Topsail – October 22, 2015
Zach, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers fishing Topsail Island’s piers are connecting with some spot, sea mullet, croaker, and other panfish while bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms.
Those baiting up with larger cut and live baits are hooking some flounder, speckled trout, and red drum.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still around and biting casting lures like diamond jigs and Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the piers.
Surf casters are also hooking red drum (from slot-sized to well over) with cut and finger mullet fooling most of the fish.
Flounder are biting live baits just off the beaches.
Anglers are also hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel while casting Stingsilvers and other heavy metal lures from the beachfront.
Bottom fishing in the surf is producing a mixed bag of spot, sea mullet, croaker, and other panfish. Shrimp, bloodworms, and Fish Bites baits are the best bets for the surf bottom feeders.
Inshore, there’s been some good red drum action near the inlets, in the marshes, and around structure like docks. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite a variety of live and cut baits or artificial lures like topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, spoons, Gulps, and more.
Flounder are feeding in many of the same areas as the reds. Dragging Carolina-rigged live baits along the bottom or slowly working Gulps and other scented soft baits on jigheads will attract attention from the flatfish.
Speckled trout are beginning to make their fall appearance in the creeks and around structure along the ICW. Anglers can fool the specks with live shrimp or a variety of artificial lures, particularly suspending plugs and soft plastics.
Bluefish are also showing up in good numbers inshore, where anglers are hooking the voracious predators on a host of baits and lures.
Taylor McLean (age 5) and her grandfather, Capt. Jodie Gay of Blue Water Candy Lures, with a 29.5″ red drum she landed while fishing the ICW near Topsail Beach with her brother Connor and stepfather Russell Weaver.
Earl, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking some spot, sea mullet, black drum, and pufferfish while bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms.
Some speckled trout have been biting live baits and lures.
A king mackerel was landed after it struck a live bait off the end of the pier last week.
Carl Banks with an 18 lb. king mackerel that fell for a live bluefish while he was kayak fishing just off the Topsail Island shoreline.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking good numbers of spot while bottom fishing from the pier with shrimp and bloodworms. Some sea mullet have been mixed in.
Flounder have been biting live baits fished under the pier.
Anglers saw some good days of action with spanish mackerel and bluefish over the past week while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier.
Several king mackerel were also caught last week by anglers fishing live baits off the end of the pier.
Bruce Perkins with his first red drum, a citation-class fish he hooked on a chunk of mullet while fishing the Neuse River near Oriental with Peter Overgaard.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with big numbers of bluefish and some spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier.
Bottom fishermen have been hooking some large pompano and black drum in the daylight hours and sea mullet at night. Shrimp are fooling both.
Anglers soaking live baits near the pilings are also decking good numbers of keeper flounder.
