Carolina Beach – August 4, 2016
Cody, of Island Tackle, reports that the inshore bite has been the best in the river. Flounder, redfish, and black drum have all been landed in the Cape Fear. The flounder have mostly been small, with a few keepers and citations mixed in. Target the flatfish with live mullet on a Carolina rig (or live menhaden). Sheepshead have moved from Snow’s Cut to the river, and they can be targeted with fiddler crabs or even shrimp.
Snow’s Cut is holding red drum and flounder, as well as some black drum. Live bait is the key to landing the reds and flatfish, with black drum taking live or fresh shrimp. Target the black drum near the pilings and structure.
Nearshore, the bite has picked up around wrecks and ARs. Bull reds are being landed with live bait, as well as larger flounder. Spanish are in the area, too, and trolling Clarkspoons will connect anglers to the fish.
Brandon Plyler with a 7 lb. sheepshead caught on barnacles near Carolina Beach Inlet.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that red drum fishing picked up in the past two weeks. Anglers are catching lower- to mid-slot fish, with the occasional over-slot fish. The reds are holding in back creeks, in the bays, and along the river. Live finger mullet is the ticket to landing these fish.
Flounder are being caught around docks and back in the creeks, with nearshore reefs also holding good amounts of the flatfish, too. Live bait, such as mullet, will connect anglers with the fish.
Black drum are in the deeper holes and around structure such as rocks and pilings, and they will bite fresh shrimp and the occasional minnow.
Anglers can also expect to hook up with ladyfish and bluefish that are feeding on bait in the river.
Nearshore, there are still spanish off the beach. Reds are starting to hold to nearshore structure as well, although none of the fish landed have been over the mid-30” range.
Luke, of TopWater Guide Co., reports that the redfish bite has been best in the morning on topwaters. Once the water heats up, look for red drum in deeper water, around 4-8’, and target them with live bait once the sun gets up into the sky.
Flounder are still around and in the river, hanging onto deeper water points. Look for them in 10’ of water, and the fish are biting live menhaden and mullet.
There are still some cobia around nearshore, about 2-5 miles off the beach. Use live menhaden or bucktails tipped with Down South soft plastics.
Spanish mackerel are here and there off the beach, with scattered bluefish mixed in, and they can all be targeted with plugs.
Rod, of OnMyWay Charters, reports that anglers are still seeing spanish along the beach and by the inlet in the early morning. Lines should be in the water by first light because the bite shuts off mid-morning. Troll Clarkspoons behind #1 planers, with an extra-long leader (at least 40’).
The king mackerel fishing is good in the 15-25 mile range, and slow trolling dead cigar minnows will connect anglers with the fish. Fish ledges and live bottom, or look for them around bait pods. Mahi are in the same areas, and they will fall for the same fishing tactics.
Grouper fishing has picked up in the 15-25 mile range, though many of the gag grouper have been smaller than the 24” minimum size and have to be thrown back. Anglers fishing the bottom can also expect black sea bass, snapper, and triggerfish.
Sailfish have been caught in the 15-30 mile range, and fast trolling bait through the water will hook these billfish.
Jesse, of Ocean Stinger Fishing Charters, reports that the nearshore bite has been on and off due to the warmer water temperatures, but the bite seems to improve once you reach 40-50’ of water.
Nearshore, anglers are catching spanish mackerel and bluefish off the beach to about 50’ of water. Early morning and late evening provides the best bite. Troll anywhere from 7-9 knots using #1 planers and Clarkspoons to land the fish.
King mackerel have been caught 10-14 miles off Wrightsville Beach. Fishermen can find kings by searching for suspended bait marks. Running Drone spoons off the downriggers or pulling live cigar minnow rigs slowly is working to land the fish.
Bottom fishing is great over structure in the 15-20 mile range, and ledges 15-30 miles offshore are also holding plenty of fish. Black sea bass, grouper, and snapper have all been landed. Use bottom rigs baited with cut bait, live cigar minnows, or menhaden to bring fish to the boat.
Fishing the Gulf Stream has yielded blackfin tuna, mahi, and sailfish. Mahi are being caught in large numbers, and trolling with Fathom Offshore’s Half Pint in purple/white/black and pink/white has been working on the dolphin, as well as the blackfins. Casting topwater plugs like the Williamson Jet Pro when the blackfins surface has resulted in several hookups. Early morning and early evening is the prime time to fish the Stream, and mahi are holding in deep water during mid-day.
The sailfish bite is good in 20-30 fathoms of water.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with small flounder, but a few larger ones are coming over the rail (in the 3-4 lb. range). Live bait, like mullet, is the key to landing the flatfish.
There have been a few runs of spanish off the pier, so anglers should have mackerel trees ready.
The panfish bite is slow in the heat, but the occasional croaker and whiting have been caught on bottom rigs.
Donna, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are starting to connect with flounder off of the pier, with live bait being ideal for the flatfish. Spanish and bluefish are plentiful, and Gotcha plugs will work for both species.
Croakers are the only panfish being reported, and they should be targeted with shrimp on a bottom rig.
The water temperature is 82 degrees.
