Cape Fear River Heating Up: Trout, Reds, and Bass on the Bite April 23

Hey y'all, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to fishing buddy here in Wilmington, NC, bringin' you the straight scoop on today's action for April 23, 2026. Dawn broke around 6:30 AM with sunrise glowin' over the Cape Fear River, and sunset's hittin' about 7:45 PM—plenty of light for a full day on the water. Weather's mild, mid-70s daytime with light southerly breezes pushin' 5-10 knots, water temps climbin' to 68 degrees from that warm-up trend—perfect for gettin' the bite goin'. Tides are key today: high around 3 PM in the river mouth, low slack 'bout 10 PM per Tides4Fishing charts—fish the outgoing for best drifts. Solunar's average, but major bites peak 1-3 PM near solar transit. Fish are wakin' up post-spawn style; BassForecast calls it epic-to-fair with new moon vibes stirrin' bass, reds, and trout into shallow edges. Recent catches? Locals report solid speckled trout stackin' on oyster bars and bridge pilings—early topwaters then soft plastics under poppin' corks. Reds cruisin' marsh drains on the fall, hittin' gold spoons and live shrimp; some bull reds at jetties with cut mullet. Spanish mackerel and bonito showin' offshore like in Navarre reports, plus flounder giggin' current sweeps with paddle tails. Freshwater bass chasin' shad in spillways—crankbaits on windy banks. Best lures: **topwater poppers** like blue chrome for shallow morning blasts, paddle-tail soft plastics, gold spoons for reds. Live shrimp or cut mullet tops bait—rig light leaders on clear days. Hot spots: Hit Wrightsville Beach jetties for reds and trout at dawn, or Cape Fear River mouth oyster reefs on the outgoing—position down-current for natural sweeps. Y'all stay safe, check regs, and tight lines! Thanks for tunin' in—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.