Carolina Beach September 13, 2012
Paul Fulton with a 10 lb. red drum he caught and released in a bay off the lower Cape Fear River. The red bit a finger mullet while he was fishing with his son.
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are finding a solid red drum bite in Carolina Beach Inlet, and they’re hooking the fish from the beach on the north end. Cut baits and live finger mullet are producing most of the action with the reds.
Surf casters are also hooking good numbers of sea mullet and pompano on bottom rigs baited with shrimp and sand fleas.
Spot are also showing up just off the beaches, and anglers are starting to hook them from the local piers along with a few in the surf.
Flounder fishing is still solid inshore. Snow’s Cut and Carolina Beach Inlet are producing the most reliable action with the flatfish, and most anglers are hooking them on live finger mullet and menhaden. Anglers can also tempt the flounder to bite Gulp baits.
There’s also been a decent flounder bite in the lower Cape Fear River around the rock wall at Fort Fisher. Good numbers of red drum are mixed in, and both are falling for live baits.
The ocean’s been a bit rough lately, but anglers should still be able to find some flounder at the nearshore reefs and rocks when they can get back out. Some large red drum are feeding in the same areas.
Spanish mackerel continue to feed along the inlet tideline and within a few miles of the beaches on both sides. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and torpedo weights will fool the spaniards, and anglers may also be able to hook up while casting metal lures at fish feeding on the surface.
Anglers are reporting good numbers of tarpon rolling and feeding along the Cape Fear shoals and around bottom structure like High Rock. They’re tough to get to bite, but live and dead baits fished on the bottom in areas where anglers spot the fish rolling offer the best odds of hooking one up.
Jay Byrum with a 54.5 lb. wahoo that he hooked on a dead cigar minnow near 23 Mile Rock off Masonboro Inlet while fishing solo on the "Hooker Down."
Bottom fishermen are reporting some good gag grouper action around bottom structure in the 20 mile range. Cigar minnows, sardines, and Boston mackerel are all good choices when it comes to grouper baits.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that there’s been a good speckled trout bite in the Cape Fear River lately, with most of the fish feeding around grass islands and points. Big numbers of small puppy drum and some flounder are looking for meals in the same areas, and small Tsunami swimbaits have been fooling all three over the past week.
Larger reds (some to 30”+) and some more trout are feeding in Carolina Beach Inlet. Anglers are hooking the specks on MirrOlures and a few on topwater plugs. Most of the reds are falling for live finger mullet.
More big reds are feeding at nearshore structure like the rocks off Fort Fisher, where live baits will also tempt them to bite.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet and croaker on bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Ronnie, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking croaker, sea mullet, and black drum on fresh shrimp fished on the bottom.
Some red drum are taking an interest in live baits fished under the pier.
A few spanish mackerel and bluefish are biting Gotcha plugs and the other metal lures that anglers are working from the planks.
