Carolina Beach – August 27, 2015
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are seeing some solid flounder action in the ICW at present. Most are falling for live baits like finger mullet.
Black drum and sheepshead are feeding around the Snows Cut Bridge and other inshore structure in the area. Anglers are hooking both fish while dangling fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and shrimp near the pilings.
Spanish mackerel are on the feed along the beachfront and biting Clarkspoons that anglers are trolling in combination with planers and inline sinkers.
King mackerel are feeding along the beachfront and on out to the 20 mile range. A few cobia are mixed in, and anglers are hooking both on live baits like menhaden. Dead cigar minnows can also fool the kings.
Gulf Stream trollers are reporting a decent wahoo bite while fishing local spots along the break. Most of the ‘hoos are biting ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Brayden Fisher with his first flounder, hooked on a live mullet just outside Inlet Watch Marina.
Rod, of OnMyWay Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent spanish mackerel action around the local inlets and along the beachfront in 25-35’ of water (with many 3-5 lb. fish). Anglers can hook the larger fishing while trolling deep-diving Yo-Zuri plugs or slow-trolling live finger mullet and peanut menhaden on light spinning tackle.
Further offshore, anglers are finding some solid bottom fishing action at structure 20+ miles offshore, with some fat gag grouper and limit catches of red porgies and black sea bass. Cigar minnows, squid, and cut baits are producing most of the action with the bottom dwellers.
Dolphin are feeding in the same range, and anglers can hook them on light-lined baits while bottom fishing or cast lures like bucktail jigs to fish that show up to check out the boat.
Boats trolling the Gulf Stream are connecting with some solid catches of wahoo at spots in 150-250’ of water. Medium ballyhoo under dark Blue Water Candy Mini JAGs are fooling most of the fish.
Dustin Hayes with an African pompano that bit a cigar minnow near Frying Pan Tower while he was trolling on the “Coffey Time.”
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers are connecting with improving numbers of flounder while dropping baits to nearshore structure out in the ocean. Live finger mullet are fooling most of the flatfish.
Spanish mackerel are looking for meals along the beachfront and outside the inlets. Anglers are connecting with good numbers on Clarkspoons pulled behind planers and trolling sinkers.
A few red drum have been feeding at nearshore structure off Carolina Beach, in the inlet, and at spots along the ICW. The reds will pounce on live or cut mullet and menhaden.
Connor Dimauro (age 6), with his largest flounder, a 4 lb., 14 oz. fish he hooked while fishing at Carolina Beach State Park.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that there have been some large schools of red drum feeding on the flats off the lower Cape Fear River, and calm days are producing some exciting action with them. The fish have been very willing to bite topwater plugs recently, and anglers can also fool them with soft plastics and live baits.
Lowell Mason with a pair of large vermillion snapper that bit cut squid while he was fishing some bottom structure offshore of Carolina Beach Inlet on the “Sarah’s Worry Two.”
Smaller groups of fish are feeding in the creeks and along shorelines, and they’re biting the same offerings.
Some speckled trout and flounder are looking for meals in the same areas as the reds and biting soft plastics and live baits as well.
Weston Russell, of Belville, NC, with a 26.75″ red drum that struck a soft plastic swimbait in the Cape Fear River near Snow’s Cut.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking good numbers of flounder while fishing live finger mullet and mud minnows under the pier.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with croaker on shrimp.
Spanish mackerel have been biting Gotcha plugs and other casting lures that anglers are working from the pier.
Live-baiters also hooked a king mackerel last week.
Rena Anderson with a 47 lb. wahoo that attacked a rigged ballyhoo 13 miles off Carolina Beach Inlet while she was trolling on the “Fishin Coalition” with Jason White and Dan Bowman.
Loren, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are biting Gotcha plugs off the end of the pier.
Sea mullet are taking an interest in shrimp and other baits on bottom rigs.
Ashley Spence, of Carolina Beach, NC, with an 8 lb., 2 oz. spanish mackerel that he hooked on a live bait near Carolina Beach Inlet.
