Wrightsville Beach – December 10, 2015
Marshall, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with some speckled trout and red drum in the creeks around Wrightsville. They’re falling for a variety of soft and hard artificial lures including Gulp baits, Z-Man Trout Tricks, MirrOlures, and more.
Surf casters are finding action with sea mullet and bluefish. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp, cut baits, and Fish Bites will attract attention from both fish, and anglers may also be able to tempt the blues to bite lures like casting jigs.
Out in the ocean, anglers have sighted some bluefin tuna feeding at spots not far from Wrightsville and Carolina Beach, so anglers may have some shots at chasing these giant fish this winter. Large ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are the best bets for the bluefins.
Blackfin tuna are feeding further offshore along the break. Anglers can tempt the blackfins to bite smaller lure/ballyhoo combinations or baitless trolling lures. When schools show up on the surface or the sounder, anglers can also work vertical jigs or topwater poppers around the action to connect with the blackfins on lighter gear.
Chris McDougald with a 41″ red drum he caught and released in Masonboro Inlet after it vacuumed up a cut bait.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers are finding some solid action when the weather allows them to make it to local Gulf Stream hotspots like the Steeples and Same Ol’ Hole. Big numbers of blackfin tuna are feeding along the break and biting trolled lures and vertical jigs when anglers can find large schools. Wahoo are mixed in, and anglers also connected with some gaffer dolphin and released a sailfish over the past week. Trolling spreads of skirted offerings like Fathom Lures and diving plugs are fooling all the blue water predators.
There’s been incredible king mackerel action 18-24 miles off the beach in recent weeks, and anglers should be able to find the kings wherever they can find 69 degree water and bait concentrations throughout the winter. Squid, cigar minnows, strip baits, and Drone spoons will all attract attention from the kings.
Bottom fishing has been excellent as well, with big numbers of gag grouper feeding at spots in the 70’ depth range. Live baits, cigar minnows, cut baits, and a host of other offerings will attract attention from the gags.
Jeremy Hooker, of Wilmington, and Capt. Jim Sabella, of Plan 9 Charters, with a striped bass that inhaled a white curlytail grub in the Cape Fear River near downtown Wilmington.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are finding black and red drum feeding around structure like ICW docks and in the creeks. Both have been taking a hearty interest in dead shrimp on the bottom recently.
The speckled trout bite remains good throughout the area, with excellent action in the creeks and around area inlets. Plenty of small fish are around, but persistent anglers are also connecting with some stout ones. A reasonable number of flounder are feeding in the same areas, and anglers are hooking both the flatfish and trout on Blue Water Candy soft plastic baits and a variety of other artificials.
Tia Lee, of Scotts Hill, NC, with her first speckled trout, a 22.5″ fish that she hooked in a Wrightsville Beach creek while fishing with her husband.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that there’s been some solid king mackerel action 20-30 miles offshore lately, with most of the fish falling for dead baits like cigar minnows. There’s been a solid gag grouper and black sea bass bite around structure in 70’ of water and deeper, with cigar minnows, cut baits, and live baits fooling the fish
Inshore, big numbers of (mostly smaller) speckled trout are feeding in the creeks and waterway, and anglers are hooking good numbers on soft plastics and suspending hard lures in white and broken glass color patterns. A few flounder have been mixed in as well.
Dirty water in the Cape Fear River means the striped bass and drum bite near downtown Wilmington hasn’t taken off yet, but anglers are hooking some of both fish a bit further downriver.
Steve Wright, of Wilmington, with a speckled trout that bit a live finger mullet in a creek near Masonboro Inlet.
Warren, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are hooking a few speckled trout, bluefish, sea mullet, pufferfish, and skates while bottom fishing from the pier. Shrimp and squid have been producing the lion’s share of the action.
The water is 62 degrees.
