Topsail April 24, 2014
Dale Smith, of Swansboro, with a 27″ red drum that bit a white Gulp shrimp near Bear Inlet while he was fishing with Capt. Chris Sewell of Fishead Charter.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that the big news in the area is that Atlantic bonito have shown up off New River Inlet. Several anglers connected with the speedy tuna relatives around Divers Rock early in the week, and the fish should arrive in full force soon. Anglers can hook the tasty bonito while trolling diving plugs and Clarkspoons or target them while sight-casting to breaking fish with diamond jigs and other metal casting lures.
Back on land, anglers have been catching good numbers of sea mullet from Topsail’s oceanfront piers. Shrimp, bloodworms, and other baits will attract attention from the mullet.
Surf casters are also connecting with some sea mullet. Those fishing near the inlets have also been finding action with a few slot and over-slot red drum, mostly on cut baits and shrimp.
Inshore, speckled trout and red drum are still feeding in the creeks where they spent the winter. Warming water has them a bit more active, and they’re biting topwater plugs in addition to soft plastics and live and cut baits.
Flounder fishing is beginning to pick up inshore, and many anglers reported flatfish encounters this week. The flounder should only become more numerous and larger as the water temperatures continue to rise and spring progresses. Live mud minnows or scented soft lures like Gulps will tempt bites from the flatfish.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that fluctuating water temperatures have made staying on the fish a bit tough lately, but anglers are still finding some action inshore around Topsail and Figure Eight.
Bill Lamb with a 33″ red drum that struck mullet near Wrightsville Beach while he was fishing with Butch Davis.
On warmer days, red drum are feeding in the shallow flats with dark mud bottoms. Anglers are hooking them on small menhaden fished on float rigs, as bottom rigs quickly foul in the “winter moss” covering the bottom right now. Outgoing tides are producing the best action as the water temperatures tend to be higher.
When it’s cooler, fishing deeper holes in 10’+ of water is a better bet and is also producing a few flounder and speckled trout. Carolina-rigged menhaden or soft plastics on jigheads are getting the job done in the deeper water.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that the wind, rain, and up-and-down temperatures recently have made the area’s red drum a bit tougher to fool than usual lately, but anglers are still hooking good numbers in the bays and creeks off the ICW and New River (most slot fish but some larger). When anglers can find fish in a feeding mode, they’re still biting topwater plugs well. Gold spoons and TTF soft plastics are doing the trick when anglers can’t convince the reds to bite on top.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet and pufferfish while bottom fishing with shrimp. A few small bluefish are also biting the bottom rigs.
Anglers hooked some red and black drum last week on cut baits fished near the surf zone.
Ed, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet (with some fat ones in the mix), pufferfish, small gray trout, and bluefish while bottom fishing from the pier. An angler also landed the year’s first pompano last week.
Robbie, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that there’s been a good sea mullet bite at night recently, with shrimp producing most of the action.
Anglers are also picking up some bluefish on baited bottom rigs.
