Wilmington NC Fishing Report: Bonito, Mackerel, and Grouper Galore on the Spring Bite

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Wilmington NC fishing report for this beautiful Saturday morning, May 3rd, 2025. Tides are looking prime today with high tide around 8:30 AM (that's happening right about now), low tide at 2:50 PM, and another high close to 9:00 PM. If you're heading out, plan your fishing around these tide turns for the most action. The spring fishing has been pretty good so far, and now that we're into May, things are really cranking up! The water's warming nicely, and we're seeing more fish moving in daily. Nearshore, folks have been hammering the Atlantic bonito, with Spanish mackerel starting to show up in good numbers. These speedsters are a blast to catch! For the bonito and Spanish, try casting spoons like Big Nic Spanish Candy lures in 1/2 oz to 1.5 oz sizes. High-speed spinning reels have been getting more bites, but I've personally been loving my PENN Fathom high-speed 300 baitcaster for this action. Look for these fish around near-shore reefs, ledges, and inlets. Watch out for small king mackerel mixed in – check your fish carefully! Inshore, the red drum and black drum bite has been steady around docks and hard structure. Carolina-rigged shrimp has been the ticket there. Some sheepshead are showing up too, and that bite should pick up as more fiddler crabs become available. For the offshore crowd, the big news is grouper season opened a couple days ago on May 1st. Head out to the 100-110'+ range and work those rocks and ledges. Boats making longer runs have been connecting with blackfin tuna, some wahoo, and we should start seeing sailfish in the mix soon. Hot spots to check out: The area around Wrightsville Beach has been productive, especially for those nearshore species. The Pungo River flowing into the Pamlico has been giving up nice speckled trout, with most being keepers and some going three pounds or better. If you're after those specks, tie on a topwater or soft plastic – they've been smashing both. Recent catches have been consistent with about 90% of fish being keepers. For the trout specifically, try working your way from the rivers out toward the sound as they're making their spring migration. That's the scoop for today, folks! Remember, the fish are biting if you know where to look. Good luck out there, and as we say around here – tight lines and full coolers! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.