Carolina Beach November 12, 2009
Jonathan Williams, of Ramseur, NC, and Kevin Hiatt, of Archdale, NC, with a king mackerel and a a pair of large spanish they hooked on cigar minnows under blue/pink Pirate Plugs around 18 Mile Rock while they were fishing with Capts. Butch and Chris Foster of Yeah Right Charters.
Dennis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf fishing’s been excellent over the last few weeks. Anglers are hooking up with whiting, bluefish, flounder, and a few speckled trout in the breakers. Shrimp and sand fleas are fooling the whiting and flounder. The bluefish and trout will take an interest in the same or cut baits, and anglers can also hook both while casting MirrOlures, soft plastics, and other baits around sloughs and cuts in the bar.
The trout bite is solid inshore, too, where anglers are hooking the fish in the Cape Fear River and in Carolina Beach Inlet. Live shrimp, Gulp baits, D.O.A. and Billy Bay shrimp imitations, MirrOlures, and topwater plugs will all attract attention from the specks.
The flounder bite is still on inshore as well (with several 5-7 lb. fish weighed in lately), although the flatfish will soon be moving out the inlets to winter offshore. Live baits on Carolina rigs are the top choice for the flatties, and anglers can find them in the Cape Fear River, Snow’s Cut, the inlet, around ICW docks, and at other places inshore.
The flounder bite’s been excellent in the ocean lately as well. Nearshore structure from the beaches to three miles out and beyond has been giving up good numbers of the flatfish (with fish up to 12 lbs. over the past few weeks), and they’ll probably linger on the nearshore spots a week or two after the fishing slows down inshore.
The king mackerel bite’s been on fire in the 10-15 mile range lately, and anglers are hooking the kings on live and dead baits.
Further offshore, boats making the run to the Gulf Stream have been finding action with decent numbers of wahoo while trolling skirted ballyhoo and high-speed lures.
Matthew Miles-English with a 9 lb., 14 oz. sheepshead he hooked on a live shrimp while fishing near the intersection of Snow's Cut and the ICW. Weighed in at Island Tackle and Hardware.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the red drum bite is going strong. Sight fishing in the narrow creeks off the Cape Fear River (many barely wide enough to get the boat in) has been producing shots at single fish, pods of 2-3, and some small schools. Soft plastics like Strike King Glass Minnows and Gulp baits fished on light jigheads are producing most of the bites.
The more open waters in the bays and larger creeks are producing some good redfishing as well, and soft plastics or live baits like finger mullet and mud minnows are fooling the fish.
Speckled trout fishing in the lower Cape Fear has been solid lately, too, with anglers finding good numbers of specks feeding around shell beds, grass islands, and other structure in the river. Live shrimp and shrimp imitations like Billy Bay Halo shrimp are producing most of the action.
Some sheepshead and black drum are feeding around rocky structure in the river, and live shrimp, crabs, or other crustacean baits will get their attention.
Whiting, spot, and gray trout are feeding along the edges of the main river channel, especially over shelly bottoms. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp will fool all three. Some gray trout have also been feeding in the deeper creeks off the river, and they’re falling for some of the lures and baits that anglers are throwing for the specks and reds.
Skylar Bass with her first flounder. She hooekd the 20" flatty in the Cape Fear River while fishing off Zeke's Island with her father Bryant.
Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that the inshore bite in the Cape Fear River has been on fire lately. While fishing the shallow backwaters in the lower river, anglers are finding action with speckled trout, red drum, and flounder. Live and Gulp shrimp have been fooling the majority of the fish.
The channel edges at the mouth of the Cape Fear are holding schools of whiting and spot, and anglers are catching good numbers of both on bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Gray trout are feeding on nearshore structure just off the beaches, and anglers have put together some good catches around Sheepshead Rock and nearby structure while bouncing Stingsilvers and other jigging lures off the bottom.
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Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that the bottom bite’s been a bit off offshore, but anglers are still catching fish while dropping baits to structure in 80-120’ of water. Gag, red, and scamp grouper are falling for live baits, cut baits, cigar minnows, and more. Squid’s producing some grouper bites, too, along with sea bass, pinkies, grunts, and other smaller bottom feeders.
Gag grouper are feeding a bit closer to shore in 65-80’, and large live or cut baits or cigar minnows will get their attention.
Wes Barbour, of Island Tackle and Hardware, with a 12 lb., 14 oz. flounder he hooked on a live finger mullet at some nearshore structure off Carolina Beach.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking up with whiting, bluefish, a few pompano, spot, flounder, and speckled and gray trout. Dead shrimp on bottom rigs are fooling all the fish.
