Carolina Beach September 27, 2012
Jeff Jones, of Carolina Beach, with 13 lb. red snapper he hooked on a live cigar minnow 29 miles off Carolina Beach while he was fishing on the "Sarah's Worry." Weighed in at Island Tackle and Hardware.
Wes, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are catching a lot of large red drum in the surf from Kure Beach down to Bald Head. Cut baits are fooling most of the reds.
Big numbers of bluefish, sea mullet, and the first few spot of the year are also feeding just off the beaches, and they will fall for shrimp, bloodworms, and cut baits.
Flounder fishing remains excellent inshore (with some fish to 9+ lbs. weighed in lately). The best action has been to the south in the Cape Fear River, but anglers are also finding flatfish in Snow’s Cut, the ICW, and Carolina Beach Inlet. Most of the fish are falling for live mullet and menhaden, but Gulp baits will also tempt the flounder to bite.
Red drum are feeding on the flats and bays off the lower river, where topwater plugs, soft plastic baits, and live baits will get their attention.
The speckled trout bite is turning on in the river with good reports coming from the grass islands, the dredge pond, and areas of structure. Live shrimp are tough to beat for the specks, but anglers can hook up on topwater plugs, suspending baits like MirrOlures, and soft plastics.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding just off Carolina Beach Inlet, and anglers are fooling big numbers of both while trolling Clarkspoons and casting metal lures to fish feeding on the surface.
The king mackerel bite is turning on from the beaches out to spots in the 15-20 mile range (like the 30/30). Live baits are the best bet for the kings, but they’ll also take an interest in dead cigar minnows.
Further offshore in the Gulf Stream, the wahoo bite is turning on for fall. Blackfin tuna are also in the area, and both will take an interest in naked or skirted ballyhoo or a variety of baitless trolling lures (with smaller lures better for the blackfins).
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers are hooking some healthy drum in the flats and bays off the lower Cape Fear River. Topwater plugs, soft plastics, and live baits are all effective on the reds.
Speckled trout are showing up with more regularity, and anglers are finding them around the grass islands. Live shrimp, soft plastics, and topwater plugs are some of the best bets for fooling the specks.
Chase LeBlanc and Kyle Jefferys, of Wilmington, with 7.3 and 5.8 lb. flounder that bit live finger mullet in the Cape Fear River. Weighed in at Island Tackle and Hardware.
The flounder bite in the lower river has been excellent recently (with good numbers of 5+ lb. citation fish). The Southport waterfront has been a particular hotspot, but anglers are hooking fish at structure and along the shorelines throughout the river from Snow’s Cut south. Live finger mullet and menhaden are the best bets for the flatfish.
Bottom fishing in deeper holes in the river is producing fast action with sea mullet, croaker, pufferfish, and more panfish. Most are falling for shrimp.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the speckled trout bite is picking up in the Cape Fear River. Anglers are finding action with the trout around the grass islands and near points and other structure that produce current eddies. Soft plastics like D.O.A. and Billy Bay Shrimp, as well as D.O.A. split-tails in chartreuse/flake, are tempting most of the bites from the specks (with some to 3+ lbs.).
Red drum action has started to recover from all the rain a few weeks back, and anglers are beginning to see schools working the flats off the lower river again. Casting Gulps and other soft plastics, topwater plugs, or live finger mullet to fish that anglers spot, or fishing blind in the creeks is producing most of the action with the reds.
Some flounder are in the same areas as the drum and trout, and they’re falling for the soft plastics and live baits.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some bluefish while working metal lures from the end of the pier.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some pompano, pinfish, and sea mullet on shrimp.
Katie, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that some croaker, sea mullet, and pompano are falling for bottom rigs baited with shrimp off the end of the pier.
Sheepshead are feeding around the pilings and biting sand fleas and barnacles.
Those fishing small live baits under the pier are connecting with some flounder.
Plug casters are picking up some bluefish while working Gotchas from the planks.
