Topsail November 17, 2011
Holland and Alan Miller, of Rock Ridge, NC, with Holland's first drum, a 23" fish she hooked behind Figure Eight Island on a live finger mullet.
Cathy, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are still catching big numbers of sea mullet from the piers and surf. Most are falling for bottom rigs baited with shrimp and sand fleas.
The speckled trout bite has also been solid in the surf and from the piers, and anglers are catching big numbers in the sound as well. MirrOlures, Gulp baits, and other soft plastics are producing most of trout inshore and in the ocean.
Like the trout, anglers are finding red drum in the surf and the backwaters. The surf fish are biting shrimp, cut baits, and lures that anglers are casting for specks. Topwater plugs, Gulp baits, and live baits are producing results inshore.
Flounder are on the move from inshore to outside the inlets, and anglers are encountering solid fish (some citations) while fishing the inlets, surf, and piers. Carolina-rigged live baits or Gulps fished on jigheads and bucktails will tempt bites from the flatfish.
Offshore, the king mackerel bite that anglers have waited all year for continues, with action reported from 12-20 miles off the beach lately. The fish will continue to stick with the mid-upper 60’s water they prefer as it pushes offshore with winter approaching, and anglers should be able to find them at the warm side of hard temperature breaks in the coming weeks. Live menhaden and bluefish or dead baits (like cigar minnows and ballyhoo) will tempt bites from the kings when anglers can find them.
Boats making the run to Gulf Stream hotspots like the Same Ol’ and Swansboro Hole are finding an excellent wahoo bite. Ballyhoo under skirted trolling lures are producing most of the action, both trolled on the surface and behind planers.
Wayne, of Last Resort Charters, reports that speckled trout are feeding just about everywhere inshore. Many are spikes, but anglers willing to weed through the short fish are finding decent numbers of keepers (and some big fish to 24”) as well. The creeks and structure off the ICW have been some of the most consistent spots, but throughout the area it seems that anywhere there’s water is holding some specks. Scented soft plastics like Gulp and Trigger-X baits are tempting most of the bites, with jerkbait-styles the most effective.
A few flounder are still around and falling for the lures anglers are casting for the trout.
Red drum are feeding at many of their usual haunts inshore. Some of the fish will be headed into the surf zone as the water cools, while others will be making their way into the mainland creeks and available for anglers all winter long. Scented soft baits are also tough to beat for the reds.
Wayne, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of speckled trout from the pier (most smaller but some keepers in the mix). Soft plastics are fooling most of the trout.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with some sea mullet, black drum, and pufferfish on high-low rigs baited with shrimp.
John C. Cruise and "Big" John Tedder with a wahoo that bit a purple/black wahoo bomb while they were trolling the Gulf Stream in 200' of water off New River Inlet.
Jay, of Surf City pier, reports that pufferfish, black drum, sea mullet, and some small bluefish are falling for bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
Those casting soft plastic grubs are connecting with some speckled trout.
The pier will be closing the Sunday after Thanksgiving for the season.
Robbie, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of small trout (with some keepers mixed in) while casting Gulps and other soft plastics from the planks.
Bottom fishermen are putting together some good catches of black drum and sea mullet while baiting up with shrimp.
Some bluefish are still falling for Gotcha plugs worked from the pier.
