Flounder still feasting, season ends this week

Huge flounder are still biting for N.C. anglers

North Carolina’s 2020 flounder season is closing this week. By the looming shutdown hasn’t slowed the fishing down. Anglers up and down the coast are catching plenty of trophy flatfish. Carolina Beach has been one of the hottest areas along the coast ever since the season opened. And anglers there are still reeling in plenty of big ones.

On Sept. 19, Chip Frye weighed in two citation fish at Island Tackle & Hardware. One of them tipped the scales at 5 pounds. The other weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces. He caught both fish on live mullet.

The next day, Joe Braddish brought a doormat to Island Tackle. His fish weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces. It was the only fish Braddish caught that day, which was quite windy.

Live bait has been tough to beat

Shelia Marshall brought her trophy flounder to Island Tackle on Sept. 23. Her fish weighed 5 pounds, 5 ounces.

Also on Sept. 23, Mike Norris weighed in a double-digit fish. He caught his flatfish in the ICW and it weighed 11 pounds, 2 ounces.

Eddie Croom showed up on Sept. 24 after catching a nice flounder on a live finger mullet in Snows Cut. His fish pushed the scales to 6 pounds, 6 ounces.

Anglers are making the most of flounder season’s last week

Next up was repeat flounder slayer Shelia Marshall, only one day after her 5+ pounder. On the 24th, she and David Marshall showed up with four doormats. Her biggest that day weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces. The only secrets she divulged was that she caught the big fish “in the mouth” and caught it on “bait.”

Shelia Marshall and David Marshall with a nice set of keepers.

On Sept. 27, Megan Graves caught her first citation fish while out-fishing her husband, who was plenty happy for her. Megan’s flatfish weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces. She caught it in Snows Cut on a live mullet.

Megan Graves caught this trophy flounder while fishing with her husband.

It’s catch-and-release only after Sept. 30

On the same day, Kyle Peters weighed a 5 pound, 5 ounce flounder. He caught his fish on a live mullet in the ICW.

Kyle Peters got in on the flounder action with this 5+ pounder.

Also on Sept. 27, Bossy Fitzsimmons caught his own trophy in the ICW, also on a live mullet. His flounder weighed 5 pounds.

Bossy Fitzsimmons’ fish broke the 5-pound mark.

Youth angler John Scharp decided to get in on the action on Sept. 27, catching a 5-pound, 8-ounce flounder. He was using a live mullet in the ocean near Carolina Beach.

John Scharp said a kid can play this game! His fish weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces.

Stop by Island Tackle & Hardware for all your fishing needs

John Heffner also stopped by Island Tackle on the 27. He weighed in a 6-pound, 11-ounce flounder.

John Heffner shows off his 6+ pound flounder.

Sept. 27 was a big day for flounder anglers. Chad Yarborough also brought a trophy by the shop. His flounder, which he caught in the ICW, weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces.

Chad Yarborough’s flounder weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces.

Candace Wooten was probably the best-dressed of all the anglers to weigh in flounder on Sept. 27. Her fish weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces. She caught her fish in Snows Cut.

Candace Wooten shows off her 7+ pounder.

Joe Braddish worked his way back to Island Tackle for his second citation of the season. This fish beat his Sept. 23 fish, and weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

Joe Braddish liked his first citation so much that he came back for another.

Flounder season closes on Sept. 30 for North Carolina anglers. But the fish haven’t gotten the message yet. They are still biting like mad. Island Tackle & Hardware is your one-stop shop for all your fishing needs. They have all the tackle and bait, and you can even book a trip there with Capt. Dennis Barbour, one of the top fishing guides in the Carolina Beach area.

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Here’s a great flounder recipe that will not disappoint!