Carolina Beach – June 2024
Lewis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf anglers have been hooking a bunch of bluefish, with some large ones still hanging around.
The bottom fishing action in the surf has started to pick up, with catches of black drum, pompano, whiting, and the occasional red drum.
The local piers are seeing spanish mackerel and (recently) king mackerel.
Nearshore anglers have been catching a bunch of spanish mackerel and bluefish close to shore.
King mackerel are starting to show up on the beach, though the more consistent bite has been out in the 10-mile area.
The nearshore structures (10+ miles) are holding some amberjack.
Cobia are around, though the bite isn’t anything hot and heavy.
Offshore runs have produced wahoo, blackfin tuna, and mahi.
Back inside, anglers in the Cape Fear River are catching a ton of flounder, and red drum and black drum are scattered around shoreline structure.
Some nice-sized sheepshead are moving inshore and staging up on pilings and bridges.
Speckled trout are around, but the bite is pretty spotty.
Tammy Jacobs, of Wilmington, found this 3 lb., 8 oz., 19″ pompano in the surf near Fort Fisher using shrimp.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are having success targeting black drum, with scattered red drum in the mix.
The black drum fishing has been centered around shell points and grass edges, and the top baits are Carolina-rigged dead shrimp or fiddler crabs. This mostly 12-16” class of fish has been feeding better on the moving tides, whether rising or falling.
Red drum are being caught with cut or live bait on a Carolina rig or jig head. Most of the reds are just below slot (16-18”), with a handful of slot-sized fish mixed in. Target grass beds and oyster points during a rising tide for the best chances of success.
A few speckled trout are around, and they’re hitting live menhaden fished on the bottom.
Tommy, of Mungo Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are staged up along longer grass banks and are following the bait moving up and down those areas. Anglers are having success fishing mud minnows, menhaden, and fresh bait shrimp.
Speckled trout are being caught on hard structures such as rocks or oyster bars, and the top producers have been both topwater plugs and soft plastics.
Black drum are around, and they’re best targeted with Carolina-rigged dead shrimp fished around current seams that run between oyster bars.
Mason, of Grand Slam Fishing Charters, reports that sheepshead continue to show up, with bigger fish now being more common. Larger fiddler crabs and mud crabs are producing the bigger fish. Anglers will do best by trying to keep weights light, so start with 1/2 oz. in slow current and 1 oz. in heavier current.
Speckled trout fishing has been pretty good when the conditions have come together. The most successful tactic has been throwing topwater plugs around rock piles and little current eddies.
Black drum will be in these same areas, and they’re striking at Carolina-rigged shrimp or fiddler crabs.
The red drum bite has been in full swing. These reds are pushed back on the flats around oyster points on the higher tides, and then they relocate to deeper channels during lower stages of the cycle. Carolina-rigged pogies or mud minnows are the top bait choices.
Flounder are absolutely everywhere. Carolina-rigged pogies or Gulp soft plastics cast up on grass edges should produce numbers, with the bigger flatfish being around hard structures and drop offs.
Taylor Gaither, of Wilmington, reeled in this gag grouper offshore of Carolina Beach using live bait. She was fishing with FoxSea Lady Charters.
Tony, of Reel Teal Charters, reports that inshore trips are catching some black drum and red drum in the Cape Fear River.
The black drum are staged up on hard structure around Snows Cut. Red drum are mixed in the same areas, so look for mud points, rocks, and oysters as they can all help locate fish.
Spanish mackerel numbers have been really good off the beach, with trolling providing most of the action. The spanish are being found from the shoreline out to 3-4 miles, and most of these fish are in the 16-20” range.
Rod, of OnMyWay Fishing Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are all over the beaches, with anglers getting in on the action with the classic Clarkspoon and planer combo.
Some kings are on the beach, too, but the bite is scattered from the shore out to 10 miles. Slow trolling live baits on the beach is producing strikes from the larger fish.
Some cobia are around nearshore, though the bite has been more incidental than anything.
Bottom fishing has been a great option for anglers looking to get offshore. Trips are catching their limits of gag grouper out in the 30-35 mile range. Some gags are mixed in shallower, but many times there are more shorts to weed through than anything.
Anglers are seeing signs that the nearshore mahi bite is starting up. The 30-40 mile range is beginning to produce some fish, though the deeper 100+ fathoms is still best.
Runs to the break are catching blackfin tuna, a few wahoo, and a lot of marlin (from 100+ fathoms).
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that some big king mackerel have been on the beach for anglers live-baiting.
Sight-casting plugs has been really successful for spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Bottom fishing efforts are producing whiting and the occasional black drum.
