Wrightsville Beach – July 2025
Jack, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that inshore anglers targeting red drum with topwater plugs in the low-light hours are having success, and cut bait fished under docks can produce bites during the day.
The sheepshead bite has been steady around hard structures. Live fiddler crabs on bottom sweeper jigs is a reliable strategy.
Surf anglers are hooking bluefish.
Nearshore anglers are catching spanish mackerel, but the bite can be a little slow and many small fish are around.
King mackerel have mostly moved into the 10-15 mile range.
Grouper fishing has been strong, with the best bite out in the 20-30 mile range.
Mahi hookups are scattered as they move in closer.
Ben, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that inshore anglers are doing well both early and late in the day targeting red drum in the marshes and on flats with topwater plugs. Once the sun is high, switch over to Gulp jerk shads or Z-Man soft plastics and focus on deeper cuts and creek mouths. Fishing live and cut mullet or menhaden around deeper docks also has had success.
Sheepshead are being caught around hard structures with fiddler or mud crabs. This tactic will also produce black drum and some reds.
Flounder are hitting just about any live or artificial bait put on the bottom.
Nearshore fishing is hit or miss. Small schools of spanish mackerel and bluefish are around, but they have both been a smaller class of fish.
King mackerel hookups are coming while slow trolling live baits in the 10-15 mile range. There are also scattered catches off the local piers and just off the beachfront.
Grouper fishing has remained strong on the 90-150’ structures.
Although the action has slowed, offshore anglers are catching mahi.
Deeper runs are producing blackfin tuna, billfish, and some summertime wahoo.
Jocelyn Smith, of Wilmington, caught this red drum on a topwater plug behind Masonboro Island.
Luke, of Coastline Charters, reports that the topwater red drum bite has been strong. Early morning is best, with some speckled trout also mixed in. Cut or live menhaden is a good option when topwater baits aren’t working. Docks, oysters, and grass lines are the areas to target.
Flounder are being caught as bycatch when targeting reds with live or cut baits on the bottom.
Working fiddler crabs around docks, bridges, and pilings, especially closer to the inlet, is producing sheepshead. Any spots from 3-12’ can be holding fish.
Nearshore anglers are catching spanish mackerel just off the beach. Trolling will produce the best numbers.
The shallower wrecks have good numbers of gray trout, with some red drum mixed in.
Pierre, of Rising Sun Fishing, reports that the mullet flushing into the area has started to get the red drum more fired up. However, the reds are scattered, so anglers need to be ready to stay on the move to put a good day together. Focus on working grass lines, especially when the grass lines meet oysters or other structures. Topwater plugs work well early and into late morning, if the conditions are right.
Flounder are biting everywhere.
Anglers bottom fishing with big baits around the jetty are catching red drum and sharks, with the random tarpon also a possibility.
Nearshore, spanish mackerel are harder to find, with the bite predominantly consisting of smaller fish and scattered numbers. Anglers looking to target spanish will do best by running south of the Masonboro area.
Michael Bourdua, of Carolina Beach, with a 31″, 17 lb., 5 oz. mutton snapper caught offshore of Wrightsville Beach in 175′ of water using squid. He was fishing with Capt. Rick Croson of Living Waters Guide Service.
Guion, of Green Creek Outfitters, reports that schools of spanish mackerel have been scattered around the inlets and out along the shallower waters off the beaches. A #1 sized planer with a Clarkspoon is a great setup.
Bottom fishing in the 10-25 mile range has anglers catching limits of black sea bass, grunts, amberjacks, and grouper. This range is also holding king mackerel.
Flounder are plentiful nearshore and into the inlets.
Red drum are being caught around the jetties and in some of the smaller inlets.
Victor, of Carolina Charters, reports that the red drum bite is turned on in the mornings. Both upper and over-slot fish are staged up around docks in the ICW and in the backs of creeks. Whole and cut menhaden or mullet are the top baits. Until the heat consistently raises the water temperatures even more, these fish will be in the shallows.
Anglers fishing structure with both live fiddler and mud crabs are steadily catching sheepshead. The best conditions are a rising tide and some current. A lot of smaller fish are around, but persistent anglers will find larger fish in the mix.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that deeper nearshore structures (150-260’) have been producing some excellent bottom fishing action. Scamp grouper, red grouper, yelloweye snapper, big triggerfish, and hogfish snapper all make up the mixed bag.
The 100-200’ range is holding big amberjacks, along with some African pompano.
A few mahi are starting to show up on the shallower side of the break (in 140-200’). Wahoo are also mixed in for anglers trolling this area.
Gulf Stream fishing is seeing some billfish caught while trolling a variety of lures, with blue marlin, white marlin, and sails all out in the 100+ fathoms water.
Evan, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that summertime patterns mean a wide variety of smaller fish (croakers, pinfish, and whiting) are dominating the bottom fishing action.
Small black sea bass are hitting pieces of cut shrimp, as well as live bait.
Anglers fishing off the end of the pier are catching barracuda, some king mackerel, and the occasional tarpon.
Fishing in the evening with cut baits is producing sharks and stingrays.
