Wrightsville Beach July 5, 2007
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that flounder fishing is picking up, particularly in the inlets. Some flounder are feeding in the creeks, but the majority of the fish are still closer to the ocean. Drifting in the inlets with Carolina-rigged mud minnows, finger mullet, or peanut pogies should put a few flounder in the cooler.
Puppy drum are holding beneath docks in the ICW, and they’ll hit the same live baits that anglers are using to fish for flounder. Gulp baits fished on jigheads will also draw strikes from the drum.
Trout fishing has slowed down for the summer, but anglers are still picking up a straggler trout once in a while.
Off the beach, the first tarpon of the year was released off Masonboro Island early in the week.
King mackerel are feeding most actively between 7-20 miles offshore. Solid numbers of dolphin are mixed in with the kings, and both fish will hit live pogies or dead cigar minnows.
The nearshore sailfish bite is hot right now, and boats are releasing the sails 4-20 miles from shore. Rigged ballyhoo and live baits are the top bait choices for anglers hoping to hook up with sails.
Grouper fishing has been productive 23+ miles out. Anglers are catching grouper on butterfly jigs and on bait rigs. Cigar minnows, northern mackerel, and squid all effective grouper baits.
Gulf Stream trolling is still producing decent catches. Skirted ballyhoo are tempting dolphin, fat wahoo, and a few tuna into striking. The tuna bite has been very early in the mornings.
Jim, of Plan 9 Fishing Charters, reports that king mackerel are biting well just south of the inlet. Live pogies will fool the kings into striking, and many are nice sized fish, from the upper teens to 25 lbs.
Spanish mackerel fishing is still tough. Most of the spanish are a little way off the beach in 40-50’ of water, and they have been very picky about what they’re feeding on.
Sailfish are hungry and relatively abundant near bottom structure and bait concentrations 5-20 miles offshore. Live pogies and rigged ballyhoo will produce much better results with the sailfish than frozen cigar minnows will.
Grouper fishing has been good when the seas lay down enough to get out. The best catches are coming from 30+ miles offshore, and they’re made up mostly of reds. A light-lined bait should get plenty of attention from dolphin while anglers are grouper fishing.
African pompano are showing up, and boats are hooking up with them on butterfly jigs. High-relief structure, such as wrecks, attracts and holds the Africans.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports plenty of teenager sized king mackerel feeding 15-20 miles offshore.
Dolphin fishing has been best in the 10-20 mile area. Live pogies are proving irresistible to both the kings and dolphin, and to some false albacore (20+ lbs.) that are holding in the same areas.
The reefs and wrecks are covered in amberjacks up to and exceeding 40 lbs., and they also have a tough time turning down a live pogy.
Inshore, the red drum fishing has been excellent. The drum are holding in the creeks and the ICW, and they will inhale nearly any type of live bait fished on a Carolina rig. Anglers who want to cast artificial lures can hook up with drum on Gulp baits and topwater lures.
Brent, of Current Adventure Charters, reports good catches of flounder coming from the nearshore reef s and ICW structure. Gulp shrimp fished on jigheads are tempting the flounder to strike.
Willie, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that spot and whiting are biting shrimp fished on the bottom at night.
Live shrimp and mud minnows are drawing strikes from keeper-sized flounder.
Bluefish and big spanish mackerel (3-4 lbs.) are hitting Gotcha plugs.
Anglers are seeing sheepshead and black drum around the pilings, but both have been picky about what they’ll eat lately.
King mackerel are striking live baits in the afternoons. And king fishermen got a handful of strikes from tarpon over the past week, though none were landed.
The water is 81 degrees.
