Carolina Beach August 6, 2009
Joni Barnes, from Holly Springs, NC, with a 10 lb. American red snapper she hooked on a half cigar minnow in 80'. She was fishing out of Carolina Beach with Capt. Tommy Sayre and mate Scotty Warren on "The Mate."
Dennis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are hooking up with a few flounder and decent numbers of red drum inshore around creeks off the Cape Fear River. Live baits on Carolina rigs and Gulp baits will fool both fish.
The flounder bite has been decent in the ocean at nearshore structure like wrecks and live bottoms, and Carolina-rigged finger mullet or other live baits should tempt these flatties to bite as well.
Gray trout are holding on much of the same structure as the flounder, and live mullet on Carolina rigs have been the best baits for them lately. Anglers can also hook the grays by jigging Stingsilvers or other metal lures near the structure.
Inshore structure (like bridge and dock pilings) has produced some solid sheepshead action lately (with fish to 10+ lbs.), and anglers are hooking them while fishing live fiddler crabs near the structure.
Surf anglers are finding some action with black drum, puppy drum, croaker, whiting, and other bottom feeders, and the flounder bite’s been good in the surf as well. Shrimp and cut baits will fool most of the fish, and small live baits are best for the flounder.
Off the beaches, the spanish mackerel bite remains good around the inlet’s tide line, as the shape of the coast is protecting the nearshore waters from the hard southwest winds that have been prevalent lately. Trolled Clarkspoons should fool the spaniards.
Jon McDow caught this sailfish 19 miles off Carolina Beach Inlet on a naked ballyhoo behind a squid chain teaser. He was fishing with his father, Capt. John McDow, on the "Midnight Wind."
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that anglers have found some solid fishing in the shallow backwaters of the lower Cape Fear recently. Anglers may be able to find small schools of red drum feeding on the flats in the early mornings, but the fish seem to head for slightly deeper water as the days get hot.
Fishing on the edges of flats and creeks in 3-5’ of water has been a good strategy lately. Anglers are hooking the reds on live shrimp and mud minnows, and also finding action with soft plastics like Redfish Magic Glass Minnows. Topwater plugs have also been effective early in the days.
Some trout and flounder have been mixed in with the reds, and they are falling for the same baits.
Fishing live fiddler crabs around hard structure like oyster rocks and pilings has been producing action with sheepshead and black drum.
Capt. Diane Smith with a 21", 3.45 lb. speckled trout she hooked on a live shrimp in the Cape Fear River. She was fishing with her husband, Capt. Kevin Smith, of Speck Tackler Sport Fishing, and Capt. Nick Kintner, of the Bait Barge.
Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that inshore action has been a little slow lately. The best inside option recently has been sheepshead fishing around the bridge and dock pilings in the area at night. Fiddler crabs or mud crabs fished tight to the structure will fool the sheeps.
Outside the inlets, the flounder have shown up on the nearshore wrecks and reefs. Anglers are catching good numbers while fishing live baits on Carolina rigs near the structure.
Some gray trout are in the same areas, especially to the south, and anglers can hook the grays on their flounder rigs or by jigging Stingsilvers tipped with shrimp or squid.
King and spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches and just offshore when the water’s clean. Anglers can hook the kings on live pogies and the spanish by trolling Clarkspoons and other lures.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite’s been solid along the beaches lately. Trolled Clarkspoons are fooling most of the fish.
The weather hasn’t let many boats get offshore, but anglers should still be able to find action with gag, red, and scamp grouper and other bottom feeders at bottom structure 30-40 miles out. Squid, cigar minnows, and cut and live baits will all fool the bottom fish.
Nick, of Alford’s Seafood, reports that surf fishermen have found action with red and black drum, croaker, whiting, spot, pompano, and flounder lately.
A few nice flounder are coming from the inlet and the river.
Anglers fishing inshore structure with shrimp and crab baits are finding some solid action with sheepshead (some to nearly 10 lbs.) and black drum.
Lynn, of Kure Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are decking a few croaker and spot on shrimp.
Small live baits on the bottom are producing action with flounder, some of them keepers.
Plug casters are hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotcha plugs.
