Carolina Beach – April 9, 2015
Ron, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that there’s been some excellent king mackerel action around Frying Pan Tower for anglers making the run. Most are falling for trolled cigar minnows, plugs, and spoons, but anglers also had some nice catches while working vertical jigs last week.
Chris Yohe, of Wilmington, with a 17 lb. blackfin tuna and a 9 lb. king mackerel that struck Rapala Magnum plugs near the Grainger Wreck. Weighed in at Island Tackle and Hardware.
Bottom fishermen are finding plenty of action with keeper black sea bass from the 20 mile range on out, and they’re fooling the bass with jigs and bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits. Beeliners, triggerfish, and other tasty species are mixed in with the bass the further anglers get offshore.
Boats making the run to the break found some solid wahoo fishing last week along with a few blackfin tuna. Ballyhoo trolled with skirted lures are fooling both blue water predators.
On the beaches, surf casters are hooking some black drum, sea mullet, croaker, pufferfish, and more. Shrimp are producing most of the action and are also fooling an occasional puppy drum.
There’s also been some good sea mullet action in the lower Cape Fear River, where anglers are finding the fish around drop-offs and channel edges.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers continue to connect with red drum in the bays and creeks off the lower Cape Fear River. Some of the fish are schooled up, and others are feeding singly or in small pods. Soft plastic paddletails and Gulp baits are fooling the reds on some days, and anglers have to resort to natural baits like shrimp and cut mullet in order to draw bites on others.
Black drum are feeding in many of the same areas, particularly around rocks and oyster bars. Shrimp pinned to bottom rigs are the best bets for those crustacean lovers, and the action with the striped drum seems to have picked up recently.
Sea mullet are feeding along mud flats and drop-offs near the mouth of the Cape Fear, along with a variety of other panfish. All will take an interest in shrimp pinned to double-drop bottom rigs.
Out in the ocean, bluefish have shown up in force around nearshore reefs and wrecks and are also beginning to feed around the Masonboro jetties. Most are on the small side, but some larger blues should be right behind them.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that black drum fishing has been one of anglers’ best bets lately, and some nice catches are coming from areas of rocks, oysters, and other structure in the lower Cape Fear River. Fresh shrimp are tough to beat for the black drum. Red drum are also looking for meals in the lower river, primarily in the creeks and bays from Southport to Bald Head Island.
Some schools are working the flats, but anglers need calm conditions to find them, which haven’t been easy to find recently. The reds also haven’t been feeding especially heavily, so shrimp and live mud minnows have been outproducing artificial lures. Anglers are hooking a few on Gulp baits, and warming water temperatures should have the fish willing to bite topwater plugs over the coming weeks.
A few speckled trout are feeding in the river around grass islands and other current breaks. Soft plastics are fooling the specks.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking sea mullet, croaker, and pufferfish while bottom fishing with shrimp.
A few bluefish are showing up and also biting the bottom rigs.
Josh, of Kure Beach Pier, reports bottom fishermen have been connecting with some sea mullet, pufferfish, croaker, and small bluefish while baiting bottom rigs with shrimp and cut baits.
