Great Spring Fishing around Wrightsville Beach, NC
Capt. Jot Owens
April 26, 2010
Wrightsville Beach - Saltwater Fishing Report
Folks the weather has really been changing a lot lately. With ups and downs in temps, winds and cloud cover. We have had some very nice days and we've had some very windy days as well. Over all, the fishing has been good and we are seeing different kinds of fish showing up as the water warms up. We are even starting to see a few Spanish mackerel around just off the beach. To the Fishing Report>>>
On the nice days; light winds and sunny skies the ocean fishing has been good. We have been targeting lots of different fish like; Gray trout, Sea bass, Blues, and Flounder. Jigging has been the most productive for this kind of fishing. The best lures have been metal jigging spoons and grubs. One once jigging spoons and ½ oz grubs with Berkley Gulp as a tip on the jigging spoons. We have caught most of the fish on hard/live bottoms and artificial reefs just off the beach to six miles off the beach. There has been a hand full of very nice Sea bass, with a few over three plus pounds; that's some great eating!
We are seeing Bonita, Blues and a few Spanish when we are trolling off the beach from one to five miles. Trolling Clark spoons and small deep driver lures has been the key to success. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash spoon in sizes #00, #0 and #1; the pink flash series has really helped us put more fish in the boat. A bird rig on top with a Clark spoon about five to six feet behind it or a Blue water Candy Spanish daisy chain have worked very well on top too. Look for birds working or marking bait on you fish finder is the way to find the feeding fish.
When the Bonita, Blues and Spanish are on top feeding; cast Maria and Sea striker jig-spoons. The colors that seem to work the best are pink, green and blue. We use a forty pound Fluorocarbon leader; about fifth teen to eight teen inches long. I really like Stren's tinted (gunsmoke) floro leader material for clear water conditions; "this stuff really works"! A light weight 7' rod loaded with ten to fifth teen pound braid is important for casting to these fast fish. The reason for this is the further you can cast equals more chance's you will hook up. When there are a lot of boats chasing the Bonita, they get wearer of boats. If you can cast far; you will catch more of these fish!
Redfish are really starting to fire off; we are starting to see a few bigger fish in the area from Topsail down to the Cape Fear River. When we are casting lures; grubs are doing the trick. Berkley Gulp and Powerbait in colors molting and new penny; fishing them around docks, oyster rocks and grass lines are catching drum well. Bait fishing is still good and will continue right through the summer. Red and Black drum are hitting cut shrimp and mullet on Carolina rigs around the same area; dock oyster rocks etc… You never know how big or little the drum will be when you are bait fishing; we've had reds as small as fourteen inches and as big as over thirty inches.
Fishing Gear we use:
Reels Penn Conquer and Sargus spinning in sizes 2000 and 4000. Spiderwire Ultra-cast braid in 10 and 15#. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6'6" and 7' Med & Med-Heavy and the All Star ASR spinning rod ASR844S and ASR845S.
In Other Fishing News:
June 5-6, 2010 "In the Water Fishing School" I, Capt. Rick Bennett and four other of the best local guides are putting on this school on. This school will be real-time hands on fishing experience! There will be one day of hands on classroom instruction and the next day on the water, real-time fishing experience. The school is limited to the first 24 participants! If you want to learn from the best local guides and see how we do it, take the time to check it out; http://www.rodmancharters.com/inthewater-fishing-school.htm *We only have a few spots left for this School!!! I'm really looking forward to being part of this school!
Thanks for reading this report, if you would like to go fishing drop me a line. Book now for this coming summer fishing season and don't forget to take a kid fishing!
Good Luck,
Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
PENN Reels Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Target Species:
Redfish, Black Drum, Sea bass, Bonita, Spanish Mackerel
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