Wrightsville Beach August 28, 2008
Ken Broomfield with a 27.9 lb. gag grouper caught on a butterfly jig at the Steeples while fishing aboard the "Fish Hooker."
Chris, of Tex’s Tackle, reports anglers are hooking decent numbers of speckled trout and ladyfish in the Cape Fear River. They’ll fall for live baits, Gulps, and other lures, and anglers may also be able to hook up on topwater plugs in the early mornings.
Plenty of red drum are feeding in the creeks and around docks off the ICW. Gulp baits, live baits, and topwaters should also prove effective on the drum.
The flounder bite is still good in the ICW, creeks, and near the inlets, but most of the fish have been on the small side lately. Carolina-rigged finger mullet are top choices for the flatfish, but they’ll have a tough time resisting a Gulp bait, too.
Bait is starting to pour out of the inlets and stack up along the beach, with large schools of finger mullet already moving through the surf. The bait will be attracting pelagic species like spanish and king mackerel close to the beaches in increasing numbers as summer turns to fall.
Several kings and tarpon have been hooked on live baits just off the beach at Wrightsville recently, and there are already plenty of bluefish and spanish mackerel cruising just off the surf zone.
Trolling with Clarkspoons will draw bites from the blues and spanish.
The main body of king mackerel is still feeding 10-20 miles offshore, along with a few dolphin. Some sailfish are still in the area, and one was released at the Schoolhouse last week.
Not many boats have been offshore bottomfishing due to last week’s winds, but there’s been a decent gag grouper bite within 15 miles of shore. Dead cigar minnows, live baits, and vertical jigs will all attract attention from the gags.
Kenny Tew with a 35 lb. gag grouper caught 58 miles off Wrightsville Beach on a cut bait. He was fishing with J.R. Melvin aboard the "FishZilla."
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite has been excellent just offshore of Masonboro Inlet recently. The fish are feeding well to the north of the inlet and down south around Johns Creek. Trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers has been producing plenty of action with the spanish, and anglers can also cast Maria jigs and other lures to breaking fish when they find them.
There are also still plenty of sharks feeding nearshore for anglers looking for a hard battle, and they’ll strike cut or live baits without hesitation.
Gray trout are beginning to school up on nearshore ledges like those at Johns Creek and nearby, and anglers can vertically jig for them with the same lures they’d use to cast to the spanish.
Inshore, the red drum bite is getting good around the Masonboro jetties, where anglers can hook up with them on Carolina-rigged finger mullet and other baits.
William Van Trigt, from Wilmington NC, with a 3.6 lb. flounder he hooked on a Gulp bait from a dock near Carolina Beach Inlet.
Mike, of No Excuses Charters, reports that there’s been an excellent spanish mackerel bite up to three miles off the beaches lately. Casting lures like Crippled Herring jigs will fool the spanish when they’re feeding on top, and boaters can also troll Yo-Zuri Deep Divers to hook up with the fish if they’re holding deeper in the water column.
Gag grouper are holding on ledges 10-15 miles offshore, and anglers can hook them while dropping dead cigar minnows and other baits on bottom rigs.
Inshore, the red drum bite has been good in the ICW and the oceanside marshes north of Wrightsville. Live finger mullet will fool the reds, but Gulp baits are also very effective. Anglers may also be able to find some actively feeding fish willing to bite a topwater plug.
There are plenty of flounder around the same areas as the drum, though most are undersized.
Danny, of 96 Charter Company, reports that good numbers of sharks are still feeding in the inlets and just off the beaches, where they’ll fall for cut and live baits.
Red drum are still feeding in the marshes and creeks near Masonboro. Topwater plugs have been enticing them to bite lately.
James, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers were catching a lot of spanish mackerel before the big winds last week (with good numbers in the 2-3 lb. range). Gotcha plugs were fooling most of the spanish.
Bottom fishermen are hooking a mixed bag of whiting, croaker, spot, bluefish, and flounder on shrimp.
Live baiters caught barracuda and a few king mackerel up to 28 lbs. last week.
