Carolina Beach June 28, 2007
Seth, of Reel Bait and Tackle, reports that the flounder bite is getting better in the Cape Fear River and at the nearshore reefs. Anglers weighed in fish up to 8.5 lbs. last week.
As the flounder bite improves, the trout bite is waning. There are still a few trout around, but the majority are small.
Red drum are still feeding to the north beneath ICW docks at Wrightsville, and the drum are finally showing up in the river behind Fort Fisher. In both locales, the drum are running from slot size. Go with Carolina-rigged live baits, Mirrolures, and Gulp baits.
Sheepshead are holding in Snow’s Cut and at the ADM dock in the river. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs will both get their attention.
Boats trolling Clarkspoons and diving plugs near the beach are hooking up with good numbers of spanish mackerel.
King mackerel are feeding from the beach to 30 miles out. Dolphin are mixed in 15+ miles out, and both will hit live baits or dead cigar minnows.
Sailfish have finally shown up in good numbers, and many have been released over the past week. The sails are feeding over bottom structure and around bait pods 10 miles and further offshore. Ballyhoo and live menhaden have tempted most of the sailfish strikes.
Big dolphin and a few wahoo are still cruising the Gulf Stream, along with some straggler blue and white marlin. In addition to the normal spread of skirted ballyhoo, anglers should pull some cedar plugs and bigger chug head lures to attract the bigger marlin.
The grouper bite is hot in the 30-40 mile range. Most of the action is with red and scamp groupers, but there are some larger gags in the mix as well. The grouper will take a variety of baits including sardines, cigar minnows, and cut baits.
Gag grouper should be moving inshore to the 20 mile spots, but there haven’t been many reports yet.
Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that flounder fishing is hot one day and slow the next. Anglers are hooking up with flatfish at spots in the river, in Snow’s Cut, and in Carolina Beach Inlet. Carolina-rigged live baits, especially peanut pogies, will entice flounder to bite.
Red drum have arrived in the Cape Fear, and schools of 40-60 fish are working around marsh grass and oyster rocks in the second bay near the old Corncake Inlet. The drum will attack Gulp baits and curly tail grubs, but anglers can also throw topwater plugs for explosive surface strikes.
Sheepshead are feeding underneath Snow’s Cut Bridge, and they will eat one armed-bandits (fiddler crabs). Anglers can gather the bandits in the marsh at low tide.
At the nearshore reefs, anglers are hooking up with a few flounder, but numerous sharks are proving to be quite a nuisance.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are landing spadefish, whiting, and a few spot on shrimp. A few puppy drum are hitting the shrimp as well.
Anglers fishing live mullet and mud minnows on Carolina rigs are hooking up with good numbers of flounder. Many of the flounder are still on the small side, but several around 4 lbs. were landed over the week.
The first few sheepshead of the year were caught last week on barnacles.
Plug casters are hooking up with bluefish, and several good spanish mackerel runs took place last week.
Live baiters landed some kings, with the biggest weighing 22 lbs. Both bluefish and pogy baits are getting king strikes.
The water is in the low 80’s.
