Carolina Beach March 31, 2011
Joyce Fowler, of Kure Beach, with a 26", 6.4 lb. red drum she hooked on shrimp in the Fort Fisher surf. She and her husband released a larger red and caught several black drum as well.
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that the island’s surf is starting to wake up. Anglers reported flounder and red and black drum out of the suds over the past week. Sea mullet and other surf bottom feeders won’t be far behind. Shrimp and cut baits on bottom rigs will attract attention from all the surf species.
Inshore, the red drum bite remains solid in the bays off the lower river, and the recent rains should push even more reds downriver. Gulp baits and other soft plastics are top artificials for the reds. If the fish turn up their noses at lures, live mud minnows will often tempt them to bite.
Black drum are also feeding in the Cape Fear River, primarily around structure like rocks and docks, and anglers can fool them with fresh shrimp. There should be some red and black drum feeding underneath ICW docks between Wrightsville and Carolina Beach, but few people have been trying for them.
Offshore, boats reported big numbers of false albacore around Frying Pan Tower last week, but warm water was off to the southeast and no kings were caught.
Gulf Stream anglers have been landing some cobia and plenty of amberjacks while jigging along the break. Trolling rigged ballyhoo and skirted lures has been producing action with some wahoo and blackfin tuna.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still catching plenty of red drum in the bays off the lower Cape Fear River. The fish are still schooling in the marshes and creeks, and most anglers are hooking up while casting soft plastic baits. Some schools have been finicky about hitting artificials lately, however, and live mud minnows on float rigs should draw strikes when the fish are picky.
A few flounder (even a few keepers) are feeding in the same areas as the reds and falling for the same lures.
Red and black drum are also on the feed at docks along the ICW between Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches. They’ll sometimes take an interest in soft plastics, but natural baits like shrimp, crabs, and mud minnows often outproduce the artificials under the docks.
Nick Maraveyias, of Wilmington with a fat cobia he hooked on an upside-down 4 oz. Roscoe jig 50 miles off Carolina Beach Inlet in 130' of water while fishing with Nick Patsalos on the "Slip Slidin."
Robert, of Carolina Explorer Charters, reports that the red drum bite in the lower Cape Fear is still going strong. Anglers are hooking the reds on Gulp shrimp and baitfish imitations, and very slow retrieves have been the most productive of late.
Black drum are feeding on the oyster beds in the river and on docks in the ICW, and fresh shrimp will attract their attention.
Sea mullet are beginning to feed in holes near the mouth of the Cape Fear River (with some small fish mixed with keepers this early in the season). Shrimp on bottom rigs will get their attention along with other bottom feeders like spot and croaker.
Ronnie, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking up with some sea mullet and pufferfish off the very end of the pier while baiting up with shrimp.
As the water rises over the next few weeks, the sea mullet bite should improve, and anglers can expect to see some bluefish, spot, croaker, and more join the action.
