Carolina Beach – October 9, 2014
John Hedgepeth, of Charlotte, with a 38 lb. king mackerel that bit a pink Yo-Zuri Deep Diver near 10 Mile Rock while he was fishing off Wrightsville Beach with J.B. Renshaw.
Ron, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent spanish mackerel action from the ends of the piers and from boats right now. Pier anglers are connecting by working Gotcha plugs and mackerel tree rigs, and boaters are hooking up with the spaniards on trolled Clarkspoons.
The king mackerel bite has been excellent from the beachfront to spots in the 20 mile range, with both live and dead baits producing results.
Some dolphin are still feeding as close to shore as the 30/30, with sporadic action from there out to the break. The ‘phins are also falling for live and dead baits.
Those making the run to the blue water are finding excellent wahoo fishing at local Gulf Stream hotspots. The ‘hoos are falling for skirted ballyhoo and baitless high-speed lures.
Grouper are feeding around bottom structure from the 20 mile range out to the break. Anglers are fooling the groupers on both vertical jigs and conventional bottom rigs with live, dead, and cut baits.
Dropping baits to nearshore structure in the ocean is producing plenty of action with gray trout and some large flounder. Some citation-class red drum are feeding in the same areas, and all three fish are falling for live baits on Carolina rigs and Gulps pinned to bucktail jigs.
Chris McDougald, of Burgaw, with a 7 lb., 11 oz., 25″ flounder that struck a live finger mullet in Snows Cut.
Surf casters plying Pleasure Island’s beachfront are connecting with solid catches of sea mullet, spot, pompano, and other panfish. Most are falling for shrimp and bloodworms.
Some large bluefish and red drum are also feeding in the surf and taking an interest in cut baits.
Inshore, there’s been a solid flounder bite in the inlets, Snows Cut, and the Cape Fear River. Live finger mullet and Gulp baits are both proving tough for the flatfish to turn down.
Red and black drum are feeding in the lower Cape Fear River and have also been providing plenty of action lately. Most of the black drum are falling for shrimp fished around rocks, oysters, and other structure. The reds are taking an interest in a variety of baits, along with topwater plugs and soft plastics for the artificial crowd.
Sheepshead have been feeding around bridge and dock pilings, where anglers are dropping fiddler crabs and sand fleas next to the structure to hook up.
The speckled trout bite hasn’t really kicked off yet, but anglers are hooking a few around the grass islands and structure in the Cape Fear River. Live baits, soft plastics, topwater plugs, and suspending lures will all fool the specks, and the action should only get better as fall progresses and temperatures drop.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers are connecting with gray trout, flounder, and some large red drum while dropping baits to nearshore structure off Carolina Beach. Finger mullet and peanut menhaden pinned to Carolina rigs are fooling the majority of all three fish.
Inshore, there’s still some excellent red drum action on the flats and in the creeks off the lower Cape Fear River. The reds are falling for topwater plugs, soft plastics, and live and cut baits.
Dahlton Sapp (age 3), of Wilmington, with his first croaker, hooked on a piece of squid near Carolina Beach Inlet.
Speckled trout are looking for meals in many of the same areas and around rocks and other structure in the lower river. Live baits, topwater plugs, and soft plastics will all attract attention from the specks.
Flounder are feeding in the river, Snows Cut, and Carolina Beach Inlet, where they’re biting live finger mullet on the bottom.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have found some excellent black drum action recently in the lower Cape Fear River. The fish are feeding in deeper water around oyster points, and they’re eagerly biting shrimp on bottom rigs.
Speckled trout are looking for meals in many of the same areas and around grass islands in the lower river. Live shrimp are tough to beat for the specks, but anglers can also hook up on live finger mullet and mud minnows, soft plastic baits, and topwater plugs.
Anglers are hooking some sheepshead while dangling fiddler crabs near bridge pilings and other vertical structure in the river and ICW.
Out in the ocean, there have been some citation-class red drum feeding at wrecks and reefs within a few miles of the beachfront. They’ll pounce on live and cut baits fished on the bottom.
False albacore are also chasing bait nearshore in the ocean, where anglers can cast metal jigs around surface activity to tempt them to bite.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking good numbers of spot, with the best bite on the evening high tides lately. Shrimp and bloodworms are fooling the panfish along with some sea mullet and croaker.
Some red and black drum are biting shrimp and cut baits along the bottom.
Plug casters are hooking solid numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotchas from the planks.
And live-baiters have landed several king mackerel and lost a cobia in recent days.
Dallas, of Kure Pier, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are biting Gotcha plugs and other casting lures that anglers are working from the pier.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet and spot on shrimp and bloodworms.
Flounder are taking an interest in live baits fished under the pier.
And a 23 lb. king mackerel was landed from the end of the pier last week.
