Carolina Beach June 10, 2010
Dave Rygalski, of Sumter, SC, with a 4.6 lb. speckled trout he hooked near Carolina Beach. Weighed in at Island Tackle and Hardware.
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that the area’s flounder bite continues to improve (with fish to 7+ lbs. weighed in recently). Anglers are hooking up with the fish in the Cape Fear River, Snow’s Cut, Carolina Beach Inlet, and other inshore spots. Live pogies have been the most productive baits for the flatfish.
The trout bite has slowed a bit, but anglers are still picking up a few in the river on live shrimp and artificials.
There are plenty of red drum feeding in the backwaters of the lower river, though most are on the lower end of the slot limit. They’re falling for live baits, soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and topwater plugs.
Larger reds are schooling at nearshore structure like John’s Creek, the Marriott reef, and more. Live or cut baits will get their attention.
Oyster beds, rocks, and other hard structure inshore are holding good numbers of sheepshead and black drum, and anglers can tempt them to bite fiddler crabs, live shrimp, and other baits.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding right along the beaches (with some big chopper blues still in the mix). Trolling Clarkspoons and diving lures or casting metal lures at breaking schools of fish is the way to put fish in the boat.
Anglers are picking up some decent king mackerel (to 20 lbs.) in the 10 mile range, with some dolphin reported from 12 miles. Live pogies or dead baits (like cigar minnows) will fool both fish. Cobia are in the same areas, but they’ve been tight-lipped lately.
Bottom fishermen are finding decent gag grouper action 20-25 miles off the beaches, as well as red and scamp groupers in the 40 mile range. Vertical jigs, live baits, and dead baits like cigar minnows will attract attention from the groupers.
Gulf Stream trolling is still producing plenty of dolphin, with a few wahoo and billfish mixed in. Ballyhoo under skirted trolling lures are attracting most of the attention in the blue water.
Ryan, of Carolina Beach Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are catching some slot-sized red drum in the surf. Shrimp and cut baits are fooling the reds.
Some black drum, bluefish, whiting, and pompano are also on the feed in the surf and taking an interest in shrimp.
The flounder bite has also been solid in the surf, with most of the action around structure like the pipe, the piers, and around the coquina rocks at Fort Fisher. Live baits and dead finger mullet are fooling most of the flounder. There’s also been a flounder bite in Snows Cut, the boat basin, and the Cape Fear River.
Finger mullet are beginning to make an appearance in the lower river, and they make excellent flounder baits. Anglers are also hooking good numbers of fish on tiger-side minnows.
Mike Long, of Fayetteville, NC, with a 20.4 lb. king mackerel that fell for a live bluefish on a king rig he was fishing form the end of Oak Island Pier.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that the red drum bite is still solid in the backwaters off the lower Cape Fear. Anglers are finding most of the fish in the creeks and bays, and blind-casting with soft plastics or live mud minnows has been the most effective tactic lately. Topwater plugs are also drawing some attention from the reds.
Flounder and speckled trout are on the feed in the same areas, and they are falling for the soft plastics and live baits as well.
Hard structures in the area are holding good numbers of sheepshead, and anglers can tempt them to bite fiddler crabs, mud crabs, and other crustaceans.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that gag, red, and scamp grouper are still feeding at bottom structure 30-40 miles off the inlet. Plenty of smaller bottom feeders like grunts, pinkies, sea bass, and beeliners are mixed in. Squid and cut baits are excellent choices for the smaller fish, and cigar minnows, live baits, and larger cut baits will tempt bites from the grouper.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer Charters, reports that anglers are picking up plenty of red drum in the bays off the lower Cape Fear River (with many slot-sized fish and a few larger). Soft plastic paddletail baits from Redfish Magic and MirrOlure, along with live mud minnows, are producing most of the drum action.
Good numbers of flounder are in the same areas and falling for the soft plastics as well. Anglers can also target the flatfish with live pogies on Carolina rigs.
A few flounder are starting to show up on the nearshore reefs.
Owen, of Cape Fear Coastal Charters, reports that large amberjacks are schooling up at the Schoolhouse, and anglers need to bring heavy gear if they expect to keep them away from the wreck.
Other structure in the 10-20 mile range has been producing good numbers of king mackerel, dolphin, and cobia, with most of the fish falling for live pogies.
Lynn, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers have been picking up a few spanish mackerel lately on Gotcha plugs when the water’s clean.
Bottom fishermen are decking some whiting and croaker on shrimp, and a few flounder on small live baits.
Cathy, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishing with shrimp is producing plenty of action with whiting and bluefish.
Plug casters are hooking decent numbers of spanish mackerel on Gotchas.
