Wrightsville Beach July 5, 2012
Sharon Dees, of Aberdeen, NC, with a healthy red snapper she caught and released at a ledge 32 miles off Masonboro Inlet Inlet while she was fishing with her husband Donald on the "Big Enuff II." A cigar minnow fooled the snapper.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that the red drum bite inshore remains steady. Anglers are finding the fish under docks in the ICW and on flats behind the barrier islands and in the Cape Fear River. Live baits, soft plastics, and topwater plugs will all tempt bites from the reds.
Flounder are feeding in the inlets, creeks, and deeper holes around Wrightsville, and some large fish have been coming from the river and Snows Cut. Live baits and Gulps on jigheads are fooling the flounder.
Sheepshead and black drum are looking for meals around bridge and dock pilings and will strike live fiddler crabs.
Ladyfish have shown up inshore, and they can be targeted around lighted docks in Banks Channel at night with soft plastics or suspending hard lures.
Surf casters are hooking some pompano and black drum on shrimp and sand fleas. Some larger red drum and sharks are falling for cut baits.
Spanish mackerel are feeding around the inlet and just offshore, where anglers can hook them by trolling Clarkspoons and squid daisy chains or by casting small metal jigs to fish feeding on the surface.
King mackerel are in some of the same areas and feeding around structure and bait concentrations further offshore. Live baits are top choices for the kings, but anglers have also hooked some on spoons recently.
Flounder are feeding around nearshore structure. Gulp baits pinned to 2 oz. bucktails are the way to go for the flatfish in the ocean.
Some tarpon are cruising along the beaches, but anglers haven’t hooked any around Wrightsville yet.
Dolphin have pushed inshore to the 20 mile range, but the bite’s still best 35+ miles out. Live baits and dead cigar minnows or ballyhoo will tempt bites from the dolphin. A few sailfish are in the same areas as the dolphin.
Bottom fishermen are reporting solid catches of gag grouper at structure 20-25 miles offshore. Live baits are tops for the grouper, with squid and cut bait getting plenty of attention from the bass.
Scamp and red grouper, triggerfish, beeliners, and other bottom dwellers are holding at spots 40-50 miles out. Live baits and vertical jigs will tempt bites from the groupers, and smaller baits or Blue Water Candy Roscoe Lil’ Man jigs will fool the triggers and beeliners.
Gulf Stream trollers are still hooking good numbers of gaffer dolphin and some wahoo while trolling ballyhoo under skirted lures. Some white and blue marlin are prowling a bit further offshore and will take ballyhoo or baitless trolling plugs.
Molly Smith and Brent Sewell with a dolphin that bit a ballyhoo under a pink Blue Water Candy Mini Jag while they were trolling 23 miles off Carolina Beach Inlet with Capt. Owen Sewell of Cape Fear Coastal Charters. .
Jon, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the dolphin bite is still solid in the Gulf Stream, and anglers reported decent catches into the 30 mile range last week.
White marlin and a few blues are feeding in deeper water off the break all over the area. Ballyhoo or skirted trolling lures will tempt bites from the dolphin and billfish.
There’s been a decent king mackerel bite at offshore structure lately, where anglers are hooking the fish on live menhaden and dead cigar minnows.
Closer to the beaches, spanish mackerel are feeding strong around the inlets and just offshore. They’ll bite trolled Clarkspoons or small metal jigs cast to fish feeding on the surface.
Inshore, red drum are feeding in the shallows and creeks. Topwater plugs, soft plastics, and live baits will tempt them to bite.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports some solid bottom fishing around bottom structure in the 100’ range. Gag and scamp grouper are falling for live baits in that area, with smaller cut baits, squid, and vertical jigs producing action with grunts, pinkies, triggerfish, black sea bass, and more.
Light-lining in the same area is attracting attention from some dolphin and king mackerel.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with king mackerel within 10 miles of the inlets while trolling live menhaden and dead cigar minnows. Some dolphin have been feeding alongside them, and even more dolphin further out.
Gag grouper are in the same spots and falling for cigar minnows and sardines on bottom rigs. Smaller cut baits or squid will produce plenty of action with black sea bass.
Closer to shore, the spanish mackerel bite has been excellent along the inlet tidelines, where anglers are hooking them on trolled Clarkspoons.
Large sharks are feeding in the same areas and will pounce on cut baits.
Laila and Jana Fogleman with a spiny lobster that bit a Boston mackerel bait 42 miles off Masonboro Inlet in 130' of water while they were fishing with Van Fogleman.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite is still excellent around Masonboro and Mason’s Inlets. Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers is the way to put the spaniards in the boat.
Dolphin have moved into the 40-50 mile range, and anglers caught good numbers, along with a wahoo, while trolling skirted ballyhoo in that area last week.
Steve, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that plug casters are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotchas.
Some sea mullet, bluefish, and pufferfish are taking an interest in cut baits on the bottom at night.
A few flounder are falling for small live baits fished under the pier.
The water is 80 degrees.
