Carolina Beach September 1, 2011
Piper Miller (age 9) with a pair of spanish mackerel she hooked while trolling Clarkspoons off Carolina Beach with her grandfather, Mark Miller, on the "Rawfish."
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that Hurricane Irene produced minimal damage around Carolina Beach, and the fishing should be back on track soon as the local waters recover from the storm.
Anglers have been reporting some flounder action in the lower Cape Fear River since the weather, and it should be getting even better. Live finger mullet and Gulp baits are both excellent choices for the flatfish.
Black drum and sheepshead fishing were excellent just prior to the storm and should be getting good again. The fish have been feeding around dock and bridge pilings and other hard structure in the area, where live fiddler crabs and other crustacean baits will tempt them to bite.
Red drum should still be looking for meals in the lower Cape Fear River, where live baits, scented soft plastics like Gulps, topwater plugs, and other lures will tempt them to bite.
The flounder fishing had been excellent at nearshore structure in the ocean last week, and anglers may still be able to find good numbers of fish feeding at the same spots. Live finger mullet and bucktails tipped with Gulp baits will fool the flatfish when anglers can find them.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish should still be feeding near the beaches wherever anglers can find clean water. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and trolling weights will fool both fish.
Mike Benton with an 8.59 lb. flounder that bit a live finger mullet in the Cape Fear River. Weighed in at Carolina Beach Bait and Tackle.
Ryan, of Carolina Beach Bait and Tackle, reports that there’s been an excellent puppy drum bite in the surf along the length of the island in the days since Irene’s passage. Anglers are finding the fish from the north end down to Fort Fisher, and finger mullet and cut mullet have been tempting them to bite. Fresh shrimp are also producing action with the reds, but pinfish and other small bait stealers have been beating the drum to the bait.
Finger mullet have been fooling some flounder (most right around the 15” legal limit) in the surf as well.
Decent numbers of sea mullet and pompano have also been in the mix for surf casters. Shrimp are fooling both, as sand fleas have been tough to come by in the wake of the storm.
The wave action from the storm created some good sloughs around Kure Beach and running the length of the south end drive-on beach. They’re some of the best places to look for action in the surf right now.
Inshore, the sheepshead are still feeding around dock and bridge pilings and other hard structure. Live fiddler crabs will tempt them to bite.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that the flounder and red drum bite in the lower Cape Fear River is still going after the storm. Most of the action has been coming from deeper holes in the marshes and creeks this week. Both live baits and scented soft plastics like Gulps will tempt bites from the reds and flatfish.
The flounder bite has also been decent further upriver towards Snow’s Cut this week, so the Cape Fear-area fishing seems to be recovering well, and anglers can expect it to improve further as the water quality gets better over the coming week.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that he doesn’t expect much impact to the local inshore fishing from Hurricane Irene. Anglers should still be able to find some action with flounder and red drum while casting artificials and live baits in the marshes and in the creeks off the lower river.
Some tripletail were feeding around crab pot buoys in the lower river last week, and it remains to be seen whether they’ll still be around in the coming days.
Roxanne Kennedy, of Wilmington, with a ladyfish and a red drum that fell for mullet in the Carolina Beach surf.
Danielle, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that the pier sustained minimal damage during Hurricane Irene, and it’s back open in the daytimes and should be back open at night by this weekend.
Since the storm, anglers have been catching some flounder, red drum, and pompano from the pier. Shrimp and finger mullet are fooling all three.
Brian, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some flounder and red drum from the pier on shrimp and live mud minnows.
Cut shrimp on bottom rigs are producing some action with spot and croaker at night.
