Carolina Beach – November 2024
Lewis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf anglers have been seeing mixed bags of sea mullet, bluefish, pompano, and red drum.
Some spot are also being caught, but the area has yet to see a run that truly signals they are officially here.
Water temperatures are cooling down, and as a result, some speckled trout are showing up better in the surf.
Anglers in the Cape Fear River are catching tons of flounder, speckled trout, red drum, and nice-sized sheepshead.
Off the beach, boats are finding spanish mackerel, bluefish, and false albacore.
King mackerel are starting to move offshore, though with water temperatures still around 68 degrees on the beach, the fish can still be found in close.
When the window opens to run offshore, anglers are catching good numbers of wahoo and some blackfin tuna.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the main targets are red drum and speckled trout, with the occasional black drum mixed in the action.
Anglers are catching red drum mostly on scented soft plastics or bottom-rigged dead shrimp. Most of these fish are in the 15-17” range, with some of the reds pushing into that mid-slot size. Groups of reds can be found patrolling grass edges during times of higher water, and then moving down over shell covered drop-offs during low tides.
Speckled trout are striking at many of the same baits that the redfish are hitting. Scented Z-Man soft plastics and Gulp shrimp have been the best producers. The better tactic has been targeting areas with moving water, such as creek mouths or grass points. Most of the trout are in the 15-19” range.
With water temperatures cooling off, the black drum are beginning to show up in better numbers. Dead or live shrimp on bottom rigs has been the ticket.
Thomas Bisson, of Clayton, NC, caught this 6.88 lb. sheepshead in the Carolina Beach area using a dead blue crab.
Luke, of Spot On Charters, reports that a bunch of finger mullet are still around, even though temperatures are cooling down. With the continued presence of bait, the flounder and red drum action remains strong.
Speckled trout fishing has been improving with the water temperatures cooling. The early mornings have still produced the best action in the Cape Fear River, with topwater plugs and MirrOlure MR-17s as two great options. As the day moves on and these fish push deeper, soft plastics start to produce better. For the most part, anglers are primarily fishing the southern end of the Cape Fear River. The conditions are good upriver, but the hurricanes this year seemed to push the fish down and they never really moved back.
Some trout are also being caught in the ICW around the Carolina Beach Inlet, especially during outgoing tides.
Tommy, of Mungo Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are having a lot of success targeting red drum in deeper creeks and along grass banks with oyster beds or deeper holes. Live bait, cut bait, and artificials are all having their times of success. Anglers looking to fish strictly artificials are having some success with topwaters in the mornings. After that, look for the reds up on sand and mud flats for sight casting opportunities.
Speckled trout action is off to a great start, and topwater plugs, hard suspending lures, and soft plastics are all working. The better action has been around creek mouths and current lines that run through deep holes.
Black drum numbers are starting to pick up as temperatures cool down. Fresh shrimp on a Carolina rig has been best when tossed up against oyster bars or in deep creek holes when the tide is low.
Kye Couch, from Winston Salem, NC, with a 45″ drum caught from the Fort Fisher surf. He was using cut bluefish.
Mason, of Grand Slam Fishing Charters, reports that speckled trout action has been getting good, and the more consistent cold weather coming up will only help the bite.
Red drum are around, and these fish have started moving their way back towards creeks as they do in the late fall. On high tides, it’s best to target oyster points and shallow coves and throw baits right up tight to the grass lines. On lower tides, live or cut mullet fished in an area with a little current with shell-covered bottoms will be the best tactic.
A lot of black drum are being caught. Anglers are having success targeting shallow oyster bars, docks, and bridges. Fresh shrimp is the best bait option.
Early November is a great time to target sheepshead. Mud crabs or big fiddler crabs fished around docks near Snows Cut and on any hard structure in the Cape Fear River (right up to the Port) can produce action.
Tony, of Reel Teal Charters, reports that sheepshead are cooperating well, and anglers have been doing best targeting slightly deeper structure (in the 5-9’+ range) with live fiddler crabs.
A few black drum are being caught while targeting the sheepshead.
Speckled trout fishing is starting to pick up. Floating live shrimp has been the top producing tactic.
Slot red drum are mixed in throughout the area, and they’re hitting both live shrimp and cut bait. The best chance to find reds has been targeting the docks in the ICW that are closer to the inlets.
Jeremiah, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that a couple of larger sheepshead (in the 8-9 lb. range) are being caught from around the pilings.
Bottom fishing is producing some whiting.
Anglers looking to throw casting jigs are having success catching spanish mackerel and bluefish.
The red drum action has been pretty good, mostly with bull red drum being caught at night.
