Carolina Beach July 11, 2013
Noelle Hampton with a flounder that bit a live menhaden in the Cape Fear River.
Kyle, of Island Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing some decent dolphin action at spots starting in the 20 mile range right now. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures, dead cigar minnows, and live baits will all tempt bites from the dolphin. Some sailfish have been feeding in the same areas and will also take an interest in live or dead baits.
The sailfish and dolphin action is still going in the Gulf Stream as well.
Bottom fishermen are hooking plenty of black sea bass at structure from a few miles off the beaches out to the 100’ depths. Bottom rigs baited with squid or cut baits are tough for the bass to turn down, and anglers can also hook up on small vertical jigs. Gag grouper are holding in the same areas and will pounce on larger live, dead, and cut baits.
Both king and spanish mackerel have been here one day, gone the next at a variety of local spots.
Cobia are still scattered from nearshore to offshore structure, so anglers should keep a bucktail jig or live pitch bait ready in case one swims up to the boat.
Surf casters along the island are hooking up with bottomfish (like spot, sea mullet, and croaker), bluefish, and some solid red drum. Shrimp and cut baits are producing most of the action in the breakers.
Flounder fishing has been fairly consistent in the ICW, inlets, and Cape Fear River. Live finger mullet and peanut menhaden are the best bets for the flatfish, but anglers can also hook up while working Gulps and other baits.
Matt Dean and Zach Woody, of Garner, NC, with dolphin they hooked on Zuker and Islander lures while trolling the Gulf Stream off Carolina Beach on the “Kahuna.”
Sheepshead are feeding around bridge and dock pilings, rocks, and other obstructions inshore (with fish to 8+ lbs. weighed in recently). Dangling live fiddler crabs or sand fleas tight to the structure is the way to connect with the sheeps.
Speckled trout action in the lower Cape Fear River has been solid over the past week. Most of the fish are falling for live shrimp, but D.O.A. shrimp are also fooling some of the trout.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that despite dirty water in the lower Cape Fear River, there’s been some decent fishing lately, especially in the early morning hours. Red drum are feeding in the creeks and on the flats off the lower river (with many upper and over-slot fish). Anglers are fooling the reds with live mud minnows pinned to jigheads and light Carolina rigs. Soft plastic baits and topwater plugs are also fooling decent numbers of the reds.
Flounder are feeding in many of the same areas as the drum, and they will also take a hearty interest in mud minnows or soft plastic baits. Lacing the plastics with scents like Pro-Cure Super Gel seems to have been helping anglers score flatfish bites recently.
Some black drum are also feeding in the backwaters and around structure like docks and rocks. They’ll occasionally bite a soft plastic or mud minnow, but crustaceans like fiddler crabs or fresh shrimp are better choices.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers are putting together some decent catches in the lower Cape Fear River right now, but the river has been inundated with fresh water, making things a bit tough. Staying on the move to cover ground and find active fish is the best bet right now.
Jenna Raymond, of Wilmington, with a 17″ flounder that bit an artificial lure in the Cape Fear River.
Red and black drum are feeding around oyster rocks and deeper holes in the creeks and marshes. Live shrimp will fool both fish, and anglers can also tempt the reds to bite mud minnows or menhaden. Carolina and float rigs have both proven effective on the drum depending on how deep anglers are fishing.
Sheepshead and more black drum are feeding around deeper structure like bridge and dock pilings and rockpiles. Live fiddler crabs and shrimp will fool both.
A few flounder are mixed in with the drum and falling for the same baits, and anglers should see the flatfish bite improve when the area’s finger mullet grow a bit larger later in the summer.
Robin, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some sea mullet, croaker, and a few large spot while bottom fishing with shrimp and other baits.
Flounder (to 5+ lbs.) are feeding under the pier and will bite small live baits fished on the bottom.
Anthony, of Kure Pier, reports that some spot, sea mullet, and croaker are biting bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
Some bluefish are also falling for the bottom rigs and casting lures like Gotcha plugs.
Sheepshead are feeding around the pilings and taking an interest in barnacle baits, and fishing small live baits under the pier is producing some flounder.
