Wrightsville Beach – June 5, 2014
Charles Fritz, from Hickory, NC, with a sheepshead that bit a live crab at some ICW structure at Wrightsville Beach.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that cobia are becoming more numerous off Wrightsville Beach, and anglers landed fish to 60 lbs. within a few miles of shore last week. Sight-casting bucktails to cruising fish and bait pods or bottom fishing with live and dead baits near the inlets is the way to connect with the cobes.
Spanish mackerel action has been red hot off Wrightsville recently, and anglers are also connecting with some bullet tuna and false albacore. Most are falling for trolled Clarkspoons, but anglers are also hooking some while casting metal jigs at fish feeding on the surface.
Flounder are making a good showing on nearshore structure from 2-10 miles off the beaches, and anglers are hooking them on Carolina-rigged live baits and bucktail jigs tipped with Gulps.
Some dolphin have pushed inshore of the Gulf Stream to the 30 mile range, but the action isn’t hot at the closer spots yet. Dead ballyhoo and cigar minnows or live baits like menhaden will attract attention from the dolphin. Some king mackerel are in the same areas and biting the same baits.
There’s still a good gaffer dolphin bite at the local Gulf Stream spots, and solid numbers of billfish (particularly blue marlin) have been around as well. Skirted ballyhoo are fooling both, and boats are also hooking the blues while pulling baitless marlin plugs.
Bottom fishermen are still reporting a slow gag bite closer to the beaches, but decent action with gags and large sea bass around structure in 90’ and deeper. Red and scamp grouper are looking for meals at spots in the 45 mile range, where anglers are also finding plenty of triggerfish and other smaller bottom dwellers. Dead and cut baits have been producing most of the grouper action, but vertical jigs are also taking their share.
Inshore, the flounder fishing continues to improve, but still with big numbers of short fish. The inlets, marshes, and inshore structure like docks are all holding flatfish, and anglers can hook them on Gulps or live baits.
Red drum are feeding in the inlets, marshes, and around docks as well, and anglers are tempting the reds with the same baits along with topwater plugs and spoons.
Sheepshead have shown up inshore and are feeding around dock and bridge pilings and seawalls. Fiddler crabs and sea urchins fished tight to the structure will fool the sheeps.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers are still finding some excellent dolphin fishing from the 120’ depths to the break, depending on the day. Most are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures. Some wahoo, blackfin tuna, and billfish are mixed in with the ‘phins. White marlin and sailfish have been feeding along the break, with blue marlin out in 50 fathoms and deeper. Large trolling plugs will also fool the marlin.
Bottom fishing has been producing some solid catches of red, scamp, and gag grouper at deeper spots in 150-225’ of water, along with some triggerfish and red porgy. Vertical jigs and dead and cut baits are producing most of the action.
Bottom fishing closer to the beaches is producing only some action with gags, but it is creating big catches of grunts, black sea bass, and other smaller bottom dwellers.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish action has been excellent near the beaches, both for boats trolling Clarkspoons and casting metal lures like diamond jigs.
A few king mackerel and cobia are in the same areas and taking bucktail jigs and live baits.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that some dolphin have shown up around 23 Mile Rock, where they’re biting dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo.
The king action hasn’t been stellar anywhere, but anglers are picking up a few in the 5-10 mile range on ballyhoo and spoons.
Spanish mackerel fishing is still excellent, with the best bite on the falling tides in 35-40’ of water lately. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and torpedo weights are fooling most of the spaniards and also some large false albacore and bullet tunas.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that there’s still fast action with amberjacks around structure in the 20 mile range, and boats are hooking them while trolling ballyhoo and on topwater poppers.
Some dolphin have shown up in the same range and are also biting ballyhoo.
The dolphin bite remains excellent for boats making the run to the Gulf Stream.
Steve, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are still connecting with big numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Some larger spanish (to 5+ lbs.) are taking an interest in live baits on king rigs. Live-baiters also landed a 26 lb. cobia last week.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet, small flounder, croaker, and a few puppy drum.
The water is 78 degrees.
