Carolina Beach – May 25, 2017
Cody, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that inshore anglers are hooking in to good numbers of black and red drum. The black drum are feeding on fresh shrimp on Carolina rigs close to docks in the waterway and around oyster beds in the creeks. The reds are falling for live pogies in the area creeks and around structure in the waterway.
Flounder are mixed in the same areas with the redfish, and they are also feeding on live pogies and mud minnows. Some recent flounder weighed in have been in the 3-4 lb. class.
Speckled trout are feeding in the Cape Fear River and the waterway. Anglers have been throwing Gulp shrimp in new penny to hook these trout (many in the 3-4 lb. range).
From the surf, anglers are hooking spanish off the pier throwing jigs and spoons. When trolling for the spanish right off the beach, Clarkspoons in silver, gold, and pink have been getting the job done. Small blues are mixed in with the spanish.
From the beach out to about three miles, cobia have been working bait balls and are prone to bite a bucktail or live eel. False albacore and kings are in this same range as well.
Offshore to 40 miles, mahi have been the story lately, with most anglers connecting while trolling Mackahoos in blue and white.
Gulf Stream trips have produced a variety of catches this past week. Boats brought back mahi, blackfin tuna, and wahoo. Red and black skirted ballyhoo has been the hot color.
Christopher Ammons, of Knightdale, with a 22 lb. king mackerel. It was the first to be caught off Kure Beach Pier in the 2017 season.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the redfish bite is starting to pick up, with some slot to upper-slot fish now in the mix. Most fish are in the 18-20” range, but some over 28” have been caught. Live pogies near shell beds has been the key on the falling tide, and pulling up closer to the marsh grass has been the ticket at high tide.
Black drum are hanging around some of the same shell structure in the creeks, and they can be hooked using fresh shrimp on Carolina rigs.
The flounder are starting to pick up, and a few keepers have been mixed in with the redfish.
Nearshore, the spanish bite has been hot. Casting Big Nik lures in pink and silver has been putting spanish in the boat.
Cobia have shown up on area reefs and right off the beach this past week. Anglers have had success light lining live pogies near bait balls.
Greg, of TopWater Guide Co., reports that the redfish bite has picked up this past week. Most fish have been landed while using topwater lures. The MirrOlure She-Dog in silver and chartreuse has been the go to bait. Many of these fish have been in the mid-slot range, but some have been pushing to upper-slot and even over-slot size.
Black drum are still in the area, and if you can weed through the trash fish, some keepers are to be had. Fresh shrimp is the ticket for the black drum.
Speckled trout have been hit or miss in the area, but there have been a few caught recently in the 2-3 lb. range. Anglers are having the most luck with the Down South 4” and 5” swim baits in the white ice and purple rain colors.
The spanish are plentiful nearshore. Casting Shore Lures jigs around tide lines seems to connect anglers with the larger spanish. Some in the area have pushed the 4 lb. mark.
Rod, of OnMyWay Charters, reports that there is a good spanish bite right on the beach out to two miles. Trolling Clarkspoons on #1 planers has been the ticket for spanish up to 4 lbs.
From 5-25 miles out, kings have been abundant and hitting dead cigar minnows.
In the 22-30 mile range, the mahi have been feeding well. Blue Water Candy Hook Up lures, pin rigged ballyhoo, and cedar plugs have all been producing plenty of action with these fish.
Bottom fishing from the 18-45 mile range has produced a variety of species. Beeliners, large black sea bass, pink snapper, gray snapper, and grouper have all been taken off the bottom.
Out at the Gulf Stream, blackfin tuna, mahi, and wahoo have been the name of the game. Cedar plugs have produced the most action, but sea witches in mexican flag and blue/white have also worked well. Most fish are coming from 150-300′ of water near weed lines and temperature breaks from south of the Steeples to the Swansboro Hole.
Josh Lebherz, of Indiana, with a bluefish caught on a pogie in the Cape Fear River.
Jesse, of Ocean Stinger Fishing Charters, reports that nearshore the spanish mackerel are holding around 40’ of water. Trolling early in the morning at around 7-9 knots using Clarkspoons on #1 planers has been the best method.
Kings have been holding in the 10-15 mile range. Trolling spoons on downriggers and slow trolling cigar minnows has produced the best bite, but finding suspended bait on your fish finder has been the biggest key to success with the kings.
Bottom fishing has been pretty good over structure in the 30-40 mile range. Anglers have hooked black sea bass and grouper on bottom rigs baited with squid or fresh cut menhaden.
Out in the Gulf Stream, anglers are catching solid numbers of blackfin tuna and mahi. Boats need to look for temperature breaks and/or water between 78-82 degrees. Trolling small skirt rigs in purple/black and pink/white has been producing solid action, and there have also been a few wahoo mixed in with the blackfins.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that the spanish bite has been steady for anglers tossing Gotcha plugs. There has also been some small bluefish mixed in while plugging for the spanish.
Whiting have been landed using fresh shrimp.
Kings are just starting to show up, as a few have already been landed from the end of the pier while using menhaden for bait.
Cathy, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers fishing for blues and spanish are having the most success using Gotcha plugs. When fishing for whiting, fresh shrimp has been the key, and many “eater size” fish have been landed.
