Wrightsville Beach August 16, 2007
Chris, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that flounder fishing is still good in the creeks and marshes, but anglers must be prepared to fish early and late in order to land some fish. The midday temperatures in the 90’s slow down the bite. Live finger mullet or peanut pogies fished on Carolina rigs and Gulp baits should produce plenty of flounder bites.
The flounder are also feeding well at nearshore structure 2-10 miles off the beach.
Red drum are looking for meals in the creeks, ICW, and inlets. Carolina-rigged live baits or Gulps will also fool the drum. Like the flounder, the bite is best early and late in the day due to the midday heat.
Spanish mackerel fishing is getting better. Particularly around dusk, boats are finding huge numbers of spanish feeding around bait and structure 7-12 miles offshore. Most are school-sized fish (from 1-3 lbs.), and boats who find the fish are having little trouble catching limits.
Tarpon are still feeding along the beaches and near the inlet. Anglers looking to hook up with one of these giants should fish with live pogies and dead or cut baits on the bottom.
Kings are still feeding best at spots 10 miles and further offshore. Good numbers of sailfish are still mixed in with the kings throughout the 10-20 mile range. Live baits will attract both the kings and the sails, though boats can pull rigged ballyhoo to target sailfish while trolling faster.
The grouper bite is still good. Gags are holding on bottom structure 15 miles and further offshore. The majority of the red and scamp groupers are a bit further off the beach in the 30+ mile areas. Butterfly jigs and live or frozen baits should draw bites from any of the grouper.
Boats making the long ride out to the Gulf Stream are hooking up with some wahoo while trolling ballyhoo.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that with the brutal heat, night fishing is a good idea. Anglers can find red drum, ladyfish, and some speckled trout feeding in creek mouths and near the inlets at nighttime. The fish will take grubs or topwater baits and also make good targets for fly casters.
Flounder and gray trout are feeding on nearshore structure and around the inlets. Live baits should produce the best results on the flounder.
King mackerel are still feeding at the same spots in the 10 mile range, but the hot weather has slowed the bite down. Live pogies are the top choice for king baits.
The hot sailfish bite continues around the same areas where the kings are feeding. Live baits and rigged ballyhoo will tempt the sails to bite.
The grouper bite is still strong, with boats landing good catches of reds 30-35 miles offshore. Some gags are feeding in closer at spots around 20 miles from land. Bottom fishermen are also catching good numbers of big beeliners (vermillion snapper) in the 20 mile range.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that red drum, speckled trout, and flounder are feeding in the creeks up around Topsail. The inshore water temperatures up there are a bit lower than those behind Wrightsville and Figure Eight, and the fish are feeding more actively in the cooler water.
Most of the fish are falling for 4” Gulp baits fished on jigheads, but live baits will draw strikes, too.
Kings are still feeding along the beaches and at structure 10-20 miles offshore. The inlet tide lines are good places to look for the kings close to the beach. Live pogies are the best king mackerel baits right now, especially for the largest fish.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers fishing with live baits are landing decent numbers of keeper flounder.
Some large, overslot-sized red drum are taking an interest in live and dead mullet baits, and anglers released several over the past week.
Bottom fishermen are catching some croaker and spot on shrimp.
Bluefish are falling for cut baits and Gotcha Plugs, and plug casters are also hooking up with some spanish mackerel.
Anglers fishing live baits from the end of the pier landed a 20 lb. king and released a tarpon last week.
The water temperature is 84 degrees.
