Carolina Beach – March 3, 2016
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that there has been some fairly steady fishing action over the past couple of months, and it will only improve from this point on as the last days of winter run their course and local waters begin to warm up.
Black drum are being caught in the creeks and the bays of the lower Cape Fear River, and more often than not they have been caught by anglers in search of red drum. The best baits for the black drum have been frozen shrimp and cut baits on Carolina rigs. The red drum action has been hit or miss, but shrimp has been effective, too, as well as MirrOlures and soft plastics worked slowly if/when the reds can be enticed into striking artificials.
Eileen Harris, of Watha, NC, with a 16 flounder that struck squid in the surf at Fort Fisher.
The winter trout bite has been fairly steady; however; a large percentage of the fish have been on the smaller side. Anglers have reported 20-30 fish days with all the fish being spikes. MirrOlure 52Ms and Rapala X-Raps have been the most effective lures for catching the trout.
Further up the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers, the winter striped bass bite has been solid. Good numbers of stripers have been caught around the downtown Wilmington area and further upriver as well, with many 15-20 lb. fish in the mix. The go to baits for these stripers have been trolling Yo-Zuri deep divers and Rapala X-Raps, as well as casting 4” pink Gulp jerkshads.
Jackson Vargo, of Wilmington, NC, with a 26 red drum that engulfed a live finger mullet on a Carolina rig while he was fishing the edge of an island in the Cape Fear River.
Anglers making it out to the Gulf Stream have had some good action with the wahoo. Areas such as the Steeples (and other spots along the break) have been the places to go when the weather and seas permit, and the Blue Water Candy Jag-A-Hoo has been very effective, as well as skirted ballyhoo in purple, black, and red color patterns and a variety of other artificial lures.
Ryan Waddell, of Kure Beach, with his first flounder, The flatfish was caught using shrimp in the Kure Beach surf.
There has also been plenty of gag grouper released along with the sea bass, so that’s a good sign for May 1 when the grouper can finally go in the cooler rather than back to the bottom.
Ariel Auman and Tori Byrd, both of Wilmington, fooled these stripers with Rapala X-Raps in the Cape Fear River while fishing with Duane Auman.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that there has been some decent action with a few trout as well as both red and black drum back up in some of the creeks and deeper holes around the lower Cape Fear River area. Dead shrimp fished on jig heads have been the primary bait for both types of drum, and Gulp shrimp and MirrOlures worked slowly have been effective in getting the trout to strike.
Greyson Hartsell, of Carolina Beach, landed this cobia 20 miles off Carolina Beach on a bucktail jig while fishing with Howard Ruscetti on the Sea Bronco.
Rod, of OnMyWay Charters, reports that bottom fishing close to shore in the 60’ area has been very good. Lots of nice sea bass and some tautog are being caught, with the biggest sea bass being in the 15-25 mile range.
King mackerel are being caught in 68-70 degree water between 38-48 miles offshore. The break is moving in and out, so be sure your temperature gauge is on point.
Brian Hamilton with a gag grouper that chased down a Drone spoon while he was trolling 12 miles off Wrightsville Beach with Capt. Rod Bierstedt of OnMyWay Charters.
Gulf Stream fishing for wahoo has been very good, with some blackfins also in the mix. Look for water temperature breaks running between 70-76 degrees. The best fishing will be where the temperature break is along the shelf break. The wahoo can be caught in 140’ of water along these breaks.
As far as the arrival of spring, look for the big spanish to show up when the water hits the 65 degree mark, and look for the kings to follow soon after when the water hits 65-68 degrees.
Dale Nixon and Brian Caithness, of Wilmington, with a trio of king mackerel (the largest 42 lbs.) that bit slow-trolled cigar minnows while they were fishing 10 miles off Carolina Beach with Capt. Rod Bierstedt of OnMyWay Charters.
