Wrightsville Beach September 26, 2013
Mike Gyure, of Atlanta, GA, and Andrew Oblinger, from Davidson, NC, with a 58 lb. wahoo that they hooked while trolling 62 miles off Masonboro Inlet.
Hunter, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers have found an excellent spanish mackerel bite within a few miles of Wrightsville Beach lately (with some 4-6 lb. fish in the mix). Trolling Clarkspoons, daisy chains, and other flashy lures is producing the majority of the spaniards.
Anglers are catching some of the big spanish while trolling, but casting metal jigs to feeding fish and free-lining live baits has been producing more of the 5+ lb. fish.
Some king mackerel are feeding in the 10-20 mile range (most schoolies and teenagers, but some 20-30+ lb. fish mixed in). Live baits and dead cigar minnows have both been attracting attention from the kings lately.
Bottom fishermen are reporting solid grouper action around bottom structure in the 20 mile range, where they’re hooking gags on cigar minnows and sardines. Red and scamp groupers are feeding around deeper structure 30+ miles off the beaches.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are finding incredible wahoo action, with limit catches not unheard of. Both conventional trolling with skirted ballyhoo and pulling high-speed lures at 10-20 knots is putting the wahoo in the boat.
Back on the beaches, surf casters are catching solid numbers of sea mullet and some pompano while baiting bottom rigs with shrimp and sand fleas.
Inshore, the flounder fishing is some of the best of the year (with solid numbers of 5+ lb. citation fish weighed in). Most are falling for live baits around inshore structure and near the inlets, but Gulp baits are also producing fish in the same places and in the creeks and marshes.
Winnie Cheung, of NY, with a 5 lb. vermillion snapper she hooked while vertical jigging in 120′ of water off Wrightsville Beach while she was fishing with Capt. Mike Jackson of Live Line Charters.
Speckled trout action is heating up with the arrival of fall. The fish are feeding in the creeks, marshes, and near the inlets. Topwater plugs, soft plastics, and suspending hard baits are all effective on the specks.
Red drum are looking for meals in many of the same places as the specks and flatfish, and they will fall for all the same baits and lures.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that blackfin tuna are making their fall appearance at local Gulf Stream hotspots, and anglers are hooking them while trolling ballyhoo and skirted lures and while casting topwater poppers and stickbaits to fish feeding on the surface.
There’s also been a solid wahoo bite out in the ‘Stream, with most of the fish falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted lures. Some sailfish are in the same areas and also taking an interest in the ballyhoo.
Closer to shore, spanish mackerel and flounder are feeding around nearshore structure within a few miles of the beaches. Anglers are hooking the spanish on live baits and while casting metal jigs to fish feeding on the surface.
Bouncing bucktails tipped with scented soft plastic baits along the bottom is producing action with the flatfish.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are hooking good numbers of red drum in the local inlets and around structure inshore like docks. Live and cut baits are fooling most of the reds.
Speckled trout are making an early fall showing around Wrightsville Beach. Topwater plugs and subsurface lures like soft plastics are attracting attention from the specks.
Flounder are feeding around nearshore structure in the ocean like the Liberty Ship. Live finger mullet on heavy Carolina rigs are the way to go for the flounder in the ocean. Some gray trout are in the same areas and will bite the same baits.
Bennett Brantley with a stout spanish mackerel that bit a skirted cigar minnow in 60′ of water off Wrightsville Beach while he was trolling with his father.
Some large spanish mackerel are feeding just off the inlet and around the same structure, where anglers can cast lures like metal jigs and Gotcha plugs to fish feeding on the surface to hook up.
False albacore are also schooling up within a few miles of shore, and they will respond to casting jigs as well.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel action off Wrightsville Beach is still going strong, but anglers may have to weed through some short fish to get to the keepers. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and trolling weights are fooling the spaniards. Plenty of bluefish and some false albacore are mixed in and biting spoons as well.
A few dolphin, king mackerel, and some larger false albacore are looking for meals in the 10-20 mile range and biting ballyhoo and cigar minnows.
Bottom fishing in the same area is producing plenty of action with grunts, porgies, sea bass, and other tasty species. Squid and cut baits are fooling the bottom dwellers.
Steve, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the pier. Some false albacore and jack crevalle were also taking an interest in casting lures last week.
Flounder are feeding under the pier and biting live baits (with a mixture of keepers and short fish).
Bottom fishermen are connecting with spot and sea mullet on shrimp and bloodworms pinned to double-drop rigs.
A 33 lb. king mackerel was landed from the pier after it fell for a live bait last week.
The water is 79 degrees.
