Wrightsville Beach May 31, 2012
DaRon Jacobs, of Leland, with a king mackerel that bit a Drone Spoon behind a planer 15 miles off Wrightsville Beach while he was fishing with Capt. Jim Sabella of Plan 9 Charters.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that flounder fishing continues to improve, both in size and numbers of fish. The areas near the inlets, creekmouths, and inshore docks are all productive right now. Carolina-rigged live baits or Gulp baits on jigheads or bucktails are both tough for the flatfish to turn down.
Flounder are also feeding on the reefs, wrecks, and other nearshore structure. Larger bucktails paired with Gulp baits are best bets in the ocean.
The red drum bite is excellent on the flats and in the creeks inshore, and anglers are finding plenty of action with the reds while casting topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, Gulps and other soft plastics, and live baits.
Cobia are showing up around Masonboro Inlet and are cruising the nearshore and offshore reefs looking for meals as well. Some are falling for live and dead baits fished on the bottom, and anglers are also seeing fish around buoys and flotsam and coming up to check out the boat while bottom fishing. Live baits are the best bets when they show up, but the fish will often strike a bucktail jig with a soft plastic trailer, too.
Gag grouper are feeding around bottom structure in 70-80’ of water and deeper, with reds and scamps out in 100’+. Live baits are top choices for the grouper, but they’ll also bite dead squid, cigar minnows, sardines, and more.
Black sea bass are schooling in the same areas. They open up to harvest on June 1st, so anglers will finally be able to take some of the tasty fish home. Squid and cut baits will attract plenty of attention from the bass and other bottom dwellers like grunts, porgies, and beeliners. Small vertical jigs are also quite effective on the bass.
Not many boats have been to the Gulf Stream out of Wrightsville recently. The dolphin and blue marlin bite has been on for the Morehead fleet, though, so local anglers should see some of the same at blue water spots like the Same Ol’ and Steeples.
Jon, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the gaffer dolphin bite has been excellent for the few boats making the run to the Gulf Stream recently. Blue water trollers to the north and south of the area are reporting big numbers of blue marlin encounters, so the fish are surely in our area, too. Skirted ballyhoo will fool both the dolphin and marlin, along with a host of baitless lures that can be pulled a bit faster to cover more ground.
Spanish mackerel are still feeding close to the beaches wherever they can find clean water. Trolling Clarkspoons or other flashy lures behind planers and cigar weights will tempt bites from the spanish and plenty of bluefish that are feeding in the same areas.
Col. John Little, of Fayetteville, NC, and Jonathan Fisher, of Charleston, SC with a bull dolphin they hooked on a skirted ballyhoo while trolling 50 miles off Masonboro Inlet.
Anglers are reporting solid speckled trout action in the Cape Fear River, with most of the fish feeding in the creeks and around grass and oyster points. Soft plastic baits or suspending lures like MR17 MirrOlures and Rapala X-Raps are excellent choices for the trout. They’ll also often bite topwater plugs in the early morning hours.
Red drum are feeding in many of the same areas as the specks and on shallow flats from Figure Eight down to Southport. Topwater plugs and scented soft plastics like Gulp baits are tough for the reds to turn down.
Flounder fishing is particularly good for this early in the season, and anglers are seeing both good numbers and some larger fish. Fishing near inlets or around creekmouths and inshore structure will put anglers where the flatfish live, and Gulps or live baits on Carolina rigs will tempt them to bite.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite is still decent off Wrightsville Beach, but the fish have been a bit tough to find in recent days. When anglers do find the spaniards, they’ve been feeding hard, and putting together a solid catch hasn’t been an issue. The best bite was in 30-40’ of water last week. Trolled Clarkspoons are the most productive baits, and gold spoons have been more effective than silver recently.
Gag grouper are feeding at bottom structure as close to land as the 10 mile range, but they’ve been much easier to catch a bit deeper in the 20 mile area. Black sea bass are in all the same areas and open to harvest on June 1st. Live baits are top choices for the gags, but they’ll bite a variety of other offerings like dead cigar minnows, sardines, and squid. Cut baits, squid, and small vertical jigs are all very effective on the sea bass.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that anglers are putting gag grouper in the boat while fishing bottom structure around 10 miles off Wrightsville. Live, dead, and cut baits are all tempting bites from the gags.
Cobia have shown up from the beach out to where the grouper are, so anglers should be ready in case one swims up to check out the boat. Bucktail jigs and live baits are good choices to pitch at the curious cobia.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still feeding along the beachfront, where anglers can hook them on trolled Clarkspoons.
Quincy Gilland, of Edenton, NC, with his first red drum, a 27" fish that fell for a cut bait under a Wrightsville Beach dock while he was fishing with Capt. Jamie Rushing of Seagate Charters.
Mike, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of large chopper bluefish on cut baits pinned to bottom rigs. Sharks (ranging from tiny to 5’+) are also taking an interest in the cut baits.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet on cut shrimp.
Sheepshead are feeding around the pier’s pilings, and they can be tempted to bite sand fleas, fiddler crabs, or other crustaceans.
The water is 79 degrees.
