Carolina Beach – June 20, 2019
Lewis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf anglers are finding an improved flounder bite. The flatfish have been hitting live and cut bait. The beach has also been seeing some red drum, blues, croaker, and pompano.
Local piers have been landing lots of whiting, pompano, blues, trout, and some spanish.
There have been reports of red drum, black drum, sheepshead, and lots of small flounder in the Cape Fear River.
Inshore, the red drum bite has been steady. They’ve been in the ICW, around the inlet, and in the Cape Fear River. The best tactic for reds is live bait on a Carolina rig. There has been a good topwater bite in the early mornings for reds (and trout). Flounder are around, and most are keepers now. They can be brought in with shrimp.
The nearshore spanish bite has slowed down, but there are still plenty of them (and schoolie kings) to be found in the 5-10 mile range. Trolling Drones and Clarkspoons is sure to produce.
Flounder and gray trout are around nearshore wrecks and structures. Live bait (shrimp) will be the best option.
Brandon Mayo, of Carolina Beach, with a jack caught in the Cape Fear River on Z-Man Pinfish Paddler on a 1/4 oz. jig head.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that decent numbers of red drum are in the creeks and shallow bays off of the Cape Fear. Most of the reds are lower-slot to mid-slot fish, with an occasional upper-slot mixed in. Live menhaden and mud minnows are working best, with the finger mullet starting to get big enough to throw the cast net on. The best option is using live bait on the bottom with a Carolina rig (or jig head if the current allows). It’s also a good idea to throw some some artificials like Z-Man and Fishbites Fight Club lures.
Flounder are chewing on live baits (mud minnows, finger mullet, and menhaden) and artificial lures, such as scented soft plastics. Creek mouths and shallow drop-offs seem to be holding the majority of the fish.
A few sheepshead and black drum are being caught on fiddler crabs and shrimp around rocky structures and docks.
Trout are doing well on artificials and live baits.
Nick Chapman with an upper-slot red drum caught while fishing around some oyster bars back in the grass flats near Carolina Beach. He was using a Saltwater Assassin paddle tail swimbait in Violet Moon on a Texas Eye jig head.
Luke, of Coastline Charters, reports that the redfish action is still going strong. Early morning topwater baits are working well, and Z-Man soft plastics with Blue Water Candy jig heads are producing bites throughout the day. Fishing live finger mullet on a Carolina rig around docks and oyster beds is getting great numbers of bites, too, with some over-slot fish in the mix.
Sheepshead fishing has been on fire. Live fiddler crabs on a Carolina rig fished next to bridge/dock pilings is the go to option for these fish. A few black drum are being brought in with the sheepshead.
Flounder have shown up in better numbers, likely a result of the recent increase of bait in area waters. Carolina-rigged finger mullet next to structure and grass banks is where many of the flounder have been hiding. Some are on the small side still, but now more keepers have been mixed in. The wrecks and structures just off the beach are also holding good numbers of larger flounder. Live baits and bucktails are the way to go in the ocean.
Expect the flounder and drum fishing to improve over the next few weeks with the abundance of bait showing up in the ICW and area creeks.
Rod, of OnMyWay Charters, reports that cobia are along the beach out to the 10 mile area. They are mostly hanging around bait pods.
Spanish mackerel has been incredibly productive, where trolling Clarkspoons in 20-35’ of water is the best way to get a bite. Bigger spanish are being caught in the 5-7 mile range. Slow trolling live or dead bait rigs has been more effective further off. A lot of small kings have been mixed in with the bigger spanish, with the larger kings out in the 25-30 mile range. Fast trolling Drone spoons and Sea Witches, or slow trolling Blue Water Candy dead bait rigs, will produce for the kings.
Mahi have been scattered in the 15-40 mile range. There’s not many fish moving closer in yet, but they are definitely out there and should only increase in numbers. The key is getting a good water shot near a temperature change. If you can find structure near the temperature change, that’s a good place to look for fish. When trolling a 4-6 line spread, it’s a good idea to have a deeper line like a Rapala Deep Diver. Naked pin-rigged ballyhoo with a pink-skirted Sea Witch is a deadly combination.
Gulf Stream fishing has been much more productive for the mahi, as well as for tuna. Even a few wahoo are still being caught, though their numbers are dwindling.
Bottom fishing is best in the 25-40 mile range. Black sea bass, triggerfish, grunts, grouper, beeliners, and snapper are all taking baits.
Woody, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that pier anglers are bringing in whiting and croakers on shrimp, along with a few red drum on cut bluefish.
