Wrightsville Beach October 11, 2007
Chris, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that area fishing is moving into a typical fall pattern.
Flounder and red drum are feeding hard in local creeks. Live finger mullet fished on Carolina rigs and Gulp baits will draw bites from the reds and the flatfish.
Anglers have been catching speckled trout in the Cape Fear and north of Wrightsville all summer, but some specks are finally beginning to show up in the local inshore waters. Anglers have landed a decent number on MirrOlures and Carolina-rigged finger mullet while flounder fishing. The trout action has been best in the shallows and creeks behind Masonboro Island.
Bait is abundant along the beaches, and as a result spanish mackerel and bluefish are schooled up and feeding with abandon. Slow trolling small live baits, faster trolling with Clarkspoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers, and casting small lures to breaking schools of fish will all produce spanish and blue hookups.
Surf anglers are also hooking up with the spanish while casting metal lures from the beaches.
King mackerel are feeding hard along the beaches. They range from school-sized fish up to 30-40 lbs., and slow trolling live pogies along the beachfront near bait concentrations or bottom structure should entice some kings to bite.
Even though it’s October, some tarpon are still around and feeding close to the beaches as well. They’ll strike slow trolled live baits or dead baits fished on the bottom
Not many boats have made it offshore recently, but those that have have found some gag grouper action fairly close to the beach (in the 10-20 mile range). Most of the reds, scamps, and other bottom fish are feeding further out at structure 30+ miles offshore.
The wahoo bite was excellent last week when boats were able to make it to the Stream, and anglers can expect the hot fishing to continue when the weather calms down.
Jim, of Plan 9 Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are feeding well on flats and in creek mouths around Figure 8 and in Rich’s Inlet. Carolina-rigged finger mullet should draw strikes from the drum, and they’ll also fall for a variety of lures.
Anglers jigging nearshore structure off Masonboro Inlet are hooking up with gray trout, spanish mackerel, and big bluefish.
Good numbers of sharks are also feeding in the area, and boats that set up a chum slick should have little trouble hooking up with the toothy predators.
King mackerel are on the also on the feed in nearshore waters.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that the king mackerel bite is excellent around the Cape Fear River mouth and the nearby beaches and structure. Boats slow-trolling live pogies are hooking up with good numbers of 20 lb. and larger kings, along with plenty of smaller ones.
Inshore, the red drum fishing has been solid in the creeks around Topsail Island. Gulp baits fished on jigheads are top lures for the reds.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that king mackerel fishing along the beaches has been excellent recently. The bite has been hot from Topsail to Oak Island, with quality fish coming from the Topsail inshore ledges, Dallas Rock, the Dredge Wreck, the Cape Fear shipping Channel, and Yaupon Reef.
Live pogies make the best king baits, but they are becoming a bit more difficult to find than they’ve been the last few weeks.
Spanish mackerel are also feeding nearshore, and they will fall for smaller live baits or trolled Clarkspoons.
Around the jetties, anglers are hooking up with spanish, some bluefish, and sharks.
James, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that king mackerel have been providing plenty of excitement for pier anglers over the last weeks. Anglers decked kings up to 35 lbs. recently (with most in the 20 lb. range). Bait is plentiful, and anglers have hooked kings on live bluefish, pogies, cigar minnows and threadfin herring lately.
Bluefish are also running well, and the pier has experienced several “mini-blitzes” over the past week, with anglers landing 1-5 lb. bluefish practically as fast as they could cast.
Spanish mackerel (up to 3 lbs.) are also feeding around the pier, and they’re falling for Gotcha plugs and smaller live baits.
Anglers fishing small live baits on the bottom are hooking up with some flounder (up to 3 lbs.).
Bottom fishermen are landing some nice pompano in the daytime (up to 2 lbs.) and whiting at night. Shrimp are the best overall baits, but the pompano will also fall for sand fleas.
The water temperature is 79.7 degrees.
