Wrightsville Beach November 12, 2009
Joey Tan, from Singapore, and Dave Irving, from the UK, with a pair of gag grouper they hooked while jigging some bottom structure in 80' of water. they were fishing with Capt. Mike Jackson of Live Line Charters out of Wrightsville Beach.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that surf anglers at Wrightsville Beach have had excellent luck lately. Anglers soaking baited bottom rigs in the breakers are hooking up with whiting, big pompano (4-5+ lbs.), red drum, flounder, and more.
Shrimp and sand fleas will attract attention from the whiting, pomps, and reds. The reds are also apt to fall for cut baits and finger mullet, which will also attract attention from the flatfish.
Inshore, the speckled trout bite is cranking up. The best numbers have been coming from the north, but anglers have been putting together good catches at Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches and in the Cape Fear River. Live shrimp are top baits for the specks, and anglers can also hook them on topwater plugs, MirrOlures, Gulps, and other soft plastics.
Reds are feeding inshore as well, and live baits or the same lures anglers are throwing for trout will fool them.
Offshore, the king mackerel bite’s been on fire in the 10-15 mile range over the past few weeks. Anglers are hooking the kings on both live and dead baits, and the fish should remain in the area until the water temperature drops into the mid-60’s. They’ll follow the warm water offshore over the next month.
False albacore have been chasing bait from the inlets out to 80’ or so, and anglers can hook up with them while casting metal jigs or soft plastic lures to the breaking schools.
Gag grouper have been on the feed in the 10-20 mile range lately as well, and anglers can hook up with them by dropping live baits, cut baits, or dead cigar minnows and other frozen baits to bottom structure in 60-80’ of water.
The deeper water bottom bite has been a little less consistent, with anglers picking at the red and scamp groupers but not recording any phenomenal catches lately.
Like the deep water bottom fishing, the Gulf Stream action has been hit-or-miss lately. Some boats are returning with decent catches of wahoo and blackfin tuna, while others struggle to get bites. Ballyhoo rigged under skirted trolling lures are the go-to baits for the Gulf Stream fish.
Owen Parker with a 9 lb., 6 oz. flounder that fell for a live finger mullet at a Wrightsville Beach dock.
Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the fall speckled trout bite is on. Anglers are putting together excellent catches in the New River, around the Masonboro jetties, in Carolina Beach Inlet, inshore behind Masonboro, and in the Cape Fear River.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream over the past week have found some excellent fishing, landing good numbers of wahoo (many in the 50 lb. class) along with some dolphin, blackfin tuna, and king mackerel. Some billfish are feeding in the area, too, as several boats recorded sailfish releases and blue marlin hookups recently.
Ballyhoo rigged under skirted trolling lures are fooling most of the blue water fish.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that the king mackerel bite’s been on 10-15 miles offshore recently. Anglers are landing big numbers while live-baiting with pogies, trolling dead baits with cigar minnows, and pulling sea witches and strip baits.
The fish aren’t huge, but are solid for schoolies (averaging 10-15 lbs.).
The kings will remain in the area until the water temperature falls into the mid-60’s, and they will then follow the 66-70 degree water out to their wintering grounds.
Deep water bottom fishing in 150-200’ has been producing some nice catches of red, scamp, and gag groupers lately.
Vertical jigging in some of the same areas is attracting attention from amberjacks and some blackfin tuna.
Capt. Blair White, of Tightline Fishing Charters out of Wilmington, with a 26", 6.06 lb. speckled trout that fell for a grub near Masonboro Inlet at night.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the bottom bite’s been on in the 30-35 mile range. Anglers are hooking up with scamp and red groupers on live baits, cut baits, dead cigar minnows, and more. Many of the fish have been small, but anglers who work through the shorts should be able to manage some keepers.
The gag grouper bite in closer (10-20 miles) has been excellent. The same baits will fool the gags, and they’ve been averaging much larger.
King mackerel are feeding heavily in the 10-15 mile range, and trolling dead cigar minnows has been producing fast action with the kings.
Rob, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are decking good numbers of whiting and small flounder on shrimp. A few pompano are also still in the mix.
Some big red drum have been feeding around the pier at night, and anglers are hooking up with them on finger mullet and cut baits fished on the bottom.
The pier’s starting to see a few speckled trout falling for bottom rigs and a variety of lures, and the bite should improve as the weather cools off.
The water is 67 degrees.
