Added on Thursday, May 7, 2009  Fish Post

Wrightsville Beach May 7, 2009

Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the inshore bite is heating up by the week. Anglers are finding some red drum, speckled trout, and a few flounder inshore. Gulp baits and live baits will produce action with all these inshore gamefish, and they’ll take an interest in a variety of other lures as well.

More red drum are feeding in the breakers, and anglers caught them from the surf at Wrightsville last week. Cut baits are productive for the reds in the surf.

Whiting are still schooled up near the mouth of the Cape Fear, and anglers are hooking plenty by fishing bottom rigs baited with shrimp around the edges of the channel.

Spanish mackerel and bluefish have shown up in force nearshore, and anglers are hooking them from the piers and from boats while trolling Clarkspoons and casting Gtocha plugs, Maria jigs, and other lures. Some of the bigger spanish have been coming from down south at Sheepshead Rock and to the north around New River Inlet.

At nearshore structure like Diver’s Rock off New River and the Liberty Ship out of Wrightsville, some Atlantic bonito are still mixed in with the spanish. Trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers or casting Marias, Shore Lures, or other small metal jigs will draw strikes from both fish.

A few kings have been hooked in the 10 mile range lately, and the king fishing has been consistent around the Schoolhouse and 23 Mile Rock on out to WR4 and the Frying Pan Tower. Live baits are still tough to come by, but anglers are hooking the kings while trolling spoons, Yo-Zuri Deep Divers, and cigar minnows. Vertical jigging will also draw plenty of bites from the kings.

Amberjacks are schooled up in most of the same places holding the kings, and they’ll take an interest in live baits or vertical jigs.

Bottom fishermen are reporting a good grouper bite, mostly for gags and reds, from the 30 mile range on out to the break. The grouper are falling for cigar minnows, live baits, and cut baits along with deep jigs. The sea bass bite has been a little slow.

Gulf Stream trollers are still finding good numbers of dolphin, wahoo, and blackfin tunas when the winds lay down enough to get offshore. Skirted ballyhoo usually produce the best results, and local hotspots like the Steeples and Same Ol’ Hole haven’t disappointed lately.

Anglers deep jigging the Stream are catching plenty of big amberjacks, fat gag grouper (some to 30+ lbs.), and blackfin tuna a little higher in the water column.

 

Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that early last week boats found good trolling action with dolphin, blackfin tuna, and wahoo around the Same Ol’ and Steeples. Trolling spreads of skirted ballyhoo are the way to go on the blue water predators.

The grouper bite has been solid in the 35-40 mile range over the past week, with anglers hooking up with gags, reds, and scamps, but many are just shy of legal size, so make sure to measure. Cigar minnows, cut baits, and live baits will produce action with the grouper, but most people have been vertically jigging for them lately with success.

There are still a few king mackerel around Frying Pan Tower, but the bite hasn’t been hot and heavy as it was a few weeks ago. Trolling spoons, diving plugs, or cigar minnows should attract attention from any kings that are in the area.

Spanish mackerel are chasing bait around the Liberty Ship, and anglers have been hooking up with them (most 16-18″) on trolled Clark and small Drone spoons, and while casting Maria jigs.

Inshore, anglers are picking up a few trout at the jetties and in Bradley Creek on D.O.A. and Billy Bay Halo shrimp fished under popping corks.

Red Drum are feeding on the flats throughout the area, with better fishing around Buzzard’s Bay in the Cape Fear River. D.O.A.’s and Gulp baits fished on jigheads are producing most of the action with the reds.

 

Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that bottom fishing to the north in the 40 mile range has produced action with some stout red groupers. Squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits will all appeal to the grouper.

Further out, Gulf Stream trolling is still producing good numbers of dolphin (most just gaffers in the 10-15 lb. range). Skirted ballyhoo will produce on the troll.

Anglers have also been hooking some dolphin by pitching Blue Water Candy Roscoe jigs to dolphin holding under flotsam on the surface.

Deep jigging along the break in around 200′ remains steady, with anglers hooking big numbers of amberjacks, some fat gag grouper (up to nearly 40 lbs.), and plenty of blackfin tuna (many 30+ lbs.).

 

Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that there are still a few Atlantic bonito around, but they’re becoming scarcer and heading further offshore, a sign they won’t be here much longer. Trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers or casting and jigging with Maria jigs over the next weeks will offer anglers their last shot at bonito for another year.

Taking over for the bonito at nearshore structure like Diver’s Rock, the Liberty Ship, and along the beaches and inlet are plenty of spanish mackerel and bluefish. They’ll also take an interest in Deep Divers or jigs.

Some king mackerel have moved into the 10 mile range, and boats caught good numbers at Christmas Rock with a few inshore as far as Diver’s Rock. Live baits are hard to find right now, but the kings will eat the Deep Divers readily as well.

 

Mike, of No Excuses Charters, reports that spanish mackerel have invaded the nearshore waters from the beaches out to the wrecks and reefs within 5 miles. Trolling Clarkspoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers will produce the spanish, and anglers can also hook up by working Crippled Herrings or 007’s through the water column.

There was a great showing of bonito around Diver’s Rock this year, and there’s still time to catch a few before they move on. Crippled Herrings and 007’s will produce the bonito as well.

The king mackerel bite has been excellent in the 12-17 mile range recently, and dead cigar minnows drifted or slow trolled near structure or bait concentrations should produce the fish.

Cobia are beginning to show up, but the early ones have been a little picky.

 

Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that the spanish mackerel bite has been solid lately, with anglers hooking good numbers of 2-3 lb. spanish on Gotchas.

Plenty of bluefish are also falling for the Gotchas, and a few choppers (up to 8 lbs.) have been landed on king rigs. One king bit last week as well.

Bottom fishermen are decking some whiting on shrimp along with a few short flounder.

The water is 67.7 degrees.