Carolina Beach August 5, 2010
Tyler Payne caught and released this 52.5" tarpon in the Fort Fisher surf.
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are still picking up plenty of healthy flounder in the area. The fish are coming from the ICW, Snows Cut, the Cape Fear River, and other inshore hotspots, though the inlet’s been a bit slow lately. Live finger mullet and peanut pogies are the tickets to flatfish bites.
The red drum bite is still on as well; however, the fish are scattered and anglers are likely to only pick up 1-2 per spot they fish. Anglers have been catching some larger numbers in the inlet. Live baits and a variety of lures will fool the reds.
Speckled trout fishing continues to improve, but many of the fish are on the small side. The creeks and grass islands of the Cape Fear River are some of the best places to begin looking for the specks, and live shrimp are tough to beat as baits.
Sheepshead are feeding around hard inshore structure like bridge and dock pilings and rockpiles (with several in the 8-10 lb. range weighed in recently), and anglers can tempt them to bite live fiddler crabs.
Spanish mackerel fishing in and just outside Carolina Beach Inlet has been excellent lately, and most anglers are fooling the fish with trolled Clarkspoons.
Anglers hooked some king mackerel right on the beaches and at structure out to the 20 mile range last week, but the east wind slowed down the mackerel bite. As soon as the wind shifts, the fish should be back on the feed, and live baits like pogies will be hard for them to resist. There’s been tons of bait along Frying Pan Shoals lately, and plenty of kings and large spanish mackerel are feeding out there as well.
Several boats encountered sailfish at the Dredge Wreck last week, and they’re scattered from there all the way to the Gulf Stream. Rigged ballyhoo or live baits will attract the sails’ attention.
The best inshore dolphin fishing was around 23 Mile Rock last week, and dead ballyhoo and cigar minnows did most of the damage.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream have hooked decent numbers of sailfish, dolphin, and some wahoo over the past week.
Bottom fishermen are reporting decent action with red grouper 25-30 miles and further off the inlet, with some gags feeding in closer.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the red drum bite has improved in the backwaters of the lower Cape Fear River. Most of the action has been in slightly deeper water (3-5’+) than usual, but there are some 20-50 fish schools prowling the flats as well. Live finger mullet, mud minnows, and shrimp, as well as topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, and paddletail soft plastics, will all fool the reds.
Good numbers of flounder are feeding in the same areas, and they’ll take a hearty interest in Gulp or live baits.
Anglers are picking up a few speckled trout while casting for the reds as well, and the trout bite’s been even better in the main river, where anglers are catching good numbers of fish on live shrimp and soft plastics.
Sheepshead and black drum are feeding around hard and rocky structure in the area and will take an interest in fiddler crabs or other crustacean baits.
Owen, of Cape Fear Coastal Charters, reports that that the king mackerel and dolphin bite in the 10-20 mile range slowed substantially with last week’s east winds, but it should improve when the wind shifts again.
Anglers were able to pick up plenty of peanut dolphin toward the 20 mile end of the range, with a few gaffers (to 15 lbs.) thrown in.
Kieran Schwartz with his first red drum, a 22" fish he hooked on a live pogy while fishing a creek near Wrightsville Beach with his family.
Brad of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that anglers are still picking up some spanish mackerel while trolling Clarkspoons in the inlet and nearby, but the bite isn’t on fire.
Trolling a bit further offshore is producing lots of action with peanut dolphin, but little else.
Gag, red, and scamp grouper are feeding around bottom structure in the 30-40 mile range along with smaller bottom feeders like grunts, pinkies, beeliners, and more. The grouper will fall for cigar minnows and live and cut baits, and anglers can hook up with the smaller bottomfish on squid.
Allie, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are catching some flounder on small live baits fished on the bottom.
Sheepshead are falling for sand fleas, barnacles, and other baits dangled by the pilings.
Plug casters are picking up some bluefish on Gotchas.
Benny, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are decking some whiting on shrimp.
Flounder are falling for small live baits on the bottom.
Some bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs.
Live baiters landed a 22 lb. king mackerel last week.
