Wrightsville Beach September 27, 2007
Chris, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that flounder are biting throughout the inshore waters, but that they are also spread out and difficult to locate in large concentrations. Fishing Carolina-rigged live baits or Gulp baits on jigheads in the creeks and inlets offers anglers the best odds of putting together a good flatfish catch.
Speckled trout aren’t very numerous around Wrightsville yet, but anglers are landing good numbers in the Cape Fear and up around Topsail.
Red drum are similarly spread out, and anglers can hook up with the reds fishing the same baits and areas that they would for flounder.
The drum are also beginning to feed in the surf off Figure Eight, Wrightsville, and Carolina Beach. Cut baits on bottom rigs are top choices when fishing from the beach.
Black drum, pompano, and whiting are also beginning to make an appearance in the surf zone, and all three will fall for fresh shrimp.
The spanish mackerel bite is on fire and should continue to be for several weeks. The fish are feeding along the beach and around nearshore structure and baits schools. Trolling Clarkspoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers will draw plenty of bites from the spanish.
The tarpon have begun their migration back south, but there are still a few stragglers cruising near the beaches.
King mackerel are gradually moving inshore. Many are schooled up in the 7-10 mile area right now. Live baits are the ticket to the largest fish, but dead baits and diving plugs will fool plenty of kings.
The grouper bite is still best 30+ miles from the beach, but some gags are feeding at structure in closer.
Wahoo are feeding well in the Gulf Stream, and they will attack trolled skirted ballyhoo when boats can make the long run to the blue water.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are finding plenty of action at nearshore structure off Masonboro Inlet. Anglers jigging Stingsilvers and other metal lures near the bottom are hooking up with good numbers of gray trout along with some spanish mackerel.
False albacore are feeding on bait in and near the inlet, and boats should be able to locate them by looking for the fish to break the surface while feeding.
Tarpon have begun to move south, and pods of the giant fish are traveling south near the beaches. Anglers who see the fish rolling can get in front of the school and fish live baits or large lures for a chance at hooking on of the “silver kings” before they are gone from NC waters for the year.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that the nearshore king mackerel bite is heating up as the water cools and bait is flushed out of the inshore waters and onto the beach. The action has been particularly hot along the beaches and nearshore structure off Topsail, and a good bite has also developed at the Yaupon Reef. Slow trolling live baits is the best method of hooking up with the larger kings.
Gray trout are also feeding well at nearshore structure. The New Topsail Inlet Sea Buoy is a good place to start looking for the trout, as they’ve been especially abundant there recently. Vertically jigging metal lures just off the bottom should entice the trout to bite.
Ryan, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking up with good numbers of small spot, larger whiting, and pompano. Cut shrimp are the best all around baits.
Anglers are landing some flounder, but most are either undersized or small keepers.
Red drum (from under-slot to over-slot size) are hunting for meals around the pier, and anglers are hooking them on live and cut baits.
The water is alive with finger mullet, and, consequently, plenty of spanish mackerel and bluefish are around to feed on them. Many of the blues are the larger fall fish (2+ lbs.), but the spanish have tended towards the small side recently (12-16”). Live finger mullet are drawing strikes from both the spanish and blues.
Live baiters fishing from the end of the pier landed a 22 lb. king and several large sharks over the past week.
