Carolina Beach – August 13, 2015
Ron, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are connecting with good numbers of flounder and red drum while fishing the lower Cape Fear River. Most of the fish are feeding in the bays and backwaters off the main river. Anglers can fool both with live finger mullet or Gulp baits and also tempt the reds to bite topwater plugs and a variety of other lures.
There’s also been some good action with flounder and drum for anglers drifting in Carolina Beach Inlet. Live finger mullet are producing the majority of the action.
Speckled trout are feeding around grass islands, rocks, and other current breaks in the Cape Fear, but the bite has been a bit tough to pattern in recent days. Live shrimp are tough to beat for the specks, but anglers are also connecting while working soft plastic baits and suspending hard lures.
Surf casters are reporting primarily a mix of small panfish, but a few red drum are keeping things interesting. Shrimp and cut baits are producing results in the breakers.
Aiden Ceisner (age 9), of Raleigh, with a 29″ red drum he hooked from Carolina Beach Pier on a live finger mullet and released with a drop net after the photo.
Anglers are hooking good numbers of spanish mackerel while working lures like Gotcha plugs from the piers. Boaters are getting in on the action while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy offerings.
King mackerel have become a bit more scarce along the beaches over the past week, but anglers are reporting good numbers in the 5-10 mile range. The kings will bite live baits like menhaden or dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo.
Nearshore structure in the ocean is playing host to flounder, gray trout, and some large red drum at present. All three will bite cut and live baits or artificials like Gulp-tipped bucktail jigs.
Those boaters making the long run to the Gulf Stream are reporting some solid wahoo and blackfin tuna action. Anglers can tempt both predators to bite ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures. At times smaller, baitless lures like cedar plugs can prove more effective on the blackfins.
Parker Smith with a 20″ flounder that struck a live finger mullet while he was fishing in Carolina Beach Inlet with his father.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are still feeding in the bays and backwaters off the lower Cape Fear River. Anglers are tempting the reds to bite live finger mullet along with Gulps and other scented soft baits.
There are also some schooling red drum feeding on the area’s flats, and they’re biting D.O.A. soft plastics when anglers find them.
A few flounder and speckled trout have been feeding alongside the reds and falling for the same offerings.
Jeffrey Garris with a 25″ speckled trout he hooked on a live finger mullet while fishing in Snows Cut. Photo courtesy of Seaview Crab Co.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers are seeing some flounder action at spots like docks along the ICW. Live finger mullet are fooling most of the flatfish.
Some red drum have been feeding in Carolina Beach Inlet, where anglers were hooking them while drift-fishing with live finger mullet.
The spanish mackerel bite has been slow recently.
Mattie Phillips with a 3 lb. flounder she hooked while drift-fishing a live finger mullet with her father, Capt. Brad Phillips, on the “Fish Spanker.”
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking good numbers of flounder while fishing live baits under the pier.
Anglers bottom fishing with shrimp are hooking some spot and croaker.
Spanish mackerel are attacking Gotcha plugs and other casting lures that anglers are working from the planks.
Live-baiters also hooked several king mackerel last week.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that bluefish have been falling for baits and casting lures like Gotcha plugs.
Anglers fishing live baits under the pier are connecting with flounder.
There was a spot run early in the week with bloodworms producing most of the action.
