Wrightsville Beach – March 2024
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers fishing inshore have been focused on chasing red drum in both the marshes and around creek docks. Moving into March, inshore anglers should see red drum with more consistency as schools break up and scatter.
Speckled trout action usually picks up in March, as that’s when the bait starts to move back inside. The creeks and river areas should still remain the top areas to target.
Bluefish should start showing up inside the inlets. Some years we see the bigger Hatteras bluefish (to 10+ lbs.), and some years it’s just smaller fish.
Black sea bass fishing is good now and will stay good in the 15+ mile range.
Gulf Stream runs will be producing wahoo and blackfin tuna, and king mackerel will also be offshore.
Atlantic bonito could show up in March, but that depends a lot on water temperatures.
Ben, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that speckled trout fishing has been picking up, with fish now being found along the ICW and in some of the deeper boat basins. The trick is to continue fishing baits slowly, with MirrOlure MR-17s, paddle tail soft plastics, and live shrimp all having success.
Red drum are being caught both around docks and over mud banks in the marshes. Soft plastics or fly-fishing gear are being used to entice strikes.
Black drum fishing has been good for anglers fishing cut shrimp around docks (and even in the surf).
Some sea mullet are also starting to show up in the surf.
Back in the Cape Fear River, striped bass fishing has been pretty good around downtown. Both casting with weedless-rigged swim baits and trolling deep diver plugs are getting action.
The shad bite is kicking off upriver around the lock and dam systems.
Nearshore fishing is centered around the black sea bass bite, with the bigger sea bass mostly out in the 15-23 mile range.
Offshore fishing has been pretty hit or miss with so much wind and cold water temperatures, but catches have included a mix of wahoo, blackfin tuna, and the occasional sailfish.
Ryland Benton and Barrett White, of Wilmington, found these sea bass 15 miles off of Wrightsville Beach using cut bait.
Luke, of Coastline Fishing Charters, reports that speckled trout have started moving around back in the creeks. A bunch of these fish are being found staged up in the same holes they would be in in the fall, with a couple out on the jetty as well. The numbers aren’t crazy, but it has been a good quality of 18” class trout. D.O.A. soft plastics and Vudu shrimp are both enticing bites.
Black drum fishing in the creeks has also been pretty good. Oyster bars and docks are both holding groups of fish, and Carolina-rigged fresh shrimp is the best bait for them. The falling tide has seemed better for the bite, and remember that these fish are typically quick to feed. There’s no reason to fish a spot for more than 10 minutes without a bite.
The smaller red drum are being caught using the same tactics for black drum, but bigger reds have been pretty scattered all winter.
If you can get out the inlet, black sea bass can be found over structure as close as 3-5 miles. Cut squid or jigs can get the sea bass to strike. For keeper fish, though, you’ll want to get out deeper.
Pierre, of Rising Sun Fishing, reports that anglers targeting red drum in March will continue to find clear water conditions. With water temperatures turning, the reds will start moving off the flats and into small groups around the marsh. Target the mud banks and oyster bars with scented soft plastics or cut bait. Downsize everything when it comes to what you are throwing in early spring. Soft plastics should be smaller (2-3”) fished with very light action. Carolina rigs should use small weights (3/8 oz.) and hooks (1/0) to keep from a bigger setup spooking fish when hitting the water.
Black drum have been feeding well on the higher tides around docks and oyster bars.
Nearshore anglers have been catching some sheepshead and tautogs on the reefs.
Daniel Rominger, of Wilmington, caught this 22.5″ striper while fishing in the Cape Fear River using a 4″ artificial swim bait.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers catching a window to run offshore are seeing some really good blackfin tuna action using poppers, jigs, and trolling tactics.
Wahoo are scattered in the action, but the bite successes have been very dependent on finding the right water conditions.
A few sailfish are in the mix.
Anglers looking to get a workout have been finding some great amberjack action with jigs.
African pompano have been a little slower up to this point in the year, but this bite should only get better moving through March and into April.
For many anglers, a stop at some of those saved bottom spots are a great option. This bottom fishing action with squid wings or jigs has produced hogfish, yellow-eye snapper, triggerfish, and large vermilion snapper.
Ben, of Southern Run Fishing Charters, reports that black sea bass fishing has been really good for anglers in the 10-20 mile range. Some cut squid (or just about any cut bait) rigged on two-hook bottom rigs will do the trick.
The Gulf Stream action has been decent and will only get better in the coming weeks as the water temperatures stay above 70 degrees. Expect to see nice catches of wahoo and blackfin tuna.
The deeper bottom areas are holding good numbers of triggerfish.
Matt, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that smaller sea mullet are around and should be showing up in better numbers moving into March.
Pufferfish and some croakers will also be mixing in for those bottom fishing with smaller baits.
Dogfish sharks continue to be common, and the better bite has been at night.
