Wrightsville Beach July 6, 2006
Tex, at Tex’s Tackle, reports the spanish mackerel fishing has picked back up along the beach, with keeper size fish caught by trolling clark spoons and Yo-zuris. They are also schooled up on the artificial reefs, with some bigger fish in the 10 mile range.
King mackerel have still not shown up nearshore, but they should move this way with clean water and bait. The best places to find them have been in the 20 mile areas.
Dolphin fishing has been on fire anywhere from 25 miles out to the gulf stream. The 23 Mile Rock and the Tower have been hot spots, and a few are also being caught around the Schoolhouse.
Grouper should be in the 20 to 30 mile range, and there are still some amberjacks on the artificial reefs to tug on.
Inshore, the flounder are still pretty slow, with a few fish being caught in the creeks and some in the ocean. Redfish are biting well around docks and in the creeks on live bait or Gulps.
Jot, at Fortune Hunter Charters, reports the spanish mackerel fishing is good in the mornings with a few bluefish mixed in.
Flounder fishing has been slow, but sheepshead fishing has made up for it. Using fiddler crabs or sand fleas has been the best bet, with a few black drum hitting them as well. The biggest black drum went 21 pounds this week.
Drum are still biting in the creeks and waterway, and tarpon are slowly making their way up our coast. Be ready.
Jim, at Plan 9 Charters, reports good fishing this past week. The Schoolhouse was a productive area, with trolling working for both the dolphin and king mackerel.
Bottom fishing in this same area produced some black sea bass and amberjacks.
The 23 Mile Rock area was also good this week for trolling for dolphin and king mackerel. The grouper were biting on the bottom here as well.
Matt, at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports a good week of fishing. Whiting are biting shrimp and bloodworms. At night, shrimp are also producing some red drum.
Close to the pilings, shrimp are producing catches of spadefish up to 3 pounds. The spadefish are also being caught on sabiki rigs. Sheepshead are biting well on barnacles beneath the pier.
Legal flounder are biting both mud minnows and cut baits.
The king mackerel fishermen are catching barracudas, but no kings this week.
The water temperature is 77.3 degrees.
