The inshore fishing has been really good the first couple of weeks of January, but who knows what is going to happen in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, the temperatures will get back to normal and the water temps will get back up in the 50’s.

Before the cold snap, we were catching good numbers of redfish on the flats and around stucture, like docks and shellbeds. The reds were caught by sightcasting and blind casting artificials. There were some large schools on the flats and I am sure they are still there. We’ll just have to pick the warmer calm days and hopefully they will bite. The redfish can be a little finicky and easy to spook this time of year.

There were also some good catches of black drum, speckled trout, and striped bass. We fished the Cape Fear River above Wilmington on January 18th and caught several stripers, with one that weighed around fifteen pounds. The striper fishing should last through Febuary.

I will be getting back on the water to do some fishing as soon as the weather breaks. Most of my fishing for the next few weeks maybe in the upper Cape Fear River catching stripers. Check out some of the photos from the first couple of weeks of January. Hopefully I’ll have a good report for the next couple of weeks.

Thanks,
Jeff Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
Fish Carolina Beach Blog
910-619-9580

A nice over the slot red caught sightcasting on the flats the first week of January

NC State freshmen tightend and former New Hanover High School football star George Bryan with a nice red. Oh yeah, he is an accomplished angler also.

George and uncle Richard with a couple of nice reds they caught sightcasting to a large school on the flats the first week of January

C Wolfe with a nice striper he caught in the upper Cape Fear River using a Rapala diving plug on Jan. 18th

Mason with another striper caught on Jan 18th

December has been an oustanding month for redfish. January is looking like it may do the same, as long as the water temps stay in the mid 50’s.

The redfish seem to be everywhere, around structure, docks, shellbeds, oyster rocks, and on the flats. We are catching the reds on artificials, except for around the docks,where we are using live mud minnows on carolina rigs. There are lots of nice schools {50 to 100 fish} on the flats. Sightcasting to these fish in less than a foot of water is an absolute blast on light tackle. When you hook a 25″ to 30″ fish and watch the rest of the school erupt, is a sight to see. We have had many double hookups when we find the redfish schooled up on the flats.

There are also some speckled trout and striped bass in the upper parts of the Cape Fear river. I have also heard some good reports of redfish and large whiting in the surf on Masonboro Island.

The next couple of weeks is looking like it maybe a good time to get out on the water to do some fishing. There are lots of days when we only see one or two more boats on the water. Check out some of the photos from the past couple of weeks. These are just a few of the good catches we have had lately.

Thanks,
Jeff Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
Fish Carolina Beach Blog
910-619-9580

Joel from Saltwater Marine with a foggy redfish he caught on a Gulp swimming mullet.

Christian with a couple of nice reds we caught around some docks on live mud minnows.

Bill from Burlington, N.C. with another foggy day redfish caught with a redfish magic grub.

C Wolfe put his cousins Ashley and Kelsey on the reds during the Christmas break.

Mike from southwest Fla said his N.C. Dec.31st redfish trip was the best ever. We caught to many to keep up with on this day.

I manage to get in on the action this time of year.

Mike from Fla looking for schools of redfish on the flats at sunset. He maybe deployed to Afganistan in the next few weeks.