Making inshore fishing for all inshore species fun and simple for children and inexperienced fisherman and fisherwomen. Similiar to fishing in freshwater lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers. For those that love dropping the trolling motor and throwing artificials, you will love catching redfish on topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics. Redfish are a largemouth on steroids and will absolutely crush a topwater plug. We also catch flounder and speckled trout and these same lures. Even on windy days we can find calm protected creeks to fish for all of the inshore species.

THE INSHORE FISHING REPORT
The inshore fishing is heating up with catches of redfish, flounder, speckled trout, sheephead, large and small bluefish. The fishing has really picked up over the past week and should be good for the month of June. Large schools of redfish on the flats, flounder are showing up in better numbers, a few speckled trout, and sheephead are all roaming the inshore and backwaters.

The redfish bite has been really good on the flats when the winds are light. There are large schools roaming these flats and are crushing topwater plugs throughout the day. We have experienced some awesome sightfishing recently. There are also a few reds in the creeks and along the marsh banks. Topwater plugs, DOA soft plastics, Bayou Buck Spinnerbaits, and Gulp Shrimp are my go to artificials for summertime reds. Live mullet, peanut pogies, mud minnows and shrimp are also bringing double digit numbers of redfish to the boat. Look for this action to continue throughout the summer months, especially on the days with light winds. On the windier days we are fishing the protected creeks of the lower Cape Fear behind the tree lines where the wind will not effect us as much.

The flounder bite has picked up throughout the Cape Fear area. The Cape Fear River, inlets, creeks, docks, and bays are all holding decent numbers of flounder. Live peanut pogies, mud minnows, and mullet on carolina rigs are producing most of the action. We are also picking up flounder while throwing Gulp baits along the marshes and deeper holes in the creeks.

We are picking up some nice sheephead in the 3 to 7 lb range fishing fiddler crabs on carolina rigs. The sheephead are holding close to structure like docks, rockpiles and bridge pilings. Catching sheephead is a blast and very challenging trying to get the big ones away from the structure and into the landing net. Catching a few of these fish along with reds, flounder, and trout will help put good numbers of great eating inshore fish in the cooler.

There are a few speckled trout around and most of the trout on my charters have been caught while throwing artificials for reds and flounder. There have been a few carolina inshore slams lately (redfish, speckled trout, and flounder), and this is always a possibility fishing Gulp baits and DOA soft plastics in the backwaters of the Cape Fear area. We have also picked up some large blues in the 8 to 10 pound range while throwing topwater plugs and soft plastics on the flats and in the creeks.

Thanks for reading the report and check out a few of the photos from my recent trips. These are just a few of the good catches we have had lately. Hopefully I’ll have a good report for the next couple of weeks.

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

April is normally a transition month and the inshore fishing can be up and down in the Cape Fear area. That is typically how it goes and things usually turn around in May. So I am really looking forward to a little more consistency and the arrival of more and larger inshore species. Redfish, speckled trout, flounder, sheephead, large and small bluefish and a few more inshore fish will be available as we get into the month of May. I can make inshore saltwater fishing for all of these species simple and fun for all ages and skill levels, similiar to fishing in freshwater ponds and lakes.

The redfish bite has been tough at times and good at times depending on weather patterns and wind conditions. The reds are still schooling on the flats but have been a bit skiddish recently. When they’re in a feeding mood, topwater plugs and soft plastic paddletails will tempt them to bite, but scented baits like Gulp and live mud minnows are more effective on finicky redfish. The creeks are holding a few reds and we are picking up a scattered fish here and there on spinnerbaits, topwater plugs, Gulp baits, and DOA soft plastics. We are also picking up a few fish in the creeks by anchoring down and casting live mud minnows on carolina rigs into to holes around low tide. There are also some reds holding around docks in the ICW. Look for the redfish bite to really turn on as we get into May.

May and the first of June is usually a good time for speckled trout fishing in the Cape Fear area. The larger spawning specs should show up in the creeks and Cape Fear river. We have caught a few nice specs recently but not any numbers. Hopefully we’ll see the trout fishing turn around this month with more and larger fish. DOA soft plastics, DOA Shrimp on popping floats, Gulp Shrimp, and of course live shrimp on float rigs will tempt the specs to bite.

The flounder fishing will be getting better as we get into May. We are seeing some larger fish showing up and had a four pounder this past week on a Gulp bait. Most of the flounder on my charters have been caught by dropping the trolling motor, covering ground and casting Gulp baits. The drift fishing for flounder around the inlets should start to turn on, along with fishing live minnows and menhaden around structure in the Cape Fear river and ICW.

We are starting to see some sheephead and caught a few over the past week. More sheephead will be showing up and putting a few of these fish in the cooler is always a possibility as we get into late spring and throughout the summer months. Sheephead are a blast to catch, great to eat and there are no limits on size or number. Fiddler crabs and sand fleas will do the trick on the sheeps.

Small and large blues ( up to 13 lbs) have moved into the flats, river, and creeks and are crushing topwater plugs. We have caught some blues in the 10 to 13 lb range recently sightcasting topwater plugs to tailing fish in a couple of feet of water. These fish scream some drag, jump, and have been an abslolute blast to catch on light tackle.

Thanks for reading the report and check out a few of the photos from the past few weeks.

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