NC Fishing Reports - Wilmington -Carolina Beach - Southport and various Other Areas !!!!!

“If I wanted meat, I'd go to the Market... you just can't buy a pull on the line.”
Whitt Parr, circa 1938 

Want to see the previous year's fishing reports?  Just click on the year you want to see below......
2004 archive
2005 archive
2006 archive
2007 archive
 

November and December 2008..... The Late Fall fishing has been fantastic with many good days of over the slot drum, in the slot drum, and way too many little baby drum to count.... I am just plain tired of catching them this fall.  Also the Black Drum and Speckeled Trout have been phenominal and when I can get to them the Grey Trout have been a blast too!  This has been a good fall and hopefully will continue into the winter months for my son Robert and the other guides who stay here.  Now it is time for me to get ready to head south and get back to the bluewater fishing for the winter.  Next year is already starting with some early reservations, even with our weird economy, so plan ahead if you can.  I am.  Best to all and a Happy Holidays no matter where you are.

October 26th, 2008......Fun fishing for nice Reds all the way down to youngsters catching croakers and trout.... what a week.  Weather is cooling and so is the water so the fishing is definantly heating up here in SENCland.  Lots of Reds and nice specks, flounder somewhat elusive, and all the various bottom dwellers are up and about.  The Cape Fear River is holding lots of fish in all the usual places and all types of baits and live baits are working well,  just get them in the water and see.  More to come later.

 
October 19th, 2008.......Well, here we go again!!!!  It was summer on Thursday and then turned winter on Saturday.  Dang, what a crazy year, but it sure is fun.  The young lady holding the nice black drum was fishing on Thursday and it was a bathing suit kind of day.  Robin, Karen, and the three girls Mallory, Olivia, and Cristina had a ball on the boat in shorts and suits catching 13, that's right, 13 different kinds of fish!!!  Eels, rays, drums, bluefish just to name a few and the assorted bottom fish, but what a ball for three new salt water fishermen, eh, fisherwomen and their parents.... just way too much fun.  And I have to say they were all excellent casters at the end of the trip, better than some of the men I fish with!!!!!  The eyes say it all.  Then on Saturday, it blew 30 and rained horizontally for 6 straight hours but Joe and Pam and Chick and Patt were dogged fishermen until Joe finally waved the white flag, er, towel.  Just look at those four drowned rats, er, fishermen.  And it was cold to boot.  Friday, Allen and his dad Hoyt caught some nice Trout that you see Allen holding up.  They were nice ones at that.  I just can not figure out the weather.  More photos on the Gallery page, but it has been a most unusual week of fishing, trust me on that.  The water temp is falling nicely and the days are getting shorter and the fish know they have to eat to get fat for the winter or else.  Come on down and try your luck, maybe the weather will hold!!!!  More later.
 

 
October 13th, 2008.......Lots of nice folks to fish with these past few days and some nice fish to boot.  Reds, Trout, Flounder, and Black Drum have been the mainstay as we can't get offshore some due to weather.  Water is cooling and the fishing is getting hotter, and some nice two to four boat trips with some of the other guides have been common.  There are lots of shrimp in the Cape Fear River and the fish are following them into the shallows.  But some funny fishing..... some day flounders, then the next day none.  Very peculiar, but at least I have not fallen out of my boat yet.  Jackets are now showing up in the mornings, and it sure feels good out now with the humidity dropping some.  Come on down and let's wet a line or two.  Best to all.

 
September 29th Report....Lots of fish and lots of weather..... rain from the storm has messed the river up some and the beaches have been beat up badly, but when the water clears and the seas subside, the fishing will be HOTTT and ON!!!!!  Weekends are full or filling up fast, so try and schedule a trip during the week so we do not have to fight the crowds and the locals also!  See ya soon!  Below are some fishermen with their nice fish, even a Citation  Pompano!!!

 
September 16th or so, 2008..... Well, Fishing of all types is in High Gear with the Redfish and Speckeled Trout as our top winners.  Flounders are here, but not strong in numbers.  We have nice Bait all over the place and the water has settled down from TS Hanna, and everyday things are getting better.  What a beautiful fall fishing season is shaping up for us.  This week as you can see from the photos, we have had some great rod bending action.  Pam caught some nice Drum and even Joe scored one or two.  Some drum this week had to released due to being too big to keep.  Jerry got his Flounder on a blowy day and some nice Bluefish to boot.   I have not been in the ocean lately because the inside fishing has just been too awesome to leave, but I understand the Spanish Mackerels have returned with the cleaner water after TS Hanna.  Very windy this coming weekend so fish the inside hard, that is where all the action is!  Lots going on so keep checking the site for more info and photos.  Better yet, come on down and do some pictures of your own!!!  Best to all and more later.

Here's Joe, Pam and Brian with their nice catch... Jerry gets his picture Here Too!!!!
 

September 6th, 2008......Today TS Hanna is departing our area and left us with just a little rain (which we sorely needed) and some wind damage.... lights out, downed tree limbs, leaves all over the place, but was basically a non event even though the Weather Channel now is in the business of creating weather rather than reporting on it.  Beware the Weather Channel (Now owned and operated by General Electric) and its biased reporting, which will get worse with time.  Check out the NOAA reports for the true skinny on the weather in your area.  OK, now to fishing.  Recently the Red Drum bite has been excellent.  Flounder and Speckled Trout are here too, but the Reds have been Ripping IT!!!  Spanish Mackerels are still here, but we will see how they fared after the TS.  This should jump start the fall fishing season with a serious drop in the water temperature and freshen up the beach sands and just overall improve the environment for the fish to feed upon.  TS's are good, Hurricanes are Bad!  I'll keep you posted on the water conditions and what is happening.  Below you can see Alex and David from London, England and David's fine keeper Red fish!  Nice catch and I am sure there are more to come.  Best to all and tight lines, be careful in your TS Hanna clean up and let's get back to fishing.  I'll be on the water this coming Monday!  Later.



August 31st, 2008.........Well, it's my birthday so I went fishing in the afternoon after a great trip with a wonderful family who caught a bunch of nice Spanish Mackerels, even one that weighed in at about 5 pounds!!!!  I thought it was a small king, and did a big doubletake after discovering it was just a huge Spanish.  Loads of fun and some great eating for my friends.  Then that afternoon, my old friend Capt. John and I snuck out to the flats for some drum and lo and behold, I caught three niceuns' and one had to go back, even though we released all three to fight again another day....  just way too much fun had with the Redfish and John.  And that was the end of a perfect Birthday day....  Hanna may be coming so check the reports for more details and fish stories.  Everyone be safe and have a great start to a wonderful Fall Fishing Season.  Later........

  
 
August 20th or thereabouts, 2008.........The fishing continues to be good during the crazy weather we have been having.  TS Fay brought us rains and winds which we could not control, but did help our farmers and yards and gardens, but may have hampered our fishing some.  Good days still continue and the Flounder bite is getting stronger and the Spanish Mackerels are still plentiful when we can get to them.  Reds are still here in good numbers and the waters are beautiful.  It is now time to get ready for the Fall Fishing Season and book a date with Capt. Charlie to fish the SENCland coast.  Come on down.  More later.........

  Will and his Puppy Drum


 
Cody and his Shark!                  Cody Did It!!!!!!

 
August 18, 2008                                                August 19, 2008
 
Flyfishing at it's Best                                            Nice Red Fish
 
Mid August, 2008....... This week I have had family groups, anniversaries, and even fly fishermen, and we did well all around.  Fish on the fly, flounder for the anniversity folks, and redfish for the corporate groups.  Just great fishing all over.  Today the 19th was Sharks and Spanish Mackerels, so a mixed bag of fish all around.  Just way too much fun here in the Carolina Sun.  Fay heard we were having so much fun that she may even make an appearance!!!  More on that later too!!!!
 
August 11, 2008........OK, it was Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, so here we go!!!  Lots of sharks (caught and released) on light tackle for the maximum fun and excitement and just rod bending action.  No thick sticks here, just 20 lb. test line and lots of it!  We may only get one or two a day, but it ain't shark cranking on industrial size reels with oak trees for rods.... Just look at the size of the tackle and imagine going Bear Hunting with a Switch!!!!  Get the Idea?  Loads of fun to boot!


 

  
 August 6, 7, and 8, 2008.......This seems to be the day for Father's and Sons to have fun, and the Spanish Mackerels helped us out a lot.  Great eating and on light tackle, they are sure fun to catch too.  Just look at all these smiling faces and you see why fishing with the "Lost Boy" can provided some great times and memories that no one will ever forget.  Life is short, fish hard and laugh a lot!  And did I mention it was Hot, I mean Dang Hot!  It has been a heck of a Hot Week Weather wise so we are all hoping for that cool front they say is coming, but not soon enough for some of us.  Still, I'll take the Hot Weather with the Super Hot Fishing we have been having anytime.  Soon it will be December, and we will all be complaining about the cold.  Nuff Said.


 



August 3, 2008....OK, you caught it so you have to hold it!!!!  Then we released it.  One of the best pictures I have this year, thanks to Dad....Great days in the Back Bay area when the heat is not too oppressive, but boy is it getting hotter by the day.  Still lots of fun and Dad even caught a great Flounder to boot!  This was later released to the frying pan I am told!  Now that is my kind of Catch, Filet, and Release to the Hot Grease kind of fishing I like to do.  Nice folks, nice flounder, nice calm water in the bays, just Nice.  My kind of fishing trip.


 
August 1, 2008.....Guess what?, It is Shark Week on Discovery Channel and guess what all the kids want to catch?  That's right, SHARKS!!!!  Some smaller than others, but still a lot of fun on light tackle.  Bluefish, Flounders, Trout (both Speckeled and Grey) and some Red Fish are here also.  Just a great season to fishing Nearshore and Inshore here in SENCLand. 



July 31, 2008 PM......Just for openers, the Speckled Trout are still here and some nice ones to Boot.  Just look at this photo and go figure it out.  Nuff said!!!

 
July 27 and 28, 2008........Flounder and Spanish Mackerels are all over the place with great weather to boot.  Starting to look like the old days when you just had to keep up your count so that you don't catch over your limit..... the Glory Days are Back it seems.  We had twelve, that's right, 12 big flounder one day, and the poor folks only could hold up 6 at a time.... just a great day on the water in the warm Carolina Beach sun.... Just look at those flounder


 
July 21st, 2008.......Flounder, and more Flounder, and just lots of fun catching them..... Bluefish also and still some nice Speckled Trout too!!!  Spanish Mackerels are a little thin right now, but they should be back soon as the water clears.  Lots of families and kids and great water days as the kids have been running the boat, pulling the anchors, baiting the hooks, helping me with the cast net catching bait, and the list goes on.  We always have a Quality Water Day and if the fish bite, that is just Icing on the Cake!  Wayyyy too much fun for one and all.  Thanks to Ray for the great shot of Victor, his dad Dave, and myself sitting off on the reef.... just one of those great days..... we could only hold up six of the nice flounder, but what a day.  Just look at the color of the water and how calm it was, and boy was it HOTTTTT to boot.  July in SENCLand is just wonderful.  More later.

Mid July, 2008.....OK guys, just look at the few photos below.  Red fish, Nice Flounder, Bluefish, Speckled Trout, Sharks for the Kids, Spanish Mackerels and also the elusive Oyster Toads and Lizzard Fish!!!!  They are all here and hungry.  The little tropical depression has blown by and now the seas this evening July 19th are flat as a fritter and just waiting for us to go and get them tomorrow.  They are all here and ready for you to try your luck with the Minnows and Shrimp I have on board the TAC.  Just hope all that rain we have just had does the farmers and my yard some good and gets the grass to growing.... we still are short on the water but it sure did help these past few days.  It may improve the fishing some also.... I will let you know.  Till then, travel safe and tight lines. 

 

 




July 12th or thereabouts, 2008... It has been a Phenominal season so far both inside and outside with good catches of everything..... and I mean everything.  Spanish Mackerels to the Max and now that the finger mullet have arrived in numbers, the Flounder have picked up dramatically, especially on the offshore ledges.  Bottom fish abound in the area and with the relatively calm seas, we have been able to spend a lot of time out there.  The shark fishing has also been excellent behind the shrimpers when they are working.  The inlets and bay areas have held nice fish and the inside Flounder and Trout and Drum bite has really been strong.  Also the arrival of inshore bait has helped out there a bunch also.  It is just one of those "Banner Years" when even a hard day of fishing produces many nice bites.  I just hope the weather and the fish will continue to cooperate and get even stronger as the season progresses....  more on that later and here are a few new photos for the enjoyment of my many friends.  Best to all and tight lines.  Don't Worry about "Bertha", it once again is a Weather Channel Non Event..... even had a fishing tournament during it here at CB.  Oh Well, so much for our great news media and their coverage.......


... 
 
Late June 2008......This is an EXCEPTIONAL YEAR....... the bite is on and it is big time.  Lots of days we are limiting out on the Spanish Mackerels and nice Flounder are showing up and the Red fish are here in size and numbers and we still have some beautiful Speckled Trout..... What a year we are having with quality and quantity fish.  Just unbelievable....  we have been running everyday and the only problem has been some weather when the wind just makes the river a tough place to go.  Besides that small problem, the fishing and folks are just having way too much fun and boy am I glad I built that new fish cleaning station at my dock..... it has been a great addition to the slip.  This coming week is the 4th of July and both Robert and I and lots of folks here in CB are just slammed.... I sure hope the weather cooperates and helps us out.  The Finger Mullet are arriving and with this influx of bait the fish are becoming even more active and filling up the cuts and bays.  Heck, we are even running in the evenings with Honeymooners and families out for a nice evening on the water.  I have made many new friends this season and for that fact I am eternally grateful.  Just remember, "Happy people catch Fish!"  Come on down soon and join us for a great fun filled day on the water.... hey, you may even get to see some "Pelican Rides!"  More on that much later!!!!

 
  
Early June to June 13th, Friday that is!!!!!!....The fishing season is one of the best starts in years, and everyone is excited over the Quantity and Quality of the fish, inshore and nearshore and offshore..... Just a Great Start.  Inshore we are still catching nice Speckled Trout and more keeper Flounder.  Redfish are all over also.  Nearshore we are getting nice Spanish Mackerels and limiting out often.  The nearshore ledges are starting to hold some nice Flounder and numerous other bottom fish.  10 miles out are nice snake size King Mackerels in numbers and they will only get bigger and closer in as the season progresses.  The Schools have just let out and the kids graduated, so the crowd has not even arrived yet....We are busy and I am taking Father's Day off....  but it has been a hectic start to the season. Thank God for that.....  Gas may be $4.00 a gallon, Hotels may have gone up, But as the Mastercard Advertisement says, "The cost of fishing, Priceless!!"  Hey, it REALLY is..... come on down and let's go fishing!  More to come later, with more and bigger and better fishing reports to follow soon.......

June 3rd, 2008.....  Spanish, and I mean Big Ones!!!  All over the place from North to South.  On top and down Deep, just put some bait in the water and troll like crazy.  Even casting to schools of them!!!  River got slow on me yesterday and talked with a few other fellow fishermen and they too were slow in the river.  Go figure...... but Spanish are Everywhere.  Catch em up!  Phone is ringing hard today and school is out this weekend.  Marriages and Graduations this weekend too, so next week will kick off the Summer fishing season here in SENCland so let's GO!!!!  Give me a call for a great day on the water.... Later, and tight lines.

Late May 2008........ Well folks,  as the water warms so does the fishing and it is shaping up to be a great season.  Not only are the Speckled Trout still biting well but the whole inshore bite is getting better by the day.... flounder are coming on strong (and boy are they thick already!)  and the redfish are doing well also.  In the Nearshore department we are catching nice (do not even have to measure them) Spanish Mackerels and on the ledges and wrecks we have a strong bite of bottom fish with some champion Croakers and Grey Trout still here... it is just an unbelievable start to the 2008 season, so get ready.  I am very excited about what I have seen so far this season.  Grant and Joey and some of their friends were out with us last week for a four boat trip and the Spanish were all over the place.  Loads of fun and great on the light tackle that we use.  The weather patterns still hand us some blowey days like today, but overall when summer arrives, it will be great!!!!   Sharpen your hooks and get some fresh line cause we are going to need it....... see you all soon here in the beautiful SENCland area of Carolina Beach. 

Joey & Grant, 24 Niceuns !!!!