Topsail August 15, 2013
Robin Hailey, of Archer Lodge, NC, with a 20″ red drum she caught and released off a soundside dock at Topsail Beach. The red fell for cut squid.
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent spanish mackerel action off the Topsail beachfront on many days, but the fish seem to disappear overnight at times as well. Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and torpedo weights is fooling most of the spaniards when they are biting.
There’s been a decent king mackerel bite within a few miles of shore recently, too, and it seems a large body of kings has been hugging the coast this summer. Anglers are hooking most of the mackerel on live baits like menhaden, but dead cigar minnows can also produce results.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with gag grouper at spots within 10 miles of land, with plenty more feeding out to the 20-30 mile range. Red and scamp grouper are a bit further off in the 100’+ depths. Dead cigar minnows, sardines, and mackerel (along with live baits) are solid bets for the grouper.
Gulf Stream trollers are still reporting a solid wahoo bite, primarily while pulling ballyhoo under skirted lures like Ilanders and Blue Water Candy JAGs.
Surf casters are seeing a typical summer mixed bag of sea mullet, pompano, spot, croaker, and more. Shrimp and bloodworms on double-drop rigs are producing most of the action with the panfish.
Inshore, red drum are still feeding around the inlets, in the marshes and bays, and around ICW structure like docks. Live and cut baits or artificials like topwater lures and soft plastics are all effective on the reds.
Michelle Stephenson, of Topsail Island, with her first dolphin, hooked on a light-lined cigar minnow 35 miles off New River Inlet.
The flounder bite is also going strong inshore in many of the same areas. Live finger mullet and mud minnows or scented soft baits like Gulps are tempting bites from the flatfish.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around bridge and dock pilings and other inshore structure, where they’ll bite live fiddler crabs and shrimp.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers are still hooking big numbers of red drum in the New River and the bays off the ICW. There are large schools of red drum in some of the areas, and anglers are tempting the reds to bite topwater plugs, weedless spoons, and soft plastic baits.
Some speckled trout are also feeding on the flats off the river and ICW, but the bite has been inconsistent from day-to-day (big trout are in the mix when they’re biting—fish to 8 lbs. last week). Topwater plugs and MR17 MirrOlures are fooling the specks when they’re in a feeding mood.
Flounder fishing has been up-and-down lately, too, but the good days have been producing some excellent action. Soft plastics laced with scents like Pro-Cure Super Gel are the way to go for the flatfish.
Jackson St. Pierre (age 4), of Clinton, NC, with his first king mackerel. The king bit a live sardine at AR-362
Tyler, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking a few spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs from the pier recently.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with spot on shrimp and bloodworms.
Bob, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are hooking decent numbers of sea mullet and spot while bottom-fishing with shrimp and bloodworms. Some smaller flounder have been mixed in.
Plug casters had decent action with spanish mackerel last week when there was clear water around the end of the pier.
Robbie, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that there was a decent sea mullet and spot bite last weekend, with the best action at night. Shrimp and bloodworms are fooling the panfish.
Some spanish mackerel and bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs early and late in the day.
