Carolina Beach August 2, 2007
Trey, of Reel Bait and Tackle, reports that area flounder fishing has been excellent over the past week. Anglers are landing good numbers of flatfish while fishing in the river, and the bite has been especially hot in Carolina Beach Inlet.
Most of the fish are 2-5 lbs., with a few larger 7+ lb. flounder taking anglers baits as well.
The flounder will hungrily strike live finger mullet fished on Carolina rigs, and anglers should have no trouble locating finger mullet as they are finally abundant in area waters.
The flounder bite has also been solid at the Yaupon Reef and other nearshore structure.
Spadefish are schooled up on the reef, too, and some are approaching the state record size of 9 lbs. Strips of jelly ball are the best sheepshead baits, and anglers should use small hooks to match the spades’ small mouths.
Speckled trout are feeding in Carolina Beach Inlet along with the flounder. DOA shrimp and Gulp Alive baits will draw bites from the trout, and smaller finger mullet are also good baits.
Red drum are feeding throughout area waters, and anglers are hooking up with them in the river and around ICW docks. There are some big drum (30+ lbs.) feeding at the Yaupon Reef and other nearshore structure. Carolina-rigged live baits or Gulp Alive baits fished on jigheads will tempt the drum to strike.
Anglers are hooking up with sheepshead while fishing next to dock and bridge pilings. The best sheepshead baits are fiddler crabs and sand fleas, and anglers can scrape barnacles from the pilings in order to get the fish feeding heavily.
The spanish mackerel bite has been unusually slow along the beaches, but kings are feeding from the beaches out to structure in the 30 mile range. The kings will fall for live pogies or cigar minnows.
Sailfish are mixed in with the kings 10+ miles offshore, with a few feeding in closer (4-5 miles).
Dolphin fishing has slowed down a bit, but there are still some dolphin feeding 10 miles and further from the beaches. The dolphin and sails should take an interest in live baits or rigged ballyhoo.
Grouper fishing is still hot. Boats are finding some gags around 20 miles offshore, but most of the reds and scamps are out 30+ miles from the hill.
Boats making the long run to the Gulf Stream have been rewarded with good numbers of wahoo, a few tuna, and some billfish. Skirted ballyhoo are the best baits for these pelagic species.
Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that flounder fishing is red hot right now. Carolina Beach Inlet, Snow’s Cut, and the ICW have played host to the best fishing over the week, and anglers are landing plenty of fish up to 5 lbs., as well as decent numbers of fish in the 5-7 lb. range. For some reason the bite has been slower than usual in the Cape Fear River.
Flounder are stacked up on the nearshore reefs, but anglers fishing the reefs must weed through some short fish in order to land keepers.
Live finger mullet fished on Carolina rigs are the top flounder baits, whether anglers are pursuing the flatfish inshore or in the ocean.
Anglers are also catching good numbers of speckled trout in the inlet, and they’re also striking finger mullet. A few specks are also coming from the mouth of the Dredge Pond.
Nearshore structure is holding plenty of gray trout. Anglers can hook up with the grays by jigging Stingsilvers just off the bottom, or by fishing cut finger mullet on bottom rigs.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers caught a good number of flounder (with many in the 4-5 lb. range) last week. Live mud minnows and finger mullet are the best flounder baits.
Anglers fishing near the pilings are catching a few sheepshead, mostly on barnacle baits.
Bottom fishermen are catching pompano and some spot, croaker, and whiting on cut shrimp.
Cut and live baits are attracting plenty of attention from small bluefish.
No kings were caught last week, but live baiters did catch some large spanish mackerel.
