Wrightsville Beach – August 13, 2015
Alex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers have been connecting with red drum while fishing deeper holes inshore around Wrightsville Beach. Most are falling for live and cut baits fished on the bottom.
Flounder are feeding around creekmouths and inshore structure like docks. Live finger mullet or Gulp baits pinned to jigheads and Carolina rigs are the ways to tempt bites from the flatfish.
Out in the ocean, anglers have been hooking some large (to 55 lbs.) king mackerel not too far offshore. Live baits are fooling many of the fish, but anglers trolling dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo on weighted rigs like Blue Water Candy Wedgies are also finding success.
Anglers who’ve pushed a bit further offshore are landing decent numbers of dolphin in the 17-20 mile range.
Matt, Rider, and Henry Brenneman, of Wilmington, NC, with a 27″ red drum they caught and released while surf fishing at Wrightsville Beach. The red fell for a live finger mullet.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers saw a slowdown in the fishing after last week’s storm passed, but the water is clearing up and the action is getting back on track.
Red drum are feeding around the inlets and inshore structure like docks. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite live or cut menhaden and finger mullet.
Some larger red drum are feeding outside the inlets and around nearshore structure in the ocean, and they will bite the same baits.
Flounder fishing remains decent around docks, rocks, and other structure inshore. Anglers can tempt the flatfish to bite live finger mullet or menhaden. There’s also good flatfish action around bottom structure within a few miles of land out in the ocean. Heavier weights on live bait rigs and bucktail jigs will produce results with the nearshore flatfish.
Gray trout have shown up at much of the same structure and are also biting live baits. Anglers can tempt them to bite metal jigging lures as well.
Schools of false albacore have shown up along the beachfront. Anglers who spot the speedy fish chasing bait on the surface can cast metal jigs like Blue Water Candy Slingshots toward the action to hook up.
Bryan Chadwick, of the Chadwick & Sons fishing team, with a 7.4 lb. flounder that bit a Gulp jerk shad in the Cape Fear River. Weighed in at Tex’s Tackle.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers are seeing some decent action while bottom fishing 20-40 miles off Wrightsville Beach. Gag grouper, black sea bass, grunts, and other bottom feeders are prowling around rocks, ledges, and other structure in that range looking for meals. Anglers can tempt them to bite squid, cigar minnows, and cut or live baits. Vertical jigs can also be effective on the bottomfish, particularly at spots further offshore.
Phil Bales with a flounder he hooked at some nearshore structure off Masonboro Island while fishing with Capt. Jamie Rushing of Seagate Charters. The flatfish fell for a live finger mullet.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some solid king mackerel and dolphin action while trolling spots in the 20 mile range off Wrightsville. Both fish are falling for ballyhoo and cigar minnows pinned to dead bait rigs.
Grouper, grunts, and other bottom dwellers are feeding at bottom structure in the same range and biting squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits.
Donny Wood, of Wilmington, with a 9.0 lb. flounder that shattered the Johnnie Mercer’s Pier record. The doormat bit a live finger mullet.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are seeing a consistent king mackerel and dolphin bite from the 20 mile range on offshore. Dead ballyhoo and cigar minnows have been fooling both fish in numbers.
Bottom fishermen have been reporting some better gag grouper action at structure inside the 20 mile range, but there haven’t been great numbers of fish. More grouper, large black sea bass, and a host of other bottom dwellers are looking for meals at spots 25 miles out and further. Anglers can fool the bottomfish with squid, cut baits, and cigar minnows.
Chris and Aynsley Tryon with an 18″ flounder that Aynsley landed while they were kayak-fishing the Cape Fear River.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with good numbers of flounder (including a new pier record 9-pounder) while fishing live baits on the bottom near the pilings.
Anglers bottom fishing with shrimp are hooking panfish like spot, sea mullet, and croaker.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are falling for casting lures like Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier.
