Carolina Beach Winter 2013-2014
Brandon Cartrette, of Leland, NC, with a 26.5″ red drum that he hooked on a chunk of mullet while surf fishing the north end of Carolina Beach.
Dennis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that anglers are connecting with some big sea mullet in the Carolina Beach surf, around the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and at nearshore structure like the Marriott Reef. The tasty panfish have a tough time turning down shrimp and other baits on double-drop bottom rigs.
Speckled trout have been providing plenty of action for anglers in Carolina Beach Inlet, the yacht basin, and in the Cape Fear River to north of downtown Wilmington. Big numbers of small red drum and a few black drum are feeding in the same areas, and all are taking an interest in live shrimp on float and Carolina rigs. If anglers can’t find the shrimp, soft plastic baits and suspending hard lures will also attract attention from the specks and drum.
High winds have kept many boats from making it offshore over the past few weeks, but there should still be some wahoo action taking place at local Gulf Stream spots like the Steeples and Same Ol’ Hole when boats can make the runs. They tend to be a bit scattered in the cooler months, but anglers can expect opportunities at wahoo for much of the winter. Blackfin tuna are looking for meals in the same areas, and both fish will pounce on ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Anglers should also be able to find action with king mackerel a bit further inshore over the cold months. They’ll be feeding wherever they can find water temperatures in the high-60’s and concentrations of bait, often in the vicinity of Frying Pan Tower. Trolling cigar minnows, strip baits, or Drone spoons will get attention from the kings when anglers can find them.
Adrienne Little and Capt. Chip Baker with a king mackerel that bit a live cigar minnow off Masonboro Inlet while they were fishing with Capt. Arlen Ash of Ultimate Reaction Charters.
Ledges, wrecks, and other structure still closer to the beaches should be playing host to big numbers of black sea bass over the winter, and the tasty bottom dwellers will hungrily strike bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits or small vertical jigs.
Robert, of Carolina Explorer, reports that anglers are connecting with plenty of red drum in the creeks and bays off the lower Cape Fear River. Live baits (like shrimp and mud minnows), cut baits, and soft plastics (like Gulps) will all attract attention from the reds, which will be feeding in the shallow backwaters off the river all winter long.
Anglers are connecting with speckled trout in Carolina Beach Inlet while working MirrOlures and soft plastic baits, action that typically holds up through January, barring any extreme cold.
Surf casters are also hooking some specks on MirrOlures.
Those soaking bottom rigs from the sand are hooking black drum and sea mullet on cut shrimp.
There’s also been excellent sea mullet action around the mouth of the Cape Fear River recently.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are on the feed in the creeks and bays off the lower Cape Fear River, where anglers should be able to target them all winter long. Some schools are working the bays, where anglers can sight cast soft plastic baits to fish they spot, and blind casting with Gulp baits or live mud minnows in the creeks is also a productive tactic.
Mike Feasal and Jeff Kline with a citation wahoo that attacked a ballyhoo under a blue/black Blue Water Candy JAG near the Nipple while they were trolling with Capt. Matt Best.
Black drum are in many of the same areas and feeding around rocky structure in the river, where they’ll take an interest in fresh shrimp fished on the bottom.
Speckled trout are looking for meals around oyster bars, rocks, and other current breaks in the lower river as well. Live shrimp and mud minnows or artificials (like MirrOLures) and soft plastics will fool the trout, and the bite typically stays good through December.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are seeing action with speckled trout right now around the inlets and then inshore in deeper basins, lagoons, and along mud banks. The bite should hold up for most of the winter. Fishing slowly with soft plastics on jigheads or suspending hard baits is the way to tempt the specks to bite.
Red drum should also be available targets for most of the winter, with docks and dark mud bottoms in the creeks and bays the best places to find them inshore. Some black drum are mixed in, and the clearer winter water makes the schools easier for anglers to spot and cast to on sunny days. Slowly worked soft plastics, shrimp, and cut baits will all attract attention from both drum.
Schools of reds are also feeding along the beachfront and near the inlets, where anglers can cast soft plastics, MirrOlures, or spoons to tempt them to bite.
The striped bass bite on the Cape Fear River has turned on, and it should also stay solid throughout the colder months around downtown Wilmington and upriver. Casting suspending hard lures or soft baits rigged on weedless hooks will fool the stripers.
