Tag Archives: Inshore Fishing

Feb 21st Scouting & Fishing Report: Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach & Topsail

Dropped the boat in today to check out the progress of the Wrightsville Beach Jetty Project and to get accurate water temp readings for Carolina Beach and Wrightsville Beach.   The Army Core currently has two barges loaded with big granite boulders and one with a crane adding a more stable structure to the South Jetty.   The project currently is focused on shoring up the lower south jetty protecting it from longshore drift from our Summer and Winter Storms.   This project is changing the underwater topography of the South Wrightsville Beach Jetty which will be GREAT for Fishing (More Structure = More Fish!).

On the Fishing Front:

Wrightsville Beach Fishing Report:  The water temp is holding at 52 degrees and is SUPER CLEAR with visibilty to the bottom in 20+ft!  There are numerous baitfish in the waterway and inlets right now (most are silverside anchovies and small menhaden).   The water temp is holding at 52 degrees at Wrightville Beach.   The Red Drum are holding in the waterways under deep water docks and can be caught using fresh cut shrimp this time of year (they are slow and lethargic right now so artifical baits are not producing the numbers of fish in comparison to the fresh shrimp).   The Red Drum can also be caught on bright sunny days in the flats and shallow waters as they move in to draw warmth from the darker colored mud and shell beds from solar heating….  If you are out at low tide this time of year chasing drum, don’t pass up fishing the flats with darker color bottom.

Carolina Beach: The water temp is holding at 51.5 degrees and is not quite as clear as Wrightsville Beach due to the influence of the Cape Fear River on Carolina Beach Inshore waters; however, still has visibility up to 10 ft.   I did not survey as many bait fish; however, did see a few large schools of bait on the sounder (thats a good sign this time of year!).  Red Drum can be caught in the Carolina Beach Boat Basin using fresh shrimp with some Large Black Drum mixed in.

Topsail Beach Fishing is showing some great catches this week as the Speckled Trout, Red Drum and Flounder are feeding in catchable numbers.  With the water in the Mid 50’s, fish as slow as you can…. When using soft baits, I prefer a 3/16 oz Blue Water Candy Jighead (pink) with a pearl color (3″ Curley Tale ) Berkeley Gulp with 15lb Pink Florocarbon Leader (The water is SUPER CLEAR right now).  Focus on the deep ICW Docks, Creeks with deep water pilings and Creek Mouths.  It can be a game of patience for the bite while constantly moving to find the fish.  When you think you are fishing too slow.. slow it down more.  You want your bait barley bumping off the bottom up 2 feet and back down…

Tight Lines,

Capt. Trev

 

 

Inshore Winter Black Drum caught on Fresh Shrimp

Inshore Winter Black Drum caught on Fresh Sir

Fishing Report January 9th, 2013

Trip Date: 1/9/2013

Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach Inshore Fishing

We had a GREAT morning fishing the Wrightsville Beach Jetty and Carolina Beach Inlet.  We started our trip around 9am with the boat loaded with Live Shrimp and our light tackle inshore fishing gear loaded and rigged, I set course for the Wrightsville Beach Jetty.   We had several lines rigged with a varying approach to target our species for their feeding patterns (a float line, bottom line and drift line all are very important when fishing with live shrimp).  We caught Sheepshead one after another at the South Wrightsville Beach Jetty as they could not resist the live shrimp.  We then found the Tautog in the deeper water at the end of the Jetty!   Tautog are a very good eating fish that come to our area in the winter months and are a GREAT inshore fishery both Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Topsail Island!   After catching numerous sheepshead and tautog, we decided to venture offshore of Masonboro Island and Carolina Beach.  We caught numerous seabass on the bottom that we had to release due to the seasonal closure; however, the highlight of the day was seeing a Wright Whale right off the beach migrating to its wintertime feeding grounds!  There is nothing more exciting than seeing a whale while you are fishing off of Carolina Beach or Wrightsville Beach!   All and all it was an Excellent morning fishing with lots of smiles and fun!

Sheepshead Fishing