Carolina Beach – May 22, 2014
Capt. Robert and Cooter Schoonmaker with an estimated 70 lb. black drum that bit a Stingsilver just off Carolina Beach while they were fishing with their father, Capt. Charlie Schoonmaker of Back Bay Fishing Charters.
Daniel, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are hooking bluefish and sea mullet while fishing the Pleasure Island surf. Shrimp and cut baits are fooling the fish.
Some large red and black drum have been schooling within a few miles of the beachfront, and anglers who find the schools are enjoying some exciting sight-fishing action, fooling the fish with metal jigs, bucktails, and other artificials.
Spanish mackerel action has been good recently, although the fish have moved a few miles off the beachfront with the cooler weather and rain last weekend. Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and torpedo weights is the way to connect with the spaniards. A few days of warmer weather will likely push the bite back towards the beachfront.
Anglers making the run to the Gulf Stream are putting together some excellent catches of gaffer dolphin along with a few wahoo. Most are falling for skirted ballyhoo.
Inshore, the flounder action is improving, and anglers are seeing more keeper flatfish by the weeks. Smaller live baits and Gulps are the best bets for the flounder.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers hooked some huge (50+ lbs.) black drum a short distance off Carolina Beach last week, but it seems the school has moved on.
Spanish mackerel are feeding within a few miles of the beachfront, and anglers are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons and casting metal lures like Sea Striker Jigfish around working birds and surface activity. Big numbers of bluefish and a few Atlantic bonito have been mixed in with the spaniards.
Flounder are starting to feed around nearshore structure in the ocean, and anglers landed some decent flatfish on live baits and bucktail jigs last week (to 20”).
The flatfish action is also picking up in Carolina Beach Inlet, although many of the fish are still on the small side.
Red drum are feeding in the backwaters off the lower Cape Fear River, and anglers are fooling them with live mud minnows, menhaden, and shrimp, along with Gulp and Strike King soft baits. A few bluefish and speckled trout are in the same areas and falling for the same baits.
Black drum and sheepshead are looking for meals around structure like rocks and pilings, where anglers can tempt them to bite shrimp or crab baits.
Capt. Rennie Clark, of Tournament Trail Charters, with a 47″ red drum he caught and released after it struck a Shore Lure off the mouth of the Cape Fear River.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are starting to hook some flounder on the nearshore reefs and wrecks. The flatfish action is also improving inshore, with anglers starting to see more quality fish. Both small live baits and soft plastics will fool the flatfish.
Cobia are showing up in many of the same nearshore structure areas as the flatfish, and anglers can tempt them to bite live baits or artificials like bucktail jigs.
Speckled trout are feeding around the inlets with some larger female fish mixed in. Anglers can fool the specks with soft plastics, suspending lures like Rapala X-Raps, and topwater plugs.
Red drum are also feeding in the inlets and the creeks, and spinnerbaits and topwater plugs have proved appealing to the reds lately.
Anglers bottom fishing around the Masonboro jetties are still connecting with some chopper bluefish on cut and live baits.
The recent rains pushed the spanish mackerel bite a bit further off the beach into cleaner water a few miles offshore, where some king mackerel are mixed in.
Tyler Chabot, of Kure Beach, with a 6 lb. flounder that bit a soft plastic bait in Snow’s Cut. Weighed in at Kure Pier.22
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are finding action with red drum in the creeks and bays off the lower Cape Fear River. A few schools are working the bays, with smaller groups of fish in the creeks. Live peanut pogies have been the best bets for the reds lately, as small croakers have been mutilating mud minnows and smaller baits, particularly at lower tides. Soft plastics are also fooling some of the reds, and anglers are hooking a few flounder in the same areas.
Dangling fiddler crabs around structure like rocks and pilings in the river is producing action with sheepshead and some black drum.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet and croaker while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Some bluefish and spanish mackerel are biting Gotcha plugs, but the action was better before last weekend’s front.
Red, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Sea mullet, pompano, and some small flounder are falling for baited bottom rigs.
