Wrightsville Beach August 22, 2013
Carly Gee with her first red drum, a 29″ fish that bit a live mullet outside Masonboro Inlet.
Chandler, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that there’s still some solid flounder fishing inshore around Wrightsville Beach. Live finger mullet and Gulp baits are top choices for the flatfish, and anglers are finding them in the inlets, marshes, around inshore structure like docks, and at nearshore spots like the Liberty Ship.
Red drum are also looking for meals around the inlets and all the same inshore spots the flatfish are. They’ll bite Gulps and live baits as well, and anglers can also tempt the reds to eat topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, and a variety of other lures.
Sheepshead and some black drum are feeding around the bridges, docks, and other heavy structure inshore. Live fiddler crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans are tough for both fish to turn down.
Out in the ocean, the spanish mackerel bite is getting better, and anglers caught solid numbers while trolling along the beachfront last week. Clarkspoons and small daisy chains pulled behind planers, trolling weights, and bird rigs are getting attention from the spaniards. Anglers can also hook up while casting metal jigs at fish feeding on the surface.
Some king mackerel have been feeding along the beach as well, with more action in the 10-15 mile range. Anglers are hooking the kings on live baits and dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo.
Some dolphin and sailfish are also looking for meals around the 15 mile spots, but the bite’s been better further offshore towards the Gulf Stream recently. Wherever they are, skirted ballyhoo trolled in combination with dredge and daisy chain teasers will get attention from the dolphin and sails.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are also reporting a continued solid wahoo bite, with skirted ballyhoo fooling the majority of the fish there as well.
Danny Rose with a 30″ red drum that bit a large finger mullet free-lined under a Figure Eight Island dock while he was fishing with Jason Fralin.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers are still finding plenty of gag grouper action around bottom structure in the 70-80’ depths of Wrightsville. Live baits like pinfish, dead cigar minnows and sardines, and squid are all fooling the grouper. Plenty of smaller bottom feeders like black sea bass and grunts are in the same areas and biting squid and cut baits.
Good numbers of king mackerel (and some pushing 30+ lbs.) are feeding in the same areas, and they’re biting live menhaden and dead baits.
The bottom bite is also going strong at structure out to the 120’ depths, with larger sea bass and scamp and red groupers in the mix in the deeper water.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with some king mackerel, dolphin, false albacore, and a few blackfin tuna and sailfish while trolling live and dead baits around 23 Mile Rock and other spots in that range.
Closer to the beaches, the spanish mackerel bite has turned back on, and anglers are hooking the spaniards while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy metal lures in 15-30’ of water.
Some gray trout, flounder, and black sea bass are looking for meals at nearshore structure, where they’ll bite baited bottom rigs or bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with good numbers of king mackerel while trolling dead cigar minnows, ballyhoo, and strip baits around spots in the 20 mile range.
Bottom fishing in the same areas is producing action with gag grouper, amberjacks, black sea bass, grunts, triggerfish, and more.
Chloe Wright with a red drum she hooked on a live mullet under a popping cork while fishing a creek behind Figure Eight Island with her father, Terry Wright.
The spanish mackerel bite has turned back on closer to the beaches, with the best action in 50’ of water last week (and some larger fish in the deeper water). Trolled Clarkspoons are fooling most of the spanish.
Trevor, of ProFishNC Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with good numbers of flounder around the inlets and at deeper inshore and nearshore structure right now. Live finger mullet and menhaden (along with Gulp baits) are fooling the flatfish.
Red drum are feeding along ICW docks and in the backwaters of the marshes, where they’ll bite live or Gulp baits as well.
Sheepshead (many large ones) are feeding beneath the ICW bridges and docks. The sheeps will pounce on live fiddler crabs dangled close to the structure.
Steve, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking solid numbers of black drum and slot-sized red drum while bottom fishing with shrimp and sand fleas.
Some sea mullet and spot are falling for shrimp on the bottom at night.
Flounder (some to 4-5 lbs.) are also feeding under the pier, and they’re taking an interest in small live baits on the bottom.
Some spanish mackerel have been biting Gotcha plugs and other metal lures that anglers are working from the pier.
