Wrightsville Beach September 30, 2010
Jay Coyle, of Wilmington, with a 5.6 lb. speckled trout he hooked in the ICW on a live finger mullet while fishing with Capt. Danny Wrenn of 96 Charter Company.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing the fishing improve even though the water temperatures are still fairly high.
Anglers are finding action with flounder and red drum in the inlets and around inshore structure. Both will fall for live finger mullet or peanut pogies and Gulp baits.
There are plenty of reports of flounder and reds coming from the river as well, along with an improving speckled trout bite. Live shrimp are the best baits for the specks, but anglers can hook up on a variety of lures as well.
Surf fishermen are hooking some whiting, a few pompano, bluefish, flounder, and puppy drum. Fresh shrimp will fool the whiting and pomps, and the other fish are falling for lures like Gulp baits and spoons.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still running the beaches, and anglers can tempt them to bite trolled Clarkspoons, Yo-Zuri Deep Divers, and Blue Water Candy Spanish Daisy chains.
False albacore are chasing bait from the beaches out to around 20 miles. They’ll fall for the same lures as the spanish, and anglers can also hook up with the albies on smaller metal casting jigs when they’re feeding on the surface.
The king mackerel bite’s been slow, but it should start turning around as the water temperatures begin to fall.
Amberjacks are still schooled up around the Schoolhouse and other structure in the 10-20 mile range. They’ll bite live baits, vertical jigs, and topwater plugs when anglers can find them near the surface.
Bottom fishermen are reporting solid sea bass and grouper action, along with plenty of other bottom feeders at spots from 20 miles on out to the break.
Blue water trollers have found an excellent wahoo bite recently (with some boats landing double-digit numbers). Some sailfish and a few dolphin are mixed in. Anglers can fool all the blue water predators while trolling skirted ballyhoo.
Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the wahoo bite is still on fire in the Gulf Stream. There are plenty of smaller blackfin tuna in the same areas, a few scattered dolphin, and a blue marlin was seen last week as well. Skirted ballyhoo and baitless trolling lures will fool the wahoo and other Gulf Stream predators.
Bottom fishing has been producing good catches of gag grouper at structure 10-30 miles off the beaches. Live baits offer anglers the best chances at the larger grouper.
False albacore have shown up in the area, and they’re mixed in with spanish mackerel within a few miles of shore. Both fish will fall for metal casting lures.
A few reports of cobia have been coming in recently, so anglers may see a fall cobia run this year.
The flounder bite is on both inshore and at nearshore structure in the ocean, and live finger mullet or Gulp baits will fool the flatfish.
Anglers are reporting some solid red drum fishing in the surf and the backwaters behind Figure Eight Island.
Danny, of 96 Charter Company, reports that the fall fishing is just getting started. Anglers are finding action with speckled trout (some to 5 lbs.), flounder, and red drum in the Wrightsville Beach area and down in the Cape Fear River. Live finger mullet or pogies and soft plastics are doing most of the damage.
Mike Carver, of MD, with a 7 lb., 25" flounder that fell for a live finger mullet at Masonboro Inlet.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that there’s been a decent wahoo bite in the Gulf Stream recently. The fish are falling for skirted ballyhoo, both on top and run deep behind planers. Some blackfin tuna are in the same areas, and trolling smaller lures back in the spread will attract their attention.
Jigging along the break has been producing some fast action with amberjacks.
Grouper, triggerfish, beeliners, and other bottom dwellers are holding on bottom structure in 100-150’ of water. The best bets for the grouper are live baits. Anglers are hooking up with the triggerfish primarily on 2 oz. Roscoe jigs.
Rick, of Rod-Man Charters, reports that before the weekend’s rainstorm, the red drum fishing was excellent in the ICW and Cape Fear River. Live finger mullet are fooling most of the reds.
Speckled trout are on the feed in the river and taking an interest in Gulp baits and Provokers.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still feeding along the beaches, where they’ll bite trolled Clarkspoons or a variety of small casting lures.
Rob, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that the pier saw some of its best spanish mackerel plugging of the summer last week, interestingly, in the rain.
Live baiters landed a 22 lb. king mackerel and a 15 lb. barracuda last week, so the larger fish seem to be moving back towards the beach.
Spot, croaker, and a few whiting and pompano are falling for shrimp on bottom rigs.
Anglers fishing live baits on the bottom are hooking up with some big bluefish and a few flounder and slot and over-slot red drum.
The water is 82 degrees.
