Carolina Beach – May 21, 2015
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf casters are finding action with sea mullet, bluefish, and a few flounder from Pleasure Island’s shores. Shrimp and cut baits are producing most of the action in the breakers.
Eric Vann, of Kure Beach, NC, with a 12.8 lb. flounder he hooked in Carolina Beach Inlet after it struck a live menhaden. Weighed in at Island Tackle and Hardware.
Sheepshead and black drum have made a strong appearance around Snows Cut Bridge and other inshore structure in the area. Anglers can find action with both while soaking shrimp, fiddler crabs, or sand fleas tight to the pilings.
Jason Cole, of Washington, DC, with a gaffer dolphin that struck a ballyhoo under a Blue Water Candy skirt in 110′ of water off Carolina Beach while he was fishing with Capt. Rod Bierstedt of OnMyWay Charters.
Sea mullet are still on the feed around the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and anglers are hooking big numbers while bottom fishing around the channel edges and mud flats in the area. Shrimp on bottom rigs are tough for the mullet to turn down.
Upriver, there’s been a decent speckled trout bite north of Snows Cut. Anglers are fooling the specks with live baits, soft plastics, and suspending hard lures like MirrOlure MR17’s.
Out in the ocean, the spanish mackerel action has been excellent lately. The fish have been feeding from the beach to the 10 mile range, and anglers are hooking big numbers while trolling flashy lures like Clarkspoons behind planers and cigar weights.
King mackerel action has been a bit slower, but boats are still finding a few kings offshore of the spanish.
Bottom fishermen have been having excellent luck with grouper lately while dropping baits to offshore structure.
Boaters making the run to the Gulf Stream have been rewarded with excellent catches of dolphin. Most are falling for ballyhoo paired with trolling lures like Blue Water Candy JAGs and Witches or Ilanders.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers have found some decent king mackerel action while dragging baits 8-13 miles off the beachfront recently. Live baits like menhaden and dead cigar minnows or strip baits are all solid choices for the kings.
Spanish mackerel have been feeding a bit closer to land, and anglers are hooking them both while trolling small spoons and when casting metal jigs to schools of fish chasing bait on the surface.
Inshore, the flounder bite is turning on in Snows Cut and the Cape Fear River. Most of the flatfish are biting live baits like peanut menhaden and mud minnows.
Black drum have been providing some of the best inshore action lately, with most of the fish biting around bridge and dock pilings or rocky structure. Shrimp and fiddler crabs will attract attention from the black drum and some sheepshead feeding in the same areas.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with solid catches of sheepshead and black drum while fishing the lower Cape Fear River. The fish are looking for meals around pilings, rockpiles, and oyster points and bars. Anglers can tempt both of the crustacean-lovers to bite fiddler crabs or live shrimp fished tight to the structure they call home.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are catching some croaker, spot, and small drum while bottom fishing from the pier.
Some bluefish are also biting the bottom rigs and metal casting lures like Gotcha plugs.
Kris, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers have been catching a few flounder in the morning hours, primarily on live baits.
Some sea mullet are biting bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Plug casters are picking up a few bluefish while working Gotchas.
