Carolina Beach August 24, 2006
Trey, at Reel Bait and Tackle, reports excellent flounder action at a variety of places. The nearshore reefs continue to have a hot bite. Fish up to 10 pounds have been caught recently from Carolina Beach Inlet. The river and Snow’s Cut are still producing nice fish as well. The prime bait at any of these spots is a finger mullet or a peanut pogy on a Carolina rig.
In addition to the flounder, some gray trout have shown up at the nearshore reefs, and a few speckled trout are still around Southport and Bald Head Island.
The puppy drum bite has been excellent in the ICW around docks and creek mouths at high tide. The drum will hit a variety of lures, such as soft plastics, Gulp baits, spinnerbaits, and spoons. They will also fall for a finger mullet or pogy fished on the bottom.
Spanish mackerel are around the inlets and nearshore reefs, and trolling spoons is an excellent way to hook up with them.
Big kings have finally followed the bait to the beach, and they will readily pounce on a cigar minnow or pogy. Some nice kings have been caught in the Cape Fear Ship Channel as well.
Tarpon have shown up on the shoals near Bald Head.
Slow trolling live baits around the Frying Pan Tower will produce hook ups with dolphin and African pompano.
In the gulf stream, anglers are reporting wahoo and some marlin. Ballyhoo and Hawaiian Eyes are good choices for baits to troll.
Bottom fishing is good for red and scamp grouper in the 35 to 45 mile area. Gags are a little closer in, like around 23 Mile Rock and WR4. Spanish sardines and Boston mackerel will get attention from all three species.
Dave, at FryingPanTower.com, reports that there have been a lot of white marlin caught in the gulf stream, with most using horse ballyhoo on small skirts. The dolphin have been coming on rigged ballyhoo, with pink/white being the favorite color. And some wahoo have been mixed into the gulf stream bite, but most have been on the smaller side.
The offshore fishing is producing a mixed bag of species, including dolphin, kings, wahoo, and amberjacks. Go find a temperature break or a weed line.
Inshore, the spanish bite has been pretty good around the area inlets and rocks. The key is still clean water.
Big kings have made their appearance in the local inshore waters as well. Lots of 20+ pounders are coming from the area piers. While you are pulling for spanish, be sure to run a rigged ballyhoo on the long line for kings.
Gags are coming from as close as 15 miles; however, the main bite seems to be in the low 20’s. Reds are chewing well from the high 20’s on out, and scamps are from the mid 20’s on out.
Flounder is the name of the game on the nearshore bottoms. Look on the down current side of the rocks or ledges with a Carolina-rigged live bait, and you should find them. Sea bass are also chewing anywhere from a mile or so off the beach on out.
Bruce, at Flat Dawg Charters, reports that the flounder fishing has been on fire. The inlet and ocean hard bottoms have been producing good numbers of fish using both live mullet and pogies.
Good catches of 3 to 4 pounders, with several in the 6 to 7 pound range, were landed this week. John’s Creek has been a good spot for whiting, spanish, and a few kings in addition to the usual flounder that are hanging out there.
A few sheepshead and speckled trout have been caught in the Snow’s Cut area.
Redfish are biting along the docks in the waterway, and spanish mackerel are holding in good numbers about three miles off.
Mike, at Kure Beach Pier, reports that small pompano, croaker, whiting, and spots are coming over the rails for anglers fishing shrimp on the bottom.
Both short and keeper flounder are biting finger mullet on Carolina rigs.
Plug casting is producing spanish mackerel, and a large spanish was even caught this week on a piece of squid.
Several kings were caught this week.
