Wrightsville beach – June 23, 2016
Matt, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that flounder fishing has been good over the past week. As these fish are settling into their summer haunts, look for most fish to be in deeper sections of creeks, around docks along the waterway, and near the inlets. Mud minnows, finger mullet, and menhaden on Carolina rigs are getting the bites. Gulp shrimp and jerk shads and/or Z-Man scented soft plastics paired with a 1/4 oz. jighead is the way to go when not fishing live bait.
Flounder fishing around the ledges and wrecks just off the beach is producing nice catches. Live bait, such as mullet or menhaden, are very effective when fished on a Carolina rig with 1-2 oz. egg weights. Anglers are having good luck with 2 oz. bucktails and Gulp shrimp as well.
Red drum are being reported by anglers fishing deep water around waterway docks and targeting shallow flats behind the islands. Topwater action has been good, especially early and late in the day. Once the sun is up higher, the reds have been eating spoons and soft plastics (such as Z-Man, DOA, and Down South Lures). Rig these on a lightweight Blue Water Candy jighead or weedless on VMC worm hooks.
Live bait under a popping cork or on a jighead has also been effective. When fishing docks and deeper holes, try live or cut bait fished on a Carolina rig, and using cut shrimp in these same locations has been fooling a few black drum.
Sheepshead fishing has been decent to the south in Snow’s Cut and around docks in the waterway. Start to look for ladyfish, bluefish, and speckled trout under dock lights at night.
Surf anglers are reporting bluefish and spanish mackerel, especially near the inlets. Pompano, sea mullet, and croaker are being caught by anglers bottom fishing with shrimp or Fishbites. There is a decent flounder bite going on in the surf, although most fish have been throwbacks.
Spanish mackerel fishing has slowed down a bit over the past week, but there are fish being caught. The bite has fluctuated between being right on the beach out to a few miles offshore based on rain and wind. Troll #0-#1 Clarkspoons behind #1-#2 planers or a 3-4 oz. trolling weight. Bird rigs, Blue Water Candy Spanish Daisies, and smaller-sized Yo-Zuri Deep Divers are always a good choice for trolling.
These fish can also be caught casting around the jetty and near the AR’s. Gotcha Jigfish lures and Hogy Epoxy jigs have been the most popular choices, especially in the 3/4-1.5 oz. sizes.
Cobia fishing has been the best lately a few miles off the beach. Boat anglers are successfully sight casting bucktails to fish spotted around bait balls and buoys. Fish are also being caught by anglers trolling live bait for kings around structure in the 15 mile range. Menhaden, pinfish, eels, and bluefish are all commonly used to catch cobia. A large Carolina rig with a 7/0-8/0 circle hook is usually the best way to bottom fish with cut bait.
The king mackerel fishing was good last week with the majority of the bite being reported in the 10-20 mile range. There are more small kings being reported lately. Look for bigger kings to be moving inshore as water conditions improve.
Trolling for mahi has been best in the 15-25 mile range. Skirted ballyhoo, dead bait rigs, and plugs have all been catching fish. There has been plenty of action with gag grouper and amberjack starting in the 15 mile range. Along with the gags, keeper seabass have been plentiful in that range as well. Further out, there has been scamp and large red grouper in the 120’ range.
Pierre Naude, of Wrightsville Beach, with his first red drum. He caught the red using a Gulp shrimp on a jighead near Richs Inlet.
Trevor, of ProFishNC Charters, reports that spinner sharks are jumping all over live baits (fishing in the 2-3 mile range). King mackerel in the same areas have been taking an interest in Drone spoons trolled behind planers.
The inshore flounder bite has been providing steady action. Using 1/4 oz. Blue Water Candy jigheads fished with Z-Man plastics has been producing most of the bites. Areas around the area inlets and creek mouths have been holding good numbers of the flatfish.
Chelsea Thompson, of Wilmington, with a bluespotted cornetfish she caught while bottom fishing 30 miles offshore.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that red drum are on the feed along the ICW docks. Fish are eating both cut and live menhaden fished on Carolina rigs. Flounder are also being found along the same areas.
The flounder are moving from the ocean into the marshes, and the fishing is getting better by the day. They are eating live mullet and menhaden on both sides of the tide. Scented soft plastics are also producing.
Larger than average speckled trout are being landed on Rapala Skitterwalks and X-Raps, including some citation-sized fish. Sunrise is when most of the large trout have been feeding, but late evening has been producing, too.
Anglers should also continue to look for cobia along the beach fronts, as there are large schools of menhaden keeping the fish around. Blue Water Candy cobia jigs cast around the bait balls has continued to produce fish.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that bottom fishing in the 25-40 mile range has been keeping anglers busy. Grouper, triggerfish, pinkies, sea bass, and grunts are eating jigs around structure. Mahi and king mackerel are being found in the 5-20 mile range. Trolling lures and ballyhoo have been working on the mahi. The kings are taking Drone spoons, deep diving plugs, and skirted cigar minnows.
Amberjack fishing has been excellent around the wrecks in the same areas. Topwater plugs and jigs have been fooling the reef donkeys.
Warren, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that over-slot red drum have showed up in excellent numbers over the past few days. Cut bait on fish finder rigs is how most are getting the reds, with shrimp on bottom rigs also producing fish.
Bluefish and the occasional spanish mackerel are eating Gotcha plugs off the end of the pier.
Cobia are still in the area and giving anglers shots most every day. The majority of the sightings, though, have been undersized fish.
There has been an excellent flounder bite on both live and cut shrimp, but most of the flounder are still small.
