Carolina Beach – September 25, 2014
Ryan and Andy Zelaski, of VA and NY, with 5.2, 5.4, and 6.13 lb. flounder they hooked while fishing near Carolina Beach with Capt. Robert Schoonmaker of Carolina Explorer Charters.
Weston, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are landing some king mackerel off the piers, and when the weather allows boats to get out, the king bite should be going strong within a few miles of the beachfront. Live menhaden are tough to beat for anglers looking to connect with the kings.
Pier anglers are also hooking solid numbers of spanish mackerel, and boaters should be able to find plenty of action while trolling Clarkspoons around the inlet tidelines, working birds, and bait schools just off the beaches.
The first spot runs of the fall have taken place over the last week, and pier anglers are hooking the spot on shrimp and bloodworms pinned to double-drop bottom rigs.
Surf casters are also getting in on the spot action and hooking sea mullet and black drum on shrimp. Some slot and over-slot red drum are biting shrimp and cut baits.
Inshore, there’s been some solid speckled trout action in the ICW and Cape Fear River. The fish are feeding around grass islands, oyster bars, and other current breaks. Live shrimp are tough to beat for the specks, but anglers can also hook up while working topwater plugs, suspending lures, and soft plastics on jigheads and under popping corks.
Red drum are feeding in the inlet, along ICW docks, and in the bays and creeks off the river. They’ll bite topwater plugs, spoons, soft plastic baits, and a wide variety of live and cut baits.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are seeing increasing action with speckled trout around the area’s inlets. The specks are biting topwater plugs in the early morning hours and suspending hard baits and soft plastics when the sun is high.
Andrew Botterio with a 20″ speckled trout that bit a MirrOlure in Carolina Beach Inlet.
Red drum are also looking for meals around the inlets (some 40”+ citation fish). Soaking live and cut mullet and menhaden on the bottom is the way to connect with the big reds. Plenty of drum are also feeding around docks and other structure inshore, and they’re biting the same baits.
Flounder action has been strong recently as well, and the inlets and inshore docks are excellent places to find some flatfish right now. Live finger mullet and menhaden on Carolina rigs will tempt bites from the flounder.
Large spanish mackerel are feeding on finger mullet pouring out of the area inlets at present. Anglers can connect with the spaniards while free-lining finger mullet on light wire leaders or casting metal jigs to fish they spot feeding on the surface.
Some king mackerel have been mixed around the inlets and will bite larger live baits on heavier leaders.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Charters, reports that there’s been a particularly good black drum bite in recent days. The fish are feeding around structure like rocks, oysters, and pilings inshore, and anglers are hooking solid numbers on cut shrimp pinned to bottom rigs.
Some sheepshead are looking for meals in the same places as the drum, and they’ll bite live fiddler crabs dangled tight to the structure.
Red drum are schooled up in the bays and on the flats of the lower river, with scattered fish feeding in the creeks. The schools are giving themselves away by attacking finger mullet on the surface, and anglers can cast topwater plugs, soft plastic lures, or live and cut baits around the activity to hook up.
Some speckled trout and flounder are also feeding in the lower river, and they’re biting soft plastics and live baits while anglers are targeting the reds.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some large black drum in the surf zone (to 35”) on shrimp. Some sea mullet, croaker, and pompano are also biting shrimp.
Anglers baiting up with bloodworms have found scattered spot action from the pier.
Red, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking spot, pompano, and sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms.
Flounder are falling for small live baits fished under the pier.
Anglers working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the planks are connecting with bluefish and some spanish mackerel.
Some king mackerel have been hooked by live-baiters fishing from the end of the pier this week as well.
