Added on Thursday, June 26, 2008  Gary Hurley

Carolina Beach June 26, 2008

Seth, of Reel Bait and Tackle, reports that inshore anglers are catching plenty of flounder (with good numbers of solid 3-6 lb. fish) in Carolina Beach Inlet, Snow’s Cut, and the Cape Fear River. Carolina-rigged live baits-especially peanut pogies, finger mullet, or mud minnows-will draw strikes from the flatfish.

The flounder bite should also be getting good on the nearshore reefs like John’s Creek and the Yaupon Reef right now.

Red drum are feeding in the river, around the Wrightsville jetties, and at ICW docks to the north. Live baits, cut baits, or Gulps should prove appealing to the reds.

There are still plenty of speckled trout on the feed around structure in the Cape Fear. They’ll bite a variety of lures, but live shrimp fished under float rigs are the best way to draw trout bites.

Spanish mackerel fishing is still excellent just outside the inlet, and boats are hooking up with good numbers of the spanish while trolling Clarkspoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers. Some kings have also been feeding nearshore and occasionally surprising spanish trollers with drag peeling runs.

The king bite has also been good at the typical spots 10 miles and further offshore. Some dolphin are mixed in with the kings, and both will strike live pogies and other baits or dead cigar minnows.

Sailfish are beginning to show up at many of the usual summertime king/dolphin spots, so boats trolling should be prepared for the possibility of a billfish hookup.

The dolphin are getting larger the further offshore boats go, with the largest fish (20-30 lbs.) feeding in the Stream. Some wahoo are mixed in with the phins, and sailfish are feeding in the deep water as well. Trolling skirted ballyhoo will attract attention from all the Gulf Stream predators.

Bottom fishermen are finding solid grouper action at structure from 30 miles on out. Reds are making up the majority of the catch, with a few gags and scamps thrown in. Cigar minnows and cut baits will produce results for bait bouncers, and anglers are also hooking up with a lot of grouper while working butterfly jigs.

 

Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that anglers are still catching plenty of trout in the Cape Fear River (with good numbers of 3+ lb. fish). Live shrimp fished under floats are far and away the best trout baits, and anglers can look for the fish around hard structure, creeks, and grass islands. Some red drum and flounder are feeding in the same areas.

The flounder bite also remains strong, with anglers landing fish (up to 6 lbs.) in the inlet, Snow’s Cut, the ICW, and the Cape Fear. Carolina-rigged peanut pogies, finger mullet, and killie minnows are the best flounder baits.

The flounder bite should also be getting strong just off the beaches at nearshore structure like John’s Creek. Nuisance sharks, small sea bass, and other fish can make the nearshore flounder fishing tedious, but they haven’t been bad over the last week.

Plenty of spanish mackerel are still feeding just outside the inlet and on the beaches.

 

Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that spanish mackerel fishing is still excellent for anglers trolling Clarkspoons near the inlet and along the beach. Some small kings are mixed in with the spanish.

Red grouper fishing remains excellent at ledges and broke bottom 35+ miles offshore. There are a few scamps mixed in, but the gags have been tough to find lately. The reds are running up to 15 lbs., and cigar minnows, cut baits, and squid are putting them in the boat.

Light-lining while bottom fishing has been producing plenty of snake kings and some dolphin.

 

Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs.

Anglers fishing mud minnows and other live baits on the bottom are hooking flounder (some up to 3.5 lbs.).

Bottom fishermen are landing a few spot, croaker, and whiting on shrimp.

Several king mackerel were caught last week, with the largest going 15 lbs.

The water temperature is 78 degrees.