Added on Thursday, July 1, 2010  Fish Post

Carolina Beach July 1, 2010

Dennis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that the flounder bite continues to improve inshore (with fish to 7 lbs. lately). The action’s been best in the Cape Fear River and Snow’s Cut, with good fishing also in Carolina Beach Inlet. Live pogies have been producing most of the action.

Anglers are also picking up decent numbers of red drum and some larger speckled trout (to 4 lbs.) while flounder fishing in the river.

Sheepshead are feeding around hard structure like bridge pilings and rock piles in the area, and anglers are hooking them on live fiddler crabs and other crustacean baits.

The spanish mackerel bite is still solid along the beaches and in the inlet (though most of the fish are smaller than they’ve been over the past month). Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and trolling weights is the way to fool the spanish.

Anglers caught a few king mackerel just off Carolina Beach Inlet last week on live pogies. The king bite has been better 10-18 miles off the beaches, where anglers are hooking them on both live and dead baits. A handful of cobia and dolphin are mixed in with the kings, and they will fall for the same baits.

Offshore, boats are finding better dolphin fishing and a few blackfin tuna, along with plenty of barracudas. Skirted ballyhoo are fooling most of the offshore fish.

Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that the southwest winds and dirtier water over the past week have made it difficult to impossible to find schools of red drum to sight-cast to, but they haven’t hurt the fishing beyond that. Anglers are catching plenty of reds (some well overslot) on topwater plugs, soft plastic paddletail grubs, and live baits.

The action’s been best in the creeks and bays off the lower Cape Fear River.

Some flounder and speckled trout are mixed in with the reds and falling for the soft plastics and live baits as well.

The sheepshead bite has slowed a bit, but there are still some of the fish around inshore structure like rocks and bridge pilings. Live fiddler and mud crabs are top choices for the sheepshead.

Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite is still on, and boats aren’t even having to leave the inlet to put together solid catches. Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and trolling weights is the way to hook up with the spaniards.

Offshore, the bottom fishing hasn’t been on fire over the past week, likely due to the full moon, but anglers are putting together decent catches of red, scamp, and gag grouper at bottom structure 30-40 miles offshore. Plenty of grunts, pinkies, sea bass, beeliners, and other bottom dwellers are mixed in.

Anglers are hooking the smaller fish on squid and small cut baits, and the groupers are coming on cigar minnows and cut and live baits.

Robert, of Carolina Explorer Charters, reports that anglers are hooking up with some red drum, flounder, and speckled trout in the lower Cape Fear River on live baits and soft plastics.

Off the beaches, the spanish mackerel and bluefish bite remains good for anglers trolling Clarkspoons or casting Gotcha plugs and other lures on light tackle. Some king mackerel are in the same areas and will fall for live baits like pogies.

Freddy, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers landed some solid flounder last week (to 3.5 lbs.) on live mud minnows and other baits.

Bottom fishermen have been connecting with decent numbers of whiting at night and on the cloudier days. Shrimp are producing the most action.

Anglers also landed some healthy sheepshead last week.

There are still some bluefish around, and anglers can hook them on bottom rigs or while working Gotcha plugs.

Mike, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers caught decent numbers of flounder over the past week on small live baits.

Bottom fishermen have been decking some whiting and croaker on shrimp and decent numbers of spot on bloodworms.