Wrightsville Beach Winter 2006
Tex, at Tex’s Tackle, reports that the red drum are moving along and biting in the surf very well. Speckled trout are being caught on live bait and artificials in the surf and along the Masonboro jetties.
While anglers are trout fishing, a few flounder are still hanging around and being caught on Gulps. A few drum remain in the creeks, and they should stay there through the winter.
Offshore, the sea bass are in the 10-20 mile range. There were some very nice fish reported the week before the rains, and it should pick right back up when the seas settle.
Albies should still be in huge pods, and they may pass by while bottom fishing.
Grouper are in the 80-120 foot range, with some really nice gags and reds being caught recently.
King mackerel have been around 23 Mile Rock, Frying Pan Tower, and the Horseshoe. In the gulf stream, only a few wahoo have been reported recently. Most fish were in the 40 pound range.
Jim, at Plan 9 Charters, reports that inshore fishing has been good for speckled trout in the 2-4 pound range, along with a mix of bluefish. Redfish have been roaming the creeks, and they should stay put through the winter.
The water has been 62 degrees, so the trout should continue to bite well for a few more weeks. When they slow down, it will be time to target stripers in the Cape Fear River.
Offshore, the fishing has been good when the weather allows. Grouper are in the 20 mile range, as well as good numbers of sea bass and false albacore.
Mike, at Corona Daze Charters, reports that the fishing had been very good for speckled trout until the recent rains shut down the bite. It will pick back up quickly as the water cleans up.
The jetties and Banks Channel have been good “go to” spots for the trout. The new penny Gulp shrimp and Mirrolures are working the best (unless you can get live bait). Days with 30 to 40 fish were the norm before the recent rains.
Jot, at Fortune Hunter Charters, reports excellent speckled trout fishing lately. Water temperatures have been hanging in the upper 50’s lately, and the fish should bite until it gets down to 51 to 52 degrees. Live shrimp has been the “go to” bait for 40 to 50 fish days. And artificials, such as Mirrolures and jigs, have been yielding 15 fish days.
Most fish have been 2-3 pounds, with quite a few citation fish of over 4 pounds weighed in.
There have been a handful of red drum and flounder still being caught around the area as well. Nearshore, most of the drum are roaming the surf in small to big schools.
Black sea bass are biting well in the 5-15 mile range, and king mackerel are stacking up at Frying Pan Tower.
The gulf stream reports have been limited to scattered catches of wahoo.
James, at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports good speckled trout fishing over the past weeks. Soft plastics and Gotcha plugs are producing good results on the trout, and the fish are also falling for shrimp fished on bottom rigs.
Shrimp on bottom rigs are also attracting a cool-water mix of fish at the pier, such as black drum (up to 3 pounds), whiting (up to 1.5 pounds), and some dogfish and puffers.
The water temperature is 58.3 degrees.
