Speckled trout fishing action is beginning to increase from Wilmington to Southport in the Cape Fear River.
“September is usually a pretty good month for specks,” said Jeff Wolfe of Seahawk Inshore Charters of Carolina Beach.
Wolfe said he’s finding spotted sea trout up to 4 pounds at the back sides of eddies where currents are coming by shell beds and rock piles during fall tide periods.
“Specks are especially on the rock piles in the upper Cape Fear River around (ballast) the islands,” said Wolfe (910-619-9580).
Trout are hitting topwater lures such as Zara Spooks and MirrOlures, along with Billy Bay Halo Shrimp underneath popping floats.
“They like chartreuse and light tan or natural colors,” Wolfe said.
Red drum also are active in the lower Cape Fear, he said.
“They are killing topwater (lures) such as Zara Spooks and Skitterwalks,” he said. “The redfish bite in the bays and on the flats has been incredible and there’s been some really nice fish around the mouths of feeder creeks in a little deeper water than normal, 4 to 6 feet.”
Some of the reds are running 34 to 35 inches in length.
“Last week I had two guys throwing jigs and one hooked up with a red that was 32 inches off a bank in 4 feet of water, and the other guy said ‘What’s that in the water?’ and we looked and a whole school of 15 to 20 fish was following the hooked fish, turning whenever he turned,” Wolfe said. “It must have been the lead fish. Well, the other client cast (a jig) and landed a 34-incher.”
Flounder also are active, taking live peanut pogies and finger mullets along with jigs and Gulp! shrimp and minnows and with paddletail soft-plastic trailers on jigs.
“We’re catching flounder while blind-casting for specks and reds,” Wolfe said.
Tripletail action at crab pots is sporadic, depending upon boat traffic, but Wolfe landed an 11 1/2-pounder recently and a client caught an 8-pounder.
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