Wrightsville Beach – August 2023
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that surf anglers have been catching a mixed bag of black drum, scattered red drum, flounder (released), and pompano.
The inshore bite is mostly focused on red drum, with anglers having success bottom-rigging live or cut baits.
Plenty of flounder are around and being landed as bycatch when targeting reds.
Fishing around hard structure (docks, oysters, etc.) with shrimp is producing some black drum.
The nearshore spanish and king mackerel bite is starting to heat back up after a short lull. Anglers looking to sight cast metals to spanish mackerel schools are seeing more surface action in the mornings.
Pushing out into the 15-30 mile range is seeing king mackerel, mahi, and a few sailfish.
Grouper fishing is steady out in the 20-35 mile range.
Gulf Stream runs are producing wahoo, sailfish, and a few blackfin tuna.
Jackson, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that anglers have been catching red and black drum while bottom fishing around docks in the ICW and deeper holes in the backs of creeks. The black drum will strike best at shrimp, whereas reds are hitting any variety of mud minnows, mullet, or topwater plugs.
Sheepshead action has been pretty good all summer, with live fiddler crabs rigged on a bottom sweeper jig being the top producing setup.
From the beach, anglers fishing bottom rigs with sand fleas or shrimp are catching Virginia mullet and pompano. Red drum are occasionally mixed in the surf action.
At times, spanish mackerel and bluefish are within casting distance of surf anglers rigged with Big Nic Spanish Candies and similar metal jigs.
Anglers fishing from the beachfront out to reefs in the two-mile range are catching good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish while pulling Clarkspoons behind #1 or #2 sized planers. There are some juvenile kings mixed in with the spanish in this area.
Anglers are finding a scattered nearshore mahi bite, with fish caught as close as 5 miles.
That Gulf Stream bite includes mahi, sailfish, a few blackfin tuna, blue marlin, and white marlin.
Bottom fishing out deep continues to produce grouper.
Mason King (age 14), of Wilmington, hooked this 42.8 lb. king mackerel trolling live menhaden. He was fishing in the tideline out of Carolina Beach Inlet.
Luke, of Coastline Fishing Charters, reports that inshore anglers have seen the red drum action perk up a little now that some good-sized finger mullet are starting to show up. Anglers can find these reds staged around docks and other hard structures where the bottom rigged live or cut bait will have a lot of success. There is a redfish topwater bite, but this has been mainly an early morning bite.
There are scattered speckled trout being caught, but generally it is just by anglers fishing topwater plugs right at sunrise.
Anglers looking for a different type of action can do well fishing hard structures for sheepshead.
Off the beach, spanish mackerel numbers remain strong. Plenty of schools are right along the beach and are responding to both trolled spoons or sight-casted metals. If out over the ARs, some large spanish mackerel (to 8 lbs.) are being caught on live bait.
Zane, of Falling Tide Fishing Adventures, reports that this summer’s redfish bite has been all about live bait. Some good-sized finger mullet are showing up, and the good-sized red drum (to 33”) are fired up. Topwater plugs have been great for anglers on the water early.
Finding a morning that also times up with a low tide cycle is great for congregating the fish in some of the deeper cuts. The morning part is what is key, as the water is also cooler, whereas a low tide in the late afternoon or evening makes about the hardest fishing conditions.
Spanish mackerel action remains strong off the beach, with schools around the inlets and scattered along the beachfronts.
The nearshore wrecks have a bunch of flounder staged up on them, and a few large red drum (to 40”) are being caught around nearshore structure as these reds start to gather up before their spawning run.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that the Gulf Stream runs have been producing strikes from all the main billfish species (sailfish, blue marlin, and white marlin).
Wahoo are also mixed in this trolling action.
There can be some really nice weather windows over the next month or so, which is great for experiencing the great swordfish bite going on in the area.
Bottom fishing is a great way to fill up on meat in these summer months. Running to the deeper 150’+ bottoms not only gets away from the majority of fishing pressure, but it also opens up more grouper species to the mixed bag of catches.
Whitney Phillips, of Raleigh, NC, caught this hogfish using cut squid. She was bottom fishing 40 miles offshore of Wrightsville Beach.
Ben, of Southern Run Fishing Charters, reports that spanish mackerel remain a reliable target. The fish are schooled up along the beachfronts, with some bigger fish out at the nearshore reefs.
King mackerel action has really been ramping up, with most fish being caught within 10 miles of the beach. Live bait has been best for targeting the kings.
Bottom fishing for grouper has been consistent in the 65’ depth areas.
Trolling action has been a bit hit or miss, with mahi and scattered blackfin making up most of the action.
Neil, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that getting out both early and late in the day opens up more opportunities to cast plugs at spanish mackerel.
Bottom fishing has been producing some croakers and the occasional spot.
A bunch of flounder are bothering any baits fished on the bottom.
Anglers live-baiting have found the king mackerel action a bit slow, but a bunch of barracuda have mostly filled this void.
