Carolina Beach April 25, 2013
Michael Cunningham, of Wilmington, with a chopper bluefish that bit a chunk of mullet on the bottom in the Carolina Beach surf.
Kyle, of Island Tackle, reports that the speckled trout bite is heating up in the Cape Fear River, where anglers are finding specks feeding around the grass islands, oyster points and other current breaks, and in the creeks. The most successful offerings lately have been MR17 MirrOlures and D.O.A. shrimp, although other soft plastics will also tempt them to bite.
Red drum are feeding in the bays and backwaters off the lower river, where they’ll take an interest in topwater plugs, soft plastics, or a variety of live and cut baits.
Sea mullet are still feeding in deeper water and on flats near the mouth of the Cape Fear. Anglers are putting together some solid catches while fishing cut shrimp on double-drop bottom rigs.
Large chopper bluefish have shown up in the ocean, and anglers are hooking them from the Pleasure Island surf and the piers. Cut baits are tough to beat for the big blues, but metal casting lures and a variety of other artificial and natural baits will get their attention as well.
Offshore, boats are still seeing some decent wahoo and blackfin tuna action while trolling around spots like the Same Ol’ and Steeples. A few yellowfin tunas have been reported in recent weeks as well. Ballyhoo paired with skirted lures like sea witches will tempt bites from all the blue water predators.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers are still finding good numbers of red and black drum in the creeks off the lower Cape Fear River. Most of the action has been around oyster beds and drop-offs in the creeks, and the reds are falling for live mud minnows, Gulp baits, and fresh shrimp, which are also fooling the black drum.
Smaller flounder are also taking an interest in the mud minnows, and anglers should see the flounder fishing get better and the fish get bigger by the week as May wears on.
Some speckled trout are also feeding in the creeks and taking an interest in soft plastic baits fished on light jigheads.
Ernie Sumner with a 27″ red drum that bit a fresh shrimp on a Carolina rig while he was fishing near Bald Head Island with Capt. Robert Schoonmaker of Carolina Explorer Charters.
Sea mullet are still feeding near the mouth of the Cape Fear, but the bite is slowing down a bit and smaller spot, croaker, and other bycatch are mixed in. Fresh shrimp are fooling all the bottom feeders.
Bluefish have shown up around the inlets and are falling for cut bait and soft plastic grubs.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are still feeding in lower Cape Fear River creeks, with a few feeding on the flats in more open water. A few larger schools have been working the flats as well, but they’re tough to spot except on calm days.
Fresh shrimp and live mud minnows have been tempting the majority of the bites from the reds lately, but anglers can also hook up on soft plastics and possibly topwater plugs on warmer days.
Some black drum are looking for their meals in the same creeks and taking an interest in fresh shrimp.
Speckled trout are also feeding in the creeks, and anglers are tempting them to bite soft plastics and live mud minnows.
The sea mullet bite in the lower river continues, and anglers can hook good numbers of the tasty panfish on cut shrimp pinned to bottom rigs.
Robin, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishermen have been connecting with some healthy sea mullet during the evening hours. Shrimp are fooling most of the mullet.
Large chopper bluefish have also made a spring appearance off the pier, and they are taking an interest in shrimp as well.
Erin, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers bottom-fishing with cut mullet are catching some big bluefish.
Those baiting up with shrimp are connecting with some decent numbers of sea mullet.
