Wrightsville Beach – July 9, 2015
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers continue to find action with red drum in the area’s creeks. They’ve been biting topwater plugs early and late in the day and falling for live and cut baits when the sun’s up. Bait fishermen have been finding a decent red bite around docks and other ICW structure as well.
Good numbers of flounder are also feeding in the creeks and marshes, and they’re biting live baits and Gulps.
Out in the ocean, anglers are finding some spanish mackerel feeding along the beachfront and fooling them with trolled Clarkspoons.
Small to midsize king mackerel are making an appearance at spots 5-15 miles offshore. They’re also biting spoons along with diving plugs and live, dead, and strip baits.
Further offshore, anglers are running into a few sailfish and some dolphin in the 30 mile range. Ballyhoo are fooling both.
Bottom fishing around spots in the 30 mile zone has also been producing some solid gag grouper action. Live, dead, and cut baits will fool the gags. Smaller baits are tempting bites from grunts, sea bass, and other bottom feeders.
Mary Lanier with an amberjack that bit a Ballyhood Mahi Snagger as she was trolling 30 miles SE of Wrightsville Beach with her boyfriend Michael Gray.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with slot and over-slot red drum while fishing the inlets and around inshore structure like docks. Cut menhaden and mullet have been the best baits for the reds recently.
There are still some speckled trout feeding inshore near the inlets. Anglers are tempting the specks to bite topwater plugs, Rapala X-Raps, and soft plastic shrimp imitations.
Anglers are also connecting with some flounder inshore on live baits.
The flounder bite remains good in the ocean around structure within a few miles of the beaches. Live baits and bucktails are both producing results with the ocean flatfish.
Many barracuda are feeding in the same areas as the flounder. They’ll bite live baits or fast-moving artificials like tube lures.
Jordan Racca with a 27″ red drum he hooked on a live bait in Pages Creek.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers are finding some solid bottom fishing action at spots in 110’ of water and deeper right now. Anglers are seeing some big scamp grouper around structure in that range, along with gag grouper and a host of smaller bottom dwellers like sea bass, beeliners, triggerfish, and grunts. Live, dead, and cut baits will produce action with the bottom dwellers, and anglers can also employ vertical jigs with success.
Amberjacks are schooled up around structure from the 10 mile range on out. They’ll attack live baits or fast moving artificials like topwater plugs and vertical jigs.
Anglers trolling the blue water off Wrightsville continue to hook dolphin, wahoo, and blackfin tuna on ballyhoo and baitless trolling lures. There are also still some blue marlin in the area and taking an interest in anglers’ baits.
Jim, of Plan 9 Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still finding plenty of king mackerel at spots 10-15 miles off Wrightsville. Ballyhoo and cigar minnows on dead bait rigs are fooling most of the fish, and most of the bites have been coming from deep downrigger baits recently.
Inshore, there’s been a good flounder bite in the inlets (though many fish are undersized). Live finger mullet are fooling the flatfish.
Anglers soaking live mullet along the ICW are also connecting with over-slot red drum.
Lynn, of Shearwater Fishing Charters, reports that anglers saw the spanish mackerel bite around Wrightsville slow down a bit over the past week.
There was a decent dolphin bite 10-20 miles offshore last week, but the water has pushed offshore and likely taken many of the fish with it.
Good numbers of king mackerel and some dolphin have been falling for trolled baits around 23 Mile Rock in the past few days. Live and dead baits or trolling lures will fool both fish.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that anglers have caught and released several tarpon while live-baiting from the end of the pier recently, along with a large king mackerel.
Casters are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotcha plugs and mackerel trees when the water is clean.
Anglers soaking live mud minnows on the bottom are connecting with some flounder.
Those baiting up with shrimp are hooking croaker and sea mullet. Some red drum have been cruising the surf zone in the afternoons. They’ll bite shrimp and cut or live baits.
