After Alberto washout, hungry fish are on the way

By Rick Bennett

Rod-Man Guide Service

It seems subtropical depression Alberto has put a slight damper on the fishing the past few days, as 5-8 inches of rain and winds will do that kind of thing.

INSHORE: Reds and a few black drum are biting and some decent flounder are showing up. Live bait or cut bait are going to work best; generally with falling tides for the drum and rising tides for the flounder.

NEAR SHORE: Spanish mackerel and decent size bluefish are biting clackspoons on #1 planers along the beach out to 2 miles. Use a zigzag course until you find the depth where the fish are holding. Better flounder are at the near shore artificial reefs.

OFFSHORE: Kings are the main bite. Bait: cigar minnows, ballyhoo and live menhaden will get the job done. Fish are biting from 10-to-25-plus miles.

GULF STREAM: The main catch is mahi. Also, there are some wahoo and it is billfish time as well.

CAPE FEAR RIVER: The water is fairly dirty and the rain is not going to improve that condition. Look for reds and flounder up the small creeks and the edges of points along the river shore. Live bait is good but your favorite soft plastic may do well too.

UPCOMING: As the seas calm down and the waters clear look for an explosion of hungry fish, bigger and better since before the storm. In the coming weeks as near shore waters warm look for mahi to show up in the 1-15 mile range.

Capt. Rick Bennett is the owner of Rod-Man Guide Service in Wrightsville Beach and can be reached at (910) 520-7661 or rodman@rod-man.com.

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