Topsail December 6, 2007
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are catching a lot of nice whiting in the surf. The whiting bite continued through January last year, so anglers likely still have a few more weeks to target the fish. Cut shrimp should draw plenty of bites.
Speckled trout are also schooled up in the surf, especially in sloughs towards the south end of the island. Mirrolures are the ideal baits to cast to these surf trout, and barring severe cold fronts, the fish should be around for much of the winter.
Some red drum are also feeding in the surf zone sloughs along the island, and anglers willing to weed through serious numbers of bluefish should be able to catch them on cut baits. A few flounder are also still feeding in the surf, and one angler caught a 6 lb. flattie on a cut bait last week.
Reds are also feeding on oyster beds inshore, where anglers will be able to target them throughout the winter. Gulp baits, especially the 3” shrimp in New Penny, should prove nearly irresistible to the drum.
Gray trout are still holding on structure just off the beaches, and will fall for lures vertically jigged near the structure.
False albacore are chasing bait from the beaches to nearshore structure like Diver’s Rock. Anglers can hook up with the hard-fighting albacore by casting Stingsilvers or other lures to breaking schools.
Boats have been hooking up with gag grouper around 12-14 miles out of the inlet, but they’ll eventually be moving back offshore to deeper water. Red grouper and other bottom fish are holding 25+ miles from land.
Kings should be thick around temperature breaks a bit further offshore for most of the winter.
Traditionally some wahoo and yellowfin tuna remain active in the Gulf Stream off Topsail through the cold months, so boats may find the long run to blue water worthwhile.
Bluefin tuna season is beginning, and every year, anglers land a few around Christmas Rock and Dallas Rock. The water temperatures are just getting into bluefin range, so there may be a few of these giants around those areas already.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that the New River speckled trout bite is still hot, although it has tapered off a bit since the wild fishing anglers found in mid-November. There are still plenty of citation class (4+ lb.) specks in the mix, though.
Live shrimp fished beneath slip floats are the number one trout producers, but the shrimp have nearly disappeared for the winter, meaning anglers must either buy them or use artificials.
Shrimp imitations, particularly the Billy Bay Halo and Storm shrimp are some of the best artificial lures, and anglers may also be able to tempt the trout to strike topwaters on nicer days.
Puppy drum (with most falling under the slot limit) are schooled up toward the back of nearly every creek off the New River, and they’ll fall for the shrimp imitations as well.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that pier anglers are hooking up with some fat whiting and a few black drum (with most 2-3 lbs. but some up to 10+ mixed in). Shrimp fished on bottom rigs have been drawing attention from both species.
Anglers casting Gotcha plugs are landing good numbers of bluefish.
The pier is closing for the year in a few weeks, but before then, anglers should see a good speckled trout bite materialize.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that the speckled trout bite in the area has gotten really good over the past month. The action should remain solid until January if the temperatures stay reasonably mild.
Anglers are hooking up with the specks throughout the river, the ICW, around the inlets, and off the barrier islands in the surf. Live shrimp are the prime trout baits, but Mirrolures, Halo shrimp, Gulp baits, and a variety of soft plastics will also draw strikes.
Red drum are schooled up and feeding in shallow water in the New River. Most are within the slot limit, but a decent number are larger, over-slot fish. In the shallows, many anglers are sight-casting to the drum, and scented soft baits, like Gulps and Slurps, along with Halo shrimp should entice strikes from the reds. As long as the water temperatures don’t drop too sharply, anglers should be able to target the reds on sunny, warm days all winter long.
Offshore, boats are landing good catches of grouper at bottom structure 20-30 miles offshore, and the fish will stay in that range throughout the cold months.
King mackerel are schooling up 20-30+ miles off the beach, and though they’ll be following bait and temperature changes, schools of kings will be feeding offshore of New River all winter, too.
Wahoo and yellowfins are still feeding around the Big Rock and the Swansboro Hole, and there should be a few around those areas until spring.
It’s time for the giant bluefin tuna to show up, and several have already been landed out of Morehead City. An Ilander/horse ballyhoo combination is the best bait for the bluefins, and boats can start searching for them on the west side of Lookout Shoals.
