Added on Thursday, June 19, 2008  Gary Hurley

Wrightsville Beach June 19, 2008

Chris, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that dolphin have been caught as close as three miles offshore over the past week. Boats have been finding consistent fishing for the ‘phins around the 15 mile area, and trolled ballyhoo and cigar minnows are both proving effective.

There are still plenty of larger dolphin feeding out in the Stream, and boats trolling ballyhoo in the deep water are still hooking up with some wahoo. The billfish bite has been good as well, so anglers should keep an eye out for bills popping up in the spread.

Grouper fishing has been hot at ledges and other structure around 30 miles offshore. Boats are hooking up with good numbers of gags and some reds while dropping cigar minnows, northern mackerel, and butterfly jigs to the bottom.

King mackerel are still feeding in the 10-15 mile areas, but the bite can be sporadic-hot one day and then dead the next. Some pogies are showing up in the river and along the beaches, so anglers should be able to catch and fish some live baits for the kings.

Though not many have been hooked yet, anglers are starting to see some tarpon rolling as they travel down the beaches.

There are big numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish feeding along the beaches. Boats are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures.

Inshore, flounder fishing is still hot in the creeks and near the inlets. Carolina-rigged mud minnows or other baits will entice bites from the flatfish.

Red drum are feeding in the creeks and around docks in the ICW. Anglers can hook them while casting live baits, Gulps, or other artificials.

 

Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are hooking spanish mackerel and smaller kings while trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers around structure in the 5 mile range. There are good numbers of spanish feeding closer to shore, but the majority are smaller fish.

Dolphin (some up to 10 lbs.) have moved into the 10 mile area along with some larger king mackerel. Trolling dead cigar minnows on king rigs has proven effective on both species recently.

Further offshore, the king bite has also been good for anglers trolling dead baits around the Schoolhouse.

Grouper fishing has been solid at structure 25-30 miles offshore, where anglers are landing some solid red grouper on bottom rigs baited with cigar minnows. Good numbers of kings are also holding around the areas where anglers are bottom fishing.

 

Danny, of 96 Charter Company, reports that there are plenty of spanish mackerel feeding nearshore, starting right at the jetties. Anglers can hook the fish while trolling Clarkspoons, but jigging and casting with Gotcha plugs and other lures can be more entertaining.

Several cobia been seen near the jetties recently, and one was landed on a live pinfish last week.

 

Mike, of No Excuses Charters, reports that excellent spanish mackerel fishing continues around Wrightsville, with anglers hooking up while trolling, casting, and jigging. The beach bite has been particularly consistent. Breaking schools of the spanish have even been popping up inside the inlet.

Some peanut dolphin are feeding as close as 7 miles offshore, and larger numbers of bigger fish are mixed in with kings in the 15 mile range.

 

James, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that fishing for spanish mackerel (legal sized up to 3 lbs.) and bluefish (up to 2.5 lbs.) has been excellent lately. Gotcha plugs have been drawing most of the strikes from the spanish and blues.

A few larger chopper bluefish are falling for live baits on the king rigs, and several kings and a barracuda were caught last week as well.

Anglers are landing decent numbers of legal flounder on smaller live baits early and late in the day.

Bottom fishermen are catching croaker and small flounder at night on shrimp.

The water is 84 degrees.