Wrightsville Beach September 13, 2007
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that surf anglers are landing red drum and flounder. Cut baits are the top drum producers, while the flounder will fall for live or Gulp baits.
Reds and flounder are also feeding in the creeks, where a Gulp bait on a jighead or a Carolina-rigged live bait should be too much for them to resist.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches, and they will fall for trolled Clarkspoons, although the larger spanish mackerel are more likely to strike a small live bait fished on the surface.
The river is giving up good catches of speckled trout. Topwater plugs, Gulp baits, and live shrimp or other baits fished beneath floats are top trout producers.
The flounder bite is also hot in the river, and live finger mullet, peanut pogies, or mud minnows fished on Carolina rigs should attract attention from the flounder.
Tarpon are looking for meals along the beaches and in the inlets, and surf and pier anglers have hooked several recently. The “silver kings” will inhale pogies or a variety of other live baits, and surf anglers can also hook up by fishing cut baits on the bottom.
King mackerel are most plentiful in the 10-20 mile range right now. Slow-trolled live baits should draw bites from the largest kings, but most of the fish will readily strike dead cigar minnows.
As September progresses, the water will begin to cool off, triggering the hot fall fishing anglers have been looking forward to all year. As the water begins to cool, look for spanish mackerel to become more abundant along the beaches, big kings to start feeding nearshore, and the speckled trout bite to kick into high gear.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are hooking up with red drum and flounder in the creeks between Wrightsville and Figure Eight. The reds have also been feeding well around indentations in the marsh grass off the ICW. Carolina-rigged finger mullet and Gulp baits will attract attention from the drum and trout.
Gray trout are schooled up around the structure and hardbottoms near Masonboro Inlet. Target the grays by jigging Stingsilvers vertically above the structure. Some spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding in the same areas, and anglers may land a few while gray trout fishing.
Leaving a light line with a live pogy or other bait out while gray trout fishing will tempt strikes from any king mackerel that are feeding in the area. Most of the kings hunting near the beaches right now are solid fish (in the 20 lb. range).
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that inshore anglers are hooking up with red drum and flounder along grass banks and in creek mouths behind Figure Eight Island.
The reds are averaging around 30”, and they will inhale live baits or Gulp crabs.
Some of the flounder are fat fish (3-4 lbs.), and most are falling for live finger mullet fished on Carolina-rigs.
The NE winds have stalled the king mackerel bite nearshore, but when the wind goes west for a few days, expect hungry kings to show up on the beach.
Brent, of Current Adventure Charters, reports that speckled trout are feeding heavily in the Cape Fear, particularly early and late in the day. The trout are hitting topwater plugs, particularly the bronze-colored Zara Spook. Target the specks around grass islands adjacent to deeper water.
Red drum are feeding in many of the same areas as the trout, and anglers can hook up with the reds by casting bucktails tipped with Gulp baits.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that over-slot red drum and black drum are feeding in the surf zone.
The reds are falling for live finger mullet, cut baits, and Gulps, while most anglers are hooking up with black drum by baiting up with crabs.
Anglers are landing good catches of flounder from the pier, and the pier record flatfish was broken twice over the past week. It now stands at just less than 7 lbs. Carolina-rigged finger mullet are the top flounder producers.
The water is full of popeye mullet. The sharks, tarpon, and kings are all feeding on them.
The water temperature is 83.7 degrees.
