Topsail October 12, 2006
Chris, at East Coast Sports, reports that the main bite on the area piers has been pompano. They are also picking up some flounder and a few spanish.
Surf fishing is also producing a bunch of pompano. And anglers are picking up plenty of reds and a few specks and spots.
Inshore, some ladyfish are surprisingly still around. The flounder bite is also doing well. There aren’t a lot of big ones, but anglers are picking up quite a few legal-sized fish.
The gray trout are thick. And spanish have showed up just offshore again, as well as the kings. Look for the grays and spanish just outside the inlet, as well as at the checkered board sign at the military base. Go with orange diamond jigs for the grays and crystal minnow deep divers for the spanish. The kings are big and thick around Christmas Rock, and most are being caught on dead bait.
Offshore, there are plenty of grouper at WR-2
Eric, at New River Marina, reports a little bit of everything is biting as the fall season gets going. Redfish and speckled trout are becoming more aggressive and hitting topwaters in the river and waterway.
A few runs of spots have been going on in the waterway and the surf. Sea mullet are moving along the beach as well.
Spanish mackerel are just outside the inlet, along with some gray trout, while a few kings continue to be caught near the beach. Even though the king bite is improving, anglers are still waiting on the fall run.
Gulf stream reports have been all wahoo with the occasional dolphin. No yellowfin to report yet.
Ricky, at Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that the speckled trout continue to bite well, and it will only get better as the water cools. Fish have been coming from the river and in holes near the inlets. Live shrimp will always entice a bite, but they are also beginning to hit better on artificials.
Redfish are still hitting artificials in the river and waterway. However, the best fishing lately has been nearshore for gray trout and spanish mackerel. Jigging spoons on the nearshore live bottoms has been productive. Some of the grays are over 20 inches, and the spanish are averaging 2-3 pounds
Greg, at Sea View Pier, reports that pompano and spots are biting bloodworms on the bottom. The whiting are hitting shrimp.
Flounder running from just legal size to 6 lbs. are eating finger mullet on Carolina rigs.
This past week saw the best spanish mackerel run in recent memory. All of the anglers casting plugs limited out. The heaviest were running 5 lbs.
Ed, at Surf City Pier, reports that big pompano (around 2 lbs.) and whiting are biting shrimp in the daytime.
Fishing in the early morning with live minnows has been effective for flounder. They’re ranging in size from 14” up to 5 lbs.
Spanish mackerel have been visible in the clear water, but they’ve been reluctant to bite.
A 23 lb. king was landed last week.
The water at the pier is 77 degrees.
