Carolina Beach August 31, 2006
Trey, at Reel Bait and Tackle, reports lots of big flounder caught this week, with the biggest weighing up to 10 lbs. The river, Carolina Beach Inlet, and McGlammery Reef have all been host to good flounder action, with the largest fish coming from the river. A finger mullet or peanut pogy hooked on a Carolina rig is the best bait for large and small flounder, but Gulp baits are also proving effective.
Puppy drum are biting around docks and creeks in the waterway. High tide is the best time to go after them, and go with the same baits used for flounder.
Sheepshead are also hitting around the waterway docks. Fiddler crabs or sand fleas fished tight to the pilings are prime baits.
Speckled trout are around Bald Head Island and Southport.
Gray trout are biting shrimp on the bottom at nearshore reefs such as John’s Creek.
Anglers are catching some spanish mackerel when they can find clean water. Area inlets, particularly Masonboro, are producing more fish than spots further offshore.
King mackerel fishing has been good but not great over the past week. The good news is that the fish are close to the beach. The Cape Fear River Channel has been one of the better areas to try for the kings.
Grouper fishing has been good for gags up to 20 lbs. They’re 15-30 miles off the beach. Red scamp groupers are further out. Spanish sardines and Boston mackerel will get the job done on the grouper.
Dave, of FryingPanTower.com, reports that in the gulf stream the dolphin are biting, as well as a few white marlin. The bite has slowed down some compared to previous weeks.
A little closer in, king mackerel are the name of the game. Big kings are everywhere from the piers to the 30/30 to WR2 to 23 Mile Rock. Pick your favorite rock and have at it.
Dolphin are everywhere, too. Peanuts are from 10 miles on out, with bulls coming from the weed lines in the 30 mile range.
Speaking of weed lines, there are plenty of weed mats and weed lines offshore. Find a temp break, and then find yourself a weed line in that area to work. Pink/white rigged ballyhoo or rigged squid is the way to play.
Inshore the spanish are biting around all the area inlets. The recent clean water has made them pretty easy to find.
The offshore bottom fishing is on. Gags start at about 10 miles and go out to the mid 20’s. Reds are from the mid 20’s on out, and scamps from the 30’s on out.
Bruce, at Flat Dawg Charters, reports that the flounder fishing has been excellent lately in the river, waterway, inlet, and nearshore reefs. Live mullet are everywhere, and they should be used to find the doormats that are being caught lately.
The river has also been the place to find redfish, bluefish, and the occasional speckled trout.
Spanish mackerel are still biting fairly well from 1 to 5 miles off the beach. They’re hitting spoons and plugs, with a few of the bigger fish hitting live baits.
Anthony, at Kure Beach Pier, reports that croaker and spots are biting shrimp. Pompano up to 3 lbs. are also eating shrimp, and they will fall for sand fleas as well.
Small live baits on the bottom have accounted for flounder (up to 4 lbs.) this week.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are hitting Gotcha plugs. The blues are also eating baits on bottom rigs.
A 30 lb. king was caught this week, and a 6.2 lb. spanish also ate a live bait.
The water is 85 degrees.
