Carolina Beach March 8, 2012
Rob Ford, of Scotts Hill, NC, with a speckled trout he hooked on a MirrOlure in the surf off Ft. Fisher.
Dennis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are finding some action with speckled trout in the Cape Fear River and the Carolina Beach boat basin. With the warm winter, the bite should get better soon. Soft plastics, suspending lures like MirrOlure and Yo-Zuri, and live baits will tempt bites from the trout.
Some red drum have been feeding in the surf between Carolina Beach and Masonboro Inlet. Anglers who locate the schools can hook them on soft plastic/jighead combos or MirrOlures.
Surf anglers aren’t seeing much action yet, but with the warm winter it shouldn’t be long until sea mullet are feeding around the mouth of the Cape Fear River and then in the sloughs along Pleasure Island.
Offshore, boats have found some solid action with blackfin tuna and wahoo in the Gulf Stream, when the winds and seas have been cooperative. Trolling ballyhoo and artificial lures or jigging and casting to the fish are both productive.
Sam Morgan with a big king mackerel that bit a Drone spoon near Frying Pan Tower while he was fishing out of Wrightsville Beach with Harry T. Fisler.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that there have been good numbers of red drum working the bays off the lower Cape Fear River, but it’s been difficult to tempt them to bite on many days. The warmer temperatures have kept the fish from fully entering their usual winter patterns and kept plenty of bait around inshore, so anglers’ offerings have plenty of natural competition. Gulp and Strike King soft plastics have been the most productive artificials for the reds lately, but natural baits like shrimp, mud minnows, mullet, and crabs are producing the most action.
Some flounder and speckled trout are mixed in with the reds and falling for the same baits and lures.
While the warmer temperatures have hampered the winter drum action a bit, they should usher in an early and productive spring season just around the corner.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that schools of red drum are feeding in the backwater bays off the lower Cape Fear River, and calm days when anglers can see the fish have been producing some excellent action with them. On windier days, smaller pods of the reds feeding in the nearby creeks are a better bet. Gulp shrimp and curlytails and D.O.A. soft plastics are fooling the reds.
A surprising number of flounder are mixed in for this early in the year, and they’re biting the same baits as the reds (with even some keepers in the mix). Anglers are also picking up an occasional speckled trout in the same areas.
Duncan McClurg, of Hampstead, NC, with a 32 lb. wahoo that fell for a skirted ballyhoo in the Gulf Stream off Carolina Beach Inlet while he was fishing on the "Mind Games."
More reds and some black drum are feeding under ICW docks, where cut shrimp and blue crabs are tempting them to bite.
Sea mullet are beginning to show up around the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and they will offer anglers fast action and some tasty meals as they arrive in full force. Soaking double-hook bottom rigs baited with shrimp in deeper holes is the way to hook up with the mullet.
Anthony, of Kure Pier, reports that the pier will be open for the season March 30. With the warm winter, anglers should start seeing some action with sea mullet and pufferfish around that time.
