Fly and Light Tackle Adventures: Topsail, Bald Head, Carolina Beach, and Southport

Red Drum will seem more plentiful as the large schools scatter into smaller pods of 10-20 and take up residence around fertile feeding areas. Gone are the early season days of 95% of the fish residing in 5% of the water, so locating fish won’t be a chore this month. Sheltered mud flats will warm first each day bringing finger mullet, shrimp, juvenile blue crabs, and the Reds during the last half of the falling tide. Flood tides will push Redfish to the grass edges and well beyond into the marsh, sometimes making them impossible to get to without a shallow draft flats boat. Spring rains if plentiful will nudge the surface temps past the 75 degree mark, but bring with them nutrient rich “dirty” water, but don’t fear. The tannin stained water contrary to popular belief, is actually a benefit, especially if you enjoy the action of Reds crashing top water baits in less than a foot of water. The silt and nutrients held in suspension make Reds less spooky and help concentrate bait drawn to the plankton rich soup that passes for water during the Spring. Changes in tactics from faster visual baits to noisy vibration producing baits like Rapala Skitterwalks and Redfish Magic Spinnerbaits , or scented artificial will keep you in the game and grinning. If all else fails try soaking a quartered Blue Crab attached to a 7/0 circle hook on the bottom.

 May can be split into 2 distinct approaches (searching and targeting) when Flounder fishing. Early look for soft bottom vertical relief near the mouth of the Cape Fear and especially in Lockwood Folly Inlet. Drifting will be the name of the game, and several passes while dragging a mullet pinned to a fluke rig, should reward you with some early fish on the move. As temps near the mid seventies, a transition to fishing hard structure and inside holes like those found at the wall near Buzzard Bay and in Elizabeth River. Artificial scented baits like Berkley Gulp! 3” shrimp or bucktails with a strip of belly will work well toward the latter half of May.

 Speckled Trout will be caught throughout the Southport area in areas holding young of the year shrimp and flowing current. Variable depth floats will allow you to fine tune the depth of your live shrimp, making it easier to locate suspended fish, but be ready to feed the Pinfish population. Mirrolure MR17 twitch baits or rigging a smoke or green shrimp imitation below your float will save some headaches and still seal the deal.

 Bluefish ranging from 2-12 lbs. and Spanish Mackerel could be anywhere from Muddy Slough to the Shoals as the pogies and glass minnows funnel in. Falling tides and bluebird days make it possible to sight fish for these speedsters as Blues blitz on pogies, glass minnows, and silversides. Spanish if present will be visible above the Bluefish Schools as they sky on bait. Trolled Clarkspoons or Yozuri Crystal Minnows will be a necessity if the Macks aren’t on top. Maria jigs in pink or green on spinning tackle or green and white Clouser Minnows fished on floating fly lines will do a fine job of mimicking the silversides and glass minnows, but be prepared for a Chopper Blue to crash the party and rig with a #40 shock leader to save your tackle. We should see the first good run of Bonito progressing from lighthouse rock and other structure to just off the beaches this month as well. Whether your seeking the solitude of a morning marsh coming to life or the intensity of chasing fish on the shoals, now is the time! Tight Lines