Wrightsville Beach – June 12, 2014
Jacob Staroska, of Grinnell, Iowa, with a 43 lb. cobia that bit a fish head near Masonboro Inlet while he was fishing with Capt. Andre Nel of Feel Good Fishing Charters.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are still hooking some red drum in the marshes and around inshore structure like docks. Topwater plugs and soft plastics will fool them in the marshes, with live and cut baits or scented soft baits like Gulps the way to go around the docks.
Sheepshead are also feeding around dock pilings and bridges inshore. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are the tickets to hook up with the crustacean lovers.
Flounder fishing continues to improve, and anglers are hooking them at a variety of spots inshore, in the inlets, and around nearshore structure in the ocean. The flatfish have a tough time resisting live baits and Gulps fished on Carolina rigs, jigheads, and bucktail jigs (with heavier weights and jigs the way to go in the ocean).
Spanish mackerel are on the feed just off Wrightsville Beach, where anglers are hooking big numbers while trolling Clarkspoons and daisy chains. Casting metal jigs on lighter tackle to the fish is also a possibility when they’re feeding on the surface.
Some cobia are still feeding along the beachfront and around nearshore structure, and anglers can fool them with bucktail jigs and large soft plastic trailers or live baits like menhaden.
Kevin Wallace with a 26″ red drum he hooked in a creek near Masons Inlet whiel casting a Gulp Bait.
King mackerel are still a bit scarce, but anglers are picking up a few from the beachfront to well offshore.
Dolphin have moved in as close as the 10 mile range, and anglers are connecting with the ‘phins from there to the Gulf Stream. Live baits, dead ballyhoo and cigar minnows, and a variety of artificials will all attract attention from the dolphin.
Bottom fishermen are still seeing fairly slow gag action at the closer spots, but the bite improves in the 90’+ depths. Plenty of sea bass and smaller bottomfish are mixed in. Red and scamp groupers are feeding at structure 40+ miles offshore, along with triggerfish, red porgy, and more. Live, dead, and cut baits will all prove appealing to the bottom dwellers, and anglers can also work vertical jigs with success.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that the dolphin bite is still solid in the blue water from the 120’ depths out to 100 fathoms and deeper, with the fish moving around by the day. Weedlines and temperature breaks are holding the dolphin, so finding those surface irregularities will often put anglers on the fish. Some wahoo and blackfin tuna are mixed in, and all three of the blue water pelagics are falling for skirted trolling lures and rigged ballyhoo.
Billfish are feeding in our area as well, with most of the action in 50 fathoms and deeper. Boats have released blue and white marlin and sailfish over the past few weeks, with both ballyhoo and baitless trolling plugs tempting bites from the fish.
Blain Grant, of Wilmington, with two of seven flounder he hooked while casting live menhaden along grass banks in Snows Cut.
Bottom fishermen are reporting good grouper action in 150-225’ of water right now, with plenty of red porgy and triggerfish mixed in. Both vertical jigs and baited bottom rigs are getting attention from the bottom dwellers.
The grouper bite has been fair closer to shore, but there’s been excellent action with grunts, black sea bass, and other tasty bottomfish, mostly on squid and cut baits. Small vertical jigs will also get the job done in the shallower water.
A few king mackerel and cobia are feeding within a few miles of shore, and anglers are fooling both on live baits like menhaden.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are seeing an excellent spanish mackerel bite off Wrightsville Beach right now, with the best action a few miles out in 40-50’ of water. Trolling Clarkspoons is the way to put them in the boat, and 0 and 00 silver spoons behind #1 and #2 planers have proven the most effective this past week.
Large black sea bass are feeding around bottom structure 20+ miles from land, and they’ll pounce on bottom rigs baited with squid or cut baits.
The grouper bite’s still a bit slow nearshore, but anglers are reporting some good action with gags, reds, and scamps at structure to the south 30+ miles off the beachfront. Dead cigar minnows and sardines and cut baits will attract attention from the grouper.
Dolphin have moved into the 20-30 mile range, where they’re feeding alongside king mackerel. Cigar minnows or small ballyhoo pinned to dead bait rigs will fool both the kings and ‘phins. Amberjacks are schooled up around structure in the same areas, and they will pounce on the dead baits as well.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that trolling ballyhoo around 23 Mile Rock and other spots in that range is producing action with king mackerel, amberjacks, and false albacore. A few dolphin are mixed in as well.
Bottom fishing in the same areas is producing plenty of action with red porgy, grunts, black sea bass, and other bottom dwellers. Squid and cut baits are fooling the bottom feeders.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Some flounder and red drum have been taking an interest in live and cut baits on the bottom.
