Carolina Beach – June 2023
Lewis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers fishing the Cape Fear and Snows Cut areas have been catching some really nice sheepshead, as these fish have moved back inshore for the summer.
Bottom fishing with live bait is producing red drum and a bunch of catch-and-release flounder.
Bluefish are plentiful inside the inlet, and they’re hitting anything from live bait, cut bait, metals, and soft plastics.
Surf fishing has been okay as we move through this late spring transition into summer. Bottom fishing has been best, with anglers finding a mixed bag of whiting, croaker, black drum, bluefish, and the occasional pompano.
Nearshore anglers have done well both trolling and sight casting to schools of spanish mackerel and bluefish. King mackerel have also started to be caught closer to the beach, as these schools are moving nearshore.
Offshore anglers have enjoyed mahi, blackfin tuna, wahoo, and a variety of bottom fish action, and some billfish are showing up for anglers trolling out in the Gulf Stream.
Teresa Lomas, of Wilmington, caught (and released) this 45″ red drum while fishing in the Cape Fear River.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have been catching a few black drum with bottom rigged fiddler crabs and fresh shrimp. The “trash” fish species (pinfish, croakers, etc.) are now abundant and make this tactic require patience, though.
With more bait around, red drum have been feeding better on live bait offerings (menhaden and mud minnows) fished on the bottom. The top target areas have been the grass flats with a little structure to them, as well as shell points if fishing on the lower tide cycles. On the calmer days, anglers have been able to coax out strikes on Z-Man and Gulp soft plastics.
Luke, of Spot On Charters, reports that despite the winds there has been some decent fishing action on the lower section of the Cape Fear. There are plenty of pogies in the river, so live baiting has been producing best.
Speckled trout efforts have been producing scattered smaller trout in the mornings, especially when the morning lines up with a high tide. The trout are pushing out into their summer patterns where they scatter into deeper holes upriver.
Red drum have broken out into their smaller groups of 2-3 fish and can be found in a variety of spots as they aggressively feed. Target creek mouth areas as tides drop out, and then flip around and target points and splits in the creek on rising tides for a good chance of success.
Nearshore anglers have found plenty of bluefish and spanish mackerel off the beaches, and they’re being caught both by sight casting and trolling.
The ARs are holding gray trout, black sea bass, and some red drum.
Tommy, of Mungo Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are feeding well back in the lower Cape Fear River. Carolina-rigged pogies and cut baits are enticing plenty of strikes from these scattered groups of fish.
Anglers are still picking away at black drum while targeting hard structures, rocks, and oysters. Carolina-rigged fresh dead shrimp works great for the black drum.
Speckled trout fishing has been hit or miss. On some days anglers are finding double-digit numbers while casting D.O.A. soft plastic shrimp around structure and rocks, and on other days it’s a struggle to even generate a few bites.
Mason, of Grand Slam Fishing Charters, reports that there has been a ton of menhaden moving into the river. This is a great sign moving towards the summer months.
Red drum are pretty scattered as they travel in their smaller pods to feed on this bait. The better action seems to be in areas closer to the ocean inlets, especially on nearby flats and on the higher tides.
On slightly cooler and cloudier days, the speckled trout action has picked up. These weather patterns are great for anglers looking to work some topwater plugs in the mornings. On sunnier, clear days, anglers should take advantage of all the natural bait around and rig live menhaden under a slip cork.
Shoney Vickers, of Asheboro, NC, caught this 28″ red drum using live menhaden. He was fishing in the Cape Fear River with Capt. Christian Wolfe, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.
Rod, of OnMyWay Fishing Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are on the beaches, with anglers finding both quality in numbers and decent sizes. There’s been a bunch of schools right outside the inlets, at times staged up on the tidelines as the water falls out. Clarkspoons fished behind planers continue to produce, and with water becoming more clear moving into summer, anglers should look to fish longer leaders to combat this. Don’t skimp on your tackle: use 30’ of high quality 30 lb. test leader to help strike numbers and keep bite-offs low.
King mackerel are moved into the 8-10 mile range, with fish still scattered further past that (to 25 miles). It has been a pretty good class of fish (to 20 lbs.) in these groups, and they’re striking best on false albacore strips rigged on Blue Water Candy Sea Witch lures. Recent hot colors have had pink or pink/chartreuse in their color patterns.
Some mahi are starting to push nearshore (the 20+ mile range). These nearshore mahi will typically be in smaller groups of 1-3 fish and many times are holding deeper than their counterparts in the Gulf Stream.
Out on the break, there have been some big weed lines holding good numbers of mahi alongside scattered wahoo, blackfin tuna, and the occasional sailfish.
Offshore bottom fishing has also been great. There have been plenty of grouper striking best at live baits. There are also a bunch of pinkies, triggerfish, and large vermilion snapper.
Abby, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishing has been producing some nice whiting, good numbers of croakers, and scattered pompano.
Anglers casting Gotcha plugs are hooking into a few spanish mackerel and bluefish, and king mackerel have also started showing up.
