Topsail – April 14, 2016
Danny, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf anglers are connecting with good numbers of sea mullet. The best fishing has been in the evenings on an incoming tide. Fresh shrimp, bloodworms, and Fishbites on bottom rigs have been working best. Some nice black drum have also been caught recently in the surf. The drum can be caught using the same rigs and baits as the sea mullet. Blow toads are still in area waters, too, but the catch rate compared to previous weeks has slowed.
Inshore, the red and black drum bite is good along the waterway. Scented soft plastics like Gulp and Z-Man are producing bites in both paddletails and shrimp. The red drum are holding on docks and deeper creeks near the inlets. The black drum have been taking cut shrimp fished on Carolina rigs and jigheads.
Speckled trout fishing has been decent along the ICW and feeder creeks. They have been biting MirrOlure MR17’s and 18’s along with soft plastic shrimp by Gulp and Z-Man.
Flounder fishing has been steadily picking up, but the fish this time of year are generally on the small side. Live mud minnows fished on Carolina rigs is the best method for early season flounder.
The nearshore anglers are reporting the arrival of bonito. The majority of the fish are holding on structure in the 5-10 mile range. Some fish have been found closer in around places like Diver’s Rock and the High Rise, though. The bonito are keying in on smaller lures. Epoxy and metal jigs are the ticket when they are feeding on the surface. When the fish are not visible, Yo-Zuri crystal minnows and spoons trolled under planers are getting the job done.
The black sea bass fishing remains solid. Keeper fish are being found in 50’ of water, and the bigger fish are moving towards deeper water. Metal jigs and cut baits are producing most of the fish. Porgies and white grunts are hanging around the AR’s and ledges in the same range as the bass.
The Gulf Stream is producing good catches of wahoo. The fish are holding near the 70 degree temperature breaks. Skirted ballyhoo fished under a planer have been producing the best catches. While trolling for wahoo, a few sailfish have been caught. The sails are falling for the same baits used for wahoo.
Tim Chavez with a keeper red drum he caught on Topsail Island.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Inshore Charters, reports that the red drum, flounder and trout fishing is all getting better with the rising water temperatures in the New River. The drum and trout are moving up onto the flats around oyster beds. On the flats, the fish are showing an interest in topwater plugs like the MirrOlure Top Dog in chartreuse. Betts Perfect Sinker Shrimp and Betts Halo Shads are getting most of the action in deeper water.
My first flounder of the season, caught in the canal on McLeod Street, Topsail Beach on April 1, 2016. It measured 13 1/2 inches so it was put back in the water.
Ed Hartman
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that there are lots of bait schools around nearshore structure. Bluefish and bonito are taking advantage of the abundance and offering good fishing opportunities. Most of the fish are hanging in 60’+ of water where the water temperature is 62 degrees.
Black drum (averaging 20”) are biting around the docks along the ICW. They are eating cut shrimp dead-sticked around the docks and bridge structure. Red drum are feeding on white Gulp shrimp around the same areas that the black drum are holding.
Bluefish are moving into the backwaters around Figure Eight Island and are favoring cut bait and paddletail soft plastics.
Robbie, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that the sea mullet bite has been excellent in the evenings on an outgoing tide. The fish are eating fresh shrimp and clam-flavored Fishbites.
Blow toads are being caught on both sides of the tide and have not shown a preference to night or day.
Skates are offering some pullage once the sun goes down, and cut bait on the bottom is working best.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that sea mullet are biting very well at night. The fish are feeding best on an incoming tide using cut shrimp and Fishbites.
Blow toads are biting well throughout the day on pieces of shrimp and bloodworms.
The water temperature is 62 degrees, so the bluefish are expected to show up soon.
David, of Seaview Pier, reports that keeper-sized black drum are making a good showing. The drum are biting best around high tide and in the evenings. Fresh shrimp and shrimp-flavored Fishbites are the best way to connect with them.
Sea mullet continue to fill coolers for anglers using bloodworms and shrimp. The fish are biting a little better during the evening hours.
The water temperature is 63 degrees.
