Carolina Beach June 22, 2006
Dave, at Fryingpantower.com, reports that the mahi are thick in the gulf stream. North of Same Ole seems to be the magic spot, and you can still expect to find the occasional tuna or wahoo. Bright pinks, pink & white, and blue & white seem to be the colors of choice to make the mahi bite a rigged ballyhoo.
The king mackerel and mahi are being caught in numbers in most of the offshore waters. The schoolie kings between the Dredge Wreck and WR-4 have been a morning bite, so if you go then go early.
The mahi have been scattered but hungry. There has been a nice weedline offshore of WR-4 that has held fish for several days. Ride and watch for bait in the water or flying fish scampering across the surface and then put your lines in. The kings are biting everything from rigged cigars to rigged ballyhoo. The mahi seem to like the rigged ballyhoo on pink & white skirts.
Inshore, the spanish have bit well when you find the clean water (and clean water is the key). After last week’s rain they were moving around a lot. Start at the inlets and work your way out looking for that clean water. Find clean water and you will find fish. The 00 clark spoons down deep always work for these fun fish.
The red grouper are biting well in the 30+ mile range. Find some structure and you should find grouper. They are everywhere, and they are hungry. Big scamps are in the high 30 to low 40 mile range. Squid, cigar minnows, and cut bait all work well.
Gags are showing up in numbers in the high teens to mid 20’s, but not many have been legal size fish as of yet. Find some structure and fish the down current side. Once again squid, cigar minnows, and cut bait all work well.
Flounder are everywhere on the nearshore/inshore bottom. They’re on the rocks, under the docks, in the inlets, etc. The keepers are there but a little harder to find. Live bait on Carolina rigs seem to be the bait of choice, but if you don’t have a live well try some Berkley Gulp.
Bruce, at Flat Dawg Charters, reports the rain really slowed down the fishing in the Cape Fear River areas. It is picking back up, however, and the red drum have been the first to bite well again.
Flounder up to 3 to 4 lbs. are starting to be caught again in the river, Snows Cut, and the inlets.
The occasional big bluefish are still hanging around to surprise live baiters.
Speckled trout are starting to bite fairly well in the river, and surf fishing has picked up for Virginia mullet and sharks.
The dirty water has hurt the spanish fishing, but some clean water will fire off the bite again. Pogies have been everywhere, and finger mullet are beginning to move (although they are still a bit small).
Mike, at Kure Beach Pier, reports that croaker, spot, and whiting are biting shrimp and bloodworms on the bottom. The best bite is currently taking place at night.
Bluefish and spanish are eating plugs, with early morning the most productive time for spanish.
Many king mackerel have been seen from the pier but none have been landed this week.
