Wrightsville Beach August 27, 2009
Russell Farlow, of Archdale, NC, with a 30" red drum he caught in the ICW near Figure Eight on a a topwater plug while fishing with his brother Jim and Capt. Jon Huff of Circle H Charters.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the inshore bite has been solid lately, with anglers finding good action with flounder and red drum throughout the internal waters in the area. The key to good fishing has been to find cleaner water that hasn’t been as affected by the recent rains.
Topwater baits and soft plastics have been producing plenty of action with the reds.
Fishing live finger mullet and scented soft plastics around deeper edges and docks has been producing most of the action with the flatties.
Flounder fishing at nearshore structure continues to be good as well, and anglers are hooking most of the fish on scented soft plastics fished on bucktails and 1/2 oz. jigheads. When they won’t bite the artificials, live mullet are producing results. Some gray trout are mixed in with the flatfish and falling for the same baits.
Spanish mackerel are still biting well from the beachfront out to 2 miles offshore.
Finding the color change outside the inlets and trolling Clarkspoons and Blue Water Candy Squid rigs is producing most of the action with the spaniards, and anglers are also hooking up while casting Shore Lure Glass Minnows around schools of small baitfish.
King mackerel fishing is still a bit slow, but anglers are finding some action with dolphin in the 20-30 mile range. Live pogies and rigged ballyhoo are drawing bites from the ‘phins.
Grouper fishing is improving, but it’s still somewhat slow overall.
Anglers making the run to the Gulf Steam are finding scattered to good catches of wahoo, gaffer dolphin, and a few billfish. Ballyhoo rigged under skirted lures are the way to fool the blue water predators.
Melanie McCall with her first flounder, which fell for a 4" New Penny Gulp shrimp at the south end of Wrightsville Beach.
Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the wahoo bite has been solid in the Stream recently, with the best fishing around the rips created by cooler water eddies. Ballyhoo underneath skirted lures are fooling most of the wahoo.
The grouper bite has been decent for anglers fishing around offshore bottom structure with baits like cigar minnows, sardines, and cut and live baits.
Some king mackerel are running the beaches, and anglers can hook up with them on live pogies.
Spanish are feeding from the beaches to a short distance offshore. Trolling Clark spoons should produce fast action with the spaniards.
Inshore, the flounder and red drum bite has been on in the creeks and on the flats. Both fish will take an interest in live mullet or Gulp baits, and anglers can also hook the reds while casting topwaters.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that there’s been a decent bite of red drum, speckled trout, and ladyfish in the Cape Fear River. Anglers can hook all three on live shrimp, mullet, or a variety of lures like topwater plugs and Gulp baits.
Bottom fishing in the 10-15 mile range lately has produced action with some big sea bass, keeper gag grouper, and plenty of other bottom dwellers. Squid baits are fooling the bass, other bottom feeders, and an occasional gag. Anglers are targeting the gags while fishing with live cigar minnows.
The king mackerel bite has been decent off Topsail lately, with anglers hooking good numbers around Honeymoon Rock while slow-trolling live pogies.
Plenty of amberjacks are in the area as well.
Lindsey Wall, of New Bern, NC, with a 15 lb. dolphin she hooked on a live pogy under a pink/white skirt. She was fishing near the Schoolhouse on the "Lowest Bid."
Mike, of No Excuses Charters, reports that anglers are hooking some amberjacks on topwater plugs at structure in the 10-15 mile range.
The gag grouper bite has been pretty solid around bottom structure 10-20 miles off, and anglers are hooking the gags on cigar minnows.
Inshore, anglers are finding excellent action with red drum from the Cape Fear all the way to north Topsail. Topwater plugs, spoons, and Gulp baits are attracting attention from the reds.
Some speckled trout and ladyfish are mixed in with the reds in the Cape Fear River.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that live-baiting around structure like the Schoolhouse and WR4 has been producing consistent action with big amberjacks and some barracuda lately.
Anglers are also hooking the jacks on vertical jigs and topwater plugs.
Rob, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers caught decent numbers of pompano last week on shrimp.
Some flounder have been coming over the rails for anglers fishing with small live baits on the bottom.
Spanish mackerel fishing remains decent in the evenings, when anglers are picking up a few on Gotcha plugs.
Live baiters landed one big barracuda last week.
The water is 81 degrees.
