Carolina Beach – August 2024
Lewis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf fishing anglers are catching a mixed bag of croakers, pinfish, and the occasional pompano.
Those looking for a tougher tug are having some success hooking sharks with cut bait.
Back in the river, anglers are finding scattered red drum, bluefish, and tons of flounder. Some speckled trout and ladyfish are being caught at night.
Outside the inlet, there have been catches of bluefish and a few spanish mackerel; however, the spanish mackerel fishing has been pretty tough and inconsistent.
Scattered king mackerel are always a possibility when fishing anywhere from the beach out to 10+ miles. Live bait is the best tactic.
A few tarpon are out along the beachfront, with some anglers able to hookup from the local piers.
Further off the beach, the deeper bottom structures are holding triggerfish, black sea bass, and a bunch of amberjacks.
The few offshore boats have found a scattered wahoo bite.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that red drum remains the top target in the Cape Fear River. With all the hot water, live bait has been the best option, including menhaden, mud minnows, and mullet. Anglers are starting to find better numbers of slot and upper-slot red drum. The best plan has been targeting grass lines and shell banks.
Speckled trout will be mixed in, with most of the trout caught early in the morning. For the most part, these trout are hitting the live bait offerings, and anglers are also having some success with artificials during the low light hours.
Black drum are another option, and they’re mostly being caught on bottom-rigged shrimp or fiddler crabs.
Simon Gunning, of Mooresville, NC, found this tripletail near Fort Fisher using a Z-Man DieZel Minnow.
Luke, of Spot On Charters, reports that red drum have been feeding really well back in the marshes of the lower Cape Fear River. An outgoing tide has been the more productive bite, and Carolina-rigged menhaden are the main bait choice.
Numbers aren’t anything crazy, but some quality speckled trout (to 4+ lbs.) are hitting on the higher tides.
Flounder fishing has been phenomenal in terms of both numbers and size. Anglers fishing the Carolina-rigged baits for reds have also found large flatfish (to 29”).
Tommy, of Mungo Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have been catching red drum along grass lines and over oysters with Carolina-rigged live or cut mullet, while others are having success throwing topwater plugs in the early or late hours in these same areas. A third option is to push into tight creeks in the marsh on lower tide cycles. Look for areas where shrimp are popping, and target the reds as they move along the banks.
Some speckled trout are mixed in, and they’re mostly being caught on topwater plugs or other artificials such as D.O.A. shrimp, Gulp shrimp, or Z-Man paddle tails. The trout are staged up along rip current lines on grass edges and along the sides of oyster bars.
Fiddler crabs fished up against the older piers and docks or along broken pilings should provide some sheepshead and back drum bites.
Mason, of Grand Slam Fishing Charters, reports that our area is starting to see large schools of 4-5” mullet showing up, and these bigger mullet are getting the red drum fired up. With all the hot water temperatures, anglers need to be prepared to cover a lot of water in the lower Cape Fear River to find fish willing to feed. On lower tides, focus on deeper holes with shell bottoms.
Some red drum have been moving through Snows Cut. These are mostly the bigger fish (just over-slot), and they’re hitting Carolina-rigged cut mullet and menhaden.
A few speckled trout are mixed in. For trout, fishing on rainy or cloudy days has been a little better (temperatures slightly cooler). Floating a mullet under a cork or throwing 3-4” D.O.A. shrimp in red flake have done best to entice strikes.
Anglers looking for sheepshead are having success fishing pilings, rocks, and other hard structure with fiddler crabs, as these sheepshead like to hang in little current seams around structure.
Flounder are all over the place, and they’re mostly hitting live baits fished on Carolina rigs or soft plastics.
Anglers are seeing some tarpon in the lower Cape Fear River.
Cole Hancok, of Tazewell, VA, caught (and released) this red drum in the surf of Kure Beach using cut mullet.
Tony, of Reel Teal Charters, reports that red drum action has been picking up with the better sized finger mullet that are showing up in the area. The Carolina-rigged mullet (or menhaden) for targeting reds is also attracting strikes from the flatfish.
A few trout are being caught by anglers who are on the water at first light.
Better numbers of sheepshead and black drum have been seen while targeting hard structure in the 6-10’ depth range. Live or dead shrimp on a heavier (3/4 oz.) Carolina rig should get action.
Rod, of OnMyWay Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are finding a few spanish mackerel outside the inlets and just off the beach. The majority of these fish are smaller, and often it requires putting in work to get some keeper fish in the boat.
A few king mackerel are being caught by anglers slow-trolling live baits. The action is scattered from the beach out to 20 miles.
Nearshore mahi have been basically nonexistent this summer, but barracuda and amberjack are plentiful. Both of these species are staged up over ledges and other structure in the 10-20 mile range.
Bottom fishing close to the beach is producing plenty of grunts, and once out in the 35-50 mile range, anglers will start seeing vermilion snapper and triggerfish.
Jeremiah, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that spanish mackerel fishing has been poor, but bottom fishing has produced whiting, gray trout, and some bluefish.
The pier recently saw a king mackerel landed.
