Carolina Beach September 16, 2010
Cheri Dial, of Wilmington, with a 9.1 lb. flounder she hooked Saturday on a live finger mullet. Weighed in at Island Tackle.
Ron, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are still finding an excellent red drum bite in the lower Cape Fear River. Live finger mullet, topwater plugs, and soft plastic baits are fooling most of the fish.
The speckled trout bite is improving in the river, and anglers are catching the fish both north and south of Snow’s Cut, with some of the best action around the grass islands. Gulp and D.O.A. soft plastics and live shrimp are producing most of the action with the specks.
The flounder bite has been exceptional recently, and anglers are finding the fish in the river, Snow’s Cut, Carolina Beach Inlet, and at nearshore structure in the ocean. Live finger mullet on Carolina rigs are the go-to flounder baits, but anglers are also hooking some while drifting soft plastic baits through the inlet.
Surf anglers are starting to see some action with pompano and spot, and the whiting bite is still decent. Shrimp and sand fleas will attract attention from the pomps and whiting, while bloodworms will produce better catches of spot.
The spanish mackerel bite is still solid along the beaches and around Carolina Beach Inlet. Most anglers are hooking up with the spaniards while trolling Clarkspoons and mackerel tree rigs.
Ryan, of Carolina Beach Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are hooking up with big numbers of red drum in the backwaters off the lower river. The fish are schooling up to chase bait, and topwater plugs have been fooling big numbers. Some large bluefish are mixed in.
The sheepshead bite has been excellent around Snow’s Cut Bridge and the rocky structure near the inlet, with most of the fish falling for sand fleas and fiddler crabs.
Some ladyfish have been feeding in Snow’s Cut, and anglers can hook them on live baits, topwater plugs, and soft plastic lures.
Surf anglers are hooking up with some pompano and whiting on sand fleas. Spot are beginning to show up as well, and bloodworms are attracting their attention.
A few red drum are also feeding in the surf and taking an interest in sand fleas and cut baits, but the majority of the reds are still inshore.
Some flounder are also coming from the breakers, with the best action around the pipe at Carolina Beach and the rocks at Fort Fisher. Live finger mullet are the way to go for the flatfish.
Maxwell, Whit, Ben, and Taylor Taylor and Jaquelin Davis with a mess of flounder and a spanish mackerel they hooked on a live finger mullet while fishing some nearshore structure off Carolina Beach with Capt. Jamie Rushing of Seagate Charters.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches (some to nearly 5 lbs.), and anglers are hooking up with them while light-lining live finger mullet from the piers.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the red drum bite is still excellent in the bays and creeks off the lower Cape Fear River. Anglers can fool the fish on soft plastic baits, topwater plugs, and live baits, with the best artificial bite in the mornings.
Spinnerbaits have also been effective on the reds recently, as the water’s been rather dirty on the falling tides.
The speckled trout bite is getting better throughout the Cape Fear, and anglers are hooking up with the specks while casting live shrimp and D.O.A. imitations around the grass islands upriver. Good numbers of trout are also falling for the soft plastics that anglers are casting for reds in the lower river.
Good numbers of flounder are mixed in with the reds as well, and they’re taking an interest in live baits and soft plastics.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are feeding just off Carolina Beach. Anglers can hook up with them while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures near the inlet and along the beachfront.
Gag, red, and scamp grouper are feeding around bottom structure 30-40 miles off the inlet. Anglers can tempt them to bite live and cut baits.
Plenty of smaller bottom feeders like grunts, pinkies, beeliners, and sea bass are feeding in the same areas and will take an interest in squid.
Benny, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking up with some spot, whiting, and pompano while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Fishing small live baits on the bottom has been producing action with some flounder and red drum.
Plug casters are hooking up with bluefish and a few spanish mackerel.
Michael Cunningham with a bluefish and a pair of gray trout he hooked on cut mullet in the Carolina Beach surf.
Lynn, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that the flounder bite has been excellent recently. Most of the fish are falling for live finger mullet and mud minnows.
The pier saw its first few spot runs last week, and shrimp and bloodworms are fooling them. Some pompano are also falling for shrimp.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier.
