Carolina Beach – July 7, 2016
Cody, of Island Tackle, reports the red drum are biting back in the bays. Most anglers are connecting with the mid to upper-slot fish using a DOA or Gulp shrimp under a popping cork, with the fish also falling for live mud minnows and shrimp. Anglers looking to target speckled trout and flounder can use the same methods, and those focusing in on the flatfish can expect some larger hook-ups, with 5-6 lb. fish being reported.
Anglers looking for sheepshead can find them under bridges like Snow’s Cut and around structure, and they should use fiddler crabs and sand fleas to tempt a bite. Fish up to 8 lbs. have been recently reported.
Surf anglers have reported whiting, black drum, pompano and a few scattered flounder. Anglers have had success with Carolina rigs and bottom rigs paired with live bait, such as mud minnows, menhaden, and shrimp.
Anglers on the pier are connecting with bluefish, kings, spanish, and tarpon. Fish are mixed sizes, but kings have been weighed in between 15-30 lbs. Live menhaden is the best way to connect with the migratory fish.
Nearshore, wrecks are holding flounder, small grouper, black sea bass, and snapper. A few scattered triggerfish have been reported as well, but they are mostly in waters close to the Gulf Stream.
Offshore, anglers have been landing barracuda, mahi, king mackerel, wahoo, and an abundance of blackfin tuna. Trolling skirted ballyhoo has been proven effective in hooking up with these pelagic species.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that the reds are still back in the creeks and on the flats, and they are easy to target when conditions are right. The reds will also hold around structure, and anglers can use a variety of baits to tempt a bite, including shrimp, live menhaden, cut menhaden, and soft plastics. Those who favor topwater should target the fish in the morning, and they can expect to hook a speckled trout as well.
Flounder are holding in creek mouths and nearshore reefs, and anglers are having the most success using live menhaden as the mullet minnows haven’t shown up quite yet.
Off the beach, the spanish are still biting, and they can be targeted while trolling Clarkspoons. Tarpon have also been reported in the river, as well as frequently off the beaches, and anglers should look for them around bait balls.
Brandon Rumpf, of Clayton, with a 2 lb. flounder he caught off Kure Beach Pier.
Luke, of TopWater Guide Co., reports that the past few weeks have yielded a strong red drum bite. The fish have been schooled up in shallow water, from 1-3’, and they’ve been hitting topwater plugs such as the MirrOlure She Dog. The fish have also been falling for Gulp shrimp on a 1/8 oz. jighead.
Flounder have been found in the waters around creek mouths during the falling tide. Throwing Gulp shrimp on a 1/4 oz. jighead or using live finger mullet on a Carolina rig will do the trick.
The speckled trout bite has picked up in shallower water, and fish have been reported in the 14-20” range. Target the fish in 2-5’ of water during the early morning hours, and though topwaters have been successful in fooling these fish, they will also bite soft plastics, such as Gulp and Down South Lures.
Mike King, of Murthy, Scotland, with a 46.7 lb. citation cobia he caught off Fort Fisher beach on a live menhaden. He was fishing with Glenn Pilcher out of Oak Island.
Rod, of OnMyWay Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite is still great right off the beach, and there are some large kings mixed in as well, all the way out to the 25 mile mark. The best way to target the kings is to slow troll live menhaden or dead cigar minnows.
Mahi are in the 18-35 mile range, and many have been hooked while anglers have been targeting the kings. Slow or fast troll ballyhoo to target these fish.
Bottom fishing has picked up, with grouper, black sea bass, and snapper all reported being caught in the 20-40 mile range.
Jermey Marlow, of Sparta, with a 9 lb. sheephead caught on a live large crab under Snows Cut Bridge.
Jesse, of Ocean Stinger Charters, reports that the spanish bite is still strong 1-5 miles off the beach, and anglers are connecting with them using Clarkspoons and spanish daises behind planers, trolling sinkers, and birds. The fish will also bite metal jigs when anglers find larger feeding schools.
Flounder, spanish mackerel, and bluefish have also been caught nearshore, when casting live baits and metal jigs around the jetties.
Offshore in the 15-25 mile range, anglers are catching mahi and king mackerel, and they are catching both on small ballyhoo trolled with Fathom Offshore skirt rigs. These rigs will cover more ground than trolling cigar minnows, but anglers can still use them, along with ballyhoo and artificial trolling lures, to fool the mahi and mackerel.
The Gulf Stream has been producing mahi and blackfin tuna, with an occasional wahoo mixed in. Rigged ballyhoo and baitless lures have been the most successful.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with croaker, flounder, spanish, and bluefish off the pier. Anglers looking to target the croaker and flounder should use a bottom rig tipped with shrimp, and they should use mackerel trees for the spanish.
The cobia have left the area, and there have yet to be any tarpon landed.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that the flounder bite is heating up, and anglers are connecting with them using bottom rigs and shrimp. Anglers have also been catching pinfish, gray trout, and sea mullet using similar methods.
The spanish mackerel bite has slowed in the past week, but a few anglers are still connecting with the fish.
The water temperature is 80 degrees.
