Wrightsville Beach July 1, 2010
Eli Collins and Jeff Ryscavage (both 13) with their first dolphin and king mackerel. They hooked the fish 12 miless off Wrightsville Beach while fishing with their fathers on a pirvate guide trip with Capt. Arlen Ash of Ultimate Reaction Sportfishing.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the red drum action is still on in the bays and creeks off the ICW and Cape Fear River. Topwater plugs have been fooling plenty of the fish lately. When they won’t eat on the surface, scented soft plastics are attracting plenty of attention.
Flounder fishermen are finding excellent action (and some stout fish) in the ICW around Carolina Beach and the Cape Fear River. The flounder are also beginning to aggregate on nearshore structure. Live pogies or other baits are the best bet for the larger flatfish.
The sheepshead bite is getting better by the day, especially around Carolina Beach. Live fiddler crabs fished tight to hard structure like bridge and dock pilings and rocks are producing most of the bites from the sheeps.
Spanish mackerel are still feeding along the beaches and just offshore, but the best bite’s been very early and late in the day. Surface trolling lures, like daisy chains and bird rigs, are producing the best results right now.
King mackerel and dolphin are feeding alongside each other around structure and bait concentrations in the 10-20 mile range. Larger gaffer dolphin are more prevalent 20-30+ miles off the inlet. A few sailfish are in the mix throughout that range. Both live baits (like pogies and cigar minnows) and dead cigar minnows or ballyhoo are producing action with the kings and dolphin.
Bottom fishing has been decent but not on fire lately. Anglers are having the best luck with gag grouper at structure 25-30 miles out, with the better red grouper fishing 40+ miles offshore. Both live, dead, and cut baits and vertical jigs will fool the groupers.
Gulf Stream trollers reported a slightly improved bite this week. More gaffer dolphin are feeding in the blue water, and boats making the long run also had several shots at billfish. Most of the action is coming on skirted ballyhoo.
Junior Colville, of Rockingham, NC, with a pair of fat red grouper he hooked 55 miles off Masonboro Inlet on cigar minnows and cut bait. He was fishing with J.R. Melvin and friends aboard the "FishZilla."
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that inshore anglers found some solid action with red drum on topwater plugs last week. The bite’s been best to the north, where the fish are schooling in the marshes.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding in the inlet and just offshore, and anglers are catching plenty while trolling Clarkspoons, squid rigs, and more.
Dead-bait trolling in the 10 mile range last week produced some decent action with king mackerel and some dolphin. Gag grouper are feeding around bottom structure in the same areas.
Vertical jigging bottom structure in around 115’ of water attracted attention from some fat red grouper (to 26 lbs.) last week.
The Gulf Stream has been hot and slow lately, but anglers did hook up with some dolphin in 130’ last week and some blackfin tuna in 115’ while trolling skirted ballyhoo.
Jim, of Plan 9 Fishing Charters, reports that the king mackerel and dolphin bite slowed a bit last week, but boats making it out to the 15-20 mile area still found some decent action. Dead bait trolling has been outproducing live-baiting over recent weeks, and anglers have also had some action while pulling Drone spoons. The key to getting bites has been to find a school of bait in the water column and troll over it for as long as possible.
The spanish mackerel bite has slowed a bit recently as well, but anglers are still catching good numbers while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures. The bite lately has been very early in the mornings, and it seems the fish have either been just off the breakers or further offshore in around 40’ with little action in between.
Shark fishing around shrimp boats culling their catch off the beaches has been excellent lately. Large cut baits on wire leaders are all anglers need to attract attention from the sharks.
Taylor Sewell, of Wilmington, and John Henry Seale, of Dallas, with an overslot red drum that fell for a topwater plug while they were fishing with Capt. Seth Vernon of Double Haul Guide Service.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that the red drum bite has been excellent inshore (with many 30”+ fish and one 47” monster released last week). Most of the action has been around grass banks to the north of the area, and the fish are falling for live pogies.
The king mackerel and dolphin fishing has been best 15-20 miles out lately. Dead and live baits have been producing action, and both top lines and the downrigger baits have been getting bites. Many of the smaller dolphin are full of shrimp when cleaned, and consequently, a D.O.A. Shrimp under a popping cork has been quite effective at getting them to bite lately.
Rob, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that live-baiters have been hooking up with plenty of big sharks lately (mostly blacktips and sandbars, but including a 7.5’ hammerhead and a 7’ tiger recently).
The spanish mackerel and bluefish bite has been best in the early mornings and late evenings and into the night (with some 3-4 lb. fish biting at night). Gotcha plugs are producing most of the action.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with some whiting, spot, croaker, spadefish, and smaller flounder.
Some large red drum are moving under the pier, but not many have been hooked.
The water is 77 degrees.
