Summer is right around the corner and the temperatures and muggy conditions makes it feel as so.  With a whacky spring behind us, we have seen a stable warm weather pattern that has caused the water temps to warm quickly.  Our summer fishing consists of mainly redfish, but also many more species. Redfish, flounder, black drum, speckled trout, sheepshead, and many more types fish can be caught on any given day. To get an idea of how we target each species, take a look below!

Red Drum (Redfish)- Reds are by far the most favorable fish we catch due to the shear power and aggressiveness they show once getting hooked on the line. Most of the time we fish for them with Carolina rigs with live bait and float rigs as well.  When the conditions allow it, we can also target them on artificial lures and topwater plugs. If the wind is calm enough, we sometimes can sightcast these red drum which can be a blast. Just imagine watching the sunrise in the background while watching 20+ tails waving above the water! Most fish range from 18-27” (slot) but fish over 30” can be found throughout the summer. The keeping limit is 1 per person for red drum.

Black Drum & Sheepshead- The black drum are typically found in the cooler months but occasionally we can find them in deep water around rocky structures. We also may find them mixed in with sheepshead while fishing around docks and pilings. Dead shrimp seems to be the key to catching black drum if you can weed through all the croakers and pinfish. If you find a school, it’s worth it! You can keep 10 per person between 14-25”. Sheepshead are fish we specifically have to target because of the tactics. It is important to have the right hooks and leader because a sheepshead can break the line quickly around the structure it is close to. This is a good alternative when fishing for red drum and other species is slow. Sheepshead have to be 10” to the fork of the tail and you can keep 10 per person.

Flounder- Flounder are very popular fish in the Cape Fear area. Most fish are found along the river but later into the summer we seem to find them move towards the creeks. Using live minnows on a Carolina rig is the best way to entice a flounder.  The best part about fishing for reds is that a flounder is always a good possibility. Throwing artificial baits such as gulp or Z-man soft plastics are also great ways to catch numbers or flatfish. We can keep 4 per person at 15” or greater.

Speckled Trout- Specks are sporadic in the summer but can be found just about any way we fish. Whether its soft plastics, topwaters, or live bait, you will have a decent chance at picking up a couple. The best times to target speckled trout are either early in the morning or late in the evening when the water temperatures are a tad cooler. As of now the season on specks is closed but will open up June 15th of this year.

Sharks/Nearshore- Most people don’t think of shark fishing very often but occasionally we will get requests about targeting them. Depending on the day, it can happen very easily. This trip is mostly for people who aren’t interested in eating fish but just want to catch something big that can pull hard. If the conditions are favorable, we will fish along the beach for them. If not, we may stay inside the river and put live/dead baits on the bottom. Most of the sharks we catch are a few feet long but sometimes larger sharks such as black tips and bull sharks will inhale our baits. When this happens, you better hang on! Also, there are times when the ocean is calm early in the morning or late in the day and the best chance to catch fish is along the beaches. Spanish mackerel and bluefish tend to bite best during these hours and can provide a great time when sight casting to them. We use metal jigs and soft plastics to target these aggressive species.

Thanks for checking in and hopefully everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer. See you on the water!

God Bless,
Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
Carolina Beach Inshore Fishing Blog
910-619-9580