Wrightsville Beach July 9, 2009
Will Kerr with a gag grouper he hooked on a piece of cut mackerel in 110' of water. He was fishing off Wrightsville Beach with Capt. Ken Mullen of Swell Rider Charters.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that there’s been a solid king mackerel bite off the piers over the past week (with many fish in the 20’s and some larger 30+ lb. fish lost by the pier), so a good class of kings seems to be feeding along the beaches. Boaters should be able to target the fish by slow-trolling live pogies along the beaches and at nearshore structure.
There’s still a good dolphin bite off Wrightsville, but the majority of the action seems to have moved from the 10 mile area a bit further offshore to spots in the 15-20 mile range (like the Schoolhouse). Some snake king mackerel are mixed in with the dolphin, and dead cigar minnows or live pogies should fool both species.
A few sailfish are scattered in the same areas, so anglers stand a reasonable chance of encountering a billfish while trolling for the kings and dolphin.
Bottom fishermen are reporting a good grouper bite in the 25-40 mile range. Gags, scamps, and red grouper are feeding at structure in that range, and anglers can hook up with them while vertical jigging or by dropping bottom rigs baited with cigar minnows and live and cut baits.
Red drum are feeding in the surf of Wrightsville Beach and particularly well around Topsail Inlet. Casting gold Hopkins spoons around Topsail Inlet has produced solid action with the reds lately.
Inshore, the flounder bite is still good (and the ratio of keepers to throwbacks is slowly improving). Live baits on Carolina rigs or Gulp baits will fool the flounder.
Adam Ezell with a 5 lb. sheepshed he hooked on a live pogy near Wrightsville Beach.
Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that anglers bottom fishing around 50 miles off Wrightsville Beach picked up some fat red grouper last week.
Several boats reported sailfish releases while trolling in the 15-20 mile range. Both live baits and rigged ballyhoo will fool the sails.
There are still plenty of dolphin feeding from 14 miles out of Masonboro on offshore. Live pogies and dead cigar minnows will both attract attention from the dolphin and king mackerel feeding alongside them.
Inshore, anglers are picking away at the speckled trout and flounder, but the bite hasn’t been on fire lately.
Brandon Wiggins, from Wrightsville Beach, with a gaffer dolphin that ate a cigar minnow on a green-skirted Hank Brown rig. He hooked the fish at the Schoolhouse while fishing with Brian Bowman.
Danny, of 96 Charter Company, reports that there are still some dolphin and king mackerel feeding around structure approximately 10 miles off Wrightsville. The bite has also been good a bit further off at the Schoolhouse and nearby, where anglers are also connecting with some false albacore and amberjacks. Live pogies are fooling most of the fish, but trolling plugs like Yo-Zuris and Rapalas will also produce some action.
Inshore, the spanish mackerel bite has been good just offshore of the jetties, where the spaniards have been working over large schools of bait lately. Trolling Clarkspoons behind trolling weights and planers will fool the spanish into striking.
Ken, of Swell Rider Sportfishing, reports that there are still big numbers of gaffer dolphin feeding 25-40 miles off Wrightsville Beach. Interestingly enough, light lining cigar minnows and sardines while bottom fishing has been producing more dolphin than trolling has lately, as there have been packs of 15+ lb. dolphin hanging around the anchored boat.
Bottom fishing is still strong in the same areas, and anglers have been catching some especially nice red grouper in 105’-120’. Some scamps and gags are mixed in, and some big football-sized beeliners and other bottomfish are joining the groupers in the fish box. Most of the groupers are falling for cigar minnows and Boston mackerel, while chunks of squid are doing in the beeliners and smaller bottom dwellers.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that the dolphin and king bite is hot not far off Wrightsville. Anglers are picking up good numbers of king mackerel (most 10-12 lbs.) while trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers or live pogies at spots as close as 7 miles off the beach.
There have been a few dolphin in as close as 5 miles, but the better fish (10-15+ lbs.) have been further offshore in the 10-20 mile areas. Live pogies and Deep Divers will also work on the dolphin.
Close to the beach schools of spanish mackerel are feeding on bait balls, and anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons.
Rob, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers had a good week on the king mackerel, averaging at least 5 a day last week (the largest weighing 28 lbs.).
The spanish mackerel bite had been a bit slow, but anglers caught big numbers of fat spanish on Gotcha plugs at night on the Fourth of July.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with black drum (some to 7 lbs.) and whiting on shrimp.
Some flounder are falling for live finger mullet.
The water is 81 degrees.
