Carolina Beach July 28, 2005
Barry, at Cape Fear Marine and Tackle, reports that the kings are hot just about everywhere from the sea buoys to the tower area. Spanish fishing is still good along the beach, but an unusual amount of citation size fish are coming in from the 12 to 18 mile areas. Cobia are still hanging around, but not much word on sailfish or dolphin this week.
Flounder up to 8 lbs. have been weighed in with most fish coming from Snow’s Cut, Carolina Beach Inlet, or the Cape Fear River. The back bays have been good for red drum this week, with some over slot sized fish being caught and released.
Mark, at Seagull Bait and Tackle, reports that a good speckled trout bite has been coming from the river this past week. In addition to specks, the river has also been producing a decent flounder and red fish bite. However, there weren’t many fish weighed in over the weekend.
The flounder bite on the surf has recently picked up. It had been dead, but this weekend several guys found them. The surf has also had lots of small croakers, spots, and a few Virginia mullet. Also of note was a couple of pompano weighing over 2 pounds.
The finger mullet are still just starting to show, and the pogies were hard to find this past weekend.
Dave, of FryingPanTower.com, reports that offshore the dolphin are the name of the game, and blue and white ballyhoo or squid seems to be the way to play. Just find a warm water break or a weedline. Big king mackerel have started to show up mixed into the usual schoolies. Several over 40 lbs. were landed in the last week.
Inshore, the spanish continue to be hit or miss, but more hit than miss though. Also, the bite has started with nice flounder coming from the area inlets.
There are lots of grouper everywhere. There have even been some close to shore in the ten mile range. Gags start at 10 miles on out to 25ish miles. Reds are from 25 miles on out, and start to look for nice scamps coming from 30+ miles.
On the bottom closer in, sea bass, blue runners, and flounder are plentiful at the area ledges, wrecks, and live bottom.
