Wilmington Fishing Forecast: Tides, Targets, and Top Spots for December 20, 2024

For December 20, 2024, in Wilmington, NC, the fishing scene is looking promising despite the cooler winter weather. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect today. ### Tides and Weather Today, the first high tide is at 00:55 AM with a height of 1.16 meters (3.81 ft), followed by a low tide at 7:17 AM with a height of 0.09 meters (0.28 ft). The next high tide will be at 1:20 PM with a height of 1.29 meters (4.23 ft), and the final low tide of the day is at 8:04 PM with a height of 0.12 meters (0.4 ft)[2]. The sunrise is at 7:13 AM, and the sunset will be at 5:05 PM. Expect a crisp winter day with plenty of sunlight, offering about 9 hours and 52 minutes of daylight. ### Fish Activity Yesterday saw a good mix of fish activity in various spots around Wilmington. Offshore, anglers found good numbers of king mackerel in the 25-mile range and some early sightings of bluefin tuna. Blackfin tuna, wahoo, and sailfish are also being caught on troll trips out to the Gulf Stream[1]. Inshore, speckled trout fishing has been improving, particularly in the mainland creeks and around the jetty walls. Anglers are using artificials like Halo Shad, D.O.A. shrimp, or Gulp baits, as well as live shrimp under slip corks to catch these trout. Red drum and black drum are staging up around docks in the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), with fresh cut bait or shrimp being effective[1]. Nearshore runs are still yielding false albacore and large numbers of bluefish. At the piers, sea mullet are biting well on shrimp or live sand fleas, and some pompano are mixed in with pufferfish[1]. ### Best Lures and Bait For speckled trout, use Vudu shrimp, hard suspending baits, or live shrimp under a slip cork. For red and black drum, fresh cut bait or shrimp are working well. At the jetties, live fiddler or mud crabs are good for sheepshead. Nearshore, casting metals into surface-feeding frenzies is effective for false albacore and bluefish[1]. ### Hot Spots Two hot spots to consider today are the Masonboro Inlet and the Cape Fear River. Masonboro Inlet is known for its diverse fish species, including flounder, bluefish, red drum, and speckled trout. The area around the inlet, with its sandbar separating it from the ocean, offers a rich fishing ground[4]. The Cape Fear River, particularly the Wilmington portion, is a great spot for striped bass in the winter and early spring, along with other species like catfish, flounder, and sturgeon. The river's brackish water creates a perfect mixed salinity, making it an excellent angling playground[3]. Overall, it's a great day to get out and fish in Wilmington, with plenty of action both inshore and offshore. Make sure to check the tides and adjust your fishing strategy accordingly. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.