Hook, line and sinker

By Skylar Walters

Fishing these area waters, local anglers know, once the month of May arrives, the fishing could explode from one day to the next.

Well, this May is no different as the fishing and catching has been almost nothing short of phenomenal for this time of the year.

The weather, in fact, has also been pretty phenomenal and had a definite influence on the fishing. Inshore, offshore, nearshore, surf and pier have all been reporting good to excellent fishing to be had. Water temperatures are in the mid-60s and will only progress as the month advances.

Offshore, in the Gulf Stream, the fishing has been almost perfect. Light winds and calm seas have also contributed to more boats being able to get out to the blue eater, hence more reports and more success. Wahoo averaging 20-40 pounds with some heftier fish being reported are a fairly regular occurrence when the temperatures breaks can be found. Dolphin and blackfin tuna round out the meat fish category with good catches of both species. Billfish are also becoming a more regular topic of conversation amongst blue water anglers.

Those heading out but not quite as far are finding good bottom fishing action in around 120 feet. Just beyond WR4 lies a mass of ledges and whatnots giving anglers plenty of opportunities to try their luck against a hefty grouper, triggerfish or amberjack.

Right along the beach out to around 3 miles the Atlantic bonito have been thick for the past several days so be prepared to go should the time come. Most anglers are catching fish while trolling but a few of the more stubborn and active anglers have managed their fair share while sight casting to schools with small spoons. Most fish are averaging 3-5 pounds with a few larger ones mixed in.

Also arriving in good numbers are the Spanish mackerel and what started as a sporadic fish here and there and has blossomed into Spanish mackerel almost everywhere. Trolling Clark Spoons on planers will work and do the trick, however, some anglers have also been catching them while sight casting and this has brought some much larger fish to the boat.

Pier and surf anglers are getting into the action as well with good reports of Virginia mullet being caught on cut shrimp. Some smaller throwback flounder are also being caught on soft artificial dragged through the surf zone and along the pier pilings. Got-Cha Plugs are working on bluefish and lots of them. A few small Spanish have also been caught. Anglers are expecting this fishing to improve dramatically in the coming weeks.

For what may be in store for fishermen in the coming weeks, here is a sneak peek. Offshore, anglers reported finding cobia around baits around the 20-mile mark. While that was something to be happy about, Ocean Crest Pier in Oak Island landed its first cobia just last week. King mackerel are another thing. While there are some being reported just inside the 20-mile mark off our beach, Ocean Crest Pier has reported a good run of fish the past week or so.