Wrightsville Beach May 31, 2007
Chris, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that area fishing has almost stabilized into a steady summer pattern.
Inshore, there are plenty of flounder and drum giving anglers action in the marshes, in creeks, and on structure in the ICW. Trout are becoming scarce, and they won’t be making a strong appearance again until fall.
Spanish mackerel and chopper bluefish are both feeding right on the beach. The spanish will pounce on trolled spoons, small live baits, or Gotcha plugs and jigs that are casted toward breaking schools. Chopper blues will eat just about anything, but live baits and spoons are both top choices for the blues.
King mackerel are still holding 10+ miles off the beach.
Dolphin have moved inshore of the Gulf Stream, and boats have found them in as close as 23 Mile Rock. Better catches, both in numbers and quality, are coming from a little further offshore.
Dolphin are also dominating catches in the Gulf Stream, with boats finding concentrations at all the local Gulf Stream spots. A few tuna and wahoo are still around, but getting a bait past the dolphin has been tough lately. Billfish are showing up, and local boats have released several blue marlin and sailfish recently. Skirted ballyhoo will draw strikes from all the blue water predators.
Bottom fishing is producing grouper and amberjacks. Both natural baits and butterfly jigs will draw strikes from the bottom species.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that small kings are feeding at structure 5-10 miles from shore (such as the 10 Mile Boxcars). Larger fish in the teens are at the 30/30. Dead cigar minnows, sardines, and spoons will get attention from the kings.
Cobia are feeding well along the beach and at the nearshore wrecks. Inlet tide lines also attract the fish. The cobia will eat a variety of baits, but live pogies, rigged squid, and Mann’s Stretch 25 plugs are all top choices.
The dolphin bite is wide open, both in the Gulf Stream and slightly inshore of it. The Schoolhouse, Steeples, and Same Ol’ Hole have all produced good catches of dolphin over the past week.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports plenty of kings at locations 10-12 miles from shore. Sharks are also very numerous, and they can become a nuisance when trolling for the kings.
Yo-Zuri Deep Divers and dead cigar minnows are tempting both the kings and sharks to strike.
Dolphin have finally moved inshore of the Gulf Stream, and they are feeding around 23 Mile Rock. Troll cigar minnows under bright skirts to get attention from the dolphin.
Randy, of Cutting Edge Charters, reports good red drum fishing at docks around Wrightsville Beach. The drum are mostly within the slot limit, with a few over-the-slot fish (up to 32”). Both Gulp shrimp and live peanut pogies have produced good results on the drum, and plenty of peanut pogies have moved into the backs of creeks in the Wrightsville area.
Spanish mackerel are around, but they’re spread out. The best fishing has been off the beach between the Liberty Ship and Mercer’s Pier, and anglers are catching the spanish by casting diamond jigs to surfacing schools. Some big bluefish are in the same area as the spanish mackerel.
Flounder fishing hasn’t gotten really good yet, as most of the fish are still offshore.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that chopper bluefish are eating everything around the pier. Anglers have caught choppers on bottom rigs baited with shrimp in the surf zone, live baits fished from the tee, and everything in between.
Plug casters are catching blues and some big spanish mackerel (up to 5 lbs.).
Some cobia have been hooked on live baits, but none landed yet.
Bottom fishermen are catching whiting, pompano, and flounder on shrimp and cut baits.
The water temperature is 75 degrees.
