Topsail April 12, 2012
Parker Fuller, of Columbia, SC, with a red drum that bit a TTF soft plastic near Sneads Ferry while he was fishing with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures.
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that the sea mullet action is still going strong off Topsail’s piers. Surf casters are hooking a few as well, and shrimp are producing most of the action.
Anglers are also hooking plenty of bluefish from the piers while working Gotcha plugs, and the first few spanish mackerel of the year have also come over the rails.
Fewer (but larger) blues are biting cut baits in the surf.
Sheepshead and black drum are feeding around the pilings of the ocean piers and inshore bridges and docks. Fresh shrimp or fiddler crabs will tempt bites from both crustacean lovers.
Giggers are finding plenty of flounder inshore, but they aren’t feeding hard yet.
Anglers are still connecting with speckled trout in the creeks off the ICW and New River. They’re taking an interest in Yo-Zuri 3D shrimp and Gulp baits or other soft plastics.
There are a few red drum feeding on the flats and in the creeks inshore, but they’ve been tough to locate and pattern recently.
Atlantic bonito have shown up between New River Inlet and Diver’s Rock, and boats were able to hook some last week while trolling small spoons and diving plugs and casting small, flashy metal lures at fish feeding on the surface.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream lately have been rewarded with plenty of blackfin tuna and a few wahoo. Ballyhoo and baitless trolling lures have both been effective.
Christopher Cross with a black drum that he hooked in the Onslow Beach surf.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Fishing Charters, reports that there was solid fishing last week before the front and rain dropped the water temperature, and it should be back on track following a few more warm days.
Flounder (with decent numbers of keepers to 18”) are feeding in deeper water inshore, with the best action around hard structure in 10-12’ or more lately. Live mud minnows and a variety of Gulp baits are tough to beat for the flatfish.
Red and black drum are mixed together and feeding back up area creeks. Fresh shrimp suspended just off the bottom on a float rig are tempting plenty of bites from both.
Some speckled trout (most smaller) are also feeding in the creeks and around inshore structure. Storm shrimp and Gulp baits are top choices for the specks.
Anglers are catching bluefish from the ocean piers and in the inlets, and they’ll bite a wide variety of lures and baits.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that the red drum bite is still on in the creeks and bays around Sneads Ferry. Some of the backwaters are holding large schools of fish, with smaller groups in others. Light bucktails tipped with Gulp baits and other soft plastics have been the most effective lures with the reds lately.
Some speckled trout are in the same areas and falling for the bucktails as well.
Flounder are feeding around deeper holes and grass banks in the marshes, where bucktails and Gulps are also hard to beat.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that the bluefish action has been strong over the past week, and a few spanish mackerel have been in the mix. Both are falling for Gotcha plugs worked from the pier (with a few incidental catches of blues on bottom rigs).
Ella Childs with the first pompano of the year landed from Jolly Roger Pier.
The sea mullet bite has been excellent at night recently, with slower action in the day. Shrimp on bottom rigs are producing the lion’s share of the mullet.
Some keeper flounder are biting small live baits under the piers, and a few red and black drum have also been joining the catch lately.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are connecting with pufferfish in the daytime and sea mullet at night. Both are falling for cut shrimp (which also fooled a 2.5 lb. triggerfish from the pier this past week).
Bluefish and the first few spanish mackerel of the year are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs.
Cindy, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that plug casters are finding some excellent bluefish action while working Gotcha plugs.
Bottom fishermen have been putting together good catches of sea mullet at night. Some pufferfish are mixed in and also biting during the day, and anglers also landed a few pompano last week. All the bottom feeders are biting shrimp.
