Topsail July 20, 2006
Ricky, at Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that red drum are still biting all over. The surf, inlets, ICW, and the river are all holding fish. Finger mullet and artificials are working the best.
The red drum hitting inside are ranging 20-24”, with a few bigger ones mixed in.
Speckled trout are biting in the waterway near inlets and in the river on live baits and artificial shrimp.
A few flounder are being caught on nearshore reefs. They’re averaging 2 to 4 lbs. and coming off of live pogies.
Jimmy, at Bad Attitude Charters, reports that fishing is still fairly consistent as long as the wind allows boats to get out.
Kings and dolphin are being caught just off the beach out to 30+ miles. The kings are in the 8 to 15 lb. range, with some bigger fish occasionally being caught. The dolphin are usually very small, with a few of the larger ones going 10 to 15 lbs.
Better numbers of fish are out past 20 miles. Trolling live or dead cigar minnows has been the best bait.
Grouper are being caught as close as 15 miles (if you are looking for gags), but reds are holding in at least 90’ of water.
Eric, at New River Marina, reports good numbers of redfish and speckled trout being caught in the river on both live bait and artificials.
Flounder fishing has picked up in the Sneads Ferry area on live bait.
Black drum and sheepshead are being caught on crabs and barnacles at the high rise bridge.
Outside the inlet, the spanish, kings, and dolphin are all being caught from 2 to 30 miles out.
Ed, at Surf City Pier, reports sheepshead from 3-5 lbs. biting sand fleas fished adjacent to the pilings.
Some spots are biting bloodworms late at night.
Fishing minnows on the bottom has been productive on 2-4 lb. flounder. The mornings are the prime time to try.
Sometimes small bluefish are biting the minnows intended for flounder. Plug casting will also catch the blues, which are the perfect size for king mackerel baits.
A 17 lb. king was caught this week on a live bluefish.
The water temperature is around 80 degrees.
Bill, at Sea View Pier, reports that spots and whiting are biting artificial bloodworms on bottom rigs.
Anglers are catching speckled trout on live shrimp and a variety of artificial baits, including Gotcha plugs and grubs.
Some undersize flounder are being caught.
Plug casters are pulling spanish mackerel and bluefish over the rails.
King mackerel are biting a variety of live baits; one weighed 19 lbs. after losing the rear half of its body to a shark.
