Carolina Beach June 3, 2004
Kelly, at Cape Fear Marine and Tackle, reports that offshore is still hot with reports of dolphin as close in as 18 miles, but the majority are still further off around 25 miles. Any spots from 23 Mile Rock to the “Red and White” should be producing multiple dolphin catches. The reports of tuna seem to be further out, as far out as 70 to 80 miles. With the coastal water temperature at around 75 degrees, the inshore fishing has really come on lately. The spanish are still thick right off the beach. This area also has plenty of small bluefish. The flounder have been getting consistently bigger in size in the last 2 weeks. More and more reports are coming in of flounder weighing 5 lbs. and heavier. The red drum are still around Carolina Beach Inlet and along the docks in the waterway. No reports out of Buzzards Bay, but the trout and drum are probably still in that area.
Steve, at Seagull Bait and Tackle, reports that there are lots of blues around now. They are around the piers and in the surf from the north end of the island to the south end. Gotcha plugs and cut bait will both work well. The Spanish haven’t been as heavy in numbers on the beach, but both piers are still picking up some. The piers have also been picking up a few small flounder. The flounder bite inside slowed a little from the previous week. There are still some 5 lb. flounder being weighed in, but there weren’t any weighing in the double digits like the week before. Sheepshead are now being reported with a little regularity. Reports of catches came in from Snow’s Cut, the north pier, and from along the wall at the south end. Puppy drum are plentiful, and they are being picked up around the docks, in the waterway, and a few are coming from the surf. There are some specks still being caught in the river, from the ferry landing towards the mouth of the Cape Fear. Some cobia have also been reported in this same section of the river.
Capt. Freddie, of Musicman Charters, reports that the offshore fishing is pretty good when the wind lays down enough to let the guys get offshore. The break has been producing multiple catches of dolphin and yellowfin. The water temperature he’s been marking to fish has been anywhere from 76 to 79.6 degrees. For the yellowfins, everything has been caught in the shallows, from 146 to 155 feet of water. The dolphin have been biting better in the warmer water, and most have been caught in over 200 feet of water. There’s been lots of scattered grass at the break, so he’s been fishing anywhere from the break to 1.5 miles inside of the break. When he can get his presentation away from the scattered grass, he’s getting bites.
