Wrightsville Beach – August 20, 2015
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the wahoo bite is still improving in the Gulf Stream, with most trollers hooking multiple ‘hoos on recent trips. Skirted ballyhoo and baitless trolling lures are attracting attention from the wahoo.
There are still good numbers of dolphin and king mackerel feeding in the 20-40 mile range, where anglers are tempting them to bite live baits and dead ballyhoo and cigar minnows.
Some large kings are also feeding along the beachfront (as a 50 lb. fish landed on the pier attests). Live baits like bluefish and menhaden are the best bets for the kings in close.
Spanish mackerel are also feeding just off the beaches and biting Clarkspoons and other flashy trolling lures.
Sean Benson (age 9), of Hampstead, NC, with a 3.3 lb. flounder he hooked while fishing Motts Channel at Wrightsville Beach.
Bottom fishermen continue to report good gag grouper and sea bass action in 70-90’ of water. Scamp grouper and other bottom dwellers are looking for meals at spots in 110’ and deeper. Live, dead, and cut baits will all get attention from the bottom feeders.
Inshore, anglers are connecting with red drum in the creeks and around structure like docks and rocks. The reds will bite a variety of artificials in the shallows, but live and cut baits are the way to go when they’re feeding deeper.
Flounder are looking for meals in the same places as the reds. Anglers can tempt them to bite scented soft baits like Gulps or live finger mullet and peanut menhaden. There’s also been decent flatfish action at nearshore structure in the ocean, where live baits and Gulp-tipped bucktail jigs are the ways to connect with the fish.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are seeing the best king mackerel and dolphin action 20 miles and further offshore over the past week. Dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo have been producing most of the action with both fish, as they allow anglers to troll faster can cover more water than live baits.
A few sailfish and amberjacks are in the same areas and biting live baits.
Bottom fishermen are reporting solid action around structure 15-30 miles offshore. Gag grouper, sea bass, grunts, and more are feeding in that range and biting dead cigar minnows and cut baits.
Nearshore, anglers are still hooking decent numbers of spanish mackerel, but the fish have been feeding best very early in the morning. Clarkspoons are fooling most of the spaniards.
Flounder, over-slot red drum, and gray trout are feeding at nearshore rocks and live bottoms in the ocean. Anglers are connecting with all three on live finger mullet and other smaller baits.
Trey and Tristan Hasty with a lobster landed by their grandfather Jeter Allred while they were fishing 50 miles off Wrightsville Beach on the headboat “Vonda Kay.”
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports anglers are still connecting with plenty of red drum around docks and in the inlets. Most are falling for live and cut menhaden and finger mullet.
Anglers are also seeing some larger reds on nearshore structure in the ocean and fooling them with the same baits.
Flounder are looking for meals in the same areas as the reds. They’ll bite live menhaden and mullet along with heavier bucktail jigs when they’re feeding in the ocean.
Gray trout are also hungry and holding around nearshore structure in the ocean and have a hard time turning down live baits, bucktails, or metal jigs.
Schools of false albacore are feeding within a few miles of land. Anglers who find the fish chasing bait on the surface are hooking them while casting diamond jigs and other small metal lures around the action.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that the Gulf Stream action is picking up, and anglers has some solid wahoo catches while trolling the blue water recently. The ‘hoos are falling for rigged ballyhoo along with skirted lures and diving plugs.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that trolling in the 20 mile range off Wrightsville Beach has been producing plenty of action with bailer dolphin and false albacore in recent days. Ballyhoo, spoons, and strip baits are all tempting the pelagics to bite.
Bottom fishing in the same areas is filling the fish boxes with grunts, porgies, sea bass, and other species. Squid and cut baits are fooling the bottom dwellers.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish while working lures like Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Live-baiters hooked several large king mackerel (including a 50-pounder) over the weekend.
Flounder are falling for live baits fished under the pier.
Anglers bottom fishing with shrimp and squid are connecting with some spot, sea mullet, and croaker.
The water is 85.1 degrees.
