The fall has certainly begun to get Wrightsville Beach fishing back into full swing!  The recent cool in the area’s waters has brought many schools of false albacore into the area’s beaches, and although they aren’t Sea Monsters, they will test all of your ability on light tackle.  Many are being encountered to the North of the area, with casting jigs being the best choice.  Be sure to downsize your lures, as they have been feeding on bait the size of a toothpick.  The gulftream action has been great, and when the weather allows, we have been catching good numbers of wahoo in mixed sizes, from 20-60 lbs.  While mostly small, there have been a few dolphin mixed in with the wahoo.  Trolled ballyhoo behind Blue Water Candy seawitches and JAGs have accounted for the majority of the catch.  Lately the wahoo bite has been early in the morning, and when it slows, we fish our way home on the bottom, catching a mixed bag of grouper, tilefish and sea bass.  There have been an astonishing amount of large, ginormous, jumbo black sea bass (you get the idea) on the offshore ledges, much more than I have ever seen.  At some spots that have huge populations of triggerfish, it is a struggle to catch them due to the biomass of black sea bass…..... 

Fall fishing is happening, sounds like a good excuse to come to the beach, doesn’t it?

Capt. Arlen

Further offshore, while the African Pompano have been somewhat elusive this year, the grouper and snapper fishing is incredible.  Limits of combined grouper species, including gags, reds and scamps, are being found in the same place as close as 28 miles!  While most dead bait works on the other species, the scamps have been particular for a small, live pinfish fished on an oversized Carolina Rig.  There are plenty of black sea bass, grunts and porgys mixed in with the grouper.  Word around the Wrightsville Beach Charter Fishing fleet is that the wahoo fishing is picking up; a few wahoo trips are upcoming and hopefully I have a good report to give you upon our return!  Tight lines.

Capt. Arlen

While last month proved to be quite frustrating, this July has been full of great fishing!  While the king mackerel never showed and the dolphin did not stay inshore the way we would like them to, the bottom fishing has been great.  Limits of grouper, triggerfish, snapper and black sea bass have been fairly frequent this month as the grouper are becoming more and more active.  Ledges inshore of 90 foot are providing most of the gag grouper, while the 40+ mile range has been quite productive for both scamp and red groupers.  While we cannot keep them, the American red snapper are everywhere, and I have seen the most I ever have off the Wrightsville Beach coast.  The spanish mackerel action continues to be consistent, however in the recent heat, the bite has been early and late.  Flounder fishing on the nearshore structures is getting better and better, with half day catches for the Wrightsville Beach Charter Fishing boats beginning to approach limits.  I am happy to relay a much better fishing report this month, and here’s to hoping the trend continues!

Capt. Arlen

Thus far, it has been a very humbling charter season; words that are tough to write amongst my historically-favorite month of fishing.  Perhaps the rest of the Wrightsville Beach Charter Fishing fleet might have something different to tell you, but between the rough seas and lack of bait near the coast, it has been very difficult to recreate the super-memorable trips of years past.  Regardless of the tough conditions, we’ve still been catching fish off of Wrightsville Beach.  There are a few king mackerel around, mainly nearshore, responding primarily to live menhaden.  The spanish mackerel are everywhere, and although mostly moderate sized, are responding to Blue Water Candy spanish daisys trolled fast along the surface.  The bottom fishing has been good, with large gag groupers making up the most of the catch inshore of 100 feet, and the red grouper comprising the rest of it beyond 40 miles.  The gaffer dolphin fishing has been incredible as of recent, but unfortunately due to the weather, I have not been able to give it a go myself.  This has been a very unpredictable June!  Even when the weather is marginal and the mackerel and dolphin won’t cooperate, we have found plentiful amount of large amberjacks and cobia around the structures 10 miles offshore.  Live bait proves to be the best and surest bet, however many fish are being taken on bucktails and topwater poppers…...... 

When the fish refuse to come to the top, we are catching them on long jigs pitched away from the boat.  While it’s not the best fishing report in the world, or on the coast, honesty is the best policy.  This atypical June just reinforces the phrase, “That’s why they call it fishing!”  I’m sure next June will prove itself to be the best fishing month of the year again, as it has in every year in the past!

Capt. Arlen

As summer approaches and the water temperatures are rising, fishing has continued to improve here at Wrightsville Beach, NC.  Along the beaches, spanish mackerel are plentiful, and are eager to take trolled clarkspoons and Blue Water Candy Spanish Daisys.  Flounder have also begun to show up at nearshore reefs and structures, with bucktails tipped with Gulp shrimp the primary lure of choice.  In addition, king mackerel have begun to show up on your nearshore and offshore structures.  They are a welcomed arrival, and the bait of choice is a live menhaden on a traditional king mackerel rig adorned with Blue Water Candy featherweight skirts.  Try a double-pogie rig in the propwash - just make sure you’re looking at it when they they start to out-swim the boat….  The best of the nearshore bite has been to the south off of Yaupon Beach, but we are catching a few fish here off of the Wrightsville Beach seabuoy.  When fishing near the Cape Fear River, select a brighter-colored skirt, such as a chartreuse or pink to make your baits stand out in the dingy water.  May also welcomes the opening of grouper fishing, which has been productive despite the post-spawn pattern in full effect.  Fish are tight to their cover, so be sure to take special precision when anchoring this time of year.  Red grouper fishing is still better the farther offshore you go, and there are plenty of triggerfish to go along with them.  When the weather allows, gulfstream anglers are catching numerous gaffer dolphin, some as large as 50 lbs.  Trolled ballyhoo are the most consistent producer. 

Once again, big muscles and advil are required….  The jig of choice for these species is anything long in profile, such as the Williamson Benthos, Smith Jackknife, and River2Sea Spike.  Topwaters of choice include the Rapala Subwalk 15, Frenzy Angry Popper, and Yo-Zuri Sashimi Slider.  April can be a difficult month to get offshore, but it is a month that portrays Wrightsville Beach Charter Fishing to its finest!

Capt. Arlen

Dean Zoglio (left) with a hefty Atlantic Bonito caught off New River Inlet.  Bennie and Benson Sheally (right) with a very nice wahoo caught high speed trolling in the gulfstream.

Capt. Arlen

This will be the last report of the year, and I would like to thank everyone for a great 2010!  There are some upcoming changes for Ultimate Reaction Sportfishing in the coming year; be sure to stay tuned!  Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season, and a wonderful upcoming 2011!  Can’t wait to see everyone next year, we have many more memories to make!

Capt. Arlen

Fall fishing is in full force here in Wrightsville Beach, NC, and all of the Wrightsville Beach Charter Fishing fleet are enjoying great catches, happy customers, and some of the fastest pace action this state has to offer in saltwater fishing!  Nearshore, the king mackerel and false albacore are in full force, from the beach on out the the 10 mile areas.  Live bait is the best bet for fooling the larger kingfish, and there are still plenty of amberjack and cobia in the same areas.  Live bait is plentiful as large schools of menhaden continue to pour down the beach headed south.  We recently had a half day trip with kings and a cobia where the largest 5 kings had an aggregate weight of over 110 lbs!  The bottom fishing is full on, especially with the Gag groupers, being caught as close as 8 miles.  There are still plenty of other species mixed in, and the largest barracuda of the year are here and eager to test your spinning reels’ drag!  When the weather is pretty, the offshore fleet is finding plenty of blackfin tuna and numerous wahoo, some in excess of 60 lbs.  But the weather has been fairly uncooperative as of late.  No worries - that’s the beauty of fall fishing!  When it has been too windy to get offshore, the speckled trout fishing inshore has been incredible…...... 

Using artificial lures and very light tackle, we have been catching nice trout consistently in the 18-24 inch range.  There are still some red drum mixed in, and you are sure to know when he bites on the light tackle we have been using.  It’s getting colder, come get on this fall pattern while it lasts!

As the weather has begun too cool, the fall fishing here in Wrightsville Beach is heating up.  False albacore and large spanish have been found on top near the beach.  We are catching these fish on spinning rods, some too light to be largemouth bass fishing with, casting small metal spoons and jigs.  If you want to test the drag of your small spinning tackle, now is the time to do it.  Offshore the bottom fishing continues to be great, with good catches of gag grouper, black sea bass and American red snapper - which unfortunately must be returned to the sea.  The gulfstream fishing has begun to heat up, with more and more wahoo being caught each week.  Keep in mind the fishing will only get better as the water temperature cools.. it is still in the lower 80s!

As predicted, it has been extremely hot this August here is Southeastern North Carolina.  While the king mackerel and mahi fishing has slowed to a grind, the bottom fishing and reef fishing for African Pompano and Amberjack is absolutely on fire! Nearly every live bottom, ledge and hard-bottom from 10-40 miles offshore is holding fish.  Most of the gag grouper are inside of 25 miles now, with the red and scamp grouper fishing beginning to pick up in the 110 foot range.  Even though the king mackerel and dolphin fishing has slowed, there has still been some gaffer-sized dolphin primarily to the south, and there have been many sailfish around the same areas.  We boated a very nice one on 15lb. test line last week, with the fight lasting for nearly an hour!  He was released to fight another day, and took off with a vigor that was utterly astonishing, especially after such a long fight.  The African Pompano are holding on the very large ledges as well as those in proximity to the Frying Pan Tower.  We boated our largest to date earlier this month, just shy of 40 lbs!......... 

Many of the fish have been in the mid 30 lb range, and are a true challenge on light spinning gear.  The big amberjacks have been mixed in; I’ve been advising my clients to bring a fair share of muscle, attitude and advil as of late!  Nearshore, the flounder fishing has been just shy of fantastic, with many of the Wrightsville Beach Charter Fishing boats approaching limits on half-day trips.  The spanish mackerel are scattered, but are excited to take small live baits near the same structures holding the flounder.

We edged closer to see what was lurking, and low and behold a 16 foot plus tiger shark was swimming off its newfound lunch!  I am not exaggerating; this thing was nearly as long as the boat and its head was wider that the motor!  After a few pictures, we decided to let him continue to rule his world….


The fishing is only going to get better as fall approaches.  Many shy away from the heat of August, but I’m expecting continued excellent bottom fishing, and the African Pompano will start biting very well soon… Let’s Go FISHING!!

Lately out of Wrightsville Beach, NC the fishing has been very steady, both nearshore and offshore.  The king mackerel bite has been steady, with a few nice dolphin mixed in.  We have also been getting the occasional visit from a cobia!  Dead bait rigs with Blue Water Candy skirts adorned with cigar minnows have been the best bait when live bait is difficult to find.  Nearshore, the spanish mackerel and flounder fishing is picking up nicely.  There have been many spanish over 4 lbs. on the nearshore structures, and smaller live baits with very light wire have been key to fooling these fish.  We use lots of live chum to get them to the boat… sometimes it’s like National Geographic within an arm’s reach of the boat!..................... 

These spanish/flounder trips are a great way to introduce kids to nearshore/offshore fishing, as the run is short and the action and sights are plentiful and fast paced.  I had the pleasure of taking some young kids recently, and the smiles on their faces were simply priceless.  The grouper fishing is beginning to pick up, with the majority of the action still in 80+ feet.  Gaffer dolphin have been plentiful in the Gulfstream along with sailfish. 

We have been having a blast lately topwater fishing for large amberjacks!  We are consistently catching 50 lbers on topwater poppers, jigs, live bait… however you want to catch them!  Make sure you click “MORE….” to see the pics of them hanging around the boat.  Jigging offshore has been very good, with a few larger African Pompano still biting, and numerous large red grouper.  The grouper jigging has been difficult as of recent due to extreme current.  The king mackerel fishing has been very strong lately, however we have been having to run farther than usual this time of year to find them.  Look for them off of Cripple Rock to the North, and between the Schoolhouse and WR-4 to the South.  Most fish are between 10-15 lbs, however we have had….........

an occasional 25 lber in the mix.  The spanish are thick with the large bluefish on the beach, with clarkspoons and #1 planers being the number one producer.  There have been a few schools of menhaden up and down the beach, and the large spanish and cobia are tight to these schools.  Haven’t been grouper fishing much lately, but gag reports from 80+ ft. have been good.  More mahis are showing up in the gulfstream.  LETS GO FISHING!!!

Capt. Arlen

Offshore, the blackfin tuna and wahoo have been biting very good.  We have been catching them both jigging and trolling, but recently casting topwater lures has produced blackfins consistently upwards of 30 lbs.  If you have never cast offshore artificials for large blackfins, this is the most fun you could ever have with a rod and reel in your hand!  The king mackerel, despite slowly warming waters, can be found in the 30-35 mile range.  Look for 66 degree water and bait.  Black sea bass fishing has been very good, and has allowed us to make it through the shallow water grouper closure.  Closer to the beach, A few reds are starting to move around the inshore waters.  The bluefish are starting to show back up and I have heard a few preliminary reports of Atlantic bonito!  Click “MORE….” to view more pics!.......