Wrightsville Beach – September 10, 2015
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing the speckled trout bite begin to improve around Wrightsville Beach, and the action should only get better as cooler temperatures arrive with the beginning of fall. Anglers can hook the specks on topwater plugs, suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s, soft plastic shrimp imitations, Gulp baits, and a variety of other artificials.
Red drum are still feeding around the inlets, in the creeks and marshes, and around structure like docks. The reds will bite live and cut baits along with all the same lures as the specks and a host of others.
Flounder fishing has been decent in the creeks and around inshore structure recently. Most of the flatfish are falling for Gulps or live finger mullet. Anglers are also hooking some flounder from the beach and at nearshore structure out in the ocean.
The spanish mackerel action off Masonboro Inlet has improved, and anglers are finding the fish schooled up tight 1-2 miles off the beachfront. Casting metal jigs around the activity has been productive over the past week, and anglers can also troll Clarkspoons, Yo-Zuri diving plugs, and other flashy artificials to hook up.
Some king mackerel have been landed from the local piers lately, so anglers looking for a large king may find success while trolling live baits along the beachfront. The best action with the school fish has still been in the 20 mile range, where live baits or dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo will fool the fish.
Bottom fishermen are reporting better gag grouper action at spots in the 70-80’ depths right now. Live baits are the best bets for the larger gags, but anglers can also hook up on dead and cut baits. Plenty of smaller fish like sea bass, grunts, and porgies are looking for meals in the same areas and will bite smaller baits.
Gags, scamp grouper, beeliners, triggerfish, and more are mixed in around structure in the 40 mile range, and all will bite the same baits as the other bottom feeders.
Gulf Stream trollers are seeing the wahoo bite continue to improve, and they’re also bumping into some gaffer dolphin, blackfin tuna, and an occasional sailfish. All three will pounce on ballyhoo trolled with skirted lures, and baitless trolling lures can also be effective.
David Casacci with a 55.1 lb. king mackerel that bit a skirted ballyhoo 20 miles off Wrightsville Beach while he was fishing with Capt. Joe Currie of Leverdrag Charters.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that anglers trolling at Gulf Stream hotspots off Wrightsville are hooking some wahoo, dophin, and blackfin tuna. Most are taking an interest in skirted lures and diving plugs.
Good numbers of blackfins (some to 30+ lbs.) are also falling for vertical jigs that anglers are working around schools of fish they mark midwater.
Dropping jigs to the bottom along the break is producing plenty of action with African pompano, amberjacks, and some scamp grouper.
Ellis Moser with a 29″ red drum he caught and released in the Wrightsville Beach surf after it struck a cut bait.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers have seen some solid spanish mackerel action over the past week, with the best fishing in 25-35’ of water. Trolling #0 Clarkspoons on the surface and deep behind planers is fooling most of the fish, but anglers are also casting metal jigs and flashy flies at fish feeding on the surface with success.
Some fat gray trout are feeding at nearshore structure within a few miles of the beachfront. Anglers are fooling the grays with Gulp-tipped bucktail jigs and live finger mullet.
Capt. Erik Scheeler, of “Wide Open Charters,” and Austin Wood with an African pompano that chased down a hooked sea bass while they were fishing at Frying Pan Tower.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers continue to connect with flounder at nearshore structure off Masonboro and Carolina Beach inlets. Most of the flatfish are taking an interest in live finger mullet fished alongside the wrecks and ledges.
Spanish mackerel action remains strong just off the inlets, and anglers are hooking the spaniards both while trolling lures like Clarkspoons and by casting jigs to fish they spot on the surface.
Red drum are looking for meals in the inlets and around nearshore structure like docks. Live and cut mullet and menhaden are tough for the reds to turn down.
Tom Staab, Joey Sullivan, Justin Staab, and Charlie High with a haul of wahoo weighing 30-55 lbs. that struck ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures in the Gulf Stream off Wrightsville Beach while they were fishing with Capt. Rick Croson of Living Waters Guide Service.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that anglers have been hooking king mackerel, dolphin, and false albacore while trolling 15-25 miles off the inlets lately. Rigged ballyhoo, strip baits, and cigar minnows are getting the job done with all three fish.
Plenty of black sea bass, grunts, and porgies are feeding around bottom structure in the same areas. Anglers can hook the bottom feeders on squid and cut baits. A few gag grouper should be in the same areas and biting larger cut and dead baits.
Tucker (age 6) and Bryan Ray with a 9 lb., 3 oz., 28″ flounder that Tucker landed after it attacked a Carolina-rigged finger mullet in the ICW behind Masonboro Island. Weighed in at Intracoastal Angler.
Matt, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that anglers have seen some incredible spanish mackerel action over the past weekend, hooking limit catches of 1-2 lb. fish while working Gotcha plugs from the pier. Some larger (2-4 lbs.) spaniards are falling for live baits. Some fat bluefish are mixed in with the spaniards and biting the same baits.
Anglers fishing large live baits off the end of the pier landed several king mackerel last week.
Flounder are feeding in the surf and will bite live finger mullet or mud minnows.
Anglers bottom fishing with shrimp are connecting with some sea mullet.
The water is 84 degrees.
