Carolina Beach September 27, 2007
Trey, of Reel Bait and Tackle, reports that good catches of speckled trout are coming from the river, the ICW and the inlets, where they’re feeding on the abundant finger mullet. Bait up with smaller 2-3” finger mullet or live shrimp (catch them in the river or the backs of creeks) to hook up with some of the trout.
Sheepshead are still feeding well around pilings and other hard structure in the ICW, Snow’s Cut, and the river. Dangling fiddler crabs or sand fleas next to the structure is the best way to tempt the sheepshead to bite.
Red drum are beginning to feed around the inlets, particularly along the bars and cuts at Carolina Beach Inlet. Many are over the slot limit, and they will fall for cut baits or live finger mullet. Anglers are hooking up with the reds from boats and while surf fishing.
Surf fishing action is heating up for pompano, spot, and whiting. Bait up with shrimp and artificial bloodworms for the spot and whiting, or shrimp and sand fleas for the pompano.
The flounder bite has been excellent over the past weeks in the ICW, the inlets, and at the nearshore reefs. Anglers weighed in flounder up to 9 lbs. last weekend, and Carolina-rigged live baits are the top choice.
The influx of large amounts of bait to the beach has drawn the large kings inshore, and anglers have been hooking up and seeing kings sky along the beach around Southport and Carolina Beach, as well as in the river channel and around Yaupon Reef.
Some spanish mackerel are feeding alongside the kings.
Grouper fishing is solid when boats can get out deep enough. Some gags have moved inshore, but the most consistent grouper bite has been on structure 30-35 miles offshore.
The wahoo bite has been excellent along the break, especially around the Same Ol’ Hole. Not many dolphin have been seen recently, but they should become more abundant after a week or two of calm weather when the weedlines re-form.
Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that slot-sized red drum (most 18-20”) are feeding heavily north of Snow’s Cut in the river. Target them above shelly bottom areas with live or dead shrimp fished beneath a float. Anglers can locate good spots by searching for shell beds at low tides, then returning to fish them during the first hour and a half of the falling tide when the drum bite is best.
Some larger reds (25-30”) are feeding in the bays of the lower river, but the wind has made them tough to get to lately.
The grass islands in the river bays are holding plenty of speckled trout, with decent numbers of big fish in the 4-6 lb. class. The bite is better by far in the early mornings, and the specks will fall for D.O.A. shrimp or topwater plugs such as the Skitterwalk.
The flounder bite has been good in Snow’s Cut and the river recently. Most of the flounder are either nice, 3+ lb. fish or undersized/barely legal, with few in between. Finger mullet are incredibly plentiful right now, so any angler with a cast net should be able to fill a livewell.
Black drum are feeding well around the ferry landing, the Pfizer dock, and in the inlets. Fiddler crabs and other crustacean baits are the top choices for the drum.
Anglers are catching good numbers of sheepshead (with many 6-9 lbs.) around Snow’s Cut Bridge and docks in the ICW. Fiddler crab baits dangled next to the pilings should be too much for them to resist.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that bottom fishing has been excellent around structure 30-40 miles offshore lately. Anglers are boating red grouper, some big gags, and 2-4 lb. beeliners while fishing with squid and various cut baits.
In addition to the bottom fish, king mackerel are still schooled up in 30+ mile areas. Boats who leave a light-line out while bottom fishing should have no trouble adding a few kings to their fish box, perhaps even a dolphin.
Fisher, of Capt. Fisher’s Guide Service, reports that gray trout and whiting are biting well in the river near Southport.
Speckled trout fishing has been excellent lately, and soft plastics, D.O.A. shrimp under popping corks, and topwater plugs are all drawing their share of trout strikes.
Cape Fear flounder fishing is solid right now as well, with nice fish feeding from the river mouth all the way up to downtown Wilmington. The biggest flounder are falling for large Carolina-rigged pogies.
Anglers are also hooking up with flounder while casting live and dead baits for red drum in the channels and on the flats. The reds are also feeding over flooded marsh grass.
Sheepshead and black drum are feeding around rocky structure and oyster beds.
Tarpon are chasing mullet in the Thoroughfare and on Jaybird Shoals and the East Beach of Bald Head.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are beginning to land decent numbers of spot and pompano. Fresh cut shrimp baits should fool both these bottom feeders.
Bluefish are on the feed, and they will strike a variety of baits and lures, especially live and cut baits and Gotcha plugs.
Anglers fishing live finger mullet on the bottom are catching good numbers of flounder.
