Added on Thursday, July 16, 2009  Fish Post

Carolina Beach July 16, 2009

Dennis, of Island Tackle, reports that not many boats went offshore last week, but at least one found good dolphin action and some cobia 24 miles out of the inlet. Live pogies are fooling both the dolphin and cobes.

Good numbers of teenage kings (with a few ranging into the 20’s) are feeding between the beach and the 20 mile areas. Live pogies are also tops for the kings, and anglers should have little trouble loading up with baits, as huge balls of them are moving up and down the beach.

Some large spanish mackerel (up to 6 lbs.) are chasing the pogy schools and feeding further offshore alongside the kings, and anglers can hook the big spaniards on pogies as well.

Plenty of smaller spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches, and anglers are hooking up with them while trolling spoons. The small Drone spoons have been particularly effective lately, and sending them deep behind a planer should produce even more strikes.

Inshore, anglers have been finding some good action around structure in the lower Cape Fear River. Float fishing with live shrimp is attracting attention from good numbers of speckled trout and some red drum.

The flounder bite’s been a bit slower inshore over the past week, but anglers are still landing good numbers in the surf. Live finger mullet are excellent baits for the flounder.

 

Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that the red drum action is still solid in the backwaters off the lower Cape Fear, around docks in the ICW, and in Masonboro Sound. There haven’t been many big schools of fish around lately, but anglers are having good luck casting to small pods of fish with live baits (like mud minnows and shrimp) and artificials (like spinnerbaits and Redfish Magic Glass Minnows). Topwaters will also draw strikes from the reds early and late in the day.

Sheepshead (up to 6-7 lbs. lately) are feeding around hard structure in the area, and anglers can hook up with the sheeps while fishing fiddler crabs tight to the structure on Carolina and drop shot rigs.

Speckled trout are feeding around grass islands and rocky structure in the Cape Fear River. A live shrimp fished under a float is the best way to hook up with the specks.

 

Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that there are plenty of spanish mackerel feeding along the beaches, and anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures.

Offshore, the grouper bite is still good in the 30-40 mile range, where anglers are finding action with gags, reds, and scamps. The groupers will take an interest in cigar minnows, cut baits, and live baits.

Other bottomfish—like sea bass and beeliners—are feeding in the same areas. Squid will fool the smaller bottomfish.

Light-lining with dead cigar minnows or sardines while bottom fishing should attract some interest from king mackerel and dolphin feeding closer to the surface.

 

Nick, of Alford’s Seafood, reports that surf anglers are hooking up with a solid mixed bag of black drum, red drum, spot, croaker, whiting, pompano, and more. Shrimp and sand fleas on bottom rigs will fool these surf bottom feeders.

Some flounder are also feeding in the surf and in the inlet. Anglers can tempt bites from the flatfish while baiting up Carolina rigs with finger mullet and other small live baits.

In the backwaters, anglers are finding some action with speckled trout and red drum, both on live baits and a variety of lures.

Some ladyfish are also beginning to turn up inshore, and fishing around lighted structure at night is one of the best ways to hook up with them.

Offshore, anglers are finding some action with cobia and king mackerel just off the beaches. Live-baiting with pogies is the best way to find action with both species.

Further out, anglers are catching dolphin and decent numbers of grouper 25 miles and farther offshore.

 

Lynn, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that live baiters had a great week on king mackerel, landing both big numbers and big fish (including the 45 lb. smoker caught last week).

A few spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs, with some large spanish (4+ lbs.) taking an interest in the king rigs.

Flounder are hitting live finger mullet fished on the bottom.