made up for it with their numbers. We also managed to find some Reds (Drum, Red) and Drum (Drum, Black) to add a little variety on almost every trip as well. All in all we had a great fall and hopefully we will have a strong crop of trout for next year. We will have to see what the rest of the winter has in store for us, but the 2016 season could very well get off to an early start. Once again, thank you to all my clients this year, and I hope to see you again in 2016!






Capt. Kyle Seckulator inshore charters

http://www.oceanislefishingguide.com/

December 29, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There continues to be a solid bite so far this week. Drum, Red are turning up fairly small but still frequent throughout the inshore. Mixed in are some Drum, Black as well. The main bite this week has been between the Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) and Stripers (Bass, Striped). Anglers have been throwing live Shrimp for the Stripers along with 3 inch jerk baits in the Cape Fear River. The Trout are also biting live Shrimp but this time under a popping cork. Alternatively anglers are casting a 3 inch paddle tail minnow on a jighead and finding some success with that too.



BAIT REPORT – There are a few schools of Finger Mullet swimming this week however they are beginning to become pretty scattered and most anglers are buying their bait.


Capt. Robert Schoonmaker Carolina Explorer Fishing Charters
910-264-1807

December 21, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are biting in both great numbers and sizes. The bite is expected to increase as the temperature drops. Anglers are using Vudu or DOA Shrimp as well as Bass assassin on a Carolina Rig, sometimes with a popping cork and a jighead. There has not been a better tide to fish as, again, there are enough trout that it doesn’t matter. There are still a few reports of Reds (Drum, Red) and Flounder (Flounder, Winter) being caught as well. Anglers are using Mud Minnows for the best results. Some of the Trout are hitting these too even.

OFFSHORE – There were a few Kings (Mackerel, King) at the 32 mile mark coming up from 15-18lbs. There has also been a report of a Tuna, Bluefin caught off the Knuckle Buoy near Southport. Anglers hope to see some good sizes of Tuna before the temperature drops. They are moving right now so it’s a great time to hit the water.

BAIT REPORT – There are still some Shrimp running this week and a very spotty Mud Minnow presence in the water.


Rod & Reel Shop
910-842-2034

December 14, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – December; can you believe it? November’s Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) fishing was GREAT; I’m guessing December will be great too and the trout will be bigger! We’ve had a pretty mild fall and it looks like this December should be very good Speckled trout fishing along with a few other species around Wrightsville Beach, NC. In December I catch some of the biggest Speckled trout all year, but you need to know which lures work better for bigger trout; bigger lures equals bigger trout! Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big trout in the boat for me and for many other anglers over the years. MirrOlure’s 52M, 52MR and TT series are great big trout baits. Try these lures in colors: 11 (redhead), 11FGO (Flo.orangehead), 21 (blackback), 26 (redback), 51 (white/white), 704 (pink/yellow), 808 (black/gold/orange), CFPR (chart/pearl), HP (hotpink), Capt. Jot Custom color only available at Tex’s tackle and for great night fishing; PD (purple demon). Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me are Berkley Gulp’s three inch shrimp and there newer three inch Ripple Mullet. All the colors have worked well for me, but here is a few that I like for trout (Shrimp pattern); Watermelon red glitter, rootbeer/gold, pearl white and new penny. Berkley Gulp’s Ripple Mullet in colors glow/chartreuse, pearl, rootbeer gold/chart, pink and goby magic/chart are all good trout baits. All of these baits have Gulps great scent, great action and come in some great colors too! The grub (soft plastic) has been around forever in the fishing world! These days they come in so many different colors, here are few that work well for me when trout fishing. Saltwater Assassin makes a load of different grubs; I prefer the sea shad four inch pattern in colors chicken on a chain, rainbow trout, copperhead, new moon, sweet pea, pink diamond and silver phantom/chart. I rig all these grubs with 1/8oz, quarter oz and 3/8oz jig heads in colors gray, red and brown. Don’t forget that I rig all of my Speckled trout lures with fluorocarbon leaders; trout have very good eyesight and later in the season like December the water can get very clear! Get yourself a good fluorocarbon like Berkley Pro Spec or Berkley Vanish; both of these work great in twenty pound test. In December another fish I really like to hunt for on sunny, warmer and light wind days is schooling Redfish (Drum, Red). I find these schools on oyster rocks/flats, sand bars in the surf and shallow flats on the ICW. In December the Reds are not hard to catch when you find them, but some times finding them can be a challenge. My go to bait for the winter Redfish are scented grub like the Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet or fire tail shrimp; Redfish love these things. Rig grubs with thirty or forty pound mono or fluorocarbon and a darker colored jig heads like red or brown should get the redfish to bite for you. Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historical down town Wilmington runs the Cape Fear River and in the Cape Fear there are some cold weather biting Striped Bass (Bass, Striped). These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs and grass lines on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures and Berkley Power Bait, Berkley Havoc Grass pig lures and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on you line. Rig these lures on swimbait hooks for weedless fishing, (lots of hangs in the river). Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only! Tackle run down: PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500& 3000 for the Redfish, Speckled trout and Striped Bass Rods: PENN Battalion 6’6 inch & 7′ med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound or Berkley NanoFil (trout fishing) in eight, ten or twelve pound test. Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and good winter fishing to you!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Reels Elite Staff Ranger Boats Pro Staff
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com

December 9, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Everything is about the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) in this area lately. The wind and rain has made inshore fishing difficult this week however everyone who has headed out has brought back some Trout in various sizes and numbers. The temperature is still mild for this time of year and the weights will only get better as the temperature drops. They are turning up in the canals as well, off of the intracoastal waterway. Vudu lures, gulp bait in new penny, bass assassins in electric chicken and woodpecker are all baits of choice this week under a popping cork. Most anglers are turning to artificial bait as the live has moved out.



BAIT REPORT – So far there have not been any bait caught in this area. Most have moved out at this point and anglers are leaning towards store bought.


Rod & Reel Shop
910-842-2034

December 3, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is a lot of action in the inshore this week. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) have been coming up mixed in along with some good sized Reds (Drum, Red) as well. Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Northern) has had a real good bite the past few days and they are swimming with Drum (Drum, Black). They have been hitting anything from a curly tail grub, to mirrolures and topwater to Shrimp artificials.

OFFSHORE – Anglers will have to head roughly 20 miles out to hit anything in the offshore this week. From the Shark Hole area to Horseshoe and the Tower there have been reports of Mackerel, King swimming. Bottom fishing has been doing consistently well again this week. Snapper, Vermillion and Sea Bass, Black have both been hitting Squid off the bottom. They are coming up in good numbers and should not be too difficult to find.

BAIT REPORT – The bait has pretty much made it’s way out at this point. It has become hard to come by and there have been no reports of any swimming yet this week.


Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

November 26, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are on fire in this area as of late. They have been coming in with good numbers and sizes too. The Red (Drum, Red) bite has been extremely good as well for anglers throwing gulp shrimp, DOAs, curly tail grubs or mirrolures. In the early morning topwater lures seem to be producing great results along with the late afternoon bite. Anglers using live bait can hook it under a cork or on a carolina rig to hit the bottom. Drum (Drum, Black) are hitting Shrimp on a carolina rig. They have been holding up in the canals and creeks. In the nearshore there have been reports of Seatrout, Sand showing up about 3 miles off on the reef along with some big Reds. Some Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have been hitting live bait or jigs on the bottom as well using bucktails or stingsilvers.

OFFSHORE – There has been a solid bite offshore in this area. Around the Horseshoe things have been great. Sea Bass, Black, Snapper, Vermillion and Grouper (Grouper, Gag & Grouper, Scamp) have been hitting Squid along the bottom. There have also been a few reports of a some Kings (Mackerel, King), Dolphin and Wahoo in the same area around 30 miles offshore. They are taking Squid as well or trolling artificial bait with fantastic results.

BAIT REPORT – There are not a lot of bait moving this week however there are still some straggler Mullet swimming for live baiters who can find them.


Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

November 17, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Drum, Black are biting live Shrimp along the bottom with a bottom rig. Anglers are also reporting some nice sized Mullet, Silver swimming with a few Spots in the shallow water. The Creeks and backwater are producing a great Seatrout, Spotted bite on a mirrolure or a curly tailed grub or gulp bait. Drum, Red are still showing up on the piers as well as some good Flounder, Summer (Fluke). Big Reds are swimming about 2-3 miles out and are coming up in nice sizes. Finally, there are a few Mackerel, Spanish still being caught on clarkspoons along with a few Bluefish in small sizes.

OFFSHORE – The bottom fishing has been spectacular in this area. Grouper (Grouper, Gag & Grouper, Scamp) have been showing up using cut Squid along the bottom or a similar looking artificial bait. They have been swimming in roughly 90 ft of water or more. In any depths less anglers can expect to reel in Grunt, Bluestripped or Sea Bass, Black. They are both chasing Squid as well. There also continues to be a nice Kingfish (Mackerel, King) bite in a few different spots. The Cabbage Patch, Cucumber at 10-15 miles and around the tower at 28-30 miles out, all producing good sizes of Kings. Anglers are mostly trolling. Trolling artificial bait or slow trolling a live line with Cigar Minnows and Ballyhoo are coming up with great results.

BAIT REPORT – As the season comes to a close there are still some Mullet running on the hill.


Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

November 10, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Having had around 18 inches of rain the past few days the fishing has been rough in this area. Not only is it difficult for anglers to get out, but it has also mixed up the fish quite a bit. Anyone who decides to bear the conditions has been catching very scattered Drum, Red off the piers and inlets, but is still hit or miss whether they will come back with fish. Cut bait on the bottom has given the most success in these conditions. When the weather lies down anglers expect results to increase again.

OFFSHORE – Wind and rain has deterred many anglers from heading offshore this week. There are currently no offshore trips to report however if conditions lay down and fishermen decide to head to the deeper water they can always consult our Tips feature which provides additional suggestions and information that could help improve the catch.

BAIT REPORT – There are still a few Mullet running although they seem to be slowing down.


Capt. Michael Dennis
910-619-0928
www.capefear-guide.com

November 6, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – There has been a solid Bull Red (Drum, Red) bite lately as they follow the bait run along the beaches. You can find them in anywhere from 6-30 ft of water and are developing into a localized fishery. Anglers in boats or from the shore will have no trouble finding them.

OFFSHORE – Normally there is a thick King run (Mackerel, King) in the fall however this year, due to the weather conditions, they have been way off and the bite has been spotty. When the weather breaks and things begin to settle down there is expected to be a great Wahoo bite using old faithful colors like blue and white.

BAIT REPORT – Schools of Menhaden are plentiful at this time, and if you find the bait you will find the fish.


Capt. Cane Faircloth
910-367-2998

October 28, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Now that last week’s unpleasant weather has passed the fishing has been unreal. The beaches and piers are filled with tons of hungry fish waiting to be caught. Kings (Mackerel, King) are biting off the beachfront. You don’t need to go far out at all for these guys which is a good sign for anyone fishing the upcoming tournament this weekend. Cigar Minnows, Ballyhoo, Live Menhaden are all working very well for anglers out this week. Big nets are coming up full of Menhaden in the shallow water. We have also had reports of 50lb Cobia being hooked around the lighthouse rocks so if you make your way around there be ready. 11lb Flounder (Flounder, Southern & Flounder, Summer (Fluke)) has been reported as well as Mackerel, Spanish. The bite is on, and it doesn’t end there. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are on the inside but best of all if you are fishing along the surf and off the piers you are likely guaranteed to hook a nice, big Redfish (Drum, Red). These Reds have been hungry for Mullet, Mud MInnows or Cut Bait on a Carolina rig and even artificial lures too. Lots of them have been pretty big so check your state slot sizes. There is definitely no shortage of fish to be caught here.

BAIT REPORT – There are no reports of major bait runs right now however all live bait seem to be working well if you come across some. For more ideas on baits as well as artificial lures you can always rely on our Tips feature that can help improve your catch.

Wild Life Bait & Tackle
910-457-9903

October 23, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – The rains have pushed a lot of freshwater into the ocean lowering the salinity. The Wahoo and King bites have been slow as a result. Wahoo have been biting along the gulf stream and Kings are coming from the Horseshoe all the way to the piers. Early and late morning have been best for Wahoo. Bottom fishing has been excellent. Grouper has been in the 60-80 ft range taking Cut baits. Pogies and finger Mullet have been working well for Grouper but the fishing is comparatively slow on account of the weather at this point.

INSHORE – Lots of good sized Kings have been reported from the pier at Oak Island.

BAIT REPORT – Pogies and finger Mullet are in the back bay and anglers investing a bit of time with a cast net shouldn’t have a problem loading up on bait.

Get Reelin Fishing
126 Yachtbasin St
Southport, NC
910-386-8568
www.getreelinfishingcharters.com

September 25, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE – Water temps have fallen a bit to the low 80’s. There’s lots of Spanish Mackerel, Flounder, Whiting, Blues, and Croakers around the inshore chasing a variety of baits. Most of what’s available at the local baitshops in terms of bait should lead to a decent multi species day.

Oak Island Pier
705 Ocean Dr
Oak Island, NC
910-278-6464

August 1, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – The Wahoo fishing has been hit or miss according to anglers. When the weather permits, there can be some Wahoo and Dolphin found in the 50 to 60 mile range. Trolling planers have been proving successful for some. Ballyhoo with dark colored skirts like Black/Purple, and Black/Red have been good.

INSHORE – The water has still been hot. Most of the Flounder has been pushed out into the ocean. You’ll have to hit the reefs to find them. You can also find some good sized Spanish Mackerel in the areas. When you can get on them, you’ll find yourself hooking good numbers. You’ll just have to look a little harder for them.

BAIT REPORT – The Mullet are in very thick along with Menhaden. The guys down at Tackle Box say the Mullet might be as thick as they’ve seen them in a while.

Tackle Box is getting lots of live Bluefish and hand-caught Ribbonfish to be stocked up for the upcoming King Mackerel tournament. They’ll have plenty in-stock for tournament anglers.

Tackle Box
600 W Brunswick St
Southport, NC
910 540 4938

August 25, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – The Dolphin fishing has been spotty as of late. The past 7 days have seen some really good Wahoo fishing in the around the 20 to 30 mile range where some of the Dolphin have been found. Medium skirted Ballyhoo, as per usual, is the best bait to use. For skirt colors, any of your dark colors will work such as black and purple, or red and black. Deep trolling with planer rods has been the most effective lately.

INSHORE – The artificial reefs just off the beach are fishing very well along with the wrecks. There’s lots of big Spanish Mackerel being caught around the reefs even within the 1 mile range. The reefs are also holding lots of Flounder. There’s lots of Mullet and Menhaden around so those are working well when dropped on the reefs.

BAIT REPORT – The Mullet are showing up very thick right now. There’s also smaller Menhaden running as well.

Tackle Box
600 W Brunswick St
Southport, NC
910 540 4938

August 18, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – Captain Chuck says the bottom fishing is going really well in the deep water off of Southport. Black Bass have been hitting well and are fairly receptive to most bait presentations. There’s also been some good Mahi and Kingfish trolling the surface using Cigar Minnows. Birds and weedlines are good indicators of water that can hold Mahi.

INSHORE – The Spanish Mackerel off the beach are starting to come back in, but not quite like the last good showing of them. The Bluefish, unfortunately, have been pretty nonexistent; so if you’re fishing in close it’s better to focus on the Spanish Mackerel. The King Mackerel bite is slowly starting up again for the inshore fishery.

BAIT REPORT – Pogies are reasonably abundant and easy to catch. Glass Minnows are being caught in the area. Most people are doing well using a net or a Sabiki Rig.

Captain Chuck Quicksill
Get Reelin Fishing Charters
Southport, NC
910-386-8568

August 14, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

Are YOU fishing or running charters the waters around Southport and want to join the ProAngler team? Drop us a line at tips@proangler.us

June 22, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – Captain Ricky, the owner of Holden Charters has been fishing up a lot of King Mackerel lately in the 10-25 mile range, with a few really good bites out as far as 28 miles. His go to method is trolling pogies. He tells me there is lots of bait offshore – whole schools of greenbacks and cigar minnows, and they are easy to find when the weather is calm.

INSHORE – The main targets inshore right now are the Flounder and Reds. They are as good as expected this time of year. Nes over at Southport Angler Outfitters told me that you are going to want to stick to your usual spots and techniques. Live shrimp and imitation shrimp have always done well. However, the hatch right now is Pogies and most large fish will be feeding on them. The pogies are plentiful and creating a chum slick should induce them into a feeding frenzy, which is a prime opportunity to free line a smaller Pogy.

BAIT REPORT – Pogies have been thick. Around all the marinas.



Nes (Inshore / Bait Report)
Southport Angler Outfitters
910 363 4891

Offshore charters
Captain RIcky Holden
Holden Charters
757-510-3346

July 22,2015

Southport Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – Captain Chuck over at Get Reelin’ Fishing Charters has had a solid Dolphin bite offshore in the 20-30 mile range. Expect to find some King Mackerel mixed in that far out, although they aren’t in huge numbers right now. They are trolling cigar minnows and ballyhoo when they can get their hands on them, artificial lures are working too but you are going to want to use black and purple. If you are targeting the Cobia your best bet is to stir up a bit of commotion and then sight fish them from the boat with cut bait. Bottom fishing is also on fire this time of year. Big Black Bass, Hump Back Bass, Grunts, Vermillion Snappers, you name it. Captain Chuck likes to get Squid wings, dice them into chunks, and then set the fish into a biting frenzy. 

INSHORE – There are a few Kingfish coming inshore too right now. The main targets, however, are the Spanish Mackerel and the Bluefish along the beach. They are following the bait pods which are also on the beach right now, if you notice there isnt a lot of baitfish around you might want to change locations. If you don’t plan on fishing the beach right now, set your sights on the shoals.

BAIT REPORT – There are plenty of Menhaden along the beach in big schools. The Glass Minnows are also schooled up right now.

Captain Chuck is taking his boat from the backwater to the Gulf Stream and anywhere in between. He is taking bookings for everyday so give him a dial.

Captain Chuck 
Get Reelin’ Fishing Charters 
910-386-8568

July 3, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

INSHORE- Close to shore between one and five miles, the Spanish Mackerel are biting good according to Captain Robbie Wolfe of Wilmington Whipsaw Fishing Charters.

There are also some Red Drum in the area and the Flounder are hit and miss off the shore of Wrightsville Beach. Captain Robbie likes to fish the high tide and the start of the falling tide and sticks to the hard bottoms. He also reports that there have been some Tarpon moving through the area but they are in that travelling mode and won’t hang around for long. If you are going to hook into one, you will need to be in the right place at the right time and put the presentation right in front of their nose.

Bait- There is not much baitfish available in the Wrightsville Beach area to catch so you will want to hit up a local bait shop.

OFFSHORE- Captain Ricky Holden took part in an annual King Mackerel tournament this weekend in Southport and while he and his team did not have a King bite, they did learn a lot about the waters off Bald Head Island. Captain Ricky said the Cobia bite 15 miles offshore was phenomenal and there are also some Mahi Mahi around. Topwater fishing with Menhaden and live Pogy is the best strategy as downriggers over and around structure brought out the Sharks. Trolling at Carolina trolling speed (1 and 1.5 miles per hour) while pulling top water presentations work best. Those getting King Mackerel to hit were well offshore up to 35 miles south of Southport. Live bottom areas and known artificial reefs are always holding fish. While he hasn’t been out that far, many of Holden’s colleagues are doing very well bottom fishing those structure areas. Black Sea Bass, Grouper, Triggerfish, Vermilion Snapper and Grunts are all very active. “Everything on the bottom is biting,” said Holden. Using cut up Boston Mackerel for Grouper is a good strategy while cut Squid on Carolina jigging rigs will catch just about anything when hanging around structure in deep waters. 

BAIT- Menhaden are currently inshore.

Captain Ricky Holden 
Holden Charters 
757 510 3346 

Captain Robbie Wolfe 
Wilmington Whipsaw Fishing Charters 
www.wrightsvillebeachfishingtrip.com 
910 791 0555 

June 19,2015 

Southport Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – There have been a ton of Amberjack around the reef, and we mean a ton. There have also been plenty of Sharks. The Amberjack aren’t pick and will hit on pretty much anything but they do favour, fresh Shad, and Mullet. If you’re prefer to use a lure try a big popper. Further out there is also Billfish which have been great. There have been a lot of them a little bit north and south of the big rock.

INSHORE – Off the pier people are catching King and Cobia! The water is hot right now though which the fish don’t like. There have also been Flounder off the Pier and at the intercoastal at the point. Drum is good in the shallow and most of them are in the upper limit. There are also lots of Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish.

BAIT REPORT – There has been plenty of heat which has kept most of the bait away though you might find the occasional Finger Mullet.

Matt
Captain Joe’s Bait & Tackle
601 Atlantic Beach Causeway, Atlantic Beach, NC
www.saltwaterbaitandtackle.com 
252 222 0670

June 10th, 2015

Southport Fishing Report

OFFSHORE –  Captain Chuck of Get Reelin’ Fishing Charters has been limiting out on Vermillion Snappers, Black Bass Grunts and Mahi Mahi. You’ll find them about 42 miles offshore in about 108 feet of water. For the Mahi Mahi try using cedar plugs and drum spoons You can also try Cigar Minnows skirted or pink trolling Lures. Captain Chuck of Get Reelin’ Fishing Charters has also been catching the limit on Spanish Mackerel all ranging in size from a pound and a half to 6 pounds.

INSHORE –  There are a ton of Spanish Mackerel inshore.  Try using Clark spoons in silver and gold with a pink and a teal slasher. Inshore you’ll also find some Cobia and out by the lighthouse rock you’ll find some King Mackerel.

BAIT REPORT – Around the pier you’ll find Pogies that you can use as live bait for King Mackerel.

Captain Chuck
Get Reelin Fishing Charters
910-386-8568










DISCLAIMER:
Since fishing conditions change from minute to minute we try to keep our reports as updated as possible. The United States is a large country, so we try to keep our Southport Fishing Report updated once a week. If you would like to contribute to the Southport Fishing Report, feel free to email your fishing tips to mike@proangler.us. We rely on even small contributions to inform us that fishing conditions have changed so we can update the Southport Fishing Report.

The Southport Fishing Report is brought to you by the Pro Angler team and many, many, highly skilled Captains and bait shop owners.