Wrightsville Beach July 29, 2010
Keith Pulling hooked this 54 lb. wahoo on a purple/black Eye Catcher Mini-Agitator while trolling in 75 fathoms of water offshore of the Nipple aboard the "Fishin Days" with Capt. Tim Day.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the strong winds made fishing a bit tough last week, but anglers are still finding some flounder action inshore around the inlets, creeks, and inshore structure. Live baits or Gulps will attract attention from the flounder.
Red drum are feeding in the marshes near Wrightsville and, as usual, in the Cape Fear River. Topwater plugs, Gulps, live baits, and a variety of other baits and lures will fool the reds.
Sheepshead and black drum are feeding around bridges, docks, and other hard structure inshore, and they will take an interest in fiddler crabs.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches and around the inlets, where anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures.
The shark bite is on just off the beaches, where anglers can hook up while drifting with large cut baits.
Not many boats made it offshore last week, but with calmer winds in the forecast, anglers can expect to find some king mackerel in the 10-20 mile range, where they’ll take an interest in live and dead baits.
Some sailfish should be feeding in the same areas, and dead ballyhoo are tops for the sails.
Bottom fishermen should be able to hook up with some gag grouper around structure in 60-90’ of water, with reds and scamps at structure further offshore.
Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that anglers reported seeing some sailfish 20-30 miles off the beaches last week. Trolling rigged ballyhoo is the most consistent way to tempt bites from the sails.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with some gag grouper and black sea bass around structure in 70-80’ of water.
Surf anglers hooked up with decent numbers of red drum last week, with the best action off Masonboro. Cut baits and finger mullet will tempt bites from the reds.
Inshore, the flounder bite is still excellent in the Cape Fear River, where many anglers are catching double-digit numbers of fish while casting live finger mullet and pogies or Gulp baits.
Layton Whitehurst (age 9) with a citation spanish mackerel that fell for cigar minnow 40' deep on the downrigger while he was trolling at the Schoolhouse with his father on the "Buddy Row."
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of amberjacks (some to 80 lbs. lately) at bottom structure from 80’ out to past the break in 350’, depending on the day. Vertical jigs are fooling most of the fish, but anglers may also be able to tempt them to bite topwater plugs when they’re feeding actively near the surface.
Jigging along the break is producing some grouper action with reds and scamps as well.
Plenty of dolphin are still feeding in the Gulf Stream and just inshore, and they’ll take an interest in vertical jigs worked near the surface, or a variety of other baits and lures.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the king mackerel bite was slower last week, as the water was dirty out to 15-18 miles much of the week due to the winds.
The spanish bite has still been decent just off the beaches for anglers trolling Clarkspoons.
Large sharks are feeding along the beaches, and fishing cut or dead baits behind shrimp boats will attract attention from them in short order.
Tarpon are also cruising along the beaches and feeding on schools of pogies, but it’s tough to tempt them to bite.
Rick, of Rod-Man Charters, reports that anglers are catching red drum and flounder in the ICW and the Cape Fear River. Live pogies are producing most of the action, and the best bite has been around inshore structure like docks.
Paul Gilbert with an 8 lb. flounder he hooked on a live tiger minnow at a Banks Channel dock.
Rob, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are still getting bites from tarpon near-daily while fishing live baits from the end of the pier. Some large hammerhead, bull, and tiger sharks are also falling for the live baits.
Red drum are feeding near the pier (some over-slot), and anglers are hooking them on finger mullet, shrimp, and other baits.
Flounder are falling for small live baits fished near the pilings.
Bottom fishermen are decking some gray trout at night on shrimp.
The water is 82 degrees.
