Wilmington Fishing Report: Trout, Reds, and Bluefish on the Bite

Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, November 26th fishing report for Wilmington, North Carolina and surrounding waters. We’re kicking off with **tide and weather**—you’ve got low tide early at 4:37 am and the high coming in at 11:21 am, both easy to target if you’re up before or around first light. According to the National Weather Service, expect mild conditions with morning clouds clearing to a high near 74. Winds will be light and variable. Rain chances are slim, so it’s a great day to be outside. **Sunrise hit at 6:54 am and sunset checks in at 5:05 pm**—plenty of daylight for morning and evening runs. Solunar tables from Tides4Fishing call today an average fishing day, noting a major period right at dawn through 6:24 am and another strong bite window in the late afternoon between 4:52 pm and 6:52 pm. If you can, fish those early or late slots for your best chance at a solid hook-up. Let’s talk **current fish activity and catches:** Folks on local docks, bridges, and the surf are pulling in a healthy mix. Speckled trout are thick in the inlets—look for limits around Carolina Beach Inlet, especially on moving water. Red drum and black drum catches have ticked up near the Masonboro Island drop-offs and along the Wrightsville Beach jetties. Recent reports have flounder mixed in as well, though remember to check this year’s regulations if you plan to keep any. In the creeks and river mouths, you’ll find striped bass and even a few late-season sheepshead sticking close to structure. Reports from Wrightsville and Snows Cut show folks regularly landing slot reds and some upper-slot trout, mainly on the outgoing tide. **Bait and lure selection:** The water’s mid-60s, so fish are tuned in to smaller and more natural presentations. For trout, go with 3–4” paddle tail soft plastics in electric chicken, pearl, or chartreuse. MirrOdines and small jerkbaits in silver and gold are producing well at sunrise, especially with a slow jerk-jerk-pause retrieve. Red drum are chasing popping corks with live shrimp or mud minnows underneath. If you’re fishing artificials, a gulp shrimp on a quarter-ounce jighead is still hard to beat. For those pitching baited rigs for black drum or sheepshead near pilings, use fresh shrimp or fiddler crabs. If you want to chase larger bluefish or the occasional late fall Spanish mack in the surf, try casting silver spoons in the rips and cuts near Fort Fisher. Now, a couple of **local hotspots** to hit today: - *Wrightsville Beach south jetty:* Excellent structure for trout and reds on the high tide fall. - *Masonboro Inlet rocks and drop-offs:* Trout and flounder actively feeding, especially if you drift with the tide and use natural baits. For shore anglers, the Carolina Beach State Park docks and bank accesses have produced steady catches of drum and even the occasional striper during dusk hours. Tackle shops around town confirm speckled trout numbers are way up, with several anglers logging double-digit days—mos This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.