Wrightsville Beach – May 7, 2015
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that dolphin have arrived in solid numbers, and most boats making the run to local Gulf Stream spots like the Same Ol’ Hole and Steeples are returning with good catches. Blackfin tuna and scattered wahoo are still around as well, and trollers are hooking all three on ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures like Blue Water Candy JAGs and Witches.
Keely Herron, of Wilmington, with her first false albacore, caught on a casting jig near the Liberty Ship off Wrightsville Beach while she was fishing on the “Wet Possum.”
Anglers who find schools of the blackfins on the surface or sounder can also fool the tunas with topwater poppers and vertical jigs.
Plenty of amberjacks are feeding around bottom structure along the break and taking a hearty interest in vertical jigs.
Ron Jones Ashley Altman with a pair of sheepshead that bit fiddler crabs while they were fishing from Johnnie Mercer’s Pier.
Grouper season is open, and boats found solid action with red and scamp groupers while dropping baits and jigs to bottom structure in 110-120’ of water over the weekend. Live, dead, and cut baits will all attract attention from the grouper.
Plenty of smaller bottom feeders like triggerfish, beeliners, porgies, and grunts are feeding in the same areas, and they’re biting squid and cut baits pinned to smaller hooks along with vertical jigs.
Gag grouper are feeding a bit closer to the beach in the 80-100’ depths and biting the same offerings.
Anglers haven’t been talking much about king mackerel in the last week, but there should be plenty to be found 10-20 miles off the beach. Live baits and dead cigar minnows will attract attention from the kings.
Several cobia have been sighted closer to shore and there are plenty of schools of menhaden working near the beachfront, so it shouldn’t be long before the cobia appear in better numbers for anglers to target.
Atlantic bonito are still feeding within five miles of shore. Anglers are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons and diving plugs along with casting metal jigs to schools of fish chasing bait on the surface.
Spanish mackerel are mixed in with the bonito around the local AR’s and also feeding just off the beachfront. They’ll pounce on the same lures as the bonito.
Inshore, there’s still some decent action with red drum in the creeks and around docks off the ICW. Topwater plugs, soft baits, and spoons are fooling the fish in shallow water. Around the docks, cut or live baits are the best bets for anglers looking to hook up.
Speckled trout are also looking for meals in the creeks and biting shrimp-imitating soft plastics along with suspending hard lures.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that there’s been a good spanish mackerel and Atlantic bonito bite just off Wrightsville Beach recently. Trolled Clarkspoons are fooling many of the fish, and anglers are also hooking up while casting diamond jigs and other flashy metal lures to fish feeding on the surface. Some small king mackerel are mixed in, so anglers should be sure to get a positive ID before putting a mackerel on ice.
The striped bass bite in the Cape Fear River is still going solid. Anglers are hooking the stripers on a variety of soft plastic baits fished near drop-offs and other structure.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that there’s been some excellent dolphin action out in the Gulf Stream recently, with big numbers of gaffers taking an interest in trollers’ baits. There are also still some wahoo and blackfin tuna feeding in the same areas. All three of the blue water predators will strike ballyhoo under skirted lures.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that plug casters are hooking plenty of bluefish and a few spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs off the end of the pier.
Live-baiters have had several cobia swimming up to inspect their baits, but they haven’t landed one yet.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet on shrimp. A few legal flounder have been falling for live baits fished on the bottom.
Sheepshead have shown up and will bite fiddler crabs or sand fleas dangled close to the pilings.
The water is 71 degrees.
