Topsail – April 27, 2017
Austin, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf anglers are connecting with good numbers of bluefish. All sizes of blues are being caught, including a healthy ratio of fish over 8 lbs. The best action has been on Sea Striker bluefish rigs and circle hooks on fish finder rigs. The surf zone is also giving up a few red drum, especially towards the inlet. Cut mullet and bluefish on the bottom has worked best.
Flounder are showing up in the surf, and most of the fish so far have been undersized. Live mud minnows on Carolina rigs and Gulp curly tails on Blue Water Candy 3/8 oz. jigheads are getting the bites.
Topwater baits by Rapala and MirrOlure are getting the red drum and chopper bluefish to bite back in the marsh. The reds are also keying in on cut baits around waterway docks and hard bottoms.
Flounder have become more active over the past week. The fish are being found in the greatest numbers along docks and deeper channels towards the inlets. Gulp baits on Blue Water Candy jigs and live mud minnows on Carolina rigs are producing best.
Speckled trout fishing has remained good, with anglers finding a mix of keepers and undersized fish. Targeting them early and late in the day has produced the best results. Z-Man and Gulp soft plastics and topwater and suspending baits by MirrOlure are getting the bites.
Nearshore boaters are reporting scattered bonito along nearshore structure. Casting diamond and epoxy jigs to surface feeding fish is working best. Once the fish move deeper, trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers and Clarkspoons behind planers are how most of the bites are happening. A few false albacore and small king mackerel are holding around the same structure. The king bite has been excellent in the 5-20 mile range on plugs and spoons.
Black sea bass and a few flounder are providing action around nearshore structure. Spro jigs tipped with 4” Gulp shrimp have been catching both. The bass are also taking jigs and squid baits.
Gulf Stream anglers are reporting blackfin tuna, wahoo, and a few mahi on the troll. Skirted ballyhoo and plugs are getting bites from all three. Look for gaffer dolphin to show up soon, along with some sailfish.
Tim Chavez, of North Topsail Beach, with a chopper blue caught off the Seaview Fishing Pier while sight casting with a topwater lure.
Chadwick, of South End Anglers, reports that chopper bluefish have been biting well throughout the marsh this past week. The largest concentrations seem to be closer towards the inlet and back in the creeks. Topwater plugs, Z-Man jerk shads, and cut bait are producing good numbers of fish.
Red drum fishing is improving, with most of the bites coming on cut blue crab, shrimp, and bluefish. Pinfish have invaded the marsh heavily, making it necessary to carry lots of bait. The reds are also taking more of an interest in soft plastics, topwater plugs, and suspending twitch baits.
Speckled trout fishing is beginning to slow down with the warmer water. The fish have been biting Spook Jr. topwater plugs early in the morning. Live mud minnows under slip floats have been working once the sun gets up.
Flounder fishing is starting to pick up, and both the inlets and creek mouths of all sizes are holding a good mix of keeper and undersize fish. Casting 1/4 oz. Fathom Inshore jigs with Z-Man PaddlerZ plastics and live mud minnows have been getting them to bite.
Teresa Mannise with a speckled trout caught in the New River on a MirrOlure MR17.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that some bonito are around, but the schools are small. Casting metal jigs to breaking fish and trolling Yo-Zuri deep divers are how most have been caught. The fish are off the Liberty Ship, Dallas Rocks, 5 Mile Boxcars, and Sheepshead Rock. Small kings have been mixed in with the bonito, as well as a few large spanish mackerel.
Black sea bass fishing has been pretty good on the nearshore wrecks. Metal jigs and squid baits are working best.
Colton Reedy (age 10), of Ball Ground, GA, with his first flounder. It was caught and released in the backwaters of Topsail. The fish was 14” and bit on a Gulp white ripple mullet with a 1/4 oz. Blue Water Candy jig head.
Mike, of Native Son Guide Service, reports that chopper blues are biting topwater plugs in the creeks. The surf zone is holding a lot of these fish as well.
Speckled trout fishing is producing both small are keeper-sized fish. MirrOlure MR17, topwater lures, and Z-Man soft plastics are the ticket. Now that the water is warmer, the best bite seems to be early and late in the day.
Atlantic bonito are hanging around live bottoms just off the beach. Look for them to leave any day now that the spanish are beginning to show up.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that a mix of school and chopper-sized bluefish are being caught on Gotcha plugs and cut bait. Early and late in the day has been good for the blues.
Sea mullet are still hanging around in good numbers for those fishing fresh shrimp on the bottom.
Garrison, of Surf City Pier, reports that there has been a good bite of sea mullet once the sun goes down. Bluefish of all sizes have been keeping anglers busy over the past week. Cut bait on the bottom, live baits, and Gotcha plugs have been getting bites from the bluefish.
Jason, of Seaview Fishing Pier, reports that bluefish of all sizes have been caught over the past week on plugs, live bait, and cut baits.
Fresh shrimp has been catching a few sea mullet in the evenings and at night.
