Wrightsville Beach – May 26, 2016
Matt, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the red drum fishing has picked up over the past few days. The reds are starting to eat topwater plugs fished along shallow grass lines and flats.
Specked trout will occasionally take topwater baits while fishing for reds, especially early in the mornings.
Flounder are starting to bite in the backwaters, but most of the fish are undersized. Live mud minnows and Pro-Cure scented soft plastics have been working best.
Sheepshead fishing has continued to provide good action for those going after them. Live fiddler crabs and Savage 3D Crabs fished with Pro-Cure crab scent is how most are being caught.
Just off the beach, boaters are seeing a good number of cobia. The fish are holding with larger schools of pogies. Sight casting with bucktails is the most popular method, but along the Masonboro jetty, anglers are catching them using live and cut baits.
Bluefish have been biting well for surf anglers on the north and south ends of Wrightsville Beach. Higher tide cycles have been producing more fish, and fresh cut bait is tempting most of the fish.
The spanish mackerel bite continues to be very strong just outside the inlet. Spoons and planers along with Gotcha trolling plugs are putting good numbers in the boat. Bluefish are in the same areas and providing action when the spanish are not.
Gulf Stream anglers are reporting mahi and blackfin tuna. The best mahi fishing has been inside the break on ballyhoo. White marlin and sailfish are in some area waters, and their numbers should increase over the following weeks.
Grouper fishing has been great in the 30 mile range, and a good variety of assorted bottom fish are around the same structure as well. Ringtails, beeliners, and triggerfish are all biting for boaters making the run to the grounds.
Mary McLean caught this bonito on a pink Clarkspoon while fishing near the Liberty Ship.
Trevor, of ProFish NC, reports that mahi are scattered in the 7-10 mile range and are responding best to trolling skirted ballyhoo. Cobia fishing is on fire, too, and the fish are taking live bluefish or menhaden and bucktail jigs. King mackerel are biting well in the 10 mile range, and they are responding to slow trolling (cigar minnows) or high speed trolling (large Yo-Zuri Deep Divers).
The flounder bite was great inshore last week, with most caught on Blue Water Candy jigheads and Z-Man soft plastics.
Bluefish and spanish are at the inlets and right off the beach. They are taking “0” and “00” Clarkspoons behind a #1 or #2 planer. Proper rigging consists of 30-40′ of leader in the 30-40 lb. range.
Gray trout are all over the nearshore live bottom within a mile of the beach. Slowly working diamond jigs is catching them best.
Jennifer Tucker with a 24 black drum she caught while fishing in Masons Inlet with Capt. Lucas Luzardo.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that cobia are around the inlets and on bait balls.
Spanish, kings, and false albacore remain within a few miles of area inlets this week, too. The fish are taking an interest in traditional spoon and planer combinations. Deep diving plugs are also working alongside the spoons, with Rapala Shadow Rap’s working especially well.
Speckled trout are feeding well in the marsh. They are taking hard baits like the Rapala X-Rap and topwater baits like the Rapala Skitter Walk.
Red drum have bit well this past week along the waterway docks, and live menhaden fished on Carolina rigs and cut bluefish are getting it done on the reds.
Matt Carney, of Wilmington, with black sea bass he caught 35 miles off Wrightsville Beach.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are biting well along the beaches. Small Clarkspoons behind #1 and #2 planers has been providing the best action. The spanish are scattered, but the larger concentrations are around structure.
King mackerel fishing has been the best around the 15 mile range. The kings are eating slow trolled live baits and dead cigar minnows fished behind flashy skirts. Drone spoons fished on planers and downriggers are producing good catches in the same area as well.
Mahi are biting well in the 20 mile range, and ballyhoo rigs trolled on the surface are working best.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that offshore the blackfin tuna have been scattered. Wahoo have been mixed in the same areas with the blackfins. Most of the fish have been holding in 250-350’ of water.
Mahi seem to be biting best inshore of the break, between 100-120’. The fish are eating a variety of trolled lures by Fathom, Blue Water Candy, and Ilander.
In 110-130’ of water, the bottom fishing has been great. A variety of species have been active, such as gag grouper, scamps, grunts, beeliners, and black sea bass. Blue Water Candy jigs have been working well.
The nearshore fishing was good this past week with king mackerel and scattered mahi from 10 to 20 miles. Cobia have been all over from 20 miles out in to the beach.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that quality spanish (up to 5 lbs.) are being caught on plugs and live bait. Bluefish are also in the mix and taking the same baits.
There has been a good number of cobia spotted this past week and several caught. The largest cobia weighed in at 40 lbs. and was caught on a live threadfin herring.
Keeper flounder are being caught as of late, and the bite should continue to improve. Bottom fishermen are finding good numbers of croakers and sea mullet at night, with fresh shrimp and Fishbites working best.
Several citation pompano have been pulled up on the planks. Fresh caught sand fleas are producing the pompano, but they will also take frozen fleas and cut shrimp.
The water temperature is 73 degrees.
