Carolina Beach April 26, 2007
Trey, of Reel Bait and Tackle, reports that inshore action is taking the spotlight this week due to the strong winds keeping offshore boats at the dock.
Speckled trout are still feeding at the Masonboro jetties, in the Carolina Beach Yacht Basin, and creeks off the waterway. The trout will hit MirrOlures and Gulp baits, but live shrimp will outfish either one.
Red drum are holding beneath docks in the waterway. Not all the docks have fish beneath them, so anglers should employ a run and gun strategy to figure out which docks are the most productive.
The resident flounder are beginning to feed, and flounder fishing will improve as migratory fish move from the ocean into the inlets, river, and Snow’s Cut. There are already plenty of small pogies in the Dredge Pond for bait.
Bluefish have shown up in the inlets and at nearshore structure.
Surf fishermen are scoring with black drum, and the drum are also feeding at the “Hole in the Wall” behind Fort Fisher.
Fat whiting (up to 1.5 lbs.) are schooled up in the river and will readily hit a bottom rig baited with cut shrimp.
Offshore, kings have been caught as close as 12 miles from the beach, and they are schooling at the Schoolhouse.
Grouper are still 30+ miles from the beach, and due to the shortage of cigar minnows, northern mackerel are the choice grouper bait right now.
Not many boats have made it to the Gulf Stream lately, but the tuna and wahoo are still out there. The few boats that have made the journey have also raised some blue and white marlin over the past few weeks. Skirted ballyhoo and Ilander lures make up the most effective trolling spread.
Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports lots of nice whiting around the mouth of the Cape Fear River. A bottom rig with cut shrimp will tempt the whiting, and the fresher the shrimp the better.
Flounder up to 18” have begun to feed in the inlets. A Carolina-rigged finger mullet or peanut pogy is the ticket to flounder strikes. Larger flounder are making a strong appearance 18-20 miles from the beach, and they will move inshore when the water gets above 65 degrees.
Anglers willing to work hard can put together a decent stringer of speckled trout, but the fish are no longer around in the strong late fall/early winter numbers. Target the creeks and marshes, particularly on a high and falling tide, to score with trout. A live shrimp is the best bait, but D.O.A. and Gulp shrimp will produce strikes as well.
Susie, at Kure Beach Pier, reports fairly slow fishing due to the recent cold snap. The upcoming warm weather should really turn the fish on, however.
Plug casters are catching some bluefish in the 1-2 lb. range, and one lucky angler caught a 9 lb. blue early in the week.
Bottom fishing with shrimp is producing some whiting and croaker.
A few flounder have begun to bite, although most are small. Successful flounder fishermen are using mud minnows.
The water temperature is around 60 degrees.
