Wrightsville Beach August 16, 2012
Cole Argay (age 9) with his first spanish mackerel, a 6 lb., 3 oz. fish that bit a live menhaden just off Carolina Beach Inlet while he was fishing with his father.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the red drum action inshore has been improving over the past week, particularly in the local creeks. Anglers can also find the reds feeding around ICW docks, in the marshes, and around the inlets. Topwater plugs, Gulps, and live baits will all attract attention from the drum.
Anglers also had a good week with the flounder last week, finding them in many of the same areas as the reds. Live mud minnows, finger mullet, or menhaden and scented soft baits like Gulps are both highly effective on the flatfish.
More speckled trout reports have been coming in lately, with action in the creeks and around the inlets. Live and soft plastic baits will fool the specks, but several local anglers have also been hooking up on topwater plugs recently.
The spanish mackerel bite remains excellent off Masonboro Inlet, with anglers putting together big catches while trolling Clarkspoons and small daisy chains between the jetties and a few miles offshore. A few are also being hooked on Sea Striker Jigfish and other metal casting lures when the schools are feeding on the surface.
There’s a vast amount of bait (threadfin herring) 8-10 miles out, but not a lot of other activity there.
The water’s been dirty out to about 15 miles lately. Once anglers make it past that area, they’ve been hooking some king mackerel, dolphin, amberjacks, barracuda, and other pelagics on live and dead baits.
The dolphin and sailfish action has been better in the 25-30 mile range recently. Small ballyhoo trolled in conjunction with dredge and daisy chain teasers are the way to hook up with the sails and dolphin.
More dolphin are on the feed out in the Gulf Stream, and boats also reported an improved wahoo bite out in the blue water. Ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures are both attracting attention from the dolphin and ‘hoos.
Bottom fishermen have been finding that the gag grouper action is best at structure in 80’ and deeper right now. Plenty of black sea bass and other bottom feeders are in the same areas. Live baits and dead cigar minnows will tempt bites from the grouper, and squid or cut baits are top choices for the smaller bottomfish.
Amanda Flynt, of Wilmington, with a dolphin that bit a circle hook-rigged ballyhoo near the Firecracker Ledges off Wrightsville Beach while she was fishing with Chris Edens, Jr. on the "Sarah Jo."
Red and scamp groupers, triggerfish, beeliners, and more are looking for meals at spots in 110’ and deeper, and they will respond to the same techniques as the gags and sea bass.
Jon, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the wahoo bite is getting better in the Gulf Stream off Wrightsville. Anglers are still seeing good numbers of dolphin as well, and some king mackerel, false albacore, and more are still feeding in the blue water. Ballyhoo combined with skirted trolling lures are producing most of the action with the pelagics.
Scattered dolphin and king mackerel are feeding at spots 10-30 miles off the beaches, and anglers are hooking both while slow-trolling live baits or pulling dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo a bit faster.
Spanish mackerel are still feeding strong around and just offshore of Masonboro Inlet. Anglers are hooking the spaniards both while trolling Clarkspoons and casting small metal jigs to fish they spot feeding on the surface.
Inshore, speckled trout are becoming a little more prevalent around Wrightsville, with more reports coming in from the Cape Fear River. Topwater plugs, soft plastics, suspending hard baits, and live baits will all attract attention from the specks.
Red drum are feeding everywhere from the creeks to the inlets. When anglers find them shallow, topwater plugs or lightly-weighted soft plastics are the keys to hookups. In deeper water, soft plastics on heavier jigheads or Carolina-rigged finger mullet and menhaden will get the job done.
Flounder fishing has been solid in many of the same areas as the reds, with Gulps and Carolina-rigged live baits fooling the majority of the flatfish.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that there have been some king mackerel feeding at spots 8-12 miles off Wrightsville lately, and cigar minnows trolled on dead bait rigs have been fooling plenty of them.
Bottom fishing in the same areas is producing plenty of action with black sea bass, grunts, and other bottom feeders, but the grouper seem to have pushed a bit further out. Squid and cut baits are attracting attention from the bottom dwellers.
Scott Combs, of Wilmington, with an over-slot red drum he cuaght and released in Masonboro Inlet after it struck a live finger mullet.
Closer to the beaches, the spanish mackerel bite remains excellent in 40-50’ of water (with many fish 20”+). Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and cigar weights are fooling most of the fish, and larger spoons than usual have been tempting bites from the largest spanish. Some 3+ lb. bluefish are mixed in and also taking an interest in the spoons.
Large sharks are around and feeding at nearshore structure and behind shrimp boats. It won’t take them long to find a cut bait behind a drifting boat, particularly if anglers add some chum to the water.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite remains solid, with anglers putting together big catches on trolled Clarkspoons. The best bite has been 2-4 miles off the beaches lately.
Big numbers of flounder are feeding around the nearshore AR’s and other structure, and anglers can hook them on live baits or bucktail/Gulp combinations.
Bottom fishing further out in the 20-25 miles range is attracting attention from some sea bass, grunts, porgies, amberjacks, and more. Squid and cut, dead, or live baits will attract attention from the bottom feeders.
Steve, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some flounder on live finger mullet and mud minnows fished under the pier. A few red drum are also taking an interest in the live baits.
Some sea mullet and pufferfish are biting bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms in the evening hours.
Plug casters are hooking some bluefish and an occasional spanish mackerel on Gotchas.
