Wrightsville Beach October 28, 2004
Tex, at Tex’s Tackle, reports sailfish and wahoo in the gulf stream and a stray 68 lb. wahoo landed at 23 Mile Rock. King fishing is best just off the beach out to around 10 miles. Flounder are everywhere, with bigger fish in the inlet and on nearshore wrecks. Fish up to 7 lbs. have been weighed in. Speckled trout are very scattered but 2 to 3 lb. fish are being caught on grubs and mirrolures. Spots are still biting very well in the waterway. Red drum action is still occurring at the jetty and off the beach at the reefs. Most of the fish are oversized (27+ inches), but there are some slot fish in the inlets. False albacore are waiting from 3 to 5 miles off the beach (if the ocean allows a trip).
Seth, at Intracoastal Angler, reports speckled trout are showing fairly well and being caught on grubs and mirrolures on falling tides around oyster rocks and holes. Redfishing has been best in the river, and artificials are starting to work better and better as bait thins out. False albacore are just off the beach for fly anglers (if the ocean allows a trip). Bottom fishing is still producing grouper and snapper, but no gulf stream lately from those fishing out of Masonboro. For those waiting on the ocean to calm, there were wahoo, yellowfin tuna, and sailfish reported in the stream further north this week.
Russell, at Dickie’s Tidal Market II, reports that there’s been a good flounder bite. Most of the action is in the inlets, as the flounder seem to be moving out of the waterway. However, the waterway has been producing black drum. The speckled trout have been in old Banks Channel and Carolina Beach Inlet. Fish have been mostly running 13 to 15 inches. There have also been spots in Banks Channel, around the municipal docks. Small bluefish are all over the inlets, especially Masonboro.
Matt, at Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier, reports very good king mackerel fishing with a few four fish days and a seven fish day on the 22nd. Fish are mostly teenagers, but Jamison Tull landed a 20 lb. king, Arlen Ash landed a 21 pounder, and over the weekend there were six kings that came in over 20 lbs. The largest of the six weighed 29.5 lbs. Larry Croom also landed a 52 lb. spinner shark. Bottom fishing has produced some very nice pompano, with several over 2.5 lbs. Flounder and a few whiting and spots are rounding out the catches for the pier.
Lewis, at Bug-Em Bait Co., reports surf fishing is producing spots, big pompano, and a few flounder. Kings and false albacore are just off the beach, and the nearshore reefs are producing nice gray trout and flounder averaging 3 to 4 lbs. A few trout are being caught in the inlets, but not in big numbers yet. Red drum are still biting along the jetty. The Cape Fear River should be producing as the water salinity gets back to normal this week.
