Fall fishing is in full swing and everything that swims inshore, nearshore, and in the backwaters are gorging on the abundance of menhaden, mullet and shrimp. We are having good catches on a number of inshore species. This is my favorite time year to be fishing the inshore, nearshore, and backwaters of the Lower Cape Fear.
The redfish bite has been good and will continue to get better. Live finger mullet are producing good catches and a number of artificials are working well also. We are finding schools crashing in mullet schools where topwater plugs, Catch 2000 Mirrolures, gold spoons, Gulp baits and other soft plastics are providing us with some good sightfishing opportunities. We are also picking up some bull reds in the 20 to 30 lb range following the schools of menhaden migrating along the beaches.
We are catching some good numbers of black drum fishing dead shrimp on carolina rigs. These fishing are in the 14 to 20 inch range. Black drum are a hard fighting fish similar to redfish and are really good to eat with a minimum size limit of 14 inches and a limit of 10 fish per person. The black drum fishing should be getting better also.
Speckled trout fishing is picking up with October, November, and December being the best time of year to catch good numbers of specks. Mirrolures, artificial shrimp imitations, DOA jerk shads, and other artificials work well along with live shrimp and live finger mullet.
Fall is a great time of year for catching larger flounder and this should continue thru mid November as flounder start to migrate out to their winter hideouts. Finger mullet and Gulp baits are my go to baits to put a few good flatfish in the boat.
Sheephead are feeding around structure where fiddler crabs will produce a few of these hard fighting and great eating fish.
Sightfishing to False Albacore, spanish mackerel, and bluefish schools are providing anglers with some incredible action along the nearshore waters when the winds cooperate.
Congrats to my son Christian who recently got his Captains License and won the Flounder division, 1st in the aggregate flounder/redfish, and second in the twt redfish, of the Carolina Beach Inshore Classic where 75 anglers competed for some good prize money. Christian will be joining me running inshore trips and will be a great addition to this business.
Thanks for reading the report and check out the photos from my recent trips. These are just a few of the good catches we have had lately.
Thanks,
Jeff Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
North Carolina Inshore Fishing Blog
910-619-9580
Captain Jeff thanks for a super fun day on the water. See u again soon! Erin Bennett Tyler and Dennis
