Wrightsville Beach – September 2022
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that inshore anglers have been finding some really good flounder action as they anticipate the opening of keeper season.
Both red and black drum are scattered throughout the ICW and mainland creeks, with hot inshore water temperatures having the bite a bit slow.
Some good-sized sheepshead are being caught near area bridges and rocks.
Surf anglers are finding success while bottom fishing, with catches including pompano, Virginia mullet, and bluefish.
The local piers are hooking spanish mackerel, king mackerel, and a few cobia.
Anglers running off the beach are finding plenty of spanish mackerel around. Hitting the deeper 40’+ range has produced some of the larger fish.
King mackerel action is scattered, with fish being caught from the beach out to 40 miles, and offshore bottom fishing has been producing some nice-sized grouper in the 30-40 mile range.
A continued windy pattern has made offshore trolling efforts difficult, but anglers taking advantage of a window are catching some wahoo, mahi, and smaller blackfin tuna.
Laithan Delaney (age 17) hooked this 7.5 lb. triggerfish on a squid-tipped 6 oz. jig in 150′ of water off of Masonboro Inlet.
Ryan, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that inshore anglers are finding plenty of action on red drum, black drum, and sheepshead while fishing around structured areas such as docks or oyster beds.
There have been quite a few flounder being caught in both the ICW and the Cape Fear River. Carolina-rigged live baits or Gulp soft plastics have been enticing bites from the flatfish.
Fishing structured shorelines up closer to downtown has produced a few striped bass.
Surf anglers have been doing well while bottom fishing. Catches include a mixed bag of whiting, pompano, red drum, and some flounder.
Over the next few weeks, anglers look forward to finger mullet starting to run out of the inlets, and this migration will lead to a better drum bite.
Nearshore anglers have been catching scattered spanish mackerel and kings from the beachfront out to the local ARs. With a recent downtick in water temperatures, the bite started getting a little better.
Anglers running out to the break have been catching wahoo and a few scattered mahi.
Bottom fishing the deeper structure has produced grouper, triggerfish, vermilion snapper, American red snapper (released), and amberjack.
Luke, of Coastline Fishing Charters, reports that good numbers of red drum have been staged back in the creeks. This is most likely due to the abundance of bait. There are also good numbers of reds out on structures such as docks and oysters. A Carolina-rigged mullet or cut baits have been responsible for most strikes. Topwater baits still have some success in the mornings, with this action drastically improving as water cools moving into the fall.
The sheepshead bite has been great for anglers fishing Carolina-rigged fiddler crabs tight to hard structures.
Both inshore and nearshore flounder fishing has been on fire as they demolish live baits that anglers have out while targeting reds.
The spanish mackerel action has been great, with plenty of fish from the beach out to 3+ miles. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting glass minnow jigs to feeding fish has helped put easy double-digit keepers in the boat.
Zane, of Falling Tide Fishing Adventures, reports that over-slot red drum have started showing up around the inlets as they prepare to spawn. Anglers will have the most success targeting deeper, high current areas.
Spanish mackerel have started to group up in better numbers at inlets and out along the beachfronts. There are plenty of smaller, summer spanish mixed in with some good-sized fish (to 22”+).
The king mackerel bite is starting to pick up for anglers working structure in the 3-5 mile range.
Flounder are still actively striking just about any bottom-rigged finger mullet around both inshore and nearshore structures. They are almost to the point of being a nuisance, so anglers look forward to keeper season opening so they may take one of these nice-sized flatfish back with them.
Going into the fall, the next fishery to pick up will be speckled trout. This bite will begin by being a sunrise bite (when temperatures are cooler) and pick up throughout the day as water temperatures start to dip more and inshore bait begins moving around.
Warren Phillips, of Wrightsville Beach, caught (and released) this 33″ cobia on a live pinfish 20 miles off of Masonboro Inlet.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that offshore trolling action has been getting good now that mid-summer fishing is now past. Anglers targeting the 150-350’ range are seeing wahoo action picking up, and mixed in are catches of blackfin tuna, sailfish, and scattered yellowfin tuna.
Bottom fishing is a summertime staple in the region, with the 140’+ depths producing scamps, triggerfish, snappers, and gags.
Calmer weather windows have been a great reprise after the past windy month, and anglers are taking advantage of this to run out deep (1400’+ area) to target swordfish. Recent catches have varied in size from 70-200+ lbs.
Patrick, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that bottom fishing has been producing some Virginia mullet, scattered red drum, and pompano.
Schools of spanish mackerel and bluefish and running by the pier, with action best both early and late in the day.
Anglers fishing live baits off the end have landed a couple of kings (to 25 lbs.) and a large jack crevalle (35 lbs.). A few cobia and tarpon are also being spotted, though getting hookups have been more difficult.
Bigger live and cut baits are also getting strikes from sharks in the area, and flounder and a few speckled trout have rounded out the fish count.
