Carolina Beach April 11, 2013
Danny Morris, of Wilmington, with a 5.5 lb. speckled trout that he hooked on a Gulp bait under a popping cork while fishing with Capt. Don Marcum in the Cape Fear River.
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that the sea mullet bite has turned on around the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The bend in the river channel near Bald Head has been one of the best spots, and anglers are hooking most of the fish on double-drop bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Some speckled trout are also on the feed in the creeks and along the islands of the lower river. Live shrimp are just becoming available and are some of the best bets for the specks, but anglers can also tempt them to bite soft plastic lures and suspending hard baits.
Anglers are also running into some specks in the Carolina Beach boat basin, but most have been on the small side recently.
Red drum are in many of the same creeks and marshy backwaters in the area. They’ll take an interest in soft plastics or a variety of natural baits.
More reds and some black drum are feeding along the rock wall near Fort Fisher, and shrimp on double-hook rigs will attract plenty of attention from both.
Brandon Bridges, of Wilmington, with his first wahoo, which attacked a cedar plug while he was trolling along the break off Carolina Beach with David Tedder on the “Zebra.”
A few flounder are beginning to take an interest in anglers’ baits nearshore, and they’ll only become more prevalent and hungry as the water temperatures warm up.
Offshore, boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are still connecting with some blackfin tuna and wahoo, and a few yellowfins were also landed last weekend, perhaps a sign that they’ll show up in some decent numbers this spring. Skirted ballyhoo will attract attention from the wahoo, tunas, and any other blue water predators in the area.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that the red drum bite is getting better along with the warming weather and water in the lower Cape Fear River. Anglers are hooking most of the fish on dead shrimp and Gulp baits in the creeks and backwater spots off the main river channel. The fish are growing more active by the day, but it may still be a few weeks before they’re reliably striking topwater lures.
Some black drum are in the same areas as the reds and also taking an interest in shrimp.
Sea mullet are feeding along the river channel near its mouth, and fresh shrimp on bottom rigs are fooling them in good numbers. Good numbers of pufferfish are also falling for the shrimp.
Matthew Ormsbee with a speckled trout that bit a D.O.A. Shrimp near Wrightsville Beach while he was fishing with Butch Davis.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are hooking some fat speckled trout in the creeks off the lower Cape Fear River. Most are falling for paddle and split-tail soft plastics on jigheads, but live mud minnows also produced some solid action last week.
Black drum are feeding at docks and other structure in the river, and fresh shrimp are hard for them to turn down.
The red drum action in the lower river is good and getting better (with most fish under or lower-slot but larger fish mixed in). Most of the reds are still in the creeks, but warming temperatures will soon have them feeding in more open water in the bays and marshes. Fresh shrimp, live mud minnows, and a variety of soft plastic baits are all attracting attention from the reds.
Anglers are also putting together some solid sea mullet catches while bottom-fishing with fresh shrimp in deeper areas of the lower river.
Ron, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet while bottom-fishing with shrimp.
Britt, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers have been bringing sea mullet, pufferfish, and some undersized flounder over the rails the past week. Shrimp on bottom rigs are producing most of the action.
