It’s hard to believe that we’ve finally made it through the month of July, which was the fifth-hottest July on record for the Wilmington area. More hot conditions can be expected as we meander through the month of August, although the first week so far has been and is forecast to be cooler than anything we’ve recently seen. Water temperatures are reading in the mid-to-lower 80s and should remain that way for the majority of August. As we start getting toward the end of the month, they should start dropping just a tad.
Inshore, the fishing has been steady with red drum and flounder. Lots of baitfish are in the creeks and this is a good spot to target those species. The deeper creeks, creek mouths and muddy banks should all be holding some fish along with the area docks and inlets. Fishing areas that have some current are almost a must as the fish won’t hang out long in stagnant water with no flow. Lots of the red drum have been upper to over slot so make sure to measure carefully if you’re keeping one for the dinner table. Flounder have been decent-sized with a good portion of the fish being reported weighing between two and five pounds, with some larger fish in the mix. There are also quite a few smaller, undersized fish around so these need to be measured carefully as well. Anglers targeting sheepshead around the pilings are having good luck using one-armed bandits and sand fleas with some of the fish pushing eight pounds, although most are averaging in the 3- to 4-pound range.
Along the surf, fishermen are finding some good pompano fishing which is something our area hasn’t seen in a while. Most of the fish are being caught on sand fleas by those lucky enough to find them. Some Virginia mullet are also being caught in the deeper holes along the beach. Fresh shrimp will also work for both species, although the larger fish prefer the sand fleas this time of year. Anglers are also reporting some black drum, a few red drum, flounder and bluefish being caught.
Off the beach, the Spanish mackerel are still being caught although they are spread out and difficult to find due to the heat. Early morning is your best bet to find the fish schooling and trolling 00 Clark Spoons on No. 1 planers is a good way to locate them. Those that are reporting success are normally done fishing by 9 a.m. Anglers fishing for flounder are having some decent luck jigging spoons and large paddle tails around the nearshore wrecks, reefs and live bottoms within a few miles of land. Some king mackerel and a few sailfish have been reported by those fishing live trolled baits in the 10-mile range.
Offshore, the dolphin fishing has been steady around the 25-mile mark. Those finding schools of bait and fishing that area are having much more luck than those just blind trolling. Frequent reports of sailfish have been coming from the same locations. Bottom fishing has been good in water depths of around 100 feet for grouper, snapper and trigger fish. A few wahoo are being reported in the Gulf Stream but with the warm waters inshore, some anglers have managed to find some much closer in.
Storms continue to be an issue with this warm air mass and lightning has been a major concern. Make sure to pay attention to local weather forecasts and keep an eye to the sky. If the conditions look to be a roll of the dice, you really need to weigh the pros and cons before leaving the inlet.
