Wrightsville Beach June 13, 2013
Grady Gordon with a 25 lb. red grouper that bit a live bait in 110′ of water off Wrightsville Beach while he was fishing with Bryan Williams.
Hunter, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that anglers are starting to see dolphin in the 20 mile range out of Wrightsville, with more fish scattered from there out to the Gulf Stream. Live baits, rigged ballyhoo, and trolling lures will tempt bites from the ‘phins.
Anglers are also seeing a few wahoo and blackfin tuna in the Gulf Stream, and sailfish and blue and white marlin are making an appearance as well. Ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures are top choices for all the blue water predators.
There’s been a good grouper bite when anglers can get offshore recently, with gags feeding around bottom structure in the 20 mile range and reds and scamps out deeper. Live baits will fool the grouper, but frozen mackerel, cigar minnows, and sardines are also effective.
Black sea bass are on all the same structure as the gags, with some feeding closer to the beach. Small metal jigs or bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits are tough for the bass to pass up.
King mackerel are scattered from 5-20+ miles offshore, and anglers are hooking them on dead cigar minnows, live menhaden, and trolling lures like Drone spoons.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding closer to the beaches wherever boats can find clean water, and they will readily pounce on trolled Clarkspoons or other small, flashy lures. Surprisingly, a few Atlantic bonito are still mixed in and biting the same offerings.
Nathan Borgmeyer with a 63.2 lb. cobia that bit a large menhaden near Masonboro Inlet and was landed on a Penn Carnage/Penn Fathom combo while he was fishing with Capt. Jot Owens.
Inshore, the red drum bite is good in the marshes and around structure like docks. Live baits and lures like topwater plugs, Gulps, and other soft plastics are fooling the reds.
Flounder fishing is picking up around the inlets. Flounder also feeding on nearshore structure in the ocean south of Wrightsville, so they’re likely at spots like the Liberty Ship as well. Live mud minnows, menhaden, or bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits are the way to go for the flatfish.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the water nearshore in the ocean has been dirty lately, but anglers are still finding some spanish mackerel and bluefish when they can locate better conditions. Trolling Clarkspoons behind #1 planers has been the most effective strategy for both fish.
Bottom fishing in the 10-20 mile range is producing some action with gag grouper, black sea bass, and other bottom dwellers. Anglers are also finding some legal sea bass at bottom structure a bit closer to land. Cigar minnows, cut baits, and squid will all produce results with the bottom feeders.
Lynn, of Shearwater Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel and bluefish bite was solid before Tropical Storm Andrea, but dirty water along the beach has likely slowed it down. The fish should be back and feeding once the water cleans up a bit.
Alex Cook with a 5.5 lb. spanish mackerel that bit a Yo-Zuri Deep Diver near the Liberty Ship while he was trolling with Rob Sibbett.
Sharks are feeding just off the beaches, and anglers can hook several species while drifting, chumming, and fishing with cut or dead baits.
Bottom fishing around nearshore structure is producing some legal black sea bass for anglers baiting up with squid and cut baits.
Gag grouper are feeding at structure in the 20 mile range and will pounce on a variety of baits.
Jamie, of Seagate Charters, reports that anglers are hooking some red drum while bottom fishing in the inlets with live and cut baits.
A few cobia are also feeding in the same areas and along the beachfront, and anglers can hook them on live baits or sight-cast bucktail jigs.
Inshore, anglers are still catching good numbers of red drum along Wrightsville area docks on cut and live baits.
Steve, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that there’s been a decent flounder bite off the pier lately for anglers fishing with small live baits.
Some puppy and black drum are biting live baits and shrimp on bottom rigs. Sea mullet and small blacktip sharks are also taking an interest in the shrimp.
Bluefish have returned to the beachfront and the water is clearing up following last week’s tropical storm, so it shouldn’t be long until anglers see spanish mackerel taking an interest in Gotcha plugs off the pier.
