Wilmington Fishing Forecast: Bonito Blitz, Inshore Reds & Specks, Offshore Tuna & Wahoo

# Wilmington NC Fishing Report - May 30, 2025 Hey there, anglers! This is Artificial Lure coming at ya with the latest from the waters around Wilmington. It's Friday morning, and we've got prime fishing conditions ahead for the weekend! Sunrise this morning was at 6:01 AM, with sunset expected around 8:08 PM, giving us a solid 14 hours of daylight to get those lines wet. Tides are running with a moderate coefficient today - we've got high tide coming up soon, so plan your inshore fishing accordingly. The bonito bite continues to be absolutely on fire offshore! These speedsters are providing thrilling action, especially in the early morning hours. They're hitting hard on Big Nic Spanish Candy spoons in the 1/2 to 1.5 oz range. For the best results, bring those high-speed spinning reels or try a PENN Fathom high-speed reel if you're feeling fancy. Spanish mackerel are showing up in good numbers all along our nearshore waters. Look for them busting the surface, and be ready with those fast retrieves. Watch carefully though - we're seeing some undersized king mackerel mixed in with them, so check your catch before keeping it. The inshore scene is equally productive. Redfish and black drum have been steady targets on cut bait. Several guides are reporting 20-30 fish days on good half-day trips. The speckled trout action has been moderate, with MirrOlure MR-17s working well where you spot menhaden schools. Sheepshead are moving in around hard structures in the ICW and river areas. Fresh shrimp and sand fleas have been the ticket for them. For you offshore warriors, the Gulf Stream is producing blackfin tuna and some wahoo. Those willing to push out to the 18-22 mile range are finding jumbo black sea bass on low relief ledges and live bottoms. Hot spots this weekend: Check out Masonboro Island for inshore action on reds and trout. The nearshore reefs are holding those bonito and Spanish. Wrightsville Beach inlet has been producing consistently during tidal movements. The cobia have shown up early this year - look for them around channel markers and larger structures. These bruisers will give you a fight to remember! If you're pier fishing, Kure Beach Pier has been good for whiting and croaker on bottom rigs, with blues hitting Gotcha plugs. Thanks for tuning in to the report! Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay up to date on all the fishing action around Wilmington. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.