The fishing this year was pretty good with several banner days (and several slower days too, but hey that’s fishing right?). We were able to meet many first time customers and hang out with customers that have been around long enough to consider friends. We hope you guys had just as much fun as we did. The best part about this job is that we get to spend time with so many enjoyable people while doing what we love. That’s what really keeps us going.

Now for some fishing talk! November and December had some really good fishing. Several great days have been had catching redfish, trout, and black drum. Some of the best trips every year come in the colder months and although we are about to get into the coldest weather of the year, it doesn’t necessarily slow down.

January and February will typically deliver some frigid weather but sometimes will give us 65 degrees and light winds. With average high temperatures hovering around 50, bundling up with a few layers can make days on the water bearable. Redfish are mostly the main target for the next two months but that doesn’t mean we won’t see a few good trout bites or black drum bites in the mix. The size of our redfish tend to shrink but the numbers tend to grow during the winter with most fish in the 2lb range (16″-17″) with some bigger slot fish mixed in. We will spend most of our time casting for redfish and trout with scented artificials such as gulp or Zman on light jig heads. When it gets really cold or the wind isn’t cooperating, sometimes we may fish minnows or dead shrimp on the bottom. If you can handle the cold, it should be worth the time and money spent. With double digit days always a high possibility, the next two months shouldn’t necessarily be overlooked.

We hope everyone has a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. We will continue to strive to make your experiences the best when fishing with us. We appreciate everything you guys have done for us and we can’t wait to see what is in store for 2021. Just remember, please book early if you plan on fishing with us this upcoming year. Texting, calling or booking through email will all work best. With the most outside activity this country has seen in years, bookings will go quicker. See you next year!

Thanks,
The Wolfe Family

Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
910-619-9580

Capt. Christian L. Wolfe
Mobile: (910) 619-5053

The post 2020/21 Christmas/Winter Fishing Report appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

The winter time can be the absolute best time of year to come fishing with us, especially when it comes to putting numbers in the boat. December has been fantastic with some incredible days on redfish, with days up to 80+ fish. Hard to imagine but when you find them, the numbers can add up quickly. The majority of the fish we are finding are in the 16-18” range but some 23-26” fish may find their way into these schools. If the weather cooperates, that should only continue through the next 2 months. There is some real fun to be had if you can bundle up and handle some of the chillier temperatures. It is not uncommon to head back to the ramp with 30-40+ fish caught. The majority of the fish we will see from now through February will be redfish but we may run into speckled trout and black drum along the way. Throwing Gulp shrimp on 1/8 oz or 3/16 oz seems to work best this time of year but if things get tough, we will catch the reds and black drum on pieces of dead shrimp. Most of the time though, scented soft plastics are the way to go.

Thanks for checking out this quick winter fishing report and preview for the rest of the winter season. Don’t forget our $300 winter rates will end at the beginning of March. We would once again like to say a huge thank you to the incredible customers and friends we have had the pleasure to meet this year. We seriously wouldn’t be able to do what we do without you guys. May God bless you and each one of your families.

Merry Christmas,
The Seahawk Bunch

Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
Carolina Beach Inshore Fishing Blog
910-619-9580

Capt. Christian L. Wolfe
Mobile: (910) 619-5053

The post Christmas and Winter fishing report appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

The post Saltwater Pulse Cover – Malcolm Thaden with a nice black drum appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

Speckled Trout-

The next few months should hold decent numbers of trout but if it is going to be anything like we have seen over the past couple months, they may be on the small side. The colder months however, sometimes will push some bigger fish into the creeks. Fishing scented soft plastics such as Gulp or Z-man will be the most common technique. Usually, we will scale down to a lighter jig head such as a 1/8th or 3/16th oz jig head if the conditions are appropriate for it. The slower the better when the water temps cool down. If we can get our hands on live mullet minnows or live mud minnows, you can also guarantee catching trout if the are anywhere in the area. Rigging them on the same jig heads as the artificials is the simplest way to fish the live baits. For the most part, the trout and reds will tend to lay in the same areas so a mixed bag isn’t uncommon.

Red Drum-

This typically is our bread and butter this time of year. Finding them can be difficult at times but when you find them, the numbers can add up pretty quick. Historically, double digit days are average with the potential of having much higher final tallies. The weather obviously plays a big role in how we fish for reds but even in some of the crappier days throughout the winter, we still have the possibility of having very good days. Normally we like to fish for winter time reds with a focus on schooling fish. Sometimes that may be the open flats in the bays, or back in the creeks where the water temps warm up quicker than most surrounding areas. The ticket is finding muddy flats or deeper holes that may produce a food source such as mud minnows or small crustaceans. Gulp shrimp and other small scented lures seem to be the best bite producers when fished on jig heads (similar to the trout tactics) but sometimes when all else fails, pieces of dead shrimp or live minnows can be a day saver.

Black Drum-

The next few months we should see a handful of black drum but the numbers will be relatively low. The closer we get towards spring, we should see a push of fish into our backwaters. January and February are most often our slower months for these fish but that doesn’t mean we wont catch them on occasion. We will target them with dead shrimp on a Carolina rig or a jig head also in similar locations as the reds and speckled trout.

So to wrap things up, the Cape Fear area can offer some fantastic fishing in the winter months. Spring will be right around the corner so if you are trying to squeeze in a winter trip, give us a call or shoot us a message/email. The winter rates will end at the end of February and our normal rates will resume. We will be making a few website changes over the next couple weeks so we would love to have you guys check out some of the new additions that will be put on. Happy New Year and we look forward to a “fishy” 2019!

God Bless,

Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
Carolina Beach Inshore Fishing Blog
910-619-9580

Capt. Christian L. Wolfe
Mobile: (910) 619-5053

The post HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A EARLY 2019 FISHING REPORT FROM SEAHAWK INSHORE FISHING CHARTERS appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

We are very fortunate here in southeastern North Carolina with some awesome backwater fishing for several different species. Redfish, Flounder, Speckled Trout, Black Drum, and in a different part of our river, Striped Bass. Some of the best fishing of the year for these species can occur. The three main species that we target throughout the year, reds, black drum, and speckled trout, are usually chewing at their best and we can find big numbers of these fish on a weekly basis. The weather is often and pleasant with temperatures most of the time in the upper 50s and 60s and even low 70s. This report is based on now until the end of December.

Redfish-
The red drum fishing in the Cape Fear region can be at times some of the best in the state due to our vast amount of creeks and muddy flats. With the air and water temps cooling off each day, the numbers of fish that we find will continue to thrive. Sometimes we will find schools of reds that range from 10 to 50 fish in the creeks and even 100 to 200 fish on the flats. Some of the best days we have ever had are in the late fall and early winter days with final catch numbers over 100 fish! Most of the time when we get on that many fish, the majority of them are in the 15-17” range but there are many times where we find large schools of mid to upper slot fish as well. Most of the time we will fish dead shrimp or live finger mullet on the bottom to catch these fish but when the opportunity presents itself, we will throw scented soft plastics such as Gulp! and Z-Man baits. The big drum run will begin to phase out but there still may be opportunities to catch these massive 40+ inch fish along our beaches.

Speckled Trout-
Speckled trout fishing in November and December can be fantastic. We usually fish artificial lures when targeting them but fishing live shrimp on a float rig can be the ticket when all else fails. Soft plastics on 1/4 ounce jig heads and hard baits such as Mirrolures worked slow are often our top producers. A trout bite can be a blast when you find a school of them, especially when you find some nice quality fish!

Winter Black Drum Fishing-
An underrated fishery in our area which is also one of the best fisheries we have, is the black drum. On any given day we can fill up the cooler with these tasty fish or we can catch and release. This often is our bread and butter when all else fails. Black Drum will often school with redfish in some of the same holes on the lower stages of the tides. Black Drum are a blast to catch on light tackle and fight similar to redfish with a few more direction changes and typically fight deeper. These along with redfish, and speckled trout make for some incredible action and awesome table fare in the next couple months.

Winter Striped Bass Fishing-
Striped Bass can be caught throughout the winter months in the upper Cape Fear River. This is a catch and release fishery and these fish are a blast to catch on light tackle. The sizes range from 2 to 20lbs with an occasional larger fish caught. Sometimes we also catch redfish and speckled trout in the same areas that we are catching stripers. Trolling shallow and deep diving plugs or casting swimbaits, jigs, and hardbaits are the baits of choice for winter striped bass.

Thanks for reading the report and we can’t wait to see some of you on the boat! Let’s hope and pray for some beautiful weather these next several weeks for everyone who is fishing. Don’t forget in December we begin our winter rates! This is a killer deal for what may be the best fishing of the year. Also, if you’re looking for a Christmas gift for friends or family, gift cards are always a great idea. Just give us a call if that is something that sounds interesting and we would be happy to help you out. Take care!

God Bless,
Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
Carolina Beach Inshore Fishing Blog
910-619-9580

Capt. Christian L. Wolfe
Mobile: (910) 619-5053

The post Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters Late Fall and Early Winter Fishing Report and Forecast appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

Red Drum (Redfish)- Reds are by far the most favorable fish we catch due to the shear power and aggressiveness they show once getting hooked on the line. Most of the time we fish for them with Carolina rigs with live bait and float rigs as well.  When the conditions allow it, we can also target them on artificial lures and topwater plugs. If the wind is calm enough, we sometimes can sightcast these red drum which can be a blast. Just imagine watching the sunrise in the background while watching 20+ tails waving above the water! Most fish range from 18-27” (slot) but fish over 30” can be found throughout the summer. The keeping limit is 1 per person for red drum.

Black Drum & Sheepshead- The black drum are typically found in the cooler months but occasionally we can find them in deep water around rocky structures. We also may find them mixed in with sheepshead while fishing around docks and pilings. Dead shrimp seems to be the key to catching black drum if you can weed through all the croakers and pinfish. If you find a school, it’s worth it! You can keep 10 per person between 14-25”. Sheepshead are fish we specifically have to target because of the tactics. It is important to have the right hooks and leader because a sheepshead can break the line quickly around the structure it is close to. This is a good alternative when fishing for red drum and other species is slow. Sheepshead have to be 10” to the fork of the tail and you can keep 10 per person.

Flounder- Flounder are very popular fish in the Cape Fear area. Most fish are found along the river but later into the summer we seem to find them move towards the creeks. Using live minnows on a Carolina rig is the best way to entice a flounder.  The best part about fishing for reds is that a flounder is always a good possibility. Throwing artificial baits such as gulp or Z-man soft plastics are also great ways to catch numbers or flatfish. We can keep 4 per person at 15” or greater.

Speckled Trout- Specks are sporadic in the summer but can be found just about any way we fish. Whether its soft plastics, topwaters, or live bait, you will have a decent chance at picking up a couple. The best times to target speckled trout are either early in the morning or late in the evening when the water temperatures are a tad cooler. As of now the season on specks is closed but will open up June 15th of this year.

Sharks/Nearshore- Most people don’t think of shark fishing very often but occasionally we will get requests about targeting them. Depending on the day, it can happen very easily. This trip is mostly for people who aren’t interested in eating fish but just want to catch something big that can pull hard. If the conditions are favorable, we will fish along the beach for them. If not, we may stay inside the river and put live/dead baits on the bottom. Most of the sharks we catch are a few feet long but sometimes larger sharks such as black tips and bull sharks will inhale our baits. When this happens, you better hang on! Also, there are times when the ocean is calm early in the morning or late in the day and the best chance to catch fish is along the beaches. Spanish mackerel and bluefish tend to bite best during these hours and can provide a great time when sight casting to them. We use metal jigs and soft plastics to target these aggressive species.

Thanks for checking in and hopefully everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer. See you on the water!

God Bless,
Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
Carolina Beach Inshore Fishing Blog
910-619-9580

The post Seahawk Fishing Report for Summer 2018 appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND A SHORT FISHING REPORT FROM THE SEAHAWK INSHORE FISHING CREW JEFF, AMY, AND CHRISTIAN WOLFE

The early winter fishing has been good and should continue for the next few months.  December, January, and February are great months to catch redfish, speckled trout, black drum, and striped bass on the Lower Cape Fear backwaters.  Some of our better days fishing have come at this time of year.  Less people on the water and less fishing pressure equal some awesome fishing opportunities in the winter months.  Redfish are schooled up on the flats and in the creeks and the sightfishing has been good when conditions are right.  Speckled Trout are spread out up and down the Cape Fear and are often mixed in with redfish and black drum.  Finding all three together can provide us with some incredible action in small holes around low tide.  Striped Bass, Redfish, and Speckled Trout can also be caught in the same areas on the Cape Fear River or Brunswick River near or around Downtown Wilmington.

Check out a few of the photos from the past couple of weeks.
Thanks,
Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our customers/friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Also a huge THANK YOU for your business and trusting us to show your family and friends a good time fishing on the Lower Cape Fear.  We cherish the friendships we have made and consider it a blessing to get to know so many good and beautiful people. Building relationships and getting to know people from the US, and in some instances other countries is what makes the job so rewarding.  What is really neat is watching your children and grandchildren grow, mature, and become young adults.   We are looking forward to 2018, seeing and fishing with our regular customers/friends and hopefully building relationships with new customers.  I think it is going to be a good year with some nice upgrades to our charter business.

The post Seahawk Inshore Fishing Report 12/27/2017 appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

Southeastern North Carolina is blessed with some awesome winter fishing for Redfish, Speckled Trout, Black Drum, and Striped Bass. Some of the best fishing of the year for these species can occur. Redfish and Black Drum fishing can be incredible in December and January and good thru Febuary. Speckled Trout fishing is good thru December with spurts thru January and February depending on water temps. Striped Bass fishing can be good all winter long in the upper Cape Fear River.

Winter Redfishing
Our winter red drum fishing is one of North Carolina’s best shallow-water fishery because the waters are the warmest in the state. In the winter months redfish school up on dark, muddy flats and creeks seeking warmer waters that these areas create from the afternoon sun. Schools range from 10 to 50 fish schools in the creeks and 100 to 200 fish on the flats. Some of our best redfishing days have been in the winter months, especially December and January. Scented artificials, soft plastics, live or dead shrimp, and live mud minnows are the baits of choice for winter redfish.

Winter Speckled Trout Fishing
December is typically one of the best months to catch speckled trout in the Cape Fear area. Depending on water temps, specks can be caught throughout the winter months and typically bite better on the warmer, sunny days. Soft plastics on 1/4 ounce jigheads and hardbaits such as Mirrolures worked slow are top producers. Live shrimp, when available is the number one bait of choice to put good numbers of these tasty fish in the boat.

Winter Black Drum Fishing
We have a awesome winter Black Drum fishery here in the Lower Cape Fear area. Black Drum will often school with redfish in some of the same holes on the lower stages of the tides. Black Drum are a blast to catch on light tackle and fight similar to redfish with more direction changes. These along with redfish, and speckled trout make for some incredible action in the winter months. They also make great table fare and there is a limit of 10 per person, so we can fill up a cooler with some great eating fish.

Winter Striped Bass Fishing
Striped Bass can be caught throughout the winter months in the upper Cape Fear River. This is a catch and release fishery and these fish are a blast to catch on light tackle. The sizes range from 2 to 20lbs with an occasional larger fish caught. Sometimes we also catch redfish and speckled trout in the same areas that we are catching stripers. Trolling shallow and deep diving plugs or casting swimbaits, jigs, and hardbaits are the baits of choice for winter striped bass.

SPECIAL WINTER REDFISH, SPECKLED TROUT,
STRIPED BASS, AND BLACK DRUM TRIP RATES

December 1st thru March 1st

1-3 Angler Redfish, Speckled Trout, Black Drum, and Striped Bass Trips on the Kenner Bay Boat $275.00 for five to six hours
Winter five to six hour trip rates on the 2015 22′ Bay Rider and the 2013 21′ Key West Skiff. 1-3 people for 275.00 and 4 people for 300.00

Thanks for reading our report and check out some photos from our November trips.
Thanks,
Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
910-619-9580

The post Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters Winter Fishing Report and Forecast appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

The spring fishing season seems to have arrived early in 2017 which is always a welcomed sight. The temps have been steady in the 70’s and from the looks of the forecast, that is here to stay. We have had a mild winter and that has lead us into early spring patterns. Therefore, the fishing should be great! There are good to great numbers of redfish being caught, a few speckled trout, and black drum. The flounder, bluefish, sheepshead and other inshore species are not far off either with those usually showing in later into the spring. We are really looking forward to stable weather and the inshore fishing to continue to thrive and even improve over the next couple of weeks/months.

The 2016/2017 winter season provided us with some great numbers of under-slot redfish and a few lower-slot fish. As anticipated with our incredible fall bull redfish run, we have seen one of the best winter redfish season in the past 5 or so years. Redfish grow at a fast pace so they should be getting bigger and much stronger with the water temps climbing each day. With this being said, we predict this year to be the best year we have seen for redfish in recent memory. Most of the reds on charters recently have been caught fishing shrimp on light jigheads and Carolina rigs. Normally we are blind casting to fish but when conditions are right, we will get on the shallow flats and sightfish schools on the flats. Also, casting scented soft plastics on Wahoo Salty Flats 1/4 oz jig heads by dropping the trolling motor, covering ground in the creeks and casting to shell points and smaller creek mouths are productive spring tactics to catch redfish.

The speckled trout bite has been pretty good this winter with the warmer temperatures along with the redfish. This is not a specie that is targeted on charters everyday but is always a possibility, especially when fishing with artificials. Most of the trout that are caught will eat a wide variety of soft plastics such as Gulp, Z-man, and DOA baits.

The “other” drum, known as the black drum, is also a very popular fish that we target in the spring and can provide a great fight on light tackle and is delicious as well. Unlike the redfish, you can keep up to 10 fish per person. Currently, we are catching a decent amount but are anticipating a spike in numbers in the next few weeks. This fishery is easy but fun and they can pull as hard or even harder than a redfish, depending on the size. In the spring, most fish range from 13-18″ but it is not uncommon to see some fish over 20″. The best part about black drum is that they typically mix in with the reds, so sometimes it can be a 2 for 1!

Later into the spring is when we begin to see some flounder, sheepshead, and bluefish inshore. Flounder can be caught a few different ways with most fish being caught on live menhaden when we can get our hands on some. The peanut pogies, or small menhaden, can be easy to find and are candies for flounder along with reds. Another cool way to catch flounder is on artificial baits like Gulp or Z-man. Most of the flounder inshore are small but will get bigger throughout the year. Sheepshead can also be caught on structures such as docks and range markers in the river or creeks. They can fight tremendously hard for their size and are incredible tasting. Bluefish tend to show up when the water temperatures get above the mid 60’s. These fish are known for their aggressive behavior and are usually found in large schools that can be easily seen from a good distance away. Unlike most fish we target, they are not known for their great taste but when prepared right, can be a good meal.

Also in late spring is when we start to venture into the ocean nearshore and fish the menhaden schools anywhere from a couple hundred yards off the beach to a couple miles, depending on the conditions and bait location. This can be some of the coolest sightfishing to be done when the water is clear enough. In these schools of bait, there can be a wide variety of big and aggressive fish such as cobia, big spanish mackeral, jack crevelle, and sharks. All of these fish provide hard and exciting fights but the prize fish is the cobia. If lucky enough to boat a couple, they are one of the best tasting fish in the ocean. Lets hope for calm and clear conditions so you can experience this fun filled and eventful fishery.

Thanks for taking some time to read a quick spring 2017 fishing report and learning what is to come for the season. Redfish, black drum, speckled trout are already here and cobia, flounder sheepshead etc. etc. are right around the corner. There is so much to look forward to this charter season and we cannot wait to show you the beautiful and plentiful waters of the Cape Fear area. We wish everyone the best and great fishing to all.

God Bless,

Christian and Jeff Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
North Carolina Inshore Fishing Blog
910-619-9580

The post Spring 2017 Fishing Report appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE SEAHAWK INSHORE CREW JEFF, AMY, AND CHRISTIAN WOLFE

First I would like offer a big THANK YOU to all of my customers, (most of who have become good friends), for your business.  That is what makes the job so rewarding. Getting to meet and know so many good people from all over the country.  To watch you guys experience this awesome fishery and share the wonders and beauty of the Lower Cape Fear is what it’s all about.  It is an honor and privilege that you guys trust Christian and me to show you a good time on the water.  It has been a good 2016 and we are anticipating a good year for 2017.

Now for a short report:
The inshore and backwater fishing has been good and should continue for the remainder of the winter.  We are catching redfish, speckled trout, and black drum on the lower Cape Fear. Stripers and redfish are sometimes mixed together around Wilmington with some specs nearby.  The redfish are schooled up good on the flats and smaller schools are roaming the creeks.  Both artificials and shrimp have been effective on the reds.  Speckled trout are spread out in the Cape Fear area and are hitting artificials and live shrimp.  We are also having some good days on black drum fishing dead shrimp on the bottom. Black Drum they will often mix with redfish and speckled trout in the same small holes at low tide.  This makes for some good action and a few good eating fish to take home.

Thanks for reading the report and check the photos from recent trips.

Thanks,

Jeff and Christian Wolfe

Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
North Carolina Inshore Fishing Blog

910-619-9580

The post Seahawk Inshore Fishing Report 12/16/2016 appeared first on Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.