Wrightsville Beach – October 13, 2016
Matt, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the fishing inshore has been good as of late, especially early in the day and in the evening. The cooler weather in the forecast should help fishing become more active as the water temperatures decrease.
Creeks on the mainland side of the waterway have been producing sheepshead, flounder, black drum, and red drum. Fishing around docks and oyster bars with live bait has produced the most consistent action.
The marsh is holding schools of reds before they head to the surf, and topwater plugs are always worth trying, along with spinner baits and soft plastics fishing along the bottom. With the flounder bite improving, expect to also hook flatfish on the bottom.
Surf anglers along the beach will find a steady stream of baitfish working through the surf. The bluefish and spanish will readily bite metal casting jigs, and blues will also hit cut bait fished on the bottom. The pompano bite has increased as well, and those fishing with shrimp or sand fleas in the surf have connected with larger sea mullet, black drum, and croaker.
Flounder have been reported in the surf, but most are on the small side.
There have been reports of mostly slot-sized red drum working up and down the beach, and fresh cut bait on a bottom rig is the best way to get a bite from one of these fish.
Anglers fishing large cut bait have been catching sharks and skates, with a few large drum coming from the local piers and surf.
False albacore and spanish are still hanging out a few miles off the beach, and most anglers are targeting these fish by casting small metal jigs on a 20-30 lb. fluorocarbon leader. Trolling is producing spanish using #1 Clarkspoons behind #1 planer rigs, and anglers should look for diving birds and bait marking on top of structure to find the majority of the fish.
Over-slot red drum are nearshore, hanging out around the jetties and other nearshore structures. To target them, most anglers are using a larger hook (7/0-8/0) and a big piece of cut bait. Those hoping to snag a red drum off the pier should use fish finder rigs and cut bait.
The king bite has heated up along the beach, and anglers fishing live bait or slow trolling dead cigar minnows have seen a good grade of fish landed, with many of them in the 15-20 lb. range, with even larger fish mixed in. The bigger kings have fallen for larger baits, such as bluefish and blue runners.
The bite in the 6-15 mile range has been good also, with a few mahi mixed in. The kings in this area are weighing in on average between 10-25 lbs.
Bottom fishing has been difficult with the recent swell from the storms, but when conditions are favorable, the grouper have been cooperating nicely. Dropping dead spanish sardines or menhaden have been proving effective in landing the fish. Some of the fish in the deeper water (120’+) have been falling for Blue Water Candy Roscoes and other bottom jigs.
Dropping smaller hook rigs has yielded grunts, pink snapper, triggerfish, and a few vermillions.
The bite in the Gulf Stream has been solid when winds have allowed trips, with blackfin tuna being a staple of recent trips and a few wahoo mixed in. Most bites are coming on skirted ballyhoo, but when the tuna are being fickle, bites can be tempted with small plugs and lures. Long, skinny, vertical jigs may produce a bite when the fish are staying deep and do not want to come up to feed.
Sailfish are still being reported in the same areas.
Jackson Futrell (age 15), of Chapel Hill, with a flounder caught on a live mullet in Wrightsville Beach.
Trevor, of ProFishNC, reports that the bottom fishing has been very productive in the 1-5 mile range. Triggerfish, black sea bass, gray grunts, and the big flounder have all been reported near reefs and structure. Use cut bait and jigheads to tempt bites from the variety of fish.
The king mackerel are right on the beach, and anglers wishing to connect with the fish should troll ballyhoo and pogies.
Big reds are everywhere in the surf, coming down from the Pamlico and migrating south. Live bait on the bottom will tempt bites from these citation-sized fish.
Inshore fishing will take a week or two to get straightened out from the rain, but anglers can expect it to slowly get better.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are hooking up with spanish mackerel and false albacore just outside the inlets (like Masonboro). Those wishing to hook up with the fish should throw Blue Water Candy casting jigs and retrieve quickly.
The large red drum are hanging around the jetties, and they’re falling for large live and cut baits fished on bottom. A few cobia sightings and hook-ups have also been reported.
The cooler temperatures have turned up the speckled trout bite in the area. Even with post-Hurricane Matthew, the fish can be found in area creeks and are taking a variety of baits, such as Rapala Skitterwalks and X-Raps.
The dirty waters following the storm haven’t slowed the fishing much at all.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that before the storm, anglers were connecting with king mackerel off the beach, as well as spanish mackerel and albacore. Trolling Clarkspoons near ARs and nearshore structure had proved successful.
The water is calming after Hurricane Matthew, and anglers can expect it to settle out by the end of the week.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers in the Gulf Stream have hooked blackfin tuna trolling, on poppers, and jigging. Fall is when these fish start to get bigger, so expect their sizes to increase moving into the winter months. Trolling through the same areas have connected anglers with wahoo and sailfish. True Atlantic skipjacks have also been in the area.
Amberjack fishing in the Gulf Stream has really heated up as well.
Bottom fishing offshore, in 100-300’ of water, has yielded red and scamp grouper, pink snapper, and triggerfish. Moving inland to 70-110’ of water, gag grouper, grunts, and large sea bass have been reported.
Nearshore, the king mackerel have been biting from the beach to 10 miles out, and they can be hooked trolling dead bait. Live bait trolling may also connect you to the pelagic fish.
Warren, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers are catching plenty of big red drum (38”+), and the pier is averaging around 10 per day. Those wishing to hook one of these citation-sized fish should throw out spot heads or cut bait.
A few gray trout and bluefish are in the mix as well. Bottom fishermen are having luck using cut bait, such as squid or shrimp.
Once the water clears (in about a week), anglers should expect the return of the kings and spanish.
