May is a transition month
The month of May is a transition month for Capt. Cameron Pappas of BlackBird Guide Service (910-547-9353) in Wilmington, NC.
Species like redfish, speckled trout and sheepshead are inshore favorites this month, and Spanish mackerel, along with weakfish, are good fish to target in the nearshore waters along North Carolina’s southeastern coast.
“May is an exceptional time for fishing in the Wilmington area,” said Pappas, noting that the beginning of the month can fish like spring, while later in the month is more like a summer bite.
Redfish
In the early days of May, Pappas said many redfish are often still in their spring schools, with fish numbering in the hundreds.
“Early spring redfish are in schools pushing roughly 500 fish out on the flats, ready to eat just about anything in sight,” he said. “It makes for some fantastic sightfishing on both fly and light tackle.”
Later in the month, those big schools break up for the most part, and redfish become more spread out throughout the marsh.
“You’ll still find a few schools here and there,” he said. “But it becomes harder and harder to find schools of redfish.”
But they will still bite when you do find them, and with a variety of methods, Pappas said.
“Casting topwater plugs early in the morning will produce good numbers of redfish. During midday, paddletails, spinnerbaits, spoons and popping corks with artificial shirmp will provide some great action,” he said. “And they will also get shallow on the flats, providing some great flyfishing and sightfishing when the conditions allow.”
Speckled trout
“Speckled trout are plentiful in the eary spring, and into May, you can still find them in some areas,” he said.
And when he does find the specks, Pappas said they are very willing to bite.
“When you can find them, they generally eat very well,” he said. “I like to target them while the tide is moving, early in the morning or late in the afternoon.”
He said artificial lures are the best bet for specks this time of year.
“My preferred lure for this is D.O.A. Shrimp or a Spook Jr. topwater lure,” he said.
Sheepshead
“Also this month, sheepshead will be abundant,” he said. “And they will readily eat live fiddler crabs or mud crabs pinned to a sheepshead jig,” he said.
Nearshore
In the nearshore waters, Pappas said Spanish mackerel are good targets, and can be caught in good numbers by trolling Clarkspoons or casting metal jigs. Lots of bluefish are also around, and anglers will catch their share of them in the same manner as they do the Spanish.
And they aren’t the only nearshore species in play.
“Grey trout are also still around,” he said. “But the bite is often better earlier in the month than later.”
Sharks
Plenty of sharks are also in the area, and Pappas said they can turn a slow day of fishing into a memorable event.
“We regularly catch sharks on live menhaden, pinfish or small bluefish,” he said. “And dead bait works quite well too, and sometimes the sharks prefer it. I suggest always being ready with both. Flyfishing for sharks is also quite good when conditions allow, and they can be super fun targets on the long rod.”
To book a trip with Pappas, check out www.blackbirdguide.com or call 910-547-9353. ■
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