When the other fish begin to shut down in the Cold months from November to February, the local Striper population begin to feed in Downtown Wilmington, NC. These fish range all the way from 3 to 30 lbs and are feisty fighters. Often the coldest, nastiest day you can choose is the day they want to bite, with some ten to fifteen fish days happening every year. There are often several other species that will surprise you during the trip. Speckled Trout and Redfish can be found in many of the same spots with the Stripers, a few catfish have even been caught in the brackish water. While the Stripers can not be kept, the Speckled Trout and Redfish can be for some excellent table fare, but catch and release is optional. We catch these fish using two methods, trolling deep diving plugs and casting jigs and swimbaits, which makes it easy for any range of experience to enjoy.
The Striper fishing season will continue through the next few months in the Cape Fear River, with the coldest nastiest days of the year coming up. This fish are still aggressive even in the chilled water and willing to bite in a variety of different ways for all ranges of experience. We can cast jigs and swimbaits for them, A little bit of vertical jigging, and trolling diving lures. The water levels and color have been challenging us lately, but the fish are still very catch-able and will only get better as the water clears up. Room is limited, only two persons per trip. Call 910-622-3474 or 910-617-0777 for prices and availabilities, or visit us online at www.fishcarolinabeach.com.
Capt. Owen Sewell