Carolina Beach – May 2025
Grayson, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf fishing action has picked up, with black drum and big whiting being caught with shrimp and sand fleas.
A few scattered red drum are being caught with cut bait.
ICW and river anglers are finding the sheepshead action picking up when targeting hard structure.
River anglers are hooking a few speckled trout and scattered red drum.
The main target right now is nearshore, with anglers focused on Atlantic bonito and the occasional big spanish mackerel showing up from the beach out to 5 miles. Deep diver plugs and spoons are producing best, but occasionally anglers are having success throwing jigs to fish feeding on the surface or dropping jigs down to schools under bait.
Offshore anglers are finding blackfin tuna and some wahoo.
Luke, of Spot On Charters, reports that the speckled trout action has been moderate, with anglers catching fish with MirrOlure MR-17s that match the menhaden starting to show up. Topwater plugs are also having some success.
Red drum have broken out of their winter schools pretty early and have spread throughout the area. Anglers are focusing efforts around the spoil islands and putting baits in ambush points such as creeks and channels with out-flowing water as the tide falls out. Carolina-rigged live pogies have been best.
As water temperatures move and hold in the 70-degree range, some flounder will also be showing up and hitting the same live bait offerings.
Tommy, of Mungo Fishing Charters, reports that creeks in the area are producing a good amount of red drum while fishing around oyster bars, creeks mouths, and shallow flats along the shoreline. Artificials such as Gulp shrimp on 1/4 oz. jig heads work well when the weather is nice. If churned up, a Carolina rig with dead shrimp, live shrimp, or live mud minnows will get the job done.
Anglers are targeting black drum using dead and live shrimp on Carolina rigs, and they will do best by focusing on docks, older pilings, and rock walls.
A few speckled trout are in the creeks and around rock structure. They can be enticed while fishing soft plastics such as Z-Man jerk baits or D.O.A. shrimp.
Sheepshead are starting to show up in good numbers, and they can be targeted with dead shrimp, live shrimp, or fiddler crabs.
Tinley Clay (age 9), doubled up on these 15″ and 17″ gray trout while surf fishing off Carolina Beach using her own hand-tied rigs.
Mason, of Grand Slam Fishing Charters, reports that red drum have started to move into the main river, and they’re setting up around spoil islands and shorelines outside the creeks. Carolina-rigged shrimp (dead or live) or pogies are best.
Black drum action has picked up, with good numbers of fish setting up around docks in the ICW. Fresh dead shrimp will work well, but live shrimp is the best option. A high to falling tide has been better.
A few speckled trout can be found while fishing with live shrimp or Gulp shrimp. The better action is around current cuts and eddies as the tide falls out.
Drew, of Strike Inshore Charters, reports that for red drum action, target the creek mouths and oyster points in deeper main channels. Carolina rigs with cut mullet, dead shrimp, or live shrimp (when you can find it) have been best. Anglers are also having some success with soft plastic paddle tails and topwater plugs, though the artificial action is not as consistent.
Anglers fishing shrimp on the bottom are catching some black drum in these same areas, especially around shell bottoms.
Tony, of Reel Teal Charters, reports that red drum action has been a little up and down. Targeting ledges and docks in the Cape Fear River with cut baits (such as pinfish or shrimp) or live minnows is working best.
Carolina-rigged fresh shrimp will be best for black drum action around docks in the ICW and hard structure in the river.
Off the beach, Atlantic bonito are the top target right now. Trolling deep diver plugs or spoons behind #1 planers at 4-5 mph over nearshore structure is the proven tactic.
Spanish mackerel are already showing up to the south, and they should arrive locally at any time.
Miller Aiken (age 14) with an early spanish hooked off of Sheepshead Rock. He was casting a Big Nic Spanish Candy to a school of fish breaking the surface.
Barry, of Family Ties Charters, reports that nearshore trips are producing Atlantic bonito. Trolling Clarkspoons has been the top tactic, with some anglers also choosing to jig Big Nic Spanish Candies or diamond jigs over nearshore wrecks.
Trolling spoons has also found some spanish mackerel (3 lb. class) and bluefish.
Runs to the Gulf Stream are producing blackfin tuna and wahoo, and some stray mahi have been caught.
King mackerel are moving into the 30-40 mile range.
Grouper season opens in May, and anglers will kick this action off by focusing on the 80-100’ range. This same area will also produce American red snapper, grunts, pink snapper, black sea bass, and vermilion snapper.
Rod, of OnMyWay Guide Service, reports that the Atlantic bonito bite is on fire right now. The best action is coming from trolling #0 or #1 Clarkspoons behind #2 planers. If you can mark a good school, vertical jigging will also have some success.
Bunches of 12-16” bluefish are around.
Anglers looking to push deep are still finding jumbo black sea bass action in the 18-22 mile range. They will do best targeting low relief ledges and live bottoms, being sure to search for bait before dropping down.
Gulf Stream trips are focused on blackfin tuna, with the occasional wahoo mixed in.
Porter, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishing anglers are catching whiting and croaker.
Casting metals and Gotcha plugs is starting to have success for bluefish.
