Wrightsville Beach October 24, 2013
Luke Dalli (age 13), of Wake Forest, NC, with a 64″ length by 40″ girth (est. 100 lbs.) amberjack he landed after it bit a vertical jig in 300′ of water off Wrightsville Beach. He was fishing with Capt. Mike Jackson of Live Line Charters.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent action with spanish mackerel and bluefish from the piers and in boats fishing nearshore. Casting lures like Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs are fooling the fish when they’re feeding on the surface, and boaters are also hooking big numbers while pulling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures behind planers and trolling sinkers when the fish are deep.
Some king mackerel are also on the feed nearshore, so spanish trollers would do well to keep a larger bait like a ballyhoo out as well. Those targeting the kings can pull live menhaden or dead cigar minnows to hook up.
Sailfish have been reported as close in as three miles off Wrightsville, but with cooler temperatures coming, they’ll likely be pushing offshore in the coming weeks.
Anglers making the run to the Gulf Stream are still finding solid wahoo action when they get the weather to make the run. Both high-speed lures and conventional skirted ballyhoo will fool the ‘hoos. There are also plenty of blackfin tuna around the local Gulf Stream spots, and anglers can hook them while trolling or working vertical jigs and topwater poppers around fish they spot on the surface or depthfinder.
Bottom fishermen are reporting up-and-down grouper action but plenty of black sea bass and amberjacks at structure in the 10-25 mile range.
On the beach, surf casters are hooking some spot, sea mullet, pompano, and other panfish on shrimp and bloodworms. Red drum, flounder, and a few speckled trout are also feeding in the surf, and they will bite live baits or artificials.
The reds, trout, and flounder are feeding inshore, with good action around the inlets, in the creeks, and along the ICW. Live finger mullet, shrimp, and menhaden will fool all three, and artificial casters can hook up on soft baits like Gulps. Topwater plugs can also tempt bites from the reds and specks in the right situations.
Bryan Williams with a 35″ gag grouper that struck a live bait at some bottom structure in 70′ of water off Wrightsville Beach while he was fishing on the “Trigger Happy.”
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are seeing a solid speckled trout bite that’s improving by the week right now. Suspending hard lures like Rapala X-Raps are accounting for many of the specks, as are a variety of soft plastic baits on light jigheads.
Red drum are feeding in and around the inlets, and anglers released several citation-class (40”+) fish over the past week. Live and cut baits are fooling the reds.
Flounder are feeding from the inshore creeks out to nearshore structure in the 10 mile range. The flatfish are falling for live finger mullet and artificials that anglers are working for trout inshore.
A few cobia have been hooked not far from the beachfront recently as well, so anglers looking for flounder, spanish, or blues in the ocean should keep an eye peeled for one of the curious fish cruising on the surface.
The spanish mackerel and bluefish bite along the beachfront remains solid, with fish falling for both casting jigs and Clarkspoons trolled behind planers.
Some false albacore are also still chasing bait within a few miles of the beachfront, and they will take an interest in small casting jigs worked around the surface activity.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that anglers are hooking some solid spanish mackerel while trolling and working jigs within a few miles of the beachfront.
Some legal black sea bass have moved into nearshore structure and are biting jigs and bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits.
David Bergemann with a 38 lb. wahoo he landed just north of the Nipple after it struck a diving plug while he was fishing with Roger Doolittle.
Offshore, there’s been solid king mackerel and gag grouper action in the 20 mile range. Anglers can hook the kings while trolling dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo around bottom structure and suspended bait concentrations. Dropping cigar minnows or other live, dead, and cut baits to the bottom structure is the way to connect with the gags.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that there’s been some excellent blackfin tuna action while trolling ballyhoo and small skirted lures at local Gulf Stream spots recently. Anglers can also hook the blackfins while working vertical jigs and topwater poppers around suspended fish or surface activity.
Bottom fishing at structure in the 20 mile range is producing some gag grouper, red porgy, grunts, sea bass, and other smaller bottom dwellers. Live baits are the best bets for the grouper, and squid or cut baits will attract attention from the panfish.
Steve, of Johnnie Mercers Pier reports that anglers had a big week with king mackerel, landing many (to 30 lbs.) while fishing live baits off the end of the pier.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs and other casting lures that anglers are working from the pier.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with sea mullet in the day and some spot in the evening hours while baiting up with shrimp and bloodworms.
Some flounder are falling for small live baits fished under the pier.
The water is 73 degrees.
