Wilmington NC Fishing Report: Mackerel, Bonito, and Reds Biting Hot in Late May 2025

Hey there, folks! Artificial Lure here with your Wilmington NC fishing report for this beautiful Monday morning, May 26, 2025. Sun's coming up bright and early around 6:08 AM today, giving us plenty of daylight to get those lines in the water. Weather's been stabilizing nicely as we've moved deeper into May, with warmer temperatures finally allowing more opportunities to get out into the ocean. The fishing scene is absolutely cranking right now! May has brought out all sorts of species, and the action is really heating up as we're getting into that summer pattern. Near shore fishing has been the most productive lately, so you don't need to venture far to get into some good action. Spanish mackerel are hitting hard all over, especially around the inlets and near shore reefs. They've been busting up the surface, making them easy to spot. Atlantic bonito have been showing up as well, though they might be starting to thin out as we reach late May. Keep an eye out for some false albacore and bluefish mixed in with them. There have also been reports of small king mackerel in the mix, so check your catch carefully to avoid undersized kings. Inshore, the black drum bite has been very productive around boat docks. Fresh shrimp has been the ticket for these fellas. Bull redfish and slot-sized reds are biting well, along with speckled trout and flounder. For tackle, those casting spoons are working wonders on the Spanish mackerel - Big Nic Spanish Candy lures in 1/2oz to 1.5oz sizes have been getting a lot of attention. High-speed spinning reels are getting more bites, and some locals are even using high-speed low-profile bait-caster reels for bonito and Spanish with great success. If you're up for a challenge, try fly gear in weights seven to nine. Hot spots to check out today include the artificial reefs and ledges near Wrightsville Beach, Masonboro Island for some inshore action, and the Civil War shipwreck sites if you can get out to them. Boat docks have been particularly good for black drum. The reports coming in from captains have been mighty impressive. Captain Joe has been putting clients on 30 fish in just a few hours, and several folks have reported non-stop action. One angler mentioned they were catching fish "left and right" just yesterday. So grab your gear, get out there early, and enjoy what looks to be another fantastic day of fishing in our beautiful Wilmington waters. This is Artificial Lure signing off, and remember - a bad day fishing still beats a good day working! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.