Wrightsville Beach June 30, 2011
C.J. Dew with a 29" red drum he hooked on a Gulp shrimp in 2' of water behind Figure Eight Island. He was fishing with Capt. Jot Owens.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are finally seeing an improving king bite off the area (with several fish in the 20-30+ lb. range landed last week.) Most of the fish have been coming from spots in the 15 miles and further offshore, and live menhaden are tempting them to bite.
Amberjacks are feeding around the Schoolhouse and WR-4 and at high-relief structure on out to the break. Live baits, vertical jigs, and topwater poppers will tempt bites from the jacks.
Bottom fishermen have found a solid grouper bite in 100-120’ of water recently, hauling up gags, scamps, and reds. Live, dead, and cut baits and vertical jigs will all tempt bites from the groupers.
Some dolphin are in the same areas and will pounce on a live menhaden or other bait fished on a light-line while anglers are bottom fishing.
The spanish mackerel bite remains good along the beaches. The fish are feeding very early in the day, and the action slows down later in the mornings. Trolling with Clarkspoons and Spanish Daisies or casting Shore Lures and other metal jigs to fish feeding on the surface is the way to connect with the spanish.
Surf fishermen found some action with pompano last week (weighing in several citation fish). Live sand fleas are top choices for the pomps.
There’s also been a decent red drum bite in the surf, where the reds will strike a variety of baits.
Inshore, flounder fishing has been decent (but a lot of throwbacks are still mixed in). Anglers can find the flatfish in the inlets, creekmouths, and around inshore structure, and they’re biting live baits or Gulps.
Sheepshead are feeding around docks and bridge pilings in the area, and anglers can tempt them to bite live fiddler crabs dangled near the structure.
Allen Baker and Ryan Caudill with a gag grouper they hooked 14 miles off Wrightsville Beach on a cut bait while fishing with Capt. Rick Croson of Living Waters Guide Service.
Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that blue water trollers found action with some white marlin off the area last week, and a few blue marlin were seen as well. The dolphin bite is still decent out in the Stream, and boats reported a few blackfin tuna this week as well. Rigged ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures are the way to go for all the offshore pelagics.
Boats are reporting some king mackerel in the 30 mile range and a few are feeding along the beachfront, but there hasn’t been much activity in between.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with gag, red, and scamp groupers and some hogfish around structure 30-35 miles off the inlet. Live baits and vertical jigs are the way to go for the groupers.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been hot from the beaches out to 3-4 miles off lately, with a nice bite around Mason’s Inlet last week. Trolling Clarkspoons or working Pole-Kats and other metal lures is tempting bites from the spaniards.
Some tarpon are moving by the area, and one was hooked on the pier this week.
The flounder bite is improving, with particularly good fishing around inshore structure last week. Live baits and Gulps will get attention from the flatfish.
Red drum are feeding around ICW docks and on the flats behind the barrier islands. Topwater plugs, Gulp baits, and a variety of other baits and lures will fool the reds.
Sheepshead are abundant right now, and fishing fiddler crabs and sand fleas near inshore structure like bridge and dock pilings is the way to put them in the boat.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports a good grouper bite. Anglers are catching limits of gags around structure in the 15 mile range, mostly on cut and live baits. Grunts, sea bass, and other tasty bottom dwellers are in the mix as well.
Further offshore, larger gags and red and scamp groupers are on the feed at structure in 100-120’. Vertical jigs and live baits are top choices for the groupers offshore.
Some king mackerel are finally biting in the 10-20 mile range, and anglers are hooking them on live menhaden and other live baits.
Amberjacks are schooling on structure from the Schoolhouse out to the break, and they’ll happily eat live baits, vertical jigs, and often topwater poppers.
Mark Johnson, of Wilmington, caught this cobia on a live menhaden near the 5 Mile Boxcars off Wrightsville Beach.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel were on the feed last week, with excellent fishing just off Masonboro Inlet. Both trolling Clarkspoons and casting metal jigs have been effective on the spaniards lately.
Anglers have been putting together some good catches of black sea bass while working small metal jigs around structure in the 10-12 mile range lately. Some gag grouper are in the same areas and will pounce on live baits.
Amberjacks are schooled up on the artificial reefs offshore of Masonboro and New River Inlets, and live pogies are tough for them to turn down.
Rick, of Rod-Man Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite has been hit-or-miss lately, but anglers found some good action several days last week in 20-25’ of water while trolling Clarkspoons.
The red drum bite is on around docks inshore and in the inlets. Live menhaden and finger mullet are tough for the reds to turn down.
Flounder fishing has also been solid in the inlets lately, and the flatfish will attack the same live baits as the reds.
Phillip, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that live-baiters landed several barracuda from the end of the pier last week.
Some bluefish and an occasional spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs worked from the pier.
Live baits fished on the bottom are producing a few flounder.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet, croaker, and a few spot on shrimp and bloodworms.
The water is 79 degrees.
