Wrightsville Beach – June 2023
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish have been thick for anglers trolling Clarkspoons both nearshore and up close to the beachfront.
It’s a great idea for any angler leaving the inlet to have a sight-casting setup handy in case a cobia pops up.
King mackerel have been working their way nearshore, with local piers starting to land some fish.
Offshore anglers saw the mahi bite kick off. Mixed in the Gulf Stream trolling action are scattered wahoo and billfish.
Offshore bottom fishing remains strong for vermilion snapper, grouper, and triggerfish.
Inshore anglers have been doing well targeting red drum in the area. The fish have broken out of their colder water schools and are scattered throughout the ICW and marshes.
Sheepshead action has been good around the area’s bridges and other hard structures.
Capt. Ben Morris, of Southern Run Fishing Charters, caught this red grouper using a dead cigar minnow. He was fishing 30 miles off of Wrightsville Beach.
Ben, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that red drum have been broken up into smaller groups, and they are spread all around and hunting the schools of bait inshore. This pattern has the reds feeding much more aggressively and making the action pretty good once locating fish. Topwater plugs make a great search bait for working through different marsh areas in search of action. If targeting areas along the ICW, bottom rigged live baits such as fiddler crabs, pogies, or mud minnows will have success.
Sheepshead action has been really good in the river and around hard structure in the ICW. Mud crabs and fiddler crabs outproduce everything else when targeting these “convicts.”
Surf anglers have been catching a bunch of pompano and whiting with sand fleas.
Nearshore anglers are seeing a good spanish mackerel bite while utilizing both sight casting and trolling tactics from the beach out to 40’. There are some bluefish mixed in off the beach.
Some of the late-spring king mackerel (to 23 lbs.) have started showing up closer to the beach.
Offshore bottom fishing has been producing grouper and tons of American red snapper (releases).
Gulf Stream action has been really good when anglers can catch a break from the wind. There have been good numbers of mahi, scattered blackfin tuna, and some billfish (blue marlin, sailfish, and white marlin).
Luke, of Coastline Charters, reports that red drum action has been hit or miss, with fish scattered throughout the area. Utilizing topwater plugs has really helped anglers locate the smaller groups of fish on flats along the ICW and back towards the marshes. There is also action being found by soaking bait around ICW docks and along shell banks.
Sheepshead are literally everywhere, but most of these fish are staged up around the inshore bridges and hard structures.
Nearshore runs have been finding a nice push of false albacore from the beachfront out to 40’, and there are still plenty of spanish mackerel mixed in this same range.
Though they can’t be kept, flounder are staged all over the local ARs and will quickly strike at Carolina-rigged live baits.
Zane, of Falling Tide Fishing Adventures, reports that red drum action has been good for anglers sight casting back on the flats. The fish are usually pretty aggressive in their feeding patterns this time of year, so bait choices vary, though a smaller 3” Gulp shrimp seems to consistently work. There are also red drum being caught out in the ICW around docks, though the dock bite seems a bit more scattered and with smaller groups of fish.
Flounder (released) are being hooked in these same areas.
Nearshore anglers haven’t had a lot of opportunity to peek out of the inlets, but they can expect to see spanish mackerel action still strong whenever weather allows.
George Thitman, of NY, caught this amberjack on a jig. He was fishing with Capt. Rick Croson, of Living Waters Guide Service.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that offshore anglers have seen some pretty good numbers of mahi offshore. The sizes have varied, but generally it’s been a good mix of fish from slinger size to 30 lbs.
There are some smaller blackfins mixed in this trolling action.
Billfishing has really picked up. There are a bunch of blue marlin around, and they’re alongside sailfish and a few white marlin.
Bottom fishing remains excellent in the 120’+ range. With this fishery, it’s great to target the less pressured, deeper ledges and structures.
Swordfishing is another fishery that has been excellent all year.
Closer to the beach, some king mackerel have started showing up now that there is warmer water and bait along the beach.
Ben, of Southern Run Fishing Charters, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish remain a pretty reliable bite for anglers trolling Clarkspoons behind planers with really long leaders (20-30’). Action has been productive from the inlets out to the 20-30’ depths.
King mackerel fishing has been good out in the 20-30 mile range over the large hard and live bottoms, particularly areas holding 70-degree water. The kings can be caught with live bait, cigar minnows, or Drone spoons.
Grouper fishing has also been productive in this range. The early season action is usually more aggressive, allowing anglers to fish heavier duty tackle and leaders (80-100 lb. test fluoro) without affecting the bite. Both dead cigar minnows and live baits are having success.
Gulf Stream runs have seen the mahi biting in full force, if you can find a good weed line or temperature break. At times, this has required running past the break out to the 500-600’ depths. There are also some blue marlin around out there.
Patrick, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that king mackerel have started to show up, with nice-sized fish (to 28 lbs.) being caught.
Tarpon have also been spotted moving by, but no hookups yet.
The early and late time periods have been picking up for anglers targeting spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Bottom fishing has produced black drum (to 8 lbs.), pompano, and flounder (released).
