Added on Thursday, April 10, 2008  Gary Hurley

Wrightsville Beach April 10, 2008

Chris, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that snapper bluefish are feeding in Masonboro Inlet and Banks Channel. Small casting lures should fool the blues into biting.

Whiting are feeding around the mouth of the Cape Fear River, where anglers can target them with bottom rigs baited with shrimp.

It’s April, so red drum should be holding in the creeks, around docks, and on the flats, and anglers can also look for speckled trout in creeks off the ICW.

April also usually brings a short run of Atlantic bonito to the nearshore structure in the area. Some bonito were reported off Southport a few weeks ago, so if they show up off Wrightsville, it should be soon. Boats looking for bonito can troll small spoons and plugs or cast lures to breaking schools of fish around structure like the Liberty Ship.

Very few boats have made it offshore over the past few weeks, but the best grouper fishing recently has been at offshore structure in 110-130′ of water.

Structure in the 20 mile range has been producing decent sea bass fishing.

In the Gulf Stream, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, wahoo, and dolphin should be feeding strong if the weather will allow boats to make the long ride.

 

Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that the hot spring Gulf Stream action is here when the weather allows a trip to the blue water.

In particular, vertically butterfly jigging around deepwater structure in and near the Stream has been producing fast action with large amberjacks (some to 90 lbs.), snowy grouper (to 30+ lbs.), yellowfin and blackfin tuna, and wahoo. The best fishing has been on the break in around 300′ where any of the above species are a possible catch.

Gulf Stream trolling has also been productive, with blackfin tuna and some larger wahoo (50-60 lbs.) falling for trolled ballyhoo.

The grouper bite has been somewhat slow in areas less than 40 miles offshore.

Inshore, anglers are catching red drum around docks off the ICW near Hampstead.

Black drum and a few speckled trout are feeding in Banks Channel behind Topsail.

 

Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that plenty of smaller bluefish are holding around Mason’s Inlet.

Whiting are schooled up around the mouth of the Cape Fear, where a bottom rig baited with shrimp will attract their attention.

 

Mike, of No Excuses Charters, reports that bonito haven’t shown up at the Liberty Ship yet, but they should be here in the next few weeks. Casting lures to the schools offers anglers a chance to fight these battlers on lighter tackle than when trolling.

School-sized bluefish have shown up around Wrightsville, and trolling Clarkspoons near the inlets should produce some fast action with them.

Puppy drum and a few smaller speckled trout are feeding around docks in the ICW, along with a few small, early season flounder. Drop-shotting with small, curly tail grubs has been effective on all three species.

 

Danny, of 96 Charters, reports that anglers are still finding some speckled trout and red drum in the creeks and backwaters in the Figure Eight area.

Atlantic bonito should be feeding at nearshore structure like the Liberty Ship soon (if they aren’t there already). When the weather calms down enough to chase them, anglers can cast diamond jigs, Maria jigs, and jighead/soft plastic combinations at schools chasing bait on the surface, or fish them deeper when the fish are less active. The bonito will even take topwater plugs like Zara Spooks when feeding on the surface. Typically, the action is best within an hour or so of sunset and sunrise.

 

Dan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that the whiting bite has been pretty good. Anglers are also landing bluefish on bottom rigs baited with shrimp while fishing for the whiting, and dogfish and other sharks are still around as well.

At night, anglers are hooking up with a few speckled trout.

The water temperature is 61.7 degrees.