Carolina Beach June 3, 2010
Chip Clark and Brian Gibson with a 4.5 lb. flounder and 3.75 lb. speckled trout they hooked on live minnows just south of Snow's Cut in the Cape Fear River. They were fishing with Capt. Mike Dennis of Cape Fear Guide.
Lewis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that the speckled trout bite has turned on in the Cape Fear River (with good numbers of 3-5 lb. fish), and anglers are hooking the specks on live shrimp and soft plastic baits. The best action with the specks has been taking place around the Dredge Pond, Snow’s Marsh, and the rock islands.
Red drum are still on the feed in the river down south and upriver of Snow’s Cut. Topwater plugs, gold spoons, spinnerbaits, and more are fooling the reds.
The flounder bite is also on in the river, particularly upriver (with good numbers of 2-3 lb. fish and some to 5 lbs.). Anglers are also picking up some flatties in Snow’s Cut, but the bite has been sporadic. Carolina-rigged live baits are fooling the flounder.
Good numbers of sheepshead and black drum are feeding around the Snow’s Cut Bridge and other hard and rocky structure in the region. Live shrimp, sand fleas, and fiddler and mud crabs will fool both of the striped crustacean eaters.
Anglers are catching some big, citation-class reds at the point at Bald Head on large cut baits.
The spanish mackerel bite is still good along the beaches, and anglers are hooking decent numbers while trolling spoons and diving lures and while drifting and casting Gotchas and other lures to the fish.
A few king mackerel are still along the beaches, but the best king action has been in the 10 mile range lately. A few dolphin are mixed in. Both live and dead baits will fool the kings and dolphin.
The further anglers get from the beaches, the bigger the dolphin get, and several gaffers have already been reported in the 15 mile range.
Gulf Stream trollers are still finding a mix of dolphin, blackfin tuna, and a few wahoo while trolling skirted ballyhoo around spots like the Same Ol’, Nipple, and the Steeples.
Capt. Barry Singletary with a 1.7 lb. flounder that fell for a live mud minnow beneath Oak Island Pier.
Ryan, of Carolina Beach Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing big numbers of bluefish (from under 1 lb. to choppers over 10 lbs.) in the surf and from the ends of the piers. In the surf, they’re falling for large cut baits, and pier anglers are taking them on Gotcha plugs and live baits pinned to king rigs.
Bottom fishing with shrimp in the surf is producing action with whiting, pompano, croakers, pigfish, and other bottom feeders.
Inshore, the flounder bite has finally turned on, particularly in Carolina Beach Inlet, Snow’s Cut, and the Cape Fear River. Live mud minnows and finger mullet are producing most of the action with the flatties.
The red drum bite is on as well along the ICW and in the river. Anglers are catching big numbers of the fish in the bays off the lower Cape Fear while sight casting soft plastics and fishing topwater plugs and live mud minnows.
A few fat (4-5 lbs.) speckled trout are also coming from the river. Most are falling for live baits meant for drum and flounder, but anglers are also hooking up on MirrOlures and D.O.A. popping cork rigs.
Black drum are feeding around bridge and dock pilings and other hard structure inshore, and anglers can tempt them to bite sand fleas or shrimp.
Sheepshead are in many of the same areas, and on oceanfront structure. Fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and other crustacean baits will fool them.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the red drum bite is still good in the backwaters off the lower Cape Fear River. The fish can be a bit tough to find, though there are some larger schools feeding in the area. Live mud minnows and pogies fished under popping corks are good baits to help anglers pinpoint where the fish are feeding. Topwater plugs and soft plastic baits are also fooling decent numbers of the reds.
The speckled trout bite continues to get better, and anglers are picking up more and more incidental to drum fishing. Targeting the specks in slightly deeper water with soft plastics and live pogies has also proven effective lately.
Sheepshead fishing is still strong, and anglers can find the striped fish feeding around virtually any hard or rocky structure in the area. Live fiddler or mud crabs are the best baits for the sheeps.
Shawn Christian, of Carolina Beach, with a 25" red drum he hooked on a strip of finger mullet in the surf at the north end of the island.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer Charters, reports that anglers are hooking up with red drum, flounder, and speckled trout in the bays off the lower river. Most of the reds are coming from the oyster bars and other structure in the bays, and anglers are picking them up on topwater plugs, soft plastic baits, and live mud minnows. Some flounder and trout are mixed in with the drum, but anglers are having even better luck with them while fishing live baits and soft plastic paddletails around deeper drop-offs.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are still feeding along the beaches, and anglers can hook them by trolling Clarkspoons or casting metal lures at the feeding fish.
A few king mackerel are still mixed in along the beach as well.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that the bottomfish are on the feed at structure in the 30-40 mile range. Anglers are picking up big numbers of pinkies, grunts, sea bass, and other bottom feeders in that range on squid.
Once the smaller bottomfish are feeding excitedly, the grouper bite usually turns on. Anglers can tempt the grouper to bite live and cut baits, cigar minnows, sardines, and more.
James, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are decking a few whiting and bluefish on bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are catching plenty of bluefish on Gotcha plugs, and before the winds dirtied the water last week, plenty of spanish mackerel were landed.
Likewise, the king bite was good until the water got dirty, and anglers can look forward to a return of the kings and spanish as the water cleans up.
Some big bluefish (9-10+ lbs.) are also falling for live baits on the king rigs.
Bottom fishermen are hooking with spot, croaker, whiting, and an occasional pompano on shrimp.
