Wrightsville Beach – July 21, 2016
Matt, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the heat has made for good inshore fishing. Appropriate structure has been key to finding active fish. Dock pilings, oyster beds, and grass points are all holding fish, especially if there is some current and deep water nearby.
Anglers have been having the most success with red drum and flounder on live bait fished on a Carolina rig or jighead, though the reds will also hit cut bait. Anglers have also been having success working along the docks and grass lines casting jigheads and soft plastics like Gulp shrimp or Z-Man Jerk ShadZ. Topwater baits are producing some drum and speckled trout, especially at first light and late in the day.
The flounder bite has slowed up at the ledges and wrecks just off the beach, but there are still fish being caught. Bouncing a bucktail tipped with Gulp or drifting with live bait is how most are producing bites.
Surf anglers are reporting bluefish and few spanish mackerel. Early morning hours during a high tide is providing the best action. A handful of pompano, sea mullet (especially at night), and croaker are being caught by anglers bottom fishing with shrimp, sand fleas, or Fishbites. Flounder are being caught on live bait, and a few red drum have also been reported. Large cut bait has been producing some spinner and blacktip sharks as well.
The spanish mackerel fishing has picked up recently, with groups of fish feeding right along the beach out to about 55′ of water. Clarkspoons (#00 and #0) are working best trolled behind #1 planers or a 3 or 4 oz. trolling weight. Gotcha jigfish lures and Hogy Epoxy jigs (3/4 oz. and 1 oz.) have been the most popular choices for casting. Bird rigs, Blue Water Candy Spanish Daisies, and the smaller sized (3-1/2″) Yo-Zuri Deep Divers are always a good choice for trolling.
Cobia fishing has slowed down, but a few other species of big fish have been around recently. There have been tarpon moving through in the ocean, large jack crevalle, and a some large red drum. Look for these fish near schools of bait, around the Masonboro jetties, and on the artificial reefs. Live bait fished either weightless or on the bottom is one of the best tactics. Large mullet, menhaden, pinfish, and bluefish are all good baits to try.
Mahi have made a better showing this week, with a good number of fish being caught anywhere in the 12-25 mile range. Skirted ballyhoo, cigar minnows on dead bait rigs, and plugs are all catching fish. There have also been a couple reports of sailfish starting to show up closer to shore.
There’s still plenty of action with gag grouper and amberjack starting in the 15 mile range. Along with gag grouper, keeper sea bass and American red snapper (closed season) are being reported in that range on cut baits and jigs. Many anglers have been reporting African pompano while bottom fishing and jigging in the 90-110’ range. The pompano have been biting everything from cut bait on bottom rigs to small flat jigs and bucktails.
Trolling in the Gulf Stream lately has resembled fall fishing, with several wahoo being reported. Along with the wahoo, boats have also been seeing decent numbers of sailfish. Reports of mahi have been consistent, and blackfin tuna are still being found. Wire rigged ballyhoos under Jr Ilanders and Blue Water Candy Seawitches and Jags have been the most productive for the wahoos, with many of those bites coming on baits run behind #6 or #8 planers.
Blake Boyd, of Hampstead, with a pair of black drum caught on live fiddler crabs near a dock in the ICW.
Trevor, of ProFish NC Charters, reports that king mackerel in the 15-25 lb. range are being found from just off the beach to the 10 mile line. Slow trolled live baits and Blue Water Candy dead bait rigs are doing the trick.
There have been plenty of sharks to play with lately, including hammerheads (which have been numerous). Spanish mackerel fishing has been very good, and most of the action has taken place from the breakers to the 50’ range. Trolling spoons and planers have been the best tactic, and then small metal jigs are getting the bites while fish are feeding on the surface.
Flounder fishing around the AR’s and nearshore ledges has been very productive. Live baits on Carolina rigs along with Z-Man soft plastics are getting the job done.
Trentt James with an upper-slot redfish that fell for a weedless Salty Bay jerk bait in the waters around Wrightsville Beach. He was fishing with Capt. Jason Dail of Silverspoon Charters.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that red drum are biting well around a broad range of areas, including inlets, waterway docks, nearshore structure, and live bottoms just off the beach. Live or cut bait seems to be producing best.
Flounder are in all the same areas, including some of the area’s artificial reefs. Live finger mullet, menhaden, and bucktails tipped with a plastic shrimp are all working well, as are Blue Water Candy Carolina Bugs in white or glow in combination with bucktails.
A few cobia still remain around the inlets and artificial reefs.
Spanish mackerel are biting on and near the inlets. The bite has been up and down on certain days, but there are large numbers of fish when they are around. Undersized king mackerel are showing up in the same areas with the spanish.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that bottom fishing in the 20 mile range has been producing a nice mixed bag. Keeper black sea bass, triggerfish, grunts, and porgies have been biting jigs and squid, and a few gag grouper have been in the mix as well.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been an improvement over the past few weeks. The fish are taking spoons fished behind #1 planers, with silver and gold being the best colors.
Warren, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that there has been plenty of action with spanish mackerel and bluefish. They are mostly being caught early and late in the day. Gotcha plugs in a wide array of colors are doing the trick, as the fish haven’t seemed to consistently prefer one color over the other. The spanish have mostly been in the 1.5-2 lb. range, and some larger fish have been caught off live baits.
Flounder are being caught on small live baits and Gulp plastics on jigheads.
Tarpon fishing continues to provide anglers good shots on most days.
The water temperature has been steady in the low 80’s.
