Carolina Beach – July 23, 2015
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that there’s still some solid flounder action for anglers fishing inshore in the inlet, ICW, and Cape Fear River. Most of the flatfish are taking an interest in live baits, but anglers are also hooking up while casting Gulps and other artificial lures.
Black drum are looking for meals around docks, bridges, rocks, and other inshore structure in the ICW and river. Anglers can tempt them to bite shrimp.
Sheepshead are holding in many of the same areas and will pounce on live fiddler crabs or sand fleas.
Anglers are finding red drum schooled up on the flats off the lower river and hooking them while casting topwater plugs, soft plastic baits, live baits, and more.
The spanish mackerel action remains consistent out in the ocean, where anglers are hooking the fish on trolled Clarkspoons within a few miles of the beachfront.
Some king mackerel are in the same areas and feeding out to spots in the 10 mile range. The kings will bite live or dead baits.
Anglers continue to encounter dolphin 10-20 miles offshore and hook them on king-style baits or rigged ballyhoo.
There’s also still some decent dolphin fishing going on out in the Gulf Stream, where anglers continue to connect with billfish as well. Ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures will fool both.
Timothy Barrier with a 27 lb. king mackerel that struck a live threadfin herring off Kure Beach Pier.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers continue to catch solid numbers of black drum in the lower Cape Fear River. Most are feeding around hard areas like rocks, oysters, and dock and bridge pilings. Soaking fresh shrimp on the bottom near the structure is the best bet to connect with the drum.
There are also red drum feeding in the shallow backwaters off the river. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite live and cut baits or a wide variety of artificial lures including topwater plugs and soft plastics.
A few speckled trout are in the same areas as both drum and taking an interest in live and soft plastic baits.
Anglers are also connecting with a few flounder alongside the other inshore predators.
Olympic Logan with a 5.3 lb. flounder she hooked on a live mud minnow while fishing with Capt. Charlie Schoonmaker in the Carolina Beach boat basin.
Rod, of OnMyWay Charters, reports that there’s been a good spanish mackerel bite recently in 25-35’ of water just off the beaches. Most are falling for #0 and #00 Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and inline sinkers, and the best action’s been around the inlets and Johns Creek. Small kings have been mixed in, so anglers should make sure to positively ID a mackerel and make sure it’s above the size limit before putting it in the cooler.
Anglers are hooking good numbers of 5-8 lb. king mackerel at the Five Mile Boxcars and other spots inside the 10 mile range. Dead cigar minnows and Yo-Zuri diving plugs are fooling most of the fish.
Dolphin are feeding around ledges and live bottoms 20-30 miles offshore and biting cigar minnows and ballyhoo.
Bottom fishermen are hooking plenty of black sea bass, grunts, and a few gag grouper (though many are short) while dropping baits to structure in the 20 mile range.
Red and scamp grouper are feeding at spots 30+ miles offshore.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that there’s still some decent flounder action going on in Carolina Beach Inlet, the ICW, and Cape Fear River. Anglers are hooking most of the flatfish on live baits like menhaden.
Flounder are also seeking food on nearshore wrecks and reefs in the ocean (though most remain smaller) and will bite bucktail jigs or live baits with heavier weights.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are also looking for meals out in the ocean, and they’re biting flashy trolling and casting lures.
Anglers continue to encounter some red drum in the bays and creeks off the Cape Fear River. Most are falling for live and cut baits, but anglers are also connecting by working artificial lures.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers have been seeing good numbers of flounder over the past week. Most are falling for live baits fished tight to the pilings.
Sheepshead are also feeding around the pilings and biting sand fleas and other shellfish.
Plug casters have been hooking spanish mackerel while working Gotchas near the end of the pier.
A 20 lb. king mackerel was also landed from the end of the pier last week after it struck a live bait.
Bryan, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that there’s been a good spanish mackerel bite in the early mornings on many recent days. Most are falling for Gotcha plugs, which are also fooling some bluefish.
Some flounder are biting small live baits dangled near the pilings.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some croaker at night.
