Wrightsville Beach June 7, 2007
Chris, at Tex’s Tackle, reports that the flounder bite is improving inshore. The fish are becoming more numerous and getting larger. Try fishing Carolina-rigged mud minnows or other live baits for the best chances on the flatfish.
Red drum are feeding in the surf and will take an interest in cut baits.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are both feeding along the surf line and within a few hundred yards of the beach. Anglers can troll Clark spoons or small live baits for spanish action, or cast Gotcha plugs and jigs to schools feeding on the surface.
Cobia have finally made it to the beach, and they are cruising the surf zone and nearshore structure from Figure Eight to Bald Head Island.
Kings are holding from nearshore structure on out to 10 miles and further offshore. Dolphin are mixed in with the kings from 10 miles on out. As usual, the larger dolphin are furthest offshore.
In the Gulf Stream, the dolphin are plentiful, but reports on other fish have been spotty.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are chasing bait between the beach and the Liberty Ship. Most fish are coming on trolled spoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers, but anglers are getting chances to cast Maria Jigs to breaking fish as well. The spanish are averaging around 2 lbs.
Plenty of cobia are cruising the same area as the spanish, but they are very picky about what they’ll bite. Boats have seen a lot more fish than have actually been caught.
The nearshore flounder bite is picking up, and boats are finding good numbers of flounder on structure around 5 miles off the beach.
There is a lot of bait 7-10 miles off of Wrightsville, and plenty of kings are there feeding on it. Dallas Rock is a good place to start looking for the kings this week.
In the 35-40 mile range, the grouper bite is on fire, and anglers are catching reds, scamps, and gags on the same structure. The grouper will eat a variety of baits, including spanish sardines, cigar minnows, squid, and ballyhoo.
Dolphin action is best around 40 miles out as well.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports solid fishing for king mackerel and dolphin 15-20 miles from the beach. Both the kings and dolphin are running 10-20 lbs. No big pogies are around yet, so anglers can fish two smaller pogies on a double hook rig to get the fish’s attention.
Live cigar minnows beneath skirts are also good baits, and anglers should be able to jig them up at bottom structure near where the kings and dolphin are feeding.
Cobia are hanging around AR366 and schooled in with kings at other spots. Live cigar minnows will get bites from the cobia as well.
Brent, of Current Adventure Charters, reports that they’re finding kings, dolphin, and false albacore at rocky bottom spots around 15 miles off the beach. The fish are running 10+ lbs. and falling for skirted ballyhoo and squid daisy chains.
Bigger dolphin (20 lbs. and up) are feeding out in the Gulf Stream, and there are some sailfish around as well. Skirted ballyhoo will draw strikes from both.
Randy, of Cutting Edge Charters, reports that anglers are finding a solid mix of bluefish, puppy drum, and speckled trout in the creeks behind Masonboro and Figure Eight Islands. All three species are hitting Gulp shrimp fished on jigheads.
Flounder are in the ICW and tidal creeks, but most are still on the small side.
Large spanish mackerel are feeding at the Liberty Ship and John’s Creek.
James, at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that the king bite is on. Most of the kings are teenagers are smaller. Live bait fishermen are catching big numbers of chopper bluefish and an occasional cobia as well. Last Saturday, angler Mark Cogdell landed a 77 lb. cobia on a live bluefish, smashing the Mercer’s Pier cobia record by over 16 lbs.
Bluefish, both choppers and smaller fish, are also hitting Gotcha plugs and bottom baits.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with whiting and pompano, and the pompano are hitting Gotcha plugs too.
Plenty of flounder have been caught over the week, but many are undersized. Anglers fishing live baits, such as mud minnows, are having success with the larger fish.
The water temperature is 75.4 degrees.
