"Wilmington Fishing Report: Bonito Blitzes, Drum Bites, and More"

Good morning from Wilmington—this is Artificial Lure checking in with your fresh fishing report for Sunday, May 4th, 2025. We started out with a light breeze and warm temps this morning. Sunrise was right around 6:13 AM, with sunset expected about 8:02 PM. Weather is shaping up to be mild and settled, perfect conditions to spend a day on the water. The tide is running a standard spring pattern today, meaning you’ll want to fish the moving water for the best bite. Inshore, anglers are still seeing strong action on red drum and black drum around the docks and structure. Carolina-rigged shrimp has been the ticket, but don’t overlook live or fresh cut bait, especially as the water keeps warming up. Folks are also picking up the occasional sheepshead, and that bite is only going to get better as fiddler crabs become more abundant[1]. Nearshore action is heating up with Atlantic bonito being the main story at the reefs and ledges. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting glass minnow-style metal jigs like Beach Bum Jigs or the always-reliable Big Nic Spanish Candy lures is working well[1][2]. Spanish mackerel are starting to make their presence known, especially around Fort Fisher, and even a few small king mackerel have been mixed in with the spanish this week. Be sure to double-check your kings for size before tossing them in the box[2]. Bottom fishing with shrimp along the surf and piers is still putting out sea mullet, and bluefish are around, but they’ve been a bit hit or miss lately. Reports of speckled trout are still more common north of here due to the current closure, but if you’re into catch and release, trout are moving out of the creeks and getting more active[4]. Best baits right now are shrimp, fiddler crabs, and for artificial fans, stick with shiny metal jigs, Clarkspoons, and soft plastics for inshore drum. For fly anglers, a seven to nine-weight setup is plenty if you want to tangle with bonito or spanish mackerel on the nearshore reefs[2]. Hot spots to put on your list today: Johnny Mercer’s Pier is a solid bet for sea mullet and the odd bluefish run. For nearshore, the AR 425 and 370 artificial reefs are seeing bonito blitzes and every day should bring more spanish mackerel. And don’t forget the inlets—Masonboro and Carolina Beach Inlet—where drum are cruising the edges on the incoming tide[1][2]. That’s your on-the-water update for Wilmington and surrounding waters today. Rods tight and good luck out there! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.