Monday Morning Cape Fear: Drum, Pompano, and Perfect Tidal Movement

# Artificial Lure's Wilmington Fishing Report Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Monday morning fishing update for the Cape Fear area. **Tides & Conditions** We're looking at excellent tidal movement today. High tide rolled in at 1:08 AM at 4.38 feet, and we've got low tide coming at 8:26 AM—that's happening right about now as I'm talking to you. The water's dropping to just barely above zero, which means current's going to be moving nicely through those inlet structures. If you're heading out to the beach or the jetties, you'll want to time your fishing around that outgoing water. Sunrise was 6:44 AM and sunset comes at 6:05 PM, so you've got a full day ahead of you. It's a cloudy 53 degrees out there, so bundle up a bit. **What's Biting** February in Wilmington means we're in prime season for drum, pompano, and flounder in the nearshore waters. The recent reports show solid activity across the board—this time of year, the fish are feeding hard before spring patterns shift things around. For bait, you can't beat fresh mullet or live shrimp. Cut mullet works great for drum and catfish, while live shrimp'll get you pompano and smaller stripers. If you're targeting flounder, fresh finger mullet or live minnows fished along the drop-offs are money. **Lure Selection** Throw some small gold spoons for pompano—they respond great to flash and movement. For drum, go with 3/8-ounce football jigs in black and blue, bouncing them along the bottom in the cuts. If you're sight-casting for flounder, soft plastics like 4-inch shad imitations work excellent. **Hot Spots** Head out to **Wrightsville Beach**—about 10 miles from downtown—where the pier and nearshore structure hold solid numbers of fish. The other solid option is **Cape Fear River mouth** where the current really funnels baitfish and game fish alike. Both spots are producing right now. That's your Monday report. Thanks for tuning in, and don't forget to subscribe for your daily fishing intel. 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.