Carolina Beach – October 22, 2015
Ron, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that despite dirty water, anglers have found some solid speckled trout fishing in the Cape Fear River near Snows Cut. The specks are biting live shrimp under floats.
More specks and some red drum are feeding downriver around Bald Head Island. Anglers are hooking both fish on artificial lures like soft plastics and MirrOlures.
Carolina Beach Inlet has been hosting some solid red drum and flounder action for anglers drift-fishing and anchoring up with live finger mullet and menhaden. The trout bite hasn’t taken off in the inlet yet but should be improving as the water cools.
Spanish mackerel are feeding just off the beachfront and biting Gotcha plugs for pier anglers and trolling lures like Clarkspoons for boaters.
Some king mackerel are still feeding nearshore as well and biting live baits like menhaden and bluefish.
Anglers making the run to the Gulf Stream are finding plenty of action with wahoo and a few blackfin tuna and dolphin. Ballyhoo and cigar minnows trolled with skirted lures are fooling most of the blue water fish.
Austin Grinavic, of Wilmington, with a 40″ red drum he caught and released in Snow’s Cut after it bit a live finger mullet.
Jeff, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with good numbers of speckled trout in the Cape Fear River around rocks, grass islands, and other current breaks. The specks are biting a variety of soft plastic baits and MirrOlures.
Red drum are looking for meals in the bays and creeks off the lower Cape Fear and taking an interest in live baits, topwater plugs, soft plastics, and more.
Some flounder are feeding in the same areas as the specks and reds and biting live finger mullet.
Anglers are connecting with black drum around pilings and rocks while baiting up with shrimp.
Out in the ocean, large “bull” red drum are feeding around rocks and live bottoms and biting live and cut baits.
Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and false albacore are chasing bait just off the beachfront and biting metal casting lures like Stingsilvers.
Zac Stalls with his first spanish mackerel, hooked while he was trolling off Carolina Beach with Scott Hampton.
Rod, of OnMyWay Charters, reports that anglers are still hooking good numbers of spanish mackerel and false albacore along the local beachfront. Small Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and inline weights are fooling both fish.
Some king makerel are also feeding along the beach, and anglers can hook them on rigged ballyhoo trolled along with their Clarkspoon spreads or while slow-trolling menhaden in 25-45’ of water.
There’s also good king mackerel action at spots in the 10 mile range, with some dolphin and cobia mixed in (and one boat landed a 98 lb. wahoo while king fishing 10 miles out last week).
Bottom fishermen are finding gag grouper from the 10-25 mile range along with grunts, sea bass, and other bottom dwellers. Squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits will fool all the bottom feeders.
Structure further offshore in the 25-45 mile range is holding red and scamp grouper along with the gags, triggerfish, sea bass, snappers, and more. They’ll fall for the same baits as the inshore bottomfish.
Gulf Stream trollers have found an excellent wahoo bite along the break in 140-300’ of water, with the best fishing along the ledges and surface color/temperature changes. Some blackfin tuna, dolphin, and sailfish are mixed in, and ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures will fool all the blue water predators.
Felipe Balbino and the crew of the “Bigg Daddy” with a 98.2 lb. wahoo they landed after it attacked two king mackerel rigs while they were trolling 10 miles off Carolina Beach.
Brenda, of Carolina Beach Pier, reports that anglers have been seeing a few spot runs recently, and they’re hooking the fish on bloodworms and shrimp.
Some flounder are falling for live baits fished along the pilings.
Anglers are also hooking some large red drum on live and cut baits.
Pin-riggers fishing the end of the pier also landed some king mackerel last week.
Dallas Vestal with a 24″ red drum that attacked a live finger mullet along a grass bank in the Cape Fear River near Fort Fisher.
Red, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some bluefish and a few spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs and mackerel trees from the pier.
There was also an excellent run of king mackerel for live baiters fishing the end of the pier last week.
Bottom fishermen saw some good spot runs over the weekend.
