Carolina Beach October 25, 2007
Seth, of Reel Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers are landing bluefish, whiting, flounder, and some red drum.
Flounder fishing has been better in the ocean than inshore recently. Boats are hooking up with the flatfish around John’s Creek, the Marriott rock, and other nearshore structure. Anglers caught flounder up to 10.5 lbs. around the ocean structures last week. Live finger mullet fished on Carolina rigs are the top flounder producers.
Inshore, anglers are finding some flounder in the river, Snow’s Cut, and the inlet.
Red drum are feeding around docks throughout the ICW and river, and they will fall for Gulp baits on jigheads or Carolina-rigged live baits.
Some larger over-slot reds are looking for meals in the lower river bays. They’ll eat the same baits, and anglers can also tempt them to strike topwater plugs with success.
Speckled trout are also on the feed in the lower river bays around grass islands and drop-offs. Live shrimp fished beneath floats are the top baits, but they’ll also take Billy Bay Halo shrimp and Gulp baits.
King mackerel are still feeding along the beaches, and boats are hooking them while slow-trolling live bluefish and pogies.
The spanish are feeding close to shore as well. Smaller live baits and trolled Clarkspoons should get attention from the spaniards.
Bottom fishermen are finding gag grouper at structure as close as 15 miles off the beaches. Red and scamp groupers are holding at deeper structure 30-40 miles offshore.
The sailfish are moving offshore, and boats caught several 40 miles and further off the beach last week.
Gulf Stream anglers are still catching a good number of wahoo, with some up to 70 lbs. reported recently. Ballyhoo trolled under dark skirts are the ticket to wahoo strikes.
Bruce, of Flat Dawg Charters, reports that flounder fishing has been excellent in the ocean lately. The Marriott reef has been a particularly productive area to look for the flatfish, but nearly any structure just off the beaches should have a few fish on it.
Anglers are also landing some flounder in the inlet, Snow’s Cut, and the river, but they are working hard to get them. Regardless of whether they are inshore or in the ocean, live finger mullet fished on Carolina rigs are the best flounder baits.
Large spanish mackerel (many 4-6 lbs.) are also feeding around the nearshore structure. Anglers can hook up with the spanish by free-lining live baits on the surface while flounder fishing or by trolling spoons near breaking fish or birds working the water’s surface.
Gray trout fishing at the reefs has been hit-or-miss, but when anglers are finding the fish, they’ve been nice ones (in the 2-4 lb. range.). The grays will bite live baits or Stingsilvers jigged vertically above the structure.
Anglers are catching some speckled trout around grass islands in Bald Head-area creeks.
Sheepshead are still holding around the pilings of Snow’s Cut Bridge, the Pfizer Dock, and other hard structure. Anglers looking to hook up with sheepshead should fish fiddler crab baits tight to the structure.
Brad, of Fish Spanker Charters, reports that king mackerel are feeding heavily everywhere, and they are beginning to school up around structure and baits 18 miles and further offshore. Boats can target the kings by slow trolling live baits, but they’ll be able to cover more ground by trolling faster with Drone spoons and Sea Witches over cigar minnows and ballyhoo.
Bottom fishermen are finding plenty of grouper around structure 30-40 miles offshore. Some gag grouper are feeding at ledges a bit closer to the beach. Cigar minnows, squid, and live and cut baits are all effective when targeting the groupers.
Boats making the long run to the Gulf Stream are being rewarded with good catches of wahoo. Trolling spreads of ballyhoo under skirted lures (especially models featuring some black) should draw bites from the wahoo.
Anthony, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that anglers are catching a few spot and pompano on bottom rigs. Bloodworms are the top spot baits, while the pompano prefer shrimp or sand fleas.
Anglers fishing live baits on the bottom are landing some flounder.
Those trolley-rigging live baits from the end of the pier are hooking up with kings.
