Wrightsville Beach – October 2025
Tex, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that nearshore anglers are seeing schools of spanish mackerel and bluefish off the beach, with plenty of both species being caught from the local piers. The bluefish schools are especially thick with all the bait that is now pushing to the ocean.
The king mackerel action has picked up in the 15-20 mile range.
Offshore runs are finding wahoo and some mahi, with productive bottom fishing being another option.
Inshore anglers are catching flounder using live mullet and jigs with soft plastics.
Red drum are scattered around the inshore waters, and they’re hitting bottom-rigged live baits and soft plastics on jig heads.
With the temperature dropping, speckled trout can be targeted with more confidence. They’re hitting live shrimp, mud minnows, or mullet.
Arlen, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that anglers are catching flounder on Carolina rigs and jig heads rigged with either live mullet or scented soft plastics.
The red drum bite is picking up now that the mullet are starting to work their way out of the inlet. Plenty of redfish are scattered inshore, and the jetties are consistently producing upper-slot and over-slot reds (25-35” range). The inshore catches are coming from both live and cut bait, with cut bait being better at the jetties.
Off the beach, false albacore are showing up. These first schools are focused on smaller baits, so anglers should be sure to “match the hatch” and cast smaller jigs. Trolling spoons or deep diver plugs can also produce strikes if the conditions don’t allow anglers to find them on the surface.
King mackerel are getting into the 10-15 mile range. Anglers slow-trolling live bait or rigging dead cigar minnows should produce some bites.
ARs in the 20-30 mile range are holding cobias and amberjacks, with both hitting mostly live bait.
Bottom fishing in the 120’ areas is bringing up triggerfish and some red grouper.
Offshore trolling action is producing wahoo. These wahoo are striking at a wide variety of setups, with high-speed lures and ballyhoo rigged under darker colored Ilanders being two great options.
Blackfin tuna and sailfish are also hitting lures and baits in the trolling spreads.
Chris Hunt, of Wilmington, landed this 16 lb. hognose snapper 45 miles offshore of Wrightsville Beach on a cigar minnow.
Luke, of Coastline Fishing Charters, reports that flounder are biting Carolina-rigged live baits fished around docks or along grass lines.
Red drum are being caught with artificials. The best time for topwaters is the early morning, and then spinnerbaits with soft plastics are working throughout the day. If artificials aren’t working, then cut bait on a Carolina rig usually does the trick.
Sheepshead are hitting live fiddler crabs dropped down around oysters and docks.
The best early season speckled trout bite has been topwater plugs in the morning.
Pierre, of Rising Sun Fishing, reports that flounder can best be found while targeting creek mouths on a falling tide.
Red drum are staged up around docks, grass lines, and oyster bars. Live or cut mullet and menhaden are the best bets.
Speckled trout are hitting topwater plugs in the early mornings.
Early season false albacore and spanish mackerel are around the inlet. Anglers should keep those smaller casting jigs ready to sight-cast around surface-feeding frenzies, and those struggling to find any surface action should break out the trolling gear. Spoons and deep divers will work, but a live bait also opens the opportunity to hook into a king mackerel.
The jetties are a great place this time of year as all the bait flowing into the ocean attracts big bull drum, slot and over-slot reds, spanish mackerel, bluefish, false albacore, and flounder.
Victor, of Carolina Charters, reports success catching red drum with cut or live mullet. Fishing the top of the rising tide and into the start of the falling tide is best. If the wind is really blowing, finding some cover or protection such as larger grass banks or bigger docks is helpful.
On the bottom of the tide, dropping live fiddler crabs around hard structure for black drum and sheepshead is producing catches.
Tune Nunnelee, of Wilmington, caught this red drum from the surf near Mason’s Inlet using a Gulp shrimp.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that those trolling are catching good-sized blackfin tuna and sailfish, with wahoo also making a strong showing in both numbers and size.
Anglers on the jig are seeing a great mix of grouper, snapper, blackfin tuna, large amberjacks, and some African pompano.
The traditional bottom fishing action is producing scamp grouper, red grouper, big triggerfish, and yellow-eye snapper.
Closer to the beach, the king mackerel action has started to pick up in the 5-20 mile range.
Matt, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that anglers out on the planks in the early morning or late evening are catching spanish mackerel (2-3 lbs.) and bluefish on Gotcha plugs.
Off the end, live bait fishing is producing a few scattered king mackerel bites, with barracuda also hanging around.
Bottom fishing efforts are bringing up sea mullet, red drum, flounder, pompano, and bluefish.
