Wrightsville Beach May 26, 2011
Mike Accatato, of Wilmington, with a pending state record blackfin tuna. He landed the 40 lb., 11 oz. fish after it struck a Williamson jet popper while he was casting to schools of tuna seen on the depthfinder in 280' of water off Wrightsville Beach with Capt. Rick Croson of Living Waters Guide Service.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that spanish mackerel are still feeding from the beaches to a few miles offshore, and boats are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons, Spanish Daisies, and other small, shiny lures.
Large bluefish are working the same area, and larger lures or live and cut baits will get their attention.
Flounder are holding on the nearshore artificial reefs and other structure, and anglers should be able to tempt them to bite small live baits or bucktails tipped with Gulps.
Offshore, bottom fishermen have been finding excellent action with red and gag grouper 40-50 miles off the inlet, and good numbers of gags should be feeding a bit closer in. Live baits, cut baits, and vertical jigs will all fool the groupers.
Gulf Stream trollers are reporting excellent gaffer dolphin fishing, with a few wahoo and blackfin tuna mixed in. Some white marlin have also been seen and released by the local fleet lately. Ballyhoo under skirted trolling lures are producing the majority of the action with the mahi and other blue water pelagics.
Inshore, the redfish bite has slowed down a bit, but anglers are still finding a few fish around oyster rocks and creek mouths in the marshes. The fishing should improve during the next moon cycle.
Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the Gulf Stream bite has been hot off Wrightsville over the past week. Big numbers of gaffer dolphin (some to 30+ lbs.) are making up the majority of the catch, and some wahoo and blackfin tuna are still in the mix as well. Skirted ballyhoo are tempting the majority of the bites in the blue water.
Boats working a bit offshore from the break are seeing and hooking some blue marlin while pulling trolling plugs and larger skirted ballyhoo.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with red grouper from the 30 mile range on out. They’ll take an interest in vertical jigs or a variety of live and dead baits.
Several cobia have been seen at nearshore structure and cruising along the beaches lately, so anglers should be prepared with a pitch bait if headed to the inlets or just offshore.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are chasing bait along the beaches and out to nearshore structure. Trolling Clarkspoons and other lures or casting small jigs to feeding fish is the way to hook up with both, and Maria jigs have been outproducing other models lately.
Flounder are stacking up on structure from just off the beaches to the 8-10 mile range. Bucktail/Gulp bait combos and small live baits will tempt bites from the flatties.
Hunter Hieronymus with a 53 lb. (gutted weight) king mackerel he hooked on a light-lined spanish sardine under a Blue Water Candy skirt 45 miles off Masonboro Inlet while bottom fishing with Capt. Ed McCabe on the "Second Chance."
Flounder are also active inshore and will fall for the same baits around creekmouths, inlet channels, and inshore structure.
Sheepshead are moving inshore in force, and anglers can target them with fiddler crabs or other crustacean baits around oyster rocks, dock and bridge pilings, and other hard inshore structure.
Red drum are feeding on the flats from Topsail to Masonboro Inlet, and they’ve been rather receptive to topwater plugs in recent weeks. The reds in the lower river also offer continued consistent action.
Tim, of Fishin’ Days Sportfishing, reports that the gaffer dolphin bite is excellent off Wrightsville right now, with some of the best fishing recently a little bit inshore of the break. Ballyhoo under pink and blue/white skirts are drawing most of the attention from the gaffers. Some scattered wahoo and blackfin tuna are still mixed in with the dolphin.
White and blue marlin have also been released in the past week by local boats, mostly while trolling along and offshore of the break.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that there are still some blackfin tuna feeding around local blue water hotspots like the Steeples, but their numbers are declining. Plenty of gaffer dolphin are taking over for the blackfins, though, and anglers are hooking them while trolling skirted ballyhoo along temperature breaks and weedlines in the area. Boats released several sailfish and white marlin along the break last week, as well as some blue marlin a short distance offshore.
Some stout red and gag grouper are feeding at offshore bottom structure, and anglers connected with them on live baits and vertical jigs in 130’ of water last week.
The large amberjacks have returned to their haunts around structure along and inshore of the break, and anglers had little trouble hooking up with them on vertical jigs last week.
Tim Lahy, of Wilmington, with a huge sheepshead he landed at the Masonboro jetty wall after it bit a piece of squid on a bottom rig.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite is still solid in the very early mornings, but the action’s been slowing down as the days progress. Large and small bluefish are feeding in the same areas and responding to the spoons anglers are trolling for the spaniards.
Amberjacks and cobia are feeding at some of the reefs and structure in the 10 mile range, and anglers can tempt both with live baits like menhaden.
Rick, of Rod-Man Charters, reports that the inshore flounder bite is good and getting better around the ICW docks and the local inlets. Plenty of red drum (many to 30”) are feeding in the same areas, and both are taking an interest in live menhaden and mud minnows.
The spanish mackerel bite remains good, but trolling a bit further offshore than usual has been producing the best results recently (with some fish to 4+ lbs.). Size #00 Clarkspoons are doing most of the damage on the spaniards.
Bluefish (from small ones to choppers) are mixed in with the spanish and feeding in the inlets, and they will attack virtually any baits anglers are fishing with.
Nick, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that plug casters are hooking solid numbers of spanish mackerel from the pier while working Gotchas.
Plenty of bluefish (from small to choppers) are feeding around the pier as well, and they’re taking an interest in Gotcha plugs, bottom rigs, and live baits.
A few flounder are coming over the rails for anglers fishing small live baits on the bottom.
The water is 74 degrees.
