Carolina Beach April 1, 2010
Hunter Marcum with his first over-slot drum, a 28" fish that fell for a Gulp shrimp while he was fishing the lower Cape Fear with his father Don.
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that inshore anglers are finding some action with red drum around the docks in the Carolina Beach boat basin. Some black drum are mixed in around the rocks at Joyner Marina. Cut shrimp will fool the red and black drum, and anglers are also finding action with the reds while casting paddle tail grubs (and other soft plastics) and MR17 MirrOlures.
The spring speckled trout bite isn’t in full swing yet, but the warmer days ahead should spur the fish into feeding mode. Most of the action with the early specks will be in the creeks. Live shrimp are top trout baits (but difficult to find this time of year), and anglers can also tempt the fish to bite a variety of soft plastic baits or plugs like MirrOlures.
Whiting have begun feeding in the lower river channel, and anglers are boxing up good numbers of the tasty panfish on cut shrimp fished near the drop-offs.
Red drum are still schooling in the surf off Lea and Masonboro Islands, and anglers who can find the schools should be able to tempt the fish to strike a variety of soft plastics.
Offshore, bottom fishermen are filling coolers with black sea bass at structure 25+ miles from the hill. Bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits, as well as smaller vertical jigs, will both attract plenty of attention from the bass.
Nick Rogers, from Surf City, with a 22" striped bass he hooked in the Cape Fear River on a swim bait.
Grouper are holding on the same structure as the bass and readily taking baits, but anglers have another month to wait before they’re allowed to take one home.
The last reports from Gulf Stream trollers included decent wahoo catches and some of the first dolphin seen in the area this year, but the warm water has pushed off to the 80 mile range recently. Once the good water returns to spots like the Same Ol’ and Steeples, anglers can expect to hook more wahoo and ‘phins while trolling skirted ballyhoo or baitless lures.
Jigging along the break has been quite productive recently, with solid catches of African pompano and cobia, plenty of amberjacks, and a variety of other fish.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that anglers should be able to find fast action with black sea bass at ledges, wrecks, and other bottom structure 15+ miles from the beaches. Bottom rigs baited with squid or cut baits will put the bass in the box.
There are plenty of grouper in the same areas, but anglers have to wait until May 1 in order to keep them.
Stone Tippett with a red drum he hooked on a live shrimp beneath a popping cork near Fort Fisher.
Owen, of Cape Fear Coastal Charters, reports that the wahoo bite should still be on when the weather lets boats make it to the Gulf Stream. Trolling skirted ballyhoo or swimming plugs will attract attention from the wahoo and the occasional tuna or dolphin that anglers may run across.
Jigging in the blue water along the break is a surefire way to hook up with amberjacks and a mixed bag of other species.
Sea bass are still feeding at structure in the 20-30 mile range, and anglers can hook them easily on squid.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer Charters, reports that the red drum bite is still on in the lower Cape Fear River. Anglers are finding the reds feeding along grass lines, oyster beds, and drop-offs in the river. Paddle tail grubs in color combinations containing some red (green/red flake has been especially good) have been the most effective lures lately.
Whiting are feeding around the mouth of the river, and anglers are hooking them on bottom rigs baited with shrimp and cut baits around the drop-offs of the river channel.
