Yet another week of dreary weather hampered anglers along the East Coast last week and this week has not been too much different; this is now starting to feel like the norm rather than the exception. The first day of fall arrived Tuesday, and was closely followed by yet another stalled front, bringing plenty of wind and copious amounts of moisture. Cooler temperatures have also abounded, which is very welcomed by the local anglers. Water temperatures have reached the threshold of 80 degrees and it shouldn’t be too long before they dip below that mark and fire off some fabulous fishing.
With the stiff winds and chopped up seas, offshore fishing has been pretty much nonexistent the past couple of weeks, and while the forecast is calling for the rains to dissipate and the sun to return by the weekend, unfortunately the winds should persist, so it doesn’t look like ocean fishing, either offshore or nearshore, is going to happen this weekend, either.
On a bright note, the inshore fishing has been picking up daily, and anglers who don’t mind getting a little wet have been experiencing great fishing days on the water. Flounder fishing has really started picking up the pace and a lot of fish caught are now keepers. Artificial baits are working, but finger mullet rigged Carolina Style has become the primary go-to bait for many. With the amount of mullet found schooled up in the creeks and waterways, getting enough bait to fish the day should be no problem, provided you or someone fishing with you can throw a net. The Cape Fear River waters are still producing the majority of big fish (more than 5 pounds), but anglers are also finding some fat flatties around the docks and in the creeks around Wrightsville Beach.
Fishing for red drum has been improving daily, with fish being caught in both the surf and the inside waters. Finger mullet and artificial baits are both working when fished in the sloughs or around the docks and creek mouths. Cut bait, such as cut mullet, is also working well when fished on a slider rig.
Surf and pier anglers using fresh shrimp are starting to find some decent-sized spots willing to bite, mainly during the late afternoon and evening hours. Good-sized Virginia mullet are also being reported. With the water temperatures still relatively high, there are still plenty of critters waiting to steal your bait, so make sure you bring enough when heading out. There’s not much worse than finding the fish willing to bite only to realize you’re about to run out of bait.
Live bait fishermen looking for king mackerel have had some luck with kings the past week off of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier. Rough conditions have made fishing difficult the past few days but hopefully there’s more action to be had once the weather starts clearing up this weekend.
