[dropcap]P[/dropcap]ier fishing in May really gets good and it can arguably be the best fishing month of the first half of the year. The water was slower to warm up this year and that means the fishing was slower than desired in April but should be very good for May. As the water warms into the 70s king mackerel will venture closer to shore and the guys at the end of the pier will start to target them. Kings will be decked from Bogue Inlet Pier south to Sunset Beach Pier. King anglers will use the standard two-rod method (one as an anchor and one for fighting) and bait up with live bait. Small bluefish are the bait of choice but mullet, bunker, shad, and spot will be used too. Even pinfish and small pompano will be used if other choices are scarce. King fishermen will also be rewarded with an occasional cobia or a large bluefish.
Large Hatteras blues should make several runs past all of the piers this month as well. They started showing up in April from Cape Lookout south. so May should be excellent. In May of the past few years, bluefish weighing up to ten pounds or more have been landed in all parts of the state. The red drum fishing has been excellent over the last few years and that will continue this month. There will be catches of red drum in the surf zones on the piers too. Many will be slot-sized fish. Just remember, only one per customer, please!
Smaller bluefish will be in abun- dance as well, and will keep the plug- gers busy. Look for Spanish mackerel to arrive around the second week of May. They will be the fish of choice for most fishermen armed with a Got-Cha plug. White plugs with a red head and gold hooks are the most popular lure of the Sea Striker line.
Flounder fishermen will be pacing the planks all over the southeast piers, looking for their next doormat. One popular technique is to slowly move a live minnow or live shrimp on a Carolina rig outfitted with an egg sinker, going up one side of the pier then down the other. Gulp baits are also quite commonly used.
Bottom fisherman will also be well pleased. Whiting, spot, croaker and puffers will be frequently snagged. Black drum, sheepshead and spadefish will also hit the deck this month. A variety of baits will be used including bloodworms, squid, cut bait and the ever-popular shrimp (seasoned saltwater anglers will tell you that fresh Carolina shrimp works the best.)
Speckled trout season is still closed until June 15, due to the cold stun events of this winter. There will be some gray trout caught…remember they must be at least 12” in length and only one per day.
The full moon this month will be on May 14, and that will be the best time to target pompano.