Carolina Beach September 16, 2004
Capt. Dave Tilley, of Wild Rover II Charters, reports that the offshore waters have remained exclusively for the fish for the last week or so due to the storms moving by the coast. Only the last day or so has been fish-able. The water has been churned up and is somewhat dirty. Find “clean” water, and you will find fish.
Inshore, the spanish mackerel are hit and miss at best around both Carolina and Wrightsville Beaches with a few juvenile kings mixed into the bunch.
The grouper definitely like to chew this time of the year (if you can get out to them). Gags are being caught as close as 10 miles, with reds in the 25-mile range and scamps anywhere from 30 or so miles on out. Cigar minnows, whole squid, and cut bait are the baits of choice.
Barry, of Cape Fear Marine and Tackle, reports that the sure thing is flounder and drum on minnows in the waterway. Some guys actually had to fight off puppy drum to try and get baits to the flounder. The surf has seen some flounder, blues, drum, and an occasional pompano. A few Virginia mullet have also been caught in the surf. The piers have been seeing some good action with mullets and croakers, especially at night. The piers have also seen some blues and a few spanish. The weather has been unstable, but guys are still finding fish.
Steve, of Seagull Bait and Tackle, reports spot and croaker biting well off the piers. They’re also picking up some flounder and blues from both piers. The surf has also been a good producer since the storm. There’s been flounder, whiting, and even puppy drum in the surf. A few reports of pompano came in, but the store hasn’t seen any weighed in. The north end has seen “oodles” of blues, and they’re biting finger mullet and cut mullet.
The flounder bite has picked up nicely. The largest flounder of the past week was a 9 lb. 13 oz. fish caught in Snow’s Cut. Actually, there were 7 flounder in the nine-pound class weighed in this week. The action has been in Snow’s Cut and Carolina Beach Inlet. It’s been too rough to fish outside. Snow’s Cut and CB inlet have also seen several puppy drum. The barometric pressure changes seem to have the fish moving around.
