Wrightsville Beach – May 25, 2017
Matt, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that red drum fishing has been picking up inshore. Topwater baits like the Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore have been catching some of the fish, and soft plastics like the Gulp jerk shad or Z-Man EZ shrimp rigged with little to no weight are another good option.
Red and black drum are being caught around docks and deeper holes in the creeks. Fresh dead shrimp, cut mullet, or mud minnows fished on a jighead or Carolina rig has been working.
There has been some decent flounder fishing in the inlets. The bulk of the fish have been undersized, but more keepers are starting to mix in.
Surf anglers are reporting a few sea mullet, croaker, pompano, and black drum, mostly on shrimp and Fish Bites. Bluefish, ladyfish, spanish mackerel, and some small flounder have been reported as well.
Some good numbers of kings and spanish mackerel have started to show up. Reports on the kings have been coming from 5-20 miles offshore. Live menhaden, cigar minnows on dead bait rigs, and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers have been catching plenty of kings. Most of the spanish have been within 5 miles of the beach.
Black sea bass fishing has been good in the 10-15 mile range. For grouper, most anglers are going 25+ miles out. Live cigar minnows and pinfish are the best options, but frozen cigar minnows, squid, and strips of false albacore will also work.
The cobia fishing has been getting better as more schools of bait make their way up the beach. The fish will hang around the nearshore AR’s, buoys, and inlets. You can cast bucktails and larger Z-Man soft plastics towards fish that you have spotted, or bottom fishing with cut or live bait is another good option.
Trolling for mahi has been great lately, using small and medium-sized skirted ballyhoo and plugs.
The wahoo and blackfin tuna bite has remained decent. Trolling larger ballyhoo on a planer has been accounting for most of the wahoo.
The blue marlin bite has been strong. Trolling larger 12″ plugs and medium-sized ballyhoo are the bait of choice when chasing these fish.
Steven Haynes with a 6 lb. spanish caught while trolling a cigar minnow on a Blue Water Candy rig around the Dredge Wreck
Arlen, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that red drum action has been very consistent. Anglers fishing docks have reported good catches of 16-22″ fish on live minnows, cut mullet, and Gulp shrimp.
Flounder fishing has been getting better, especially from the deeper marsh banks between Carolina Beach and Wrightsville. Live minnows on Carolina rigs are the best bet; however, Z-Man and Gulp plastics on jigheads have been producing as well.
Black drum and sheepshead from Snow’s Cut and lower stretches of the Cape Fear River have been biting, and the best results have been on sand fleas and fiddler crabs.
Spanish mackerel have shown up, with several citation-sized fish mixed in. Most of the action has been coming from 40’ or deeper around bait marks. Trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers and Clarkspoons have accounted for most of the catch. However, casting anglers have been very successful with Spanish Candy jigs and Diamond jigs.
Several citation-sized cobia have been caught along the beaches. Anchoring up and fishing live baits on the bottom near the jetty has produced the cobias, as well as anglers fishing bucktails and Mag Swim soft plastics around pods of menhaden.
Flounder fishing along the nearshore wrecks and reefs has really taken off this past week, with fish up to 7 lbs. being reported. Spro 2 oz. bucktails with scented soft plastic trailers have accounted for most of the flounder catch.
King mackerel have been biting from 3-20 miles, while the best action has been in the 10-15 mile range. Trolling cigar minnows and deep diving plugs has accounted for most of the catch.
Gulf Stream fishing has fired off, and while the wahoo bite has slowed, good numbers of gaffer dolphin, big blackfin tuna, and blue marlin are being caught. Most of the action has been around the Nipple and north from 60 fathoms or deeper. Trolling ballyhoo as well as Sea Vixen lures has accounted for most of the dolphin and tuna, while most of the marlin action has been on skirted trolling plugs.
Trevor, of ProFishNC, reports that flounder fishing has been hot around the nearshore AR’s and ledges. The fish are falling for live peanut pogies on Carolina rigs.
Flounder are beginning to move inshore in better numbers, along with the resident red drum. The best fishing for flounder has been in shallow water around oyster beds, and the reds have been holding around deep water docks and eating live pogies fished near the bottom.
Spanish mackerel have shown up along the beach, with “snake” kings mixed in. The kings have been all over the 5-23 mile range. Trolling along contour lines on live bottom with cigar minnows, ballyhoo, or plugs has provided the best bite.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that red drum are biting well along ICW docks and around area creeks. There has been a nice mix of sizes, with a few over slot fish being hooked. Flounder are biting well inshore and within several miles of the beach. Live menhaden and bucktails have taken the majority of flounder.
Cobia are in our area and can be targeted with dead or live bait near the inlets or sight casting with Blue Water Candy cobia jigs. Spanish mackerel fishing has been excellent while trolling traditional spoons and planers and casting BWC Sling Shots and Double Shots. There has also been a strong mix of school-sized king mackerel in the same areas.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that spanish mackerel fishing has been good along the beach. King mackerel action has also been strong from just off the beach to the 20 mile range. The spanish are biting casting jigs on the surface and planer and spoons while trolling. The kings are biting plugs, dead bait rigs, and spoons on the troll.
Tim Schneiders wih a 6.44 lb. gray trout caught half a mile off Wrightsville Beach. The fish fell for a jigged white bucktail.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that offshore trolling has been great for mahi, blackfins, and blue marlin. There have also been some sailfish and white marlin showing up in the trolling spread.
Also, popping has been excellent over the past week or so for large blackfin tuna.
Donnie, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that spanish and bluefish are biting well on Gotcha plugs off the end of the pier. There are some flounder showing up, along with quite a few more short fish. Live minnows and scented soft plastics fished along the bottom have accounted for most of the flounder bites.
There has been quite a few cobia spotted, but only small fish have wanted to cooperate so far. The water temperature is hovering around the mid 70’s.
