Wrightsville Beach August 17, 2006
Tex, at Tex’s Tackle, reports that the fishing has been tough with the full moon and big tides.
Some nice flounder are coming from the inlet areas, the river, and the nearshore reefs. There are plenty of mullet around to use as live bait.
Puppy drum are in the creeks, waterway, and surf, with most fish running 24 to 30 inches.
Some action on pompano, spots, and croaker has been reported in the surf on cut shrimp or bloodworms.
The spanish are still biting both outside the inlets and a few miles offshore in 40 to 45 foot of water.
Kings, sailfish, and dolphin are in the 10 to 20 mile range, with more and more kings moving to the beach. Dallas Rock, 10 Mile Rock, 30/30 and 23 Mile Rock have been producing good numbers, as well as the inlet tide lines.
Cobia have been caught around the inlets as well as the artificial reefs 10 to 18 miles off. Grouper and sea bass are in the 15 to 30 mile range. Red grouper are in the 30 to 45 mile range (if the current isn’t ripping too bad).
Very few reports this week from the gulf stream other than a few billfish, wahoo, and dolphin.
Mike, at Corona Daze Charters, reports redfishing has been very good this week with fish hitting artificials (such as spinner baits and topwaters) as well as live baits.
Flounder fishing has been tough with the extreme full moon tides, but it should pick back up quickly.
Spanish mackerel are biting well outside Mason’s Inlet hitting plugs and trolling clark spoons.
King mackerel in the 10 to 30 pound range are being caught 10 to 12 miles off the beach, and there is still the occasional dolphin mixed in.
Matt, at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports black drum biting both real sand fleas and the artificial sand fleas.
Finger mullet are producing big red drum in the mornings. Most have been too big to keep, but some are falling just under the slot limit.
The flounder bite has been good on small live baits.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are biting plugs. Some spanish have been caught on shrimp as well.
Several kings were caught this week (the largest was 31 pounds). Some barracuda have fallen for king baits as well.
The water at the pier is 81.1 degrees.
