Wrightsville Beach July 18, 2013
Tiffany Ledbetter, of Charlotte, with a mid-slot red drum that bit a weedless jerkbait in the Cape Fear River while she was fishing with Capt. Jason Dail of Silverspoon Charters.
Hunter, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing plenty of flounder action around Wrightsville Beach with the majority of the fish biting around the inlets. Live finger mullet and mud minnows have been fooling most of the fish, but anglers casting Gulp baits are finding success as well.
Red drum are feeding near the inlets and around docks and other inshore structure. Live baits and Gulps are also fooling the reds.
Surf anglers are hooking some sea mullet and other bottom feeders while casting shrimp and sand fleas from the sand at Wrightsville.
Out in the ocean, anglers are starting to see a decent flounder bite around nearshore structure within 10 miles of shore. Live baits on heavy Carolina rigs and Gulp baits pinned to 2 oz. bucktails are the best bets for the flatfish.
Bottom fishing further out has been producing some gag grouper and an assortment of smaller bottom feeders. Cigar minnows, sardines, squid, and cut baits are attracting attention from all the fish.
Dolphin have pushed into the 20 mile range off Wrightsville in good numbers. Some sailfish are also feeding in the same areas, and both will attack live baits or rigged ballyhoo. Trolling dredge or daisy chain teasers will increase anglers’ likelihood of bringing a sail into their spread.
More dolphin, sailfish, and a few blue marlin encounters have been reported by boats making the run to the Gulf Stream recently. Skirted and naked ballyhoo are fooling most of the predators in the blue water.
Kelsi Dunlap with a bull dolphin that bit a skirted ballyhoo 28 miles off Masonboro Inlet while she was trolling with Will Scheibel and Brian Ledford.
Trevor, of ProFishNC Charters, reports that the flounder bite is still going strong around the local inlets (with plenty of throwbacks but some big fish in the mix as well). There are huge numbers of finger mullet in the area right now, and drift-fishing with live mullet has been the most productive technique lately. Gulp baits pinned to heavy jigheads are also producing some fish.
Red drum are feeding around deeper docks and other structure in the area. Live mullet and menhaden have been striking the reds’ fancy recently.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with speckled trout in the early morning hours near the area inlets and around some inshore structure. They’ve been biting topwater plugs reasonably well and are also taking an interest in soft plastics and suspending hard lures.
Big numbers of flounder are feeding around the inlets as well, and anglers are hooking them on live mud minnows and finger mullet along with Gulp baits (which have been even more effective on recent days).
Red drum are looking for meals around many docks at Wrightsville Beach. Live baits like finger mullet and menhaden are tough for the reds to resist, and cut baits have also been producing, especially when the water’s on the dirty side (as has frequently been the case lately).
Ladyfish have inundated the inshore waters. Anglers are hooking big numbers of the acrobatic fish while working flashy lures around lighted structure like bridge and dock pilings in the evening hours. They’re also feeding around the inlets night and day.
Tonya Jones, of Wilmington, with a red drum that bit a live mud minnow near Wrightsville Beach.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that amberjacks are feeding around high-relief structure in the 20 mile range off Wrightsville. Anglers are hooking the jacks on live and dead baits.
Bottom fishing in the same areas is producing plenty of black sea bass, grunts, red porgies, and other tasty fish. Squid and cut baits on double-drop rigs are tempting the bottom fish to bite.
Gray trout are schooled up around live bottoms and structure within 5 miles of the inlets. They’ll bite small vertical jigs.
Dirty water from all the recent wind and rain has slowed up the spanish mackerel action, but the fish should be back and feeding around the inlets and beachfront once it cleans up a bit.
Bryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that live-baiters landed a 36 lb. king mackerel off the end of the pier last week. Some large blacktip sharks are also taking an interest in the live baits.
A few recent days have seen decent spanish mackerel action for plug casters, but it’s been hit-or-miss.
Some sheepshead and black drum are biting fiddler crabs and barnacles dangled close to the pier’s pilings.
Bottom fishing with shrimp and live mud minnows is attracting attention from some slot and over-slot red drum.
The water is 83 degrees.
