Carolina Beach October 26, 2006
Trey, at Reel Bait and Tackle, reports hot fall fishing in the area inlets lately. Big red drum are biting again at the Masonboro jetties. Drum up to and over the citation size will devour cut or live mullet fished on the bottom near the rocks. Smaller drum are also biting around docks in the ICW and area creeks.
In Carolina Beach Inlet, speckled trout are numerous and hungry. Carolina-rigged finger mullet and jigheads with Gulp! baits are both effective on the trout. Expect to catch a few flounder mixed in with the trout. Some speckled trout have also been caught in Hewlett’s Creek recently.
In the river, the fall flounder bite is not yet in full swing, but persistent fishermen are still catching flatfish up to 8 pounds. The normal strategy of Carolina-rigging finger mullet or peanut pogies is a good way to hook up with some of the river flounder.
Nearshore, big spanish mackerel (6+ pounds) are biting around the Fairway Rocks and Yaupon Reef.
At John’s Creek and Sheepshead Rock, fishermen are jigging up gray trout on Stingsilvers tipped with shrimp.
The Cape Fear River Channel king mackerel bite has slowed some, and the kings are moving offshore to spots like the Cabbage Patch and the 30/30. Most of the kings are teenagers, but there are a few bigger fish in the 35 to 40 pound range mixed in. By far the best way to get in on the king mackerel action is by slow trolling live menhaden, either skirted or naked.
Bottom fishermen are catching grouper, but not as many as in previous weeks. Gags are holding as close as 15 miles out, though.
And some wahoo are coming from the gulf stream, but there hasn’t been much other action.
Bruce, at Flat Dawg Charters, reports that fishing has been fair to great depending on the weather. The passing cold fronts are turning on the speckled trout. They are being caught in the Cape Fear River, Snow’s Cut, and Carolina Beach Inlet. DOA Shrimp have been the best bait as of late.
Redfish are biting in the river, as well as in the surf along the beach, as they begin to gather in bigger schools.
The nearshore hard bottoms are providing a lot of variety including gray trout, flounder, and some spanish mackerel that continue to hang around.
And the ferry landing in the Cape Fear River has been a hot spot as of late for citation-sized Virginia mullet.
Dave, at FryingPanTower.com, reports that wahoo have been the name of the game in the gulf stream. North of Same Ole has been the place, and dark colors on large baits down deep seem to be doing the trick. Dolphin and a few yellowfin have been mixed in just to keep things exciting.
Offshore, the king mackerels are biting. Rigged ballyhoo or rigged cigar minnows will do the trick. The hot spots include 23 Mile Rock, Frying Pan Tower, and WR-4.
As for offshore bottom fishing, the waters are alive and feeding. In the last week there have been reports of everything from cubra snapper to hogfish to all three kinds of groupers to trigger fish.
The grouper are on the move and in the feeding mode as they get ready to spawn. Gags are out to 20 miles, and reds are mixed in with scamps from 20 miles on out. Cut bait, cigar minnows, and squid are the baits of choice.
Anthony, at Kure Beach Pier, reports that pompano (up to 2 pounds) and some spots are biting shrimp and bloodworms. Bottom fishing with shrimp has also been good for black drum in the 2 to 4 pound range.
Some sheepshead (up to 7 pounds) have been caught by anglers fishing barnacles close to the pilings.
A decent number of keeper flounder have been caught, with live finger mullet the preferred bait.
Plug casters have had good luck with spanish and bluefish in the 1 to 2 pound range.
