Wrightsville Beach October 1, 2009
Douglas Ferguson, of Raleigh, with a red drum he hooked on an Exude shrimp after it blew up on a topwater plug and missed. He was fishing off the ICW near Wrightsville Beach with Wes Aiken.
Arlen, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that when boats were last able to make it to the Gulf Stream, the wahoo fishing was decent at local spots like the Same Ol’ and Steeples. Some sailfish and blackfin tuna are in the blue water mix as well. Ballyhoo rigged under skirted lures are productive on the wahoo, sails, and tuna, and anglers also had some luck on the ‘hoos while high-speed trolling with straight artificials.
The grouper bite’s been solid lately. Anglers are reporting good action with red grouper around bottom structure in 100-110’. The gags have been holding a bit closer, in around structure in 70-80’. Live baits, cigar minnows, other baits, and vertical jigs will produce action with the grouper.
Anglers are reporting solid action with king mackerel in the 10-20 mile range. Live baits like pogies are top choices for the kings. A few of the big mackerel are also running the beaches, but the main body of fish still seems to be offshore.
Nearshore, spanish mackerel and some false albacore are chasing bait from the inlets to a few miles out, and anglers can hook up with them while casting jigs like Shore Lure Glass Minnows and Marias.
Inshore, the flounder and red drum bite is still on. Anglers are finding the flounder in the creeks, around the inlets, and at inshore and nearshore structure. The flatfish at the nearshore spots in the ocean are starting to get less numerous, but the flounder remaining tend to be larger fish.
Red drum are feeding in the creeks, around the inlets, and at inshore structure. Anglers can hook up with the reds on live baits or Gulps, spinnerbaits, topwaters, and a variety of other lures.
The cooler weather has the speckled trout bite turning on strong, and anglers are catching excellent numbers in the Cape Fear River. Anglers have also been running into some trout around Carolina Beach Inlet and a few at Wrightsville. Live baits, Gulps, topwater plugs, and other lures will fool the specks.
Mark Benson with a 9.4 lb. flounder he hooked on a live finger mullet under the Wrightsville drawbridge.
Frank, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that the red drum bite is still excellent inshore. Anglers are finding the reds in shallow water in the marshes, creeks, and at area docks, and the fish will fall for Gulp baits, topwater plugs, and other lures.
The speckled trout bite has been solid in the river, and anglers are hooking the specks on live shrimp, topwater plugs, Gulps, and a variety of other lures. Some trout have also been reported around the Masonboro jetties, but the bite isn’t red hot yet.
The flounder bite seems to be improving on the nearshore reefs and other structure. Anglers can hook the nearshore flatties on Carolina-rigged live baits or bucktails tipped with Gulps.
Spanish mackerel are feeding strong just off the inlets, and anglers are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures, or by casting metal jigs at fish chasing bait on the surface.
Offshore, boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are hooking up with some wahoo and sailfish. One sailfish was released in the 30 mile range last week as well.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports fast action in the Cape Fear River over the past few weeks. Anglers are catching good numbers of speckled trout and flounder while fishing around the grass islands and rocky structure in the river. Live finger mullet and shrimp or soft plastic lures will fool the fish into striking.
There’s also been a good flounder and gray trout bite on the nearshore reefs and other structure. Anglers can hook the flatties and grays on Carolina-rigged finger mullet or use jigging lures like Stingsilvers to target the grays.
Spanish mackerel (many 2-4 lbs.) are feeding heavily just outside the inlets and at nearshore structure. Interestingly, casting lures like Maria jigs have been producing more action on the spaniards than trolling has lately.
Bottom fishing at structure within 20 miles of the beaches has been producing solid action with gag grouper and black sea bass lately. Cigar minnows are fooling the grouper, and anglers are hooking up with the bass on squid.
Tom McNerny, Ron Zanzerella, Howard Kiedaisch, Ron Bailey, and Mark Shepard with five wahoo they hooked along with some dolphin while trolling ballyhoo near the Same Ol'.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that the spanish mackerel bite has been incredible along the beaches from Wrightsville to Oak Island. Anglers are hooking the spanish while trolling Clarkspoons and casting metal jigs.
King mackerel are schooling up on the south side of Cape Fear, and boats are catching big numbers while slow-trolling live pogies off the beach at Oak Island.
Flounder fishing’s also been excellent just off the beaches, and anglers hooked good numbers of fish (most just legal to 21”) while fishing live baits around the Masonboro jetties last week.
Danny, of 96 Charter Company, reports that the speckled trout bite’s been excellent in the Cape Fear River lately. The specks have been falling for topwater plugs in the early mornings. Later in the day, soft plastics and live baits like pogies and shrimp under corks are the way to entice them to bite.
Some fat flounder and a few red drum are in the mix in the river as well, and they’re falling for the same baits.
Rob, of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, reports that the spanish mackerel bite has been excellent when the water’s been clear. Anglers are hooking big spanish (2-4+ lbs.) on Gotcha plugs in the clean water. Some bluefish are mixed in and falling for the plugs as well.
Live baiters landed several king mackerel over the past week.
Bottom fishermen have been decking a handful of spot and some fat pompano on shrimp.
Some flounder are falling for small live baits fished on the bottom.
