Carolina Beach April 9, 2009
Todd Byrd, owner of the Triangle Lounge in Wilmington, with a striped bass he hooked on a diving plug while fishing the NE Cape Fear River with Duane Auman and Capt. Jot Owens.
Wes, of Island Tackle, reports that inshore anglers are finding some red drum feeding around docks in the boat basin and the ICW. Some speckled trout have been mixed in as well. Gulp shrimp, D.O.A. shrimp, and Rapala’s new Trigger-X line of soft plastics have been producing most of the action.
Some big whiting are still feeding in the southern part of the river channel, and a bottom rig baited with fresh shrimp should be tough for them to resist.
A few flounder (including some keepers to 3 lbs.) are feeding in the surf, and anglers caught a decent number on mud minnows from the north end last week, so it shouldn’t be long before the flounder bite picks up inshore.
Not many people have been fishing the nearshore reefs recently, but there should also be decent numbers of flounder staging at the 5 and 10 mile boxcars as well.
Offshore, the grouper and snapper bite has been best in the deeper water near the break, but the sea bass bite has been strong closer in (around the 35 mile range). Some cobia have also been caught while bottom fishing with squid in about 200′.
Vertical jiggers have been finding fast action with amberjacks, groupers, king mackerel, blackfin tuna, and other species in the 110′-150′ depths.
The best king mackerel bite is still 35 miles and further offshore, with excellent king catches coming from the vicinity of the Frying Pan Tower last week.
Bradley Williams, from Raleigh, with one of several red drum he caught while fishing a dock near Masonboro Inlet with cut mullet.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that the grouper bite has been better well offshore lately, but a few fish are starting to make their way onto structure in the 40 mile range.
Sea bass and other bottom dwellers should be biting well in the same areas.
Squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits will all produce action with the bottomfish.
The king mackerel bite has been solid out around the Frying Pan Tower, and anglers are catching most of the fish while trolling dead cigar minnows and Drone spoons. As the water warms up over the coming few weeks, anglers can expect the kings to make a move towards inshore spots in the 20-30 mile range.
Scott Sweetland with a king mackerel caught and released while fishing with Capt. Jim Sabella of Plan 9 Fishing Charters out of Wrightsville Beach. The king fell for a dead cigar minnow on a Hank Brown Rig with a pink Blue Water Candy skirt at Dallas Rock.
Nick, of Alford’s Seafood, reports that there have been a few grouper caught around the live bottom areas north of Frying Pan Tower, along with good numbers of sea bass, beeliners, pinkies, and other bottomfish. Squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits are producing action with the bottom dwellers, and vertical jigging has been productive as well.
King mackerel are schooled up in 66+ degree water near the Frying Pan Tower, and they should be following the warm water and bait towards the beaches soon.
Inshore, anglers reported some big bluefish (in the 8 lb. range) from Carolina Beach Pier last week, and some larger ones have been caught offshore. So the choppers seem to be poised to make another strong showing this year.
Black and red drum are holding on docks in the ICW and boat basin, and they’re falling for fresh shrimp and Gulp baits.
Mark Benson, from Wilmington, with a red drum he caught on cut mullet near Masonboro Inlet.
Jeff, of Seahawk Charters, reports that black and red drum are feeding around docks and other structure with current in the ICW and boat basin. Live mud minnows are deadly on the reds, and fresh shrimp are producing action with both the reds and blacks.
A few speckled trout are making a showing in Carolina Beach Inlet and the river, but the bite isn’t on fire yet. D.O.A. shrimp under popping corks have been producing much of the action with the specks.
The whiting bite is still going strong around the river mouth.
Russ, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are catching a few (but nice-sized) whiting and some small bluefish along with sharks and skates. Shrimp are producing the most action.
