Carolina Beach April 24, 2014
Kelly Goforth, of Concord, NC, with a 26″ red drum that bit a chunk of mullet in the Fort Fisher surf.
Kyle, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that boats have found some solid wahoo action when they’ve been able to make it to the Gulf Stream recently. Most are falling for skirted ballyhoo. Some blackfin tuna are around as well and biting ballyhoo along with smaller trolling lures.
Vertical-jigging along the break is producing plenty of action with amberjacks and some African pompano.
Closer to the beaches, black sea bass are feeding on bottom structure from 40-100’+, but anglers will likely have to head 20 miles or so to get into good numbers of keepers. Bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits are the way to hook up with the bass.
Inshore, anglers are still connecting with plenty of red drum in the lower Cape Fear River while working soft plastic baits in the creeks and bays.
Some speckled trout are also feeding in the river around grass islands and other structure. The specks will take an interest in soft plastics as well.
Flounder are becoming more active inshore, and anglers are hooking them in increasing numbers. The fish will only become more numerous and larger as the spring wears on. Scented soft baits like Gulps and Carolina-rigged live baits are tempting bites from the flatfish.
Surf casters are connecting with some sea mullet and a few puppy drum. Bluefish are just starting to join the surf action as well. Shrimp and cut baits are producing most of the action in the surf.
Anthony Massa, from CO, with a slot red drum that fell for a shrimp fly in a creek near Bald Head Island while he was fishing with Capt. Robert Schoonmaker of Carolina Explorer Charters.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that red drum are feeding in the backwaters off the lower Cape Fear River. Anglers are finding the fish in the creeks and on the flats, but the back-and-forth weather has made them a bit finicky lately. Working Gulp and Strike King soft baits has been fooling the fish on many days, but when they don’t want to bite, live mud minnows or cut shrimp will outfish the artificials.
Some speckled trout are mixed in and falling for mud minnows and the same soft plastics.
Sea mullet are feeding around the river mouth and will pounce on bottom rigs baited with fresh shrimp.
Bluefish have also begun to show up in the ocean and inshore, and the hungry spring blues will bite a wide variety of baits and lures.
Gene Walker, of Dunn, NC, with a 114 lb. amberjack that he hooked while fishing along the break off Carolina Beach with Capt. David Marshall of Musicman Charters. Weighed in at Island Tackle and Hardware.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still connecting with red drum throughout the backwaters of the lower Cape Fear River, but the inconsistent weather has made them a bit tricky to hook recently. Some schools are feeding on the flats in the area and may offer anglers some sight-fishing opportunities when the weather cooperates. Working the creeks and shorelines is the way to find the reds when fishing blind. Soft plastic baits on jigheads and live mud minnows have been fooling the lion’s share of the drum recently.
Speckled trout are also feeding in the lower river around grass islands and oyster beds, but not many anglers have been targeting them as the season’s closed until mid-June. Anglers looking for some catch-and-release fun with the specks should be able to tempt them to bite a variety of soft plastic baits.
There are still plenty of sea mullet feeding around the mouth of the river, and they have a tough time turning down bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Bryan, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp and other baits.
Some flounder are also coming over the rails, but most are on the small side at present.
A few puppy and black drum have also been caught in the past few weeks.
