Wrightsville Beach August 26, 2010
Art Brownell, of Wilmington, with a gag grouper that fell for a live pinfish in 80' of water off Wrightsville Beach while he was fishing with Capt. Jim Sabella of Plan 9 Charters.
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches and just offshore, though anglers should fish early and late in the day for the best results. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting Shore Lures and other metal jigs to fish that are feeding on the surface is the best way to hook up with the spaniards.
Some large red drum are feeding on nearshore structure like Dallas Rock, 10 Mile Rock, and the Schoolhouse, and anglers have been hooking them while bottom fishing and trolling live baits for kings.
The king fishing has been a bit slow of late, but anglers’ best odds of hooking up with a few will come around structure and bait concentrations in the 10-25 mile range.
Some dolphin and sailfish are feeding in the same areas, and they will fall for live or dead baits that anglers are trolling for kings.
Higher-relief structure (in areas like the Schoolhouse and WR4) is playing host to some amberjacks. They’ll take an interest in live baits, vertical jigs, and topwater plugs.
Bottom fishermen have found action with gag grouper and sea bass inside 20 miles, but the best bite has been around structure in the 25-35 mile areas lately.
African pompano are feeding at Frying Pan Tower and the nearby ledges, and live baits will tempt them to strike.
Surf anglers have found some action with pompano and red drum lately, and the fishing should only get better over the coming weeks. Sand fleas will fool both fish, and the reds are also partial to finger mullet and cut baits.
Reds are also on the feed in the area’s creeks and will fall for live baits or a variety of lures.
The flounder fishing is getting better, with good catches from the creeks, inlets, surf, and nearshore reefs (with many fish 17-20” and some to 4-5 lbs.). Live finger mullet and Gulp baits will fool the flatties.
Sheepshead are feeding around docks, bridges, and other inshore structure (with several fish over 9 lbs. weighed in last week). Live fiddler crabs are the best baits, and fishing at night has been particularly productive lately.
Bub White, of Rocky Point, NC, with a 6 lb., 6 oz. sheepshead he hooked under a Wrightsville Beach dock on a live fiddler crab and weighed in at Johnnie Mercer's Pier.
Jon, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the inshore action has been solid lately, with anglers finding action with red drum in the marshes and bays throughout the area. Topwater plugs, soft plastic baits, and flies will all tempt bites from the drum.
The speckled trout bite is also turning on, with fish showing up in the creeks and around inshore structure from Wrightsville down to the Cape Fear River. Soft plastic baits and live shrimp are the ways to go for the specks.
Off the beaches, anglers are seeing and hooking some tarpon as they cruise a short distance offshore.
One boat making the trip to the Gulf Stream last week found a decent wahoo and blackfin tuna bite and released three sailfish, so the blue water bite seems to have turned on. Rigged ballyhoo are producing most of the action in the Stream.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that there’s been decent action with speckled trout and red drum in the Cape Fear River. Live baits are fooling both.
Some jack crevalle have also been feeding in the lower river and taking an interest in topwater plugs.
The spanish mackerel bite is still solid just off the beaches (though many fish have been small lately). Trolling Clarkspoons is producing most of the spanish action.
Bottom fishing has been more productive than trolling in the 10 mile range lately. Anglers are picking up gag grouper and black sea bass while dropping squid, cigar minnows, and live baits to the structure.
Rick, of Rod-Man Charters, reports that the shark fishing has been excellent off Wrightsville lately. Anglers are hooking up with blacktip, spinner, bull, and dusky sharks while fishing large cut baits behind shrimp boats and while drifting and chumming.
The spanish mackerel fishing is still somewhat hit-or-miss.
Inshore, the red drum bite has been good in the ICW, particularly on early morning falling tides. Live finger mullet will fool the reds.
Flounder fishing in the Cape Fear River has been solid lately as well, and anglers are hooking most of those fish on live finger mullet, too.
Alex True (age 14) with a 31" red grouper he hooked on a cut bait while fishing some structure in 110' of water near Frying Pan Tower aboard the "Quick Release."
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that there’s still a solid red drum bite in the marshes and around docks between Wrightsville and Topsail Beach (with many 30”+ fish in the mix). Anglers are hooking the fish on live pogies and topwater plugs.
The spanish mackerel bite has been solid just off the beaches (and the fish are running larger than average). Anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures or casting metal jigs to schools feeding on the surface.
Large sharks are feeding around shrimp boats and along the area’s beaches, and anglers can hook them on cut baits.
Warren, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that there’s been a good spanish mackerel bite for anglers working Gotcha plugs from the pier lately. Plenty of snapper bluefish are mixed in.
Some flounder are falling for small live baits at night.
Whiting are feeding in the surf zone, and the best fishing has been early and late in the day lately.
The water is 85 degrees.
