Wrightsville Beach – June 26, 2014
Pete Shaw with a 23″ red drum that struck a live finger mullet inshore at Wrightsville Beach.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are still finding action with red drum around the inlets and docks and marshes inshore. Live and cut baits are producing most of the action around the docks, but anglers are also hooking some fish on Gulps. In the marshes, topwater plugs and Gulps or other soft baits are proving effective.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around dock and bridge pilings and bulkheads around Wrightsville. Anglers can tempt the sheeps to bite live fiddler crabs dangled close to the structure.
Flounder fishing continues to improve inshore, and anglers are finding the flatfish in the same spots as the reds. Live baits like finger mullet and peanut menhaden along with Gulps on jigheads will attract attention from the flatfish.
Anglers are also finding action with flounder around rocks, ledges, and wrecks from the beachfront to the 10 mile range in the ocean. Live baits will also fool the flatfish in the ocean, but many anglers tip 2 oz. bucktail jigs with Gulps with equal success.
Spanish mackerel are feeding around the inlets and to a few miles offshore. Boaters are hooking big numbers of the spaniards while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and trolling weights and daisy chain rigs on the surface. Anglers who spot the fish chasing bait on the surface can also cast metal jigs towards the activity to hook up. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in with the spaniards and biting the same baits.
King mackerel fishing is still a bit on the slow side, but anglers are reporting king encounters from the 10 mile range on out. Live menhaden are fooling the larger kings, but anglers are also connecting while trolling dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo.
Duane Auman and Jack Steyskel with his first flounder, hooked on a 4″ Gulp shrimp under a Banks Channel dock at Wrightsville Beach.
Some dolphin are mixed in with the kings 10-20 miles out, and anglers are seeing some solid dolphin action in the 20-30 mile range on many days. Live and dead baits will also attract plenty of attention from the dolphin.
Boats are also still finding plenty of dolphin in the Gulf Stream. Blue and white marlin are also looking for meals in the blue water, and boats have the best chances of a marlin encounter while trolling offshore of the break in 50 fathoms and deeper.
Gag grouper are feeding around bottom structure in the 20-30 mile range, with reds and scamps joining the action 35+ miles out. All the groupers will pounce on live and cut baits.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are finding some excellent spanish mackerel action off Wrightsville Beach right now, with fish feeding from the breakers out to 35’ of water. Trolling silver 00 Clarkspoons behind #1 planers has been producing the best results on the spaniards. Anglers are also casting metal jigs like Shore Lures to fish feeding on the surface with success.
Spadefish (some to 8 lbs.) are schooling up around nearshore structure, and anglers can tempt the unusual fish to bite pieces of cannonball jellyfish.
King mackerel and dolphin are feeding at spots 15-25 miles offshore, where they’re readily biting trolled ballyhoo and cigar minnows.
Amberjacks are feeding around structure in the same range and biting live baits and topwater poppers.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are still connecting with good numbers of speckled trout while working topwater plugs in the marshes and near the inlets. The females are still full of roe, so anglers should consider releasing the larger fish until they’ve finished spawning.
Red drum are mixed in with the trout and also biting topwater plugs. Anglers are connecting with the reds around docks and other structure on cut menhaden as well.
Ladyfish have shown up inshore and are feeding around lighted structure in the evening hours. They’ll bite a host of natural and artificial offerings.
Some large flounder are feeding in the creeks and ICW inshore, with the best action near the inlets. Live baits are tough to beat for the flatfish.
There’s also been solid flounder action around the nearshore AR’s and other structure, where most of the fish are falling for small live menhaden.
Some cobia are in the same areas and will pounce on menhaden or bucktail jigs and soft plastics.
Steve, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are hooking good numbers of spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the pier, with the best action in the early morning hours. Some bluefish are mixed in.
Flounder (a mix of keepers and throwbacks) are biting live baits fished under the pier.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet and croaker on shrimp.
Live-baiters fishing the end of the pier have had action with sharks and cobia over the past week.
