Wrightsville Beach – Winter 2014-2015
Nick Carnevale, of Wilmington, with a 50 lb. wahoo that struck a pink-skirted ballyhoo 68 miles off Masonboro Inlet.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with speckled trout and red drum inshore around Wrightsville and will likely be able to for weeks to come if not for most of the winter. The specks are feeding around the inlets and in boat basins, creeks, and other backwaters off the ICW, and they’re falling for a variety of artificials, including soft plastics and suspending hard lures like MirrOlure MR17’s.
Red drum are looking for meals in many of the same areas and will bite all the same baits, along with cut baits on Carolina rigs. Anglers should also see the reds school up along the beachfront and around local inlet shoals as the water temperatures continue to fall, where they can cast the same lures to fish they spot in the waves to hook up.
Surf casters at Wrightsville are still connecting with some speckled trout while working MirrOlures and soft plastic baits in beachfront sloughs.
Those soaking bait in the surf are finding action with panfish like sea mullet, pufferfish, and small bluefish, and all will pounce on shrimp or Fish Bites baits on bottom rigs.
Offshore, king mackerel have pushed out to the 25-30 mile range, where anglers are hooking solid numbers of school-sized fish on trolled spoons, cigar minnows, and strip baits. The kings will continue to follow warm water offshore as December wears on, and anglers can target them all winter when they can find upper-60’s water temperatures inshore of the break.
Bottom fishermen targeting the 20-30 mile range are connecting with plenty of black sea bass and gag grouper. Squid, cigar minnows, and cut and live baits will tempt bites from the bottom feeders, and the action should remain hot until grouper close for the season on January 1.
Drew Hudspeth, of Wilmington, with a 33″ gag grouper that bit a live cigar minnow in 70′ of water off Masonboro Inlet while she was fishing with Bryan Williams on the “Trigger Happy.”
Not many boats have been to the Gulf Stream off Wrightsville in the past week, but the last reports included solid wahoo action along with some blackfin tuna, sailfish, and a few late-season dolphin. Wahoo and blackfins should be feeding in the area all winter, and anglers can hook both while trolling skirted ballyhoo.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers are seeing some solid jigging action at the break off Wrightsville, and the fishing will continue through the winter. Working vertical jigs around structure in 150-300’ of water is producing fast action with large amberjacks, and African pompano and cobia should be joining the party as the water temperatures continue to fall.
Blackfin tuna and wahoo feed in the area year-round and will also fall for vertical jigs or trolled ballyhoo and smaller lures.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some phenomenal black sea bass action at bottom structure within 15 miles of the beaches right now. Limit catches of 14-16” fish have been easily put together on recent trips, and the fish are biting both baited bottom rigs and small vertical jigs. The sea bass action should remain strong for much of the winter.
Inshore, the speckled trout action has been hot for over a month, but most of the fish are on the short side now. Some larger specks are biting in the Cape Fear River.
Striped bass are also looking for meals in the Cape Fear around downtown Wilmington and nearby. The striper bite is off to a strong start for the season, and anglers can connect with the fish by working soft plastic baits around ledges and drop-offs in the area.
Jeff Arita, of Leland, NC, with a striped bass that struck a Rapala Shad Rap while he was fishing the Cape Fear River near downtown Wilmington with Bob Rainey.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are finding red drum schooled up around area docks and boat basins, along with dark-bottomed flats off the ICW. Fresh shrimp are tough to beat for both drum in the colder months.
Speckled trout are looking for meals at a variety of spots inshore and will be moving into areas of deeper water and low current as the temperatures continue to cool. Fishing lightly-weighted baits very slowly is the way to tempt bites from the lethargic cold-weather specks.
Red drum are beginning to school up along the beachfront and around area inlets, and anglers can cruise behind the breakers and sight-cast to the fish all winter long.
Low rainfall amounts have speckled trout and red drum feeding in the Cape Fear River all the way past Wilmington, where they’re mixed in with striped bass. Anglers are hooking all three while working lures like Back Water Candy soft plastics.
Phillip, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some healthy sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp and cut baits.
Speckled trout are also feeding around the pier, and anglers working artificials around high tide have been connecting with good numbers (both keeper and short fish). The trout action should remain steady for a month or more barring any unusually cold weather.
Anglers have also seen some schools of red drum working by the pier, but they’ve been reluctant to bite.
