Wrightsville Beach October 9, 2008
Hunter Avery, of Wilmington, with a 4.75 lb. flounder caught on a white 4" Gulp Alive Shrimp in the Cape Fear River.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that red and black drum are feeding in the surf along the length of the beach. Cut baits and shrimp on bottom rigs will get their attention, and anglers may also be able to hook up while casting Gulp baits or other lures.
Both drum species are also feeding in the sound, marshes, and creeks off the inlet channels and the ICW. Live baits or Gulps will get their attention.
Flounder fishing is still going steady, with many of the fish feeding in the inlets right now. Carolina-rigged live finger mullet are the best flounder baits, but anglers should also be able to hook up while casting Gulps.
The speckled trout bite has turned on for fall in the Cape Fear River. Some trout are also feeding around Wrightsville Beach, but they’re less numerous. Anglers should be able to find the specks feeding around grass islands, other structure, and in the creeks off the river. Topwater plugs have been fairly effective on the trout recently, and live shrimp or Gulp baits should prove difficult for them to resist.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been incredible just off the beaches lately. Trolling Clarkspoons has been producing the majority of the spanish action, but anglers may also be able to cast Shore Lure Glass Minnows or other jigging lures at breaking schools of fish.
The king mackerel bite is on fire, and boats are finding the kings from the beaches out to spots well offshore. Live pogies and other baits are top choices for the biggest kings, but they’ll also fall for dead baits like cigar minnows.
Bottom fishermen have been scoring with red grouper, triggerfish, and other fish 30+ miles offshore. Cigar minnows and cut baits will appeal to the bottomfish.
Vertical jiggers are finding plenty of action with amberjacks at deep structure like the Steeples.
Boats trolling the Gulf Stream are hooking wahoo, some blackfin tuna, and some sailfish as well. Rigged ballyhoo will appeal to all the Gulf Stream predators.Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the king mackerel bite has been stellar over the past week. The fish are feeding at a wide variety of spots, but the action has been especially hot around Dallas Rock. Dead cigar minnows trolled on Hank Brown rigs are drawing plenty of bites from the kings, and limit catches have been common.
Large schools of false albacore have been feeding on the surface in the same area in the morning, and anglers can cast Maria jigs and other small lures to breaking fish and flocks of working birds to hook up with the albies.
Closer to the beach, spanish mackerel fishing has been excellent around nearshore structure like the Liberty Ship and Johns Creek. The spanish are also feeding on top, and anglers can cast Marias and other lures for the spanish as well.
Gray trout are holding near the bottom in the same areas as the spanish, and working jigging lures just off the bottom will get their attention.
Red drum are schooling along the beaches, particularly around Figure Eight and Lea Island.
Inshore, flounder and drum are biting in the creeks and at structure off the ICW, again with the best fishing lately up towards Topsail.
Danny, of 96 Charter Company, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of spanish mackerel while casting lures to breaking schools just off the beaches and at nearshore structure.
The fish are sometimes feeding close enough to be in range for surf casters.
Plenty of bluefish are chasing bait in the same areas.
Flounder are feeding in the sloughs along the beaches.
Inshore, red drum are feeding in the shallows of the Cape Fear River, and lucky anglers may be able to find them tailing for sight-casting opportunities.
Tad Thomas, from Wilmington, with a 44 lb. wahoo he caught while fishing with Curtis Camp, Steve Bunch, and Capt. Mel Miller aboard the "Ma Ra II." The 'hoo fell for a blue-skirted ballyhoo in aroun 200' 70 miles off Wrightsville Beach.
Mike, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that live baiters have caught several king mackerel over the past week.
Plug casters are hooking up with some spanish mackerel and citation-size pompano.
Smaller pompano are falling for bottom rigs baited with shrimp and sand fleas.
Anglers fishing cut and live baits on the bottom are hooking up with good numbers of flounder, with many keepers.
The water temperature is 76.5 degrees.
