Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are finding some solid fishing throughout the area’s inshore waters at present.
Red and black drum are feeding around Sunset Beach Bridge and other ICW structure.
Tubbs Inlet has been playing host to some reds as well along with flounder and speckled trout.
Anglers are also encountering some flatfish in Dunn Sound.
Andy Davis, of Charlotte, NC, with a scamp grouper that struck a vertical jig in 250′ of water off Holden Beach while he was fishing with Capt. Kevin Sneed of Rigged and Ready Charters.
The flounder action has been hot in Cherry Grove (plenty of fish but also plenty of throwbacks mixed in with the keepers). Some reds are feeding in the marshes around the Cherry Grove area, too.
When anglers find the reds and specks in the shallows, live shrimp on popping corks have been the best bet to hook both.
Fresh shrimp fished on the bottom are fooling more reds and black drum around the inshore structure.
Flounder anglers have been having the best luck recently on live mud minnows and Gulp swimming mullet, croakers, and shrimp fished on jigheads and Carolina rigs.
Anglers bottom fishing around the Little River jetties are connecting with blacktip and sharpnose sharks along with a few reds and flounder. Cut and live baits on the bottom will fool the fish at the jetties.
Kyle Peters with 6.5 lb., 24″ flounder that attacked a 4″ Gulp bait in the Cape Fear River near Southport. Weighed in at Wildlife Bait and Tackle.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some good flounder fishing in the marshes and creeks around Cherry Grove. Many of the fish are still on the small side, but anglers are wading through the short fish to find the keepers. Live mud minnows are fooling most of the fish, but anglers are also hooking up on other small live baits and artificials like Gulps.
There’s also been plenty of flounder action in Tubbs Inlet recently (mostly small fish but some to 5 lbs. weighed in recently).
Anglers are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish around Little River Inlet and along the beachfront. Many are falling for trolling lures like Clarkspoons, but anglers can cast metal lures like Deadly Dicks to fish feeding on the surface to hook up on lighter tackle.
Anglers are also reporting a few larger red drum around the ends of the jetties at the inlet. Cut baits have been fooling the big reds.
Tanner, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotcha plugs and mackerel tree rigs from the pier.
Some sheepshead are falling for sand fleas and fiddler crabs fished close to the pilings.
Anglers fishing live baits on the bottom are connecting with some flounder.
Bottom fishermen baiting up with shrimp and bloodworms caught some spot last week.
The water is 79 degrees.