Wrightsville – April 9, 2015
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the spring fishing action is slowly coming around and anglers have plenty more to look forward to around the corner. Small bluefish have shown up at local nearshore reefs and ledges, but no confirmed reports of Atlantic bonito have come in yet. The water is around 60 degrees in the five mile range, and the bonito should show once it’s consistently in the 62-63 degree range.
Gray trout are also feeding on the nearshore reefs, and the grays and blues will both pounce on small metal jigs worked around the structure.
Mike Winesette with a pair of healthy speckled trout that struck D.O.A. paddletail soft plastics in a creek mouth near Wrightsville Beach.
King mackerel are feeding in the 30-35 mile range, where a few bonito are mixed in with them. Some large sharks are in the same areas. The kings and bonito will fall for trolled spoons and cigar minnows.
Bottom fishing in the 40-50 mile range is producing plenty of action with triggerfish, beeliners, and other tasty species. Squid and cut baits pinned to small hooks will tempt bites from all the bottom dwellers.
Anglers trolling the Gulf Stream are still finding wide-open wahoo action when the weather is calm enough to make the run. Both high-speed trolling lures and conventional ballyhoo rigs are attracting attention from the wahoo.
Blackfin tuna are feeding in the same areas and will take an interest in ballyhoo or smaller trolling lures fished baitless. Anglers may also be able to tempt the blackfins to bite vertical jigs or topwater poppers when they locate a large school.
Cameron Kinlaw, of Currie, NC, with a striped bass that struck a diving plug in the Cape Fear River near Wilmington.
Anglers are hooking a few slot and over-slot red drum in the surf zone, but the large winter schools are breaking up and many of the fish are moving inshore as the water warms. Anglers are finding good numbers of reds around docks and in the creeks near the inlets, and they’re hooking them primarily on live and cut baits or scented soft lures fished very slowly.
Plenty of smaller reds and speckled trout are feeding in the mainland creeks off the ICW. Anglers have been hooking both while working Betts Halo Shads just above the slimy winter algae on the bottom.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers should still be able to locate plenty of blackfin tuna when they can make it out to the break. When anglers find big groups while trolling or mark them on the sounder, working vertical jigs or topwater baits around the school will often lead to much better results with the tuna than conventional trolling rigs.
Wahoo are also prowling the break in search of meals, and boats dragging ballyhoo, diving plugs, and high-speed lures have been putting together some big catches recently.
Amberjacks, almaco jacks, African pompano, and a variety of other fish are schooled up at bottom structure along the break, and anglers can target them all with vertical jigs.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that big numbers of small bluefish and gray trout have shown up around nearshore structure off Wrightsville. Both have a tough time resisting small metal lures like Stingsilvers jigged near the structure.
Black sea bass are feeding on structure from the beach to the break, but it seems anglers still need to head out to the 20 mile range to catch consistent keepers. Baited bottom rigs or smaller vertical jigs will fool the bass.
Inshore, there’s been some decent black drum action around docks and other structure near Wrightsville. Cut shrimp on bottom rigs are fooling the drum.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that the wahoo bite remains excellent at local Gulf Stream hotspots like the Steeples and Same Ol’ Hole. Most of the ‘hoos are taking an interest in ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures. Decent numbers of blackfin tuna are feeding in the same areas, and anglers also saw some of the first dolphin of the year last week.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some croaker, sea mullet, and pufferfish while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Some groups of black drum have also been swimming along the surf line.
Bluefish have made their spring appearance as well, and anglers are hooking them both on bait and while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs.
The water is 63 degrees.
