Anglers at Southport are concentrating mostly on red drum now as that’s the main inshore saltwater fish available.
“The only thing we’ve got going right now is redfish because (the feds) have got nearly everything offshore shut down,” said Tommy Rickman of Southport Angler Outfitters.
Rickman said water temperatures also are still too low for many other inshore species, such as flounder, and speckled trout fishing remains closed until June 15 by proclamation of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. However, anglers can keep specks they catch at inland waters near the coast that are controlled by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
“The water temperature in the Intracoastal Waterway was 52 degrees yesterday (March 15),” said Rickman (866-395-3474, www.fishsouthport.com). “But when you can find a shallow creek with a black mud bottom, the temperature usually is getting up to 58 degrees in the afternoon, and that’s where we’ve been finding the reds.”
Rickman said when anglers find fish, they can catch “10 to 20 at a time,” as the reds are schooled up.
“We are really looking foward to April because that’s when things open up offshore and it’ll be wide open then,” he said.
Meanwhile, the best times to fish for schooling redfish are during periods of low tide.
“That’s been better recently as it pulls the reds out of the marsh grass,” Rickman said, “plus you want it to be afternoon so the water will be warming up. Best places will be out of the current.”
Rickman and his clients have been using Gulp 3-inch shrimp in the new penny colors or the Gulp 3-inch menhaden. Sometimes he soaks them in Gulp Alive liquid fish attractant.
“It doesn’t really matter which you use,” he said, “because it’s a matter of the smell (put out by the lures). If you can get live mud minnows, they’re good, too”
Typical sizes of inshore reds vary from 15 to 28 inches in length.
“When grouper season opens, you’ll be allowed to keep three per person, but only one can be a gag (golden tilefish or black grouper),” Rickman said. “The regulations are complicated, so I’d advise anyone who’s going for them to first visit the Marine Fisheries website (http://www.ncfisheries.net/recreational/recguide.htm) and look up the regulations.”
Vermilion snapper (beeliner) season reopens April 1 but, according to the DMF web site, shallow-water grouper species (gag, black grouper, red grouper, scamp, rock hind, red hind, coney, grasby, yellowfin, grouper, yellowmouth grouper and tiger grouper) won’t reopen until May 1. Possession of red snapper is currently prohibited.
Stainless steel circle hooks also will be required for grouper fishing. That regulation went into effect March 3.
Recreational black sea bass fishing, which was closed Feb. 12 south of Hatteras, will reopen June 1.
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