Yeah Right Charters fishing report from Southport

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Slot-sized redfish are feeding in the inshore waters around Southport, N.C.

The fall bite is on

For Capt. Chris Foster of Yeah Right Charters in the Southport area, this is the time of year he’s been waiting on. And the early fall bite has not disappointed. Fishing from the bays and creeks to the Gulf Stream, the fishing is plenty hot.

“The fall fishing is on fire right now in our area. Anglers are enjoying catches of nice fish from the Gulf Stream all the way to the backwater,” said Foster (828-545-2316).

One of the hottest bites in the Gulf Stream has been wahoo for Foster and his clients. Grouper and snapper are also biting offshore. And the black sea bass bite is beginning to heat up.

“We’re catching some really nice wahoo in the Gulf Stream. Getting lures deep seems to be the ticket right now. Try using some Bluewater Jag-3 lures in your spread to get the wahoo strike going,” he said. “In the 80 to 120-foot depths, grouper and vermillion snapper are biting. And a few nice black sea bass are starting to appear,” he said.

Nearshore and inshore waters are also hotbeds of activity

Closer in around near shore reefs, and just off the beaches, king mackerel are putting up some drag-screaming fights with anglers. Finding pogies is the key, said Foster.

“A double pogy rig with live menhaden in the prop wash might even entice a kingfish to skyrocket on your bait,” he said.

Another fall favorite, the bull redfish, are also biting around the nearshore reefs.

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Bull redfish are biting heavily along the nearshore reefs.

“We have begun seeing the yearly arrival of the larger red drum. A bulked up Carolina rig with any kind of natural bait will have you fighting one of these fish to the boat in short order when they are hungry,” he said.

Inshore, speckled trout and slot-sized redfish are feeding up and keeping anglers busy.

“In the backwater, the speckled trout and slot-sized red drum are also in the midst of bulking up for the winter. And they are hungry. Carolina rigs with mullet minnows, Betts Halo Shad, and 4-inch curly tails are all working. Whatever your bait of choice, fish them around structure and you’ll have some keepers in your fish box,” said Foster.

Click here to read about the hot black drum bite on the NC/SC border.

About Brian Cope 2726 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.

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