Wrightsville Beach July 12, 2007
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that flounder are moving inshore from the inlets, and the flounder bite is improving in the creeks. Anglers are hooking up with most of the flounder on Gulp Alive baits and live mud minnows, peanut pogies, and finger mullet fished on Carolina rigs.
The red drum bite is good north of Wrightsville in the creeks behind Figure Eight Island. The fish have been responding well to topwater plugs early in the mornings, and they will also hit live or Gulp baits. Some bigger reds have been feeding in Rich’s Inlet and the nearby surf. Gulp baits on jigheads will fool these fish, too, and anglers can also hook up by fishing cut baits on surf rigs.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been pretty good over the past week, but the fish are feeding a bit offshore of the beach. The classic Clarkspoon/planer combo will take plenty of spanish, but anglers who want to hook up with some larger fish should try slow trolling small pogies or finger mullet.
King mackerel are feeding from the beach on out, with a particularly strong bite 10+ miles offshore. Live pogies and dead cigar minnows will draw king strikes.
The dolphin bite has moved back offshore a bit, with most of the dolphin feeding 20 or more miles from the beach. Cigar minnows, pogies, and rigged ballyhoo should attract attention from the dolphin.
Boats are releasing a lot of sailfish on the 20-30 mile spots by trolling live baits and ballyhoo.
Bottom fishing has been productive over the past week, with plenty of sea bass coming from the Frying Pan Tower area.
Red grouper are feeding best in 90-100’ of water. The grouper will strike a variety of live, dead, and cut baits, but butterfly jigging offers a more active way to target the fish.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are hooking up with some nice dolphin and wahoo, as well as some blue marlin.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that king and dolphin fishing is hot 15-20 miles off Wrightsville Beach. Many of the dolphin have been in the 20-30 lb. range.
A good number of sailfish are mixed in as well, and quite a few have been released over the past week. Look for the sails, kings, and dolphin around bottom structure with schools of flying fish nearby. Slow trolled live pogies will fool them.
Smaller dolphin (up to 10-12 lbs.) are feeding closer to shore in the 10-15 mile range. Dead cigar minnows will attract these fish.
Amberjacks are schooled up thick at high relief bottom structure 10+ miles offshore, and they will inhale pogies, either slow trolled or dropped to the bottom.
Red drum fishing remains good in the creeks north of Wrightsville Beach, and the drum will bite live baits or topwaters.
Jim, of Plan 9 Fishing Charters, reports that king mackerel fishing is on fire about 10 miles off Wrightsville Beach. Most of the kings are in the 10-12 lb. class, and the bite has been so hot anglers can’t deploy a full trolling spread before hooking up. Large false albacore (up to 20+ lbs.) are feeding with the kings, as are a few sailfish. Live pogies are drawing strikes from all these pelagic predators.
Some nice sea bass are feeding on the bottom in the same areas boats are finding the kings and sails.
Dolphin are feeding a bit further offshore, from 18 miles on out, but they have become a lot scarcer than they were a few weeks ago.
Grouper are still feeding on bottom structure 30+ miles offshore and falling for a variety of dead baits.
Flounder fishing at the nearshore reefs is picking up, and flounder are feeding in the inlets as well. Rich’s Inlet has hosted a particularly good flounder bite over the past week. Carolina-rigged live baits are the top flounder producers, and tiger-side minnows seem to be out fishing other baits.
James, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that whiting and flounder are biting cut shrimp at night.
Anglers are also decking flounder on live baits during the daytime. Keeper flatfish are mixed in with the short ones.
Plug casters are hooking with bluefish and spanish mackerel, and some of the spanish are running up to 4 lbs.
The big spanish are also hitting live baits on king rigs. King fishermen had steady action all week, landing king mackerel, barracuda, and sharks.
