Topsail – July 10, 2014
Johnny Williamson, of Pink Hill, NC, with a speckled trout that bit a Gulp bait in the New River near Jacksonville.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers have been seeing some excellent speckled trout action from the piers since Hurricane Arthur passed the area late last week. Most of the specks are falling for live shrimp.
Red drum are feeding around the shoals of the local inlets, in the marshes, and around structure in the ICW. Anglers are hooking them on cut baits in the surf around the inlets and on live baits, topwater plugs, soft plastics, and a host of other artificials inshore.
The flounder action inshore has also been strong since the storm, and anglers are hooking solid numbers of flatfish near the inlets and around inshore structure like docks and bridges. Most are falling for live mud minnows and finger mullet on Carolina rigs, but Gulp baits are fooling a good number of fish as well.
Sheepshead and black drum are looking for meals around bridge and dock pilings and other hard structure inshore. Both crustacean-lovers will pounce on live fiddler crabs, sand fleas, or shrimp fished close to their homes.
The spanish mackerel bite slowed down a bit following the storm, but anglers are starting to catch decent numbers again. The spaniards and good numbers of bluefish are falling for Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and torpedo weights, and the bite has been better in the early morning hours recently.
Cashton Reynolds, of Indianapolis, IN, with his first red drum, hooked near Topsail Beach while he was fishing with Capt. Jason Dail of Silverspoon Charters.
Cobia have been feeding 3-5 miles off the beachfront, and boats have been encountering multiple fish at a time. Live baits are tough for the cobias to resist, but anglers can also hook up on bucktail jigs and soft plastic eel imitations.
Large sharks are also looking for meals within a few miles of shore, and anglers can find plenty of action with the sharks while chumming and drifting with dead and cut baits.
Some king mackerel have been reported around the F Buoy off New River Inlet since the storm, and anglers will likely find them at other spots in the 10-20 mile range once the weather calms and more boats get out in the ocean.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that the inshore bite has been tough since the hurricane, but it should get back on track soon as the water continues to clean up. Flounder have been feeding near the inlets and in deeper water inshore, and anglers can tempt them to bite live menhaden and mullet pinned to Carolina rigs.
Red drum are looking for meals around marsh grass near the inlets and in other areas with good current flow. They also have a tough time turning down a live menhaden or mullet.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers saw some excellent speckled trout action from the pier early in the week (with many limit catches). Most of the specks have been falling for live shrimp in the early morning hours.
Some red drum are taking an interest in finger mullet and cut baits fished under the pier.
There have been some unseasonably large spot biting in the evening hours, with bloodworms producing the best results.
Richard Walton, of Seaview Pier, with a limit of speckled trout he hooked on live shrimp while fishing from the pier in early July.
Plug casters are hooking a few spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotchas, but the action hasn’t been consistent.Steve, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking spot, sea mullet, croaker, and other bottom feeders on small hooks baited with shrimp and bloodworms. Some black drum have been mixed in.
Some large spanish mackerel (to 5+ lbs.) are biting live baits off the end of the pier.
Robbie, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with a mixed bag of bottom feeders including spot, sea mullet, and croaker on shrimp and bloodworms. Some speckled trout have been falling for cut shrimp as well.
Anglers fishing live baits under the pier are connecting with some flounder.
Plug casters are picking up some bluefish and an occasional spanish mackerel in the early morning hours.
