Wrightsville Beach August 9, 2012
Shelley Prutzmann, of Wilmington, with a 26" flounder that bit a live menhaden in Masonboro Inlet.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that there’s a good gag grouper bite around rocks, ledges, and other structure in the 80’ depths. Black sea bass, grunts, and other bottomfish are looking for meals in the same areas. Cigar minnows have been effective on the grouper lately, with cut baits and squid producing action with the smaller fish.
Flounder and some legal black sea bass are feeding at spots closer to the beaches. Live baits or bucktail jigs tipped with Gulps will fool both.
The spanish mackerel bite around and just off Masonboro Inlet has been excellent in the early morning hours lately, with the action sometimes lasting through the day. Trolling Clarkspoons and small daisy chains or casting lures like Sea Striker Jigfish to fish breaking the water are putting most of the spanish in the boat.
Some larger spaniards are feeding around the nearshore AR’s, and they’re more apt to bite live baits like small menhaden.
King mackerel action has been decent in the 15-20 mile range recently, with more fish spread out from there towards spots in the 100’ depths. Live baits and dead cigar minnows will both attract attention from the kings.
Some dolphin are mixed in with the mackerel, but they’ve been a bit more scattered.
Chandler Turlington, of Tex's Tackle, with red and gag grouper he hooked on a Blue Water Candy Roscoe jig 50 miles off Wrightsville Beach while fishing aboard the "In My Dreams."
Inshore, anglers are still connecting with good numbers of flounder around the inlets and structure like docks. Live finger mullet and menhaden on Carolina rigs or Gulp baits pinned to jigheads and bucktails will tempt bites from the flatfish.
Red drum are feeding in the inlets, as well as the bays and flats inshore. Topwater plugs will often fool them in the early morning hours, and anglers can cast Gulps or other soft plastics and cut or live baits when they don’t want to bite on top.
Jon, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of red drum inshore, from the creeks and the Cape Fear River out to the inlets. When anglers find the fish in the shallows, topwater plugs, soft plastics, and often flies will tempt them to bite. In deeper water, soft plastics on heavier jigheads or Carolina-rigged live baits will fool the reds.
Flounder fishing has also been solid lately, with good numbers coming from much the same areas as the reds. Gulps or live finger mullet, menhaden, and mud minnows are the tickets to flounder hookups.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around bridge and dock pilings in the area, where they’ll happily eat a live fiddler crab fished tight to the structure.
Anglers are seeing tarpon out in the ocean just off the beaches, but they’re tricky to hook.
The king mackerel bite is improving in the 10-20 mile range, with fish scattered on out to spots 40+ miles offshore. Live menhaden and dead cigar minnows are top choices for the kingfish.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are connecting with some wahoo, blackfin tuna, sailfish, and some dolphin. Ballyhoo under skirted lures are the way to go for the blue water predators.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that bottom fishing remains solid around structure in the 40 mile range. Scamp, gag, and red groupers are all feeding in those areas, and live baits like pinfish and cigar minnows are top choices for the grouper, although dead and cut baits and vertical jigs will also produce results.
Triggerfish, beeliners, black sea bass, and more are all feeding around the same structure, and they will strike cut baits, squid, and jigs.
Chris Mickey with a 28 lb. red grouper that bit a dead cigar minnow at some structure in 110' of water off Wrightsville Beach while he was fishing with Dave Keith on the "Knot Logical."
Closer to the beaches, there’s still some decent flounder fishing at structure in 40-60’ of water. Bucktail jigs tipped with scented soft plastics are the best bets for the flatfish.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the king mackerel bite is getting better, and limits were caught less than 10 miles out last week. Some large spanish mackerel, dolphin, false albacore, and more are scattered amongst the kings from 10 miles out to the 20 mile range. Dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo are fooling all the pelagics.
The spanish mackerel action remains hot just outside Masonboro Inlet, with trolled Clarkspoons producing plenty of action.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that anglers are still putting together fast limits of spanish mackerel while trolling within a few miles of Masonboro Inlet. Clarkspoons are fooling the majority of the fish, and anglers are finding them feeding on the surface and deeper around working birds and bait concentrations.
Bottom fishing 20-30 miles out is producing some grouper, triggerfish, sea bass, grunts, and more.
Hunter, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are catching some keeper flounder on small live baits fished under the pier.
A few sea mullet are falling for shrimp-baited bottom rigs at night.
Anglers are also hooking some sharks in the evening hours.
Bluefish have been hit-or-miss lately, but anglers are hooking some on bottom rigs and Gotcha plugs when they’re around.
Live baiters have been seeing some tarpon.
The water is 80 degrees.
