51.7 F
Wrightsville Beach
Friday, March 29, 2024

Hook, line and sinker

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The month of March is now behind us and with April, anglers are eagerly awaiting the official arrival of the spring fishing season. Cold days should be somewhat of a memory, although there’s always that chance of a lone cold front dampening the warmer days. The fishing has started picking up, at least for a few species, but has hit its peak until more settled weather arrives and the temperatures become consistent. Water temperatures continue to slowly creep up, and are now reading right around 63 degrees. Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t look all that favorable for fishing outings for the first days of April this weekend, with rain and winds in the forecast, but it gives anglers yet another chance to get their equipment in order before the fishing really gets going.

The inshore fishing continues producing good results for anglers targeting Virginia mullet in the lower Cape Fear River while those fishing the surf are starting to see some positive outcomes as well. If fishing the river, the falling tide seems to be the best time to target them and staying in water depths of between 20-25 feet will also help you find more fish. Fresh shrimp on two-hook drop rigs are the bait of choice although some anglers prefer using single hook rigs to enjoy the fight of a hooked fish just a little more. If fishing this area for the first time, just look for the fleet of boats but be mindful of other anglers and give others a respectful distance when anchoring up. If the fish are really biting, which they have been, the fishing and catching can get pretty chaotic and before you know it you’ve got a cooler full of fish to bring home. Please make sure you only take what you can reasonably use and let the rest go for another day.

The surf is also producing some mullet and also some puffers, also on fresh shrimp. Anglers are fishing the deeper sloughs and holes. Anglers are also finding a few red drum in the surf and while shrimp will work, those using cut bait and even artificial baits are having some success. Bluefish have definitely arrived, and are the surefire sign that spring fishing is right around the corner. While most of these fish have been relatively small, there have been a few larger 1- to 2-pound fish mixed in and their presence will only increase in the coming days.

Offshore has been hit or miss with the weather, allowing only a few small opportunities for anglers to head out. Wahoo and a few dolphin and blackfin tuna have been reported in the Gulf Stream while closer to the beach, the bottom fishermen continue finding good-sized black sea bass, snapper and triggerfish. As the month progresses, there should be fewer fronts coming through allowing anglers more days to try their luck but until then, it’ll be sporadic reports coming from the beach.

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