Carolina Beach – May 28, 2015
Lewis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf casters fishing the shores of Pleasure Island are connecting with sea mullet, pompano (some big ones), and a few red and black drum. Shrimp, cut baits, and sand fleas are producing most of the action in the breakers.
Meagan Spivey, of Wilmington, with her first flounder, a 19″ fish that bit a live mud minnow in Carolina Beach Inlet.
Some flounder are also feeding in the surf zone, and they’re biting live and strip baits along with artificials like Gulps.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding just off the beach and inlets. Anglers are hooking them from the piers on casting lures like Gotcha plugs. Boaters are also hooking a few casting and putting more fish in the coolers while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures behind planers and trolling weights.
Flounder are beginning to show up at nearshore structure from the beachfront to the 5 mile range. Anglers are connecting with the flatfish while sending live baits and Gulp-tipped bucktail jigs down the reefs and wrecks.
Hunter and Trey Cain, of Wilmington, with a speckled trout and a flounder that struck live menhaden in Snow’s Cut.
King mackerel are feeding 5-15 miles offshore, and they have been biting well recently. Anglers are fooling the kings on live baits, dead cigar minnows, and trolling lures like diving plugs and Clark and Drone spoons.
There’s still plenty of action for boats making the run to the Gulf Stream as well. Dolphin and blackfin tuna are feeding around local blue water hotspots like the Steeples. Both are biting ballyhoo rigged behind skirted lures like sea witches, and baitless artificials like green machines and cedar plugs can also be very effective.
Inshore, the bite in the Cape Fear River has been a bit sporadic recently. There was some solid flounder action in the river prior to the holiday weekend, but the bite’s slowed down a bit since. Anglers are hooking the flounder while casting scented soft baits like Gulps and live finger mullet, mud minnows, and menhaden.
Black drum are feeding around structure in the lower river and taking a hearty interest in fresh shrimp fished on the bottom.
Rany and Tyler Till with flounder they hooked on a live menhaden and Gulp baits while fishing the Cape Fear River near Carolina Beach.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that the flounder bite has been picking up in the Cape Fear River, the ICW, and Carolina Beach Inlet over the past week. Anglers are hooking decent numbers of the flatfish while soaking live baits like peanut menhaden on the bottom near drop-offs, rocks, and other structure.
There’s still some excellent black drum action around rocks, oysters, and pilings in the river. Anglers are connecting with the drum while baiting bottom rigs with shrimp and casting them near the structure.
Out in the ocean, the flounder bite is improving at the nearshore AR’s and live bottoms as well. Live baits are getting the job done in the ocean, too, and anglers can also bounce bucktail jigs off the bottom to connect with the flatfish.
Spanish mackerel are chasing bait within a few miles of the shoreline and biting metal casting jigs along with Clarkspoons and other flashy lures trolling in combination with planers and torpedo sinkers.
Anglers have also caught a few king mackerel around 4 miles off the beach lately. The kings will often also bite spoons, but live bait and dead cigar minnows are generally better choices.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with some solid catches of sheepshead and black drum while fishing the Cape Fear River. Both are feeding around hard structure like rocks and pilings, and they’re falling for shrimp and live fiddler crabs.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking some sea mullet and croaker while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Last week saw some decent action with spanish mackerel and bluefish for anglers working Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Kevin, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet and undersized flounder while bottom fishing from the pier.
Some bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs and other casting lures that anglers are working near the end of the pier.
