Added on Thursday, June 25, 2009  Fish Post

Carolina Beach June 25, 2009

Wes, of Island Tackle, reports that flounder and speckled trout fishing has been solid near the inlets lately. Live shrimp and mud minnows or peanut pogies will produce action with both fish.

Larger flounder (5-7 lbs.) are coming out of the ICW and from structure in Snow’s Cut. Anglers can hook them on large pogies or other live baits.

Red drum are feeding in the shallows of the creeks and bays in the lower Cape Fear, and anglers are hooking up with them while casting MirrOlures and live shrimp beneath floats.

Rocky structure in the area, like the rocks behind Fort Fisher, is holding good numbers of sheepshead. Anglers can hook up with the sheeps by fishing fiddler crabs or other crustacean baits tight to the structure.

The spanish mackerel bite is still good on the beaches, especially near the sea buoy. Trolling Clarkspoons is the way to hook up with the spaniards.

King mackerel are feeding on the beach and out to structure in the 30 mile range. Most anglers are live-baiting the kings with pogies. There have been plenty in the boat basin, so finding king baits shouldn’t be a challenge.

Anglers are reporting gaffer dolphin inside of 10 miles out. Many are falling for the live baits that are being pulled for kings, but anglers targeting the dolphin are hooking up while dragging dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo.

Bottom fishermen are finding grouper action 15-25 miles offshore and further. Bottom structure in that vicinity is producing good numbers of gag grouper and a few big reds, along with plenty of grunts, pinkies, and other bottomfish. Most anglers have been hooking up while working vertical jigs instead of bait rigs lately.

A few cobia are turning up while anglers are trolling for the dolphin and kings, as well as bottom fishing.

 

Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that flounder fishing has been on fire lately. Anglers are landing big numbers of flatfish around Carolina Beach, especially around docks on the waterway and in the boat basin. There’s been a good bite in the river and Snow’s Cut as well. Live pogies fished on Carolina rigs are excellent baits for the flounder, and anglers shouldn’t have too much trouble finding them in the boat basin or Dredge Pond.

The speckled trout bite has slowed a bit with the recent heat, but anglers are still catching a few in the early mornings on live shrimp. Structure like grass islands, oyster rocks, and rocky areas in the lower Cape Fear River are the best areas to look for the specks.

Red drum fishing is a little slower this week, too, but anglers are picking up a few while fishing for the flounder and specks.

Sheepshead are feeding on hard structure like dock and bridge pilings. Anglers can score with the sheeps by dangling fiddler crabs tight to the structure.

Spanish mackerel are still chasing bait just off the inlet and the beaches. The schools have scattered out a bit, so anglers may have to do a lot of searching to put together a decent catch.

 

Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that anglers are catching plenty of spanish mackerel while trolling Clarkspoons along the beaches and just offshore.

Anglers trolling spots in the 15 mile range are hooking up with king mackerel and dolphin (some limits of kings). Slow trolling live pogies or pulling faster with cigar minnows will produce action with the kings and dolphin.

Grouper and other bottom feeders are holding on ledges, live bottoms, wrecks, and other structure 30-40 miles off the inlet. Anglers can hook up with red, gag, and scamp grouper by dropping squid, cigar minnows, live baits, and cut baits.

 

Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing, reports that the big schools of red drum feeding in the shallows have scattered a bit, possibly due to the heat. The good news is that anglers can target the reds in slightly deeper water at the edges of creek mouths and oyster bars in the lower Cape Fear River.

Spinnerbaits are top choices for the reds, and anglers are hooking good numbers of flounder (many up to 3 lbs.) as a pleasant by-catch when casting to the reds.

Sheepshead fishing near rocky structure in the lower river has improved as well, and anglers are hooking good numbers while fishing fiddler crabs near the structure.

Speckled trout fishing has also been solid lately in the river. Anglers are finding action with the specks while fishing live shrimp under floats.

 

Nick, of Alford’s Seafood, reports that the flounder bite has been solid in the ICW, the inlets, and the river lately. Most of the fish are falling for Carolina-rigged live baits.

Anglers are catching red and black drum in the surf near the inlets, especially on falling tides. Shrimp will produce action with both fish. Some pompano are also coming from the surf.

The spanish mackerel bite remains solid along the beaches and near the inlets, and anglers are hooking most of the fish while trolling Clarkspoons.

Bottom fishermen are catching plenty of grouper and other bottom feeders 25-40 miles off the beaches on vertical jigs and live and cut baits.

 

Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that live baiters landed several king mackerel last week, with the largest running 32 lbs. Large spanish mackerel, several barracuda, and a false albacore also kept the king fishermen busy.

Anglers are catching some smaller spanish and bluefish on Gotcha plugs in the early mornings.

Several large flounder (5 lb. class) were landed from the pier over the past week, and live mud minnows fooled most of them.

Bottom fishermen are decking a mixed bag of puppy drum, spadefish, spot, and croakers.