Carolina Beach August 7, 2008
Ryan McFall and Ken Thompson with a 4.35 lb. speckled trout caught in Buzzard's Bay. Photo courtesy of Carolina's One Stop Bait and Tackle.
Seth, of Reel Bait and Tackle, reports that the flounder bite is getting really good on nearshore structure such as Yaupon Reef and Sheepshead Rock. The bite has been solid inshore as well, where anglers are finding fat flatties around the inlet and the ICW. Carolina-rigged finger mullet will fool the flounders whether they’re inshore or off.
Red drum continue to feed around docks in the ICW between Wrightsville and Carolina Beach. Live baits fished on Carolina rigs, Gulp baits, and other artificials will all prove effective with the reds. Anglers are also finding a few bigger drum in the river bays, and some trophy class fish are feeding on the nearshore reefs, where anglers are hooking them when flounder fishing.
There are still a few speckled trout scattered around in the Cape Fear River.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches, and they seem to be in smaller pods following baitfish. Boats trolling Clarkspoons should have little trouble hooking up when they find the fish.
Spadefish are schooled up at most of the nearshore structure right now, too. Anglers can tempt the spades to bite with pieces of jelly ball.
Tarpon have been moving up and down the beaches, and they should be feeding on the shoals at the river mouth.
King mackerel are spread out at spots from just off the beaches to offshore. Live baits like pogies are top choices for the kings right now, and there have been plenty of pogies in the river.
Sailfish are feeding at many of the same areas the kings are, and live baits should catch their attention as well.
The dolphin have scattered out, but boats are still landing some stray fish when kingfishing.
The grouper bite remains good at structure 25 miles and further offshore. Anglers can tempt the groupers to bite cigar minnows, sardines, and cut and live baits.
Carrie Stackhouse with a 22 lb. and a 14 lb. king caught about 15 miles off of Wrightsville Beach on pogies. She was fishing with Capt. Owen Sewell of Cape Fear Coastal Charters.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that the grouper bite is still hot around ledges and other structure 30-40 miles off Carolina Beach. Most of the fish are reds (running from just legal to around 15 lbs.) with a few scamps thrown in.
Other bottomfish like beeliners, triggerfish, and grunts are adding to the action.
Cigar minnows, squid, and cut baits will all prove effective with the groupers and other bottom fish.
Light-lining a cigar minnow while bottom fishing has been producing a decent number of king mackerel and a few small dolphin.
Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that the flounder bite is heating up on the nearshore reefs and wrecks (with many fish in the 3-5 lb. range). Sheepshead Rock, the Marriott Rocks, and John’s Creek are all good places to look for the flatties. Carolina-rigged finger mullet will get attention from the flounder.
Gray trout are beginning to school up on the reefs, too. They’ll fall for the Carolina rigs, but vertically jigging with a Stingsilver is even more productive.
There are still good numbers of flounder holding in Snow’s Cut and Carolina Beach Inlet, and Carolina-rigged live baits will tempt them, too.
There are still some trout on the feed in the lower Cape Fear, and live shrimp under floats are hard to beat for the trout.
Black drum are cruising hard structure in the river, and they will fall for two-hook bottom rigs baited with dead shrimp.
Susie, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are catching some flounder on live finger mullet.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with small croakers and some whiting in the evenings. Cut shrimp will produce action on the bottom rigs.
