Fishing

Inshore anglers are looking toward the weekend after being kept away from the water by the high winds from Hurricane Sandy. Water clarity might be a problem for a while, but fish should be on the move and biting.
The piers were reporting their first decent catches of spot before the storm hit. Sunset Beach Pier had a nice morning run last week. Hopefully, the storm will have pushed the larger spot schools southward and they will be in our waters soon. The window to have a good season for spot is growing shorter but there is still time.

Fall fishing continues to be strong almost everywhere. Large red drum continue to be landed in the surf and at the jetties while are plenty of flounder, including some big ones, hitting inshore.
The ocean-side piers continue to be streaky, having not yet experienced the solid runs of spot seen to the north of Brunswick County. That action could still occur as the spot haven’t shown up in South Carolina in any numbers yet.

Fishing is really heating up with the coming of fall. Fish both big and small are on the move through Brunswick County waters, spawning and feeding, and anglers are catching them inshore and on the ocean side.
The Little River jetties continue to produce solid numbers of big over-the-slot bull redfish. This bite should continue for another few weeks and then they will be gone. The best baits are sizable pogies or finger mullet on a fishfinder (Carolina) rig. The action occurs when the tide is moving.

SOUTHPORT—McAttack took home more than $61,180 for winning the 34th Annual U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament in Southport during the weekend.
Capt. William McCann and crew members William McCann Jr. and Whalon Huff, of Henderson, fished the tournament based in the Southport Marina.
William McCann caught the 47.20-pound king mackerel on the second day of the two-day tournament just off the southern North Carolina coast.