Wrightsville Beach June 28, 2007
Chris, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that flounder and red drum are feeding in the ICW and tidal creeks. Both fish will hit Carolina-rigged live baits or Gulp soft baits on jigheads.
Surf anglers are hooking pompano and black drum while fishing with shrimp, sand fleas, and artificial sand fleas.
Good numbers of spanish mackerel are feeding near the beach, and anglers fishing with small live baits have had better results with the spanish than those trolling spoons and plugs.
King mackerel are feeding from the beach on out to the offshore structure. The beach bite has been red hot at Topsail. Live baits are producing the largest fish, but anglers are also hooking kings on dead cigar minnows.
Sailfish have been reported as close to the beach as 7 miles, and several have been released between there and 23 Mile Rock. Most of the sails are hitting live baits or rigged ballyhoo.
Boats are encountering dolphin 10+ miles off the beach, and they’re hooking up with them by trolling cigar minnows, ballyhoo, and live pogies. The dolphin range from peanut to teenager size.
The grouper bite has been hot in the 30-40 mile areas. Gags should be moving inshore soon and feeding on structure 15-25 miles offshore. Cigar minnows, sardines, and cut bait will get grouper strikes, but anglers can also hook up using butterfly jigs with lighter action rods. Butterfly jigging will also draw strikes from amberjacks and pelagic species like dolphin, kings, and wahoo.
There are a few dolphin still feeding in the Gulf Stream, but the hottest action has been inshore of the Stream 40-50 miles from the beach. Some wahoo are mixed with the dolphin, and both will attack skirted ballyhoo baits.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that dolphin action is on fire 17-18 miles off the beach. Live pogies are the choice bait for dolphin right now.
There are some kings mixed in with the dolphin, but it seems like the dolphin tend to stick to themselves. So if you’re searching for dolphin but catching a lot of kings, then you should move to a new spot.
Between 5-12 miles off the beach, boats are finding citation-sized spanish mackerel (7-8 lbs.).
Creek mouths off the ICW are holding lots of red drum over 30”. Falling tides are the best time to take them in the creek mouths. The drum are suckers for Carolina-rigged pogies, but they will also strike topwaters.
Flounder are holding in the inlets, especially Mason’s and Rich’s Inlets. Carolina-rigged tiger-side minnows are more than most flounder can resist, and they should produce nice flatfish catches for anglers drifting the inlets.
Brent, of Current Adventure Charters, reports that 3+ lb. flounder are feeding in the creeks around Topsail, particularly Virginia Creek. Spinnerbaits with soft plastic baits are fooling most of the flounder. Red drum are more difficult to find, but there are a few around.
Nearshore, the live bottoms and reefs are holding flounder, croakers, pigfish, and other bottomfish. Gulp-tipped bucktails will draw strikes from all the bottom feeders, but anglers who can catch live baits will probably find more of the larger flounder.
Plenty of big spanish mackerel are busting baits at the reefs, but they’ve been reluctant to hit anything but live baits.
Kings are holding around bait pods inshore of 23 Mile Rock. Most range from snake size to teenagers, with a few fish in the 20’s mixed in. Dead cigar minnows and live baits will draw king bites.
Several sailfish have been released around 23 Mile Rock, WR4, and other nearby spots. The sails prefer ballyhoo and live baits to cigar minnows.
Jim, of Plan 9 Fishing Charters, reports that kings, dolphin, and grouper are feeding around bottom structure 30-35 miles offshore. Cigar minnows will get strikes from grouper when fished on the bottom. You cal also use cigars on a weightless light-line for the kings and dolphin.
Sailfish have moved into local waters, and they have been released as far inshore as 7 miles from the beach. Larger groups of sails are feeding around 23 Mile Rock.
Anglers can catch dolphin and kings around the Rock by trolling dead cigar minnows, but the sails prefer baits with more action. Target them by trolling spreader bars and small/medium ballyhoo under Blue Water Candy skirts.
Large kings are feeding close to the beach. Anglers are scoring king bites by trolling live baits just offshore, and by casting Maria jigs and small spoons to schools of breaking spanish mackerel while trolling for the kings.
