Getting ready for the Fall Bite

Greetngs from the Cape Fear Coast,

It has been a while. Well, just have not been out much lately. Surfing has taken over with a few passing Hurricanes and some nice waves. There has been a significant increase in the amount of bait on the beach (glass minnows and mullet). The pogies have not been as prevalent where I have been but the mullet are really starting to run. There are small finger mullet up to big popeye mullet cruising the beachs in some very large schools. I have seen large spanish and schooley kings skying in the surf zone on these baits and even had a few blacktips skying through these schools in the surf zone ( I try not to think about this while sitting in the line up).

The ICW from Wrightsville to Carolina Beach is also loaded with bait right now and the drum and flounder fishing has been good as reported to me by a few friends. I have not spent much time out there lately. I have spent most of my fishing time in the Cape Fear River. This place is loaded with bait. Tons and tons of pogies and some very large schools of finger mullet are cruising everywhere. With all that bait the top predators are really starting to fire up as Fall has arrived. The topwater trout bite has been great over the past few weeks and floating some DOA and BillyBay shrimp has been getting them as well. Floating and dragging some bait has produced the majority of drum and even the occasional striper.

The flounder bite has also been good in Carolina Beach and the Cape Fear River. The last two weeks there have been a few tourneys and some nice 10+ lb flounder have been brought the scales. There have been lots of small flounder which is mostly what I have caught. It is hard to get psyched about flatties when the topwater bite is cranking. But if flounder fishing is your thing there are some nice fish to be had right now.

Thanks for stopping by and Stay tuned for more post (more regularly).
Call and Book your Fall and Winter fishing now and Save $50 on all two person half day trips.

Capt. Danny Wrenn
96Charter Co.
Wilmington, N.C.
910-619-2224

mahi and kings

Greetings from the Cape Fear Coast

Wrightsville Beach nearshore fishing has been solid over the last couple of weeks. Kings and Mahi have been mixed togther from 7-18 miles out. Then a two good days of rain mucked the water and the Mahi seemed to have disappeared. The Kings have stuck it out in the same areas but the live bait bite slowed a bit. Before the rains came Capt. Travis Dant (Flatout Flying) and Max Gaspeny (Fishermans Post Editor) and myself got out Wednesday and has a decent day with 3 Mahi (one spit the hooks) and 4 Kings (one lost at the gaff) and a nice Cobia. We had several strikes on the downrigger that went straight through #4 wire.

Wrightsville beach inshore has also been good trolling for Spanish and lots of small blues keep the clarkspoons and diamond jigs busy. There have been some nice schools of Menhaden and finger mullet inshore so bait is not a problem. There are also some nice schools of popeye mullet inshore crusing the banks near deep water if you like them offshore. The drum and flounder are hitting jigs and livebait around area docks and other inshore structure. I have seen some nice catches of Sheepheads from Wrightsville beach to Southport in the last couple of days. The guys who have this fishery dialed in are doing well. If you want to give this a try you had better step the gear. Imagine catching and 9# bream on steriods. Most people are using mud crabs and fiddler crabs.

The Cape Fear River is producing some nice Speckled Trout, Red Drum and Flounder. Topwater and subsurface plugs are working on the trout and swimbaits and jigs for the flounder and drum that are laying in shallow water. There are tons of small shrimp and mullet in the river flats and the menhaden are everywhere.

Keep Chasing Trophies,

Capt. Danny Wrenn

96Charter Company

910.619.2224