Water temperatures are reading in the mid-to-lower 60s and the days are getting longer, meaning more sunshine to warm the air. Yet the unpredictability of the month of April will cause a few blips here and there and this week accounts for two of those blips. Earlier this week a cold front came through, dipping temperatures into the 30s, and this weekend yet another front is forecast, once again bringing the thermometer down into the lower 30s and keeping highs only in the 50s. Fortunately it appears that things will rebound after Saturday and it’s not a moment too soon as the fishing close to the beach has started showing some definite signs of life and the weather fluctuations will only confuse both the fish and the anglers.
There have been rumored reports, although a couple of anglers have backed up the rumors with pictures, of the arrival of the Atlantic bonito in area waters. This is really not so farfetched, however, as the waters are relatively warm and these fish can show just about any time during the month of April. The exact location of the catch wasn’t revealed, and while catching those fish off of Wrightsville Beach wouldn’t be impossible, history would show the first arrival of bonito is off of New River Inlet, but unless you’re out there looking and fishing, you’ll never know.
There’s also been some talk about Spanish mackerel and while no one’s actually produced verified proof they have arrived, they normally fall in very close to the Atlantic bonito and are frequently caught in the same schools. April is, after all, the month that large Spanish show up to our south, off of Fort Fisher, and while it’s normally toward the end of the month before you start hearing rumblings about them, with the warm weather we’ve been having, I don’t think anyone would be surprised to hook one or more there in the coming days if weather permits.
Offshore fishing has once again been influenced by the seas, and the conditions have not been all that pleasant for those wanting to venture off the beach. Wahoo and black fin tuna have been the main reports during the past few weeks for those fishing the areas around the Same Ole, Steeples and other well-known fishing spots. As conditions start improving, there will be more reports from more locations.
Inshore and along the beaches, the Virginia mullet have really been biting and anglers fishing both the surf and the lower Cape Fear River have been experiencing a lot of success. Pier anglers have also started getting into the action as well. While there are some small fish that have to be culled through, there are plenty of big ones to make the fishing worthwhile. Some good-sized puffers, for those looking for them, have also been reported. Bluefish are becoming an everyday occurrence and one day they may be small and the next day there may be a few keepers found in the mix.
Inshore, the red drum fishing continues getting better in the creeks and around the docks. The speckled trout fishing has slowed in local waters but has remained fairly good in the Cape Fear River.
