Carolina Beach June 21, 2012
Abigail Reinert (age 5), from Brunswick County, with a sheepshead she hooked on a sand flea at Snow's Cut Park while fishing with her father.
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are finding some flounder inshore, but the bite hasn’t been too great over the past week. Carolina Beach Inlet, docks along the ICW, Snows Cut, and the Cape Fear River have all produced some fish, however, mostly for anglers casting live finger mullet and menhaden on Carolina rigs.
The flounder bite has been better at nearshore structure like the AR’s, where anglers are hooking the flatfish on live baits and larger (1-2 oz.) bucktails tipped with Gulps. A few cobia are in the same areas and will bite bucktails or live baits as well.
A few speckled trout have been coming from the Cape Fear north of Snows Cut, with most falling for live shrimp and menhaden. The Dredge Pond has been holding plenty of menhaden for anglers looking to load up their livewells.
Sheepshead are feeding around inshore structure like bridge and dock pilings (with fish ranging to 8 lbs. recently), and anglers can tempt them to bite fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and other crustacean baits.
Some cobia have been spotted and hooked around the Masonboro jetties, and anglers are also finding some reds in the area. Live and cut baits will tempt bites from both.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that inshore fishing has been a bit tough over the past week, but anglers are still eking out some flounder and a few speckled trout and red drum while fishing the backwaters off the lower Cape Fear River. Gulp baits and live mud minnows, finger mullet, and menhaden will tempt bites from all the inshore predators.
The bite’s been better out in the ocean, where anglers are connecting with flounder at the AR’s and other nearshore structure. Carolina-rigged live baits are tempting most of the bites from the flatfish.
Heidi Lesiak, of Nebraska, with a dolphin that bit a pink/white sea witch while she was trolling off Carolina Beach on the "Large Time II" with Capt. Matt Hurlbut.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the inlet tideline and up and down the beaches. Anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons or cast diamond jigs and other small metal lures to schools of feeding fish to hook up.
Sharks (small and large) are feeding in the same areas as the mackerel, and they have a tough time resisting a cut bait behind a drifting boat.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with a few red drum while working the creeks and backwaters off the lower Cape Fear River with soft plastics and live baits, but the bite has been a bit tough lately.
Some schools of reds are working in the bays off the lower river, but it can be tough to find them on all but the calmest days.
Flounder are in many of the same areas and spread out along the ICW. They’ll take an interest in Gulp baits or live mud minnows on Carolina rigs.
Sheepshead and black drum are feeding around hard structure like pilings and rocks in the area. Both will take a hearty interest in fiddler crabs dangled near the structure.
Ron, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are catching some fat flounder (some 4+ lbs.) from the pier on live mud minnows and shrimp.
Plug casters are hooking some bluefish on Gotchas.
A few sea mullet are falling for bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Cody Eagle Horse Godwin, from Pembroke, NC, with a citation 5.5 lb. flounder that bit a live menhaden in Carolina Beach Inlet while he was fishing with Capt. Robert Schoonmaker of Carolina Explorer Charters.
Lynn, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are connecting with some sea mullet, croaker, and pompano while baiting up with shrimp.
Some flounder (several in the 4-5 lb. range) are coming over the rails for anglers baiting up with live mud minnows and mullet.
When the water’s clean, there’s been a decent spanish mackerel bite for anglers working Gotcha plugs from the planks.
