Carolina Beach – July 3, 2014
William and Hunter Ratcliff with two of eleven dolphin they caught 54 miles off Carolina Beach while fishing with Tony and Marty.
Ron, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are seeing some solid dolphin fishing well inshore of the Gulf Stream right now. Most of the action has been at spots 15-30 miles offshore like the 30/30, Schoolhouse, and 23 Mile Rock. Ballyhoo rigged under bright-colored skirts are the best bets for anglers looking to hook up with the dolphin.
King mackerel are feeding in many of the same spots as the ‘phins and also out around Frying Pan Tower. They’ll also bite dead ballyhoo, cigar minnows, or live baits like menhaden.
Bottom fishermen are reporting plenty of action with grouper at bottom structure 20+ miles offshore. Live and cut baits are fooling the groupers.
Closer to the beaches, anglers are finding flounder and red drum (some well over-slot) feeding at bottom structure 1-10 miles out. They’ll both take an interest in live mullet or menhaden pinned to Carolina rigs.
Spanish mackerel action just off the beaches has been red hot recently, with boats hooking big numbers while pulling Clarkspoons behind planers and trolling weights. Pier anglers are also getting in on the action while working Gotcha plugs.
On the beaches, surf casters are reporting action with sea mullet, spot, croaker, and big numbers of small blacktip sharks, primarily while baiting up with shrimp.
Inshore, anglers are reporting some excellent flounder fishing in Carolina Beach Inlet, Snows Cut, and the Cape Fear River. Live finger mullet and white Gulp baits have been the go-to offerings for the flounder recently.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around inshore structure like bridge and dock pilings, where anglers are hooking them on sand fleas and fiddler crabs.
Capt. Amanda King, of Second Wind Charters, with a speckled trout that fell for a live mud minnow in the Cape Fear River near Carolina Beach.
There’s been excellent speckled trout and red drum action in the bays and around the grass islands, oyster rocks, and other spots in the Cape Fear River. Topwater plugs, Gulp and Saltwater Assassin soft baits, and live baits are fooling the specks and reds.Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers are finding some solid mixed bag action with speckled trout, red drum, and flounder in the Cape Fear River right now. The best fishing has been on the flats, in the bays, and in the creeks, and anglers are fooling all three on live baits and soft plastic lures.
Spanish mackerel fishing outside Carolina Beach Inlet and along the beachfront has been excellent recently. The spaniards are falling for Clarkspoons trolled with planers as well as metal jigs cast to schools of fish feeding on the surface.
Some cobia and tarpon are cruising just off the beachfront. Anglers are seeing more of both fish than they’re hooking, but casting a live crab or menhaden into the fish’s path may result in a bite.
Flounder are feeding on the nearshore reefs and wrecks within a few miles of land. Live menhaden and mullet on Carolina rigs are attracting attention from the flatfish and are also fooling gray trout and some large red drum feeding in the same areas.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that some large schools of red drum have been feeding on the flats off the lower Cape Fear River recently. Anglers can connect with the fish while working topwater plugs or a variety of soft plastic baits pinned to jigheads.
More reds are feeding along shorelines and in creeks off the river, and they’re falling for the same lures along with live baits (like mud minnows and shrimp).
Some speckled trout are in the same areas as the reds and will bite topwaters, soft plastics, and live baits as well.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around rocks and pilings in the river and ICW (with some to 10 lbs. recently). Live fiddler crabs fished tight to the structure are tough for the sheeps to turn down.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some croaker while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Flounder are falling for small live baits on the bottom.
Plug casters are fooling some spanish mackerel and bluefish with Gotchas.
Alice, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking good numbers of flounder on small live baits beneath the pier.
Some sea mullet and croaker are taking an interest in bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier.
