Topsail – August 20, 2015
Patton, of East Coast Sports, that anglers are connecting with some black drum and sea mullet while casting baits from Topsail’s surf. Shrimp are producing most of the action.
Some bluefish are also falling for cut baits in the surf.
Pier bottom fishermen are decking some spot in addition to the sea mullet and drum.
Sheepshead are also feeding around the piers and biting sand fleas and other crustacean baits.
Inshore, anglers are hooking red drum in the marshes and around structure like docks. The reds will bite live and cut baits or artificial lures like topwater plugs, spoons, and soft plastics.
Flounder are feeding in many of the same areas inshore and around the inlets. Anglers can hook the flatfish on live baits like mud minnows and finger mullet or scented soft lures like Gulps.
Offshore, bottom fishermen are finding plenty of action with grouper, sea bass, grunts, and snappers while dropping baits to structure 15-30 miles offshore. Live, dead, and cut baits will all produce results with the bottom dwellers.
Anglers making the run to the Gulf Stream are connecting with good numbers of wahoo and some sailfish. Ballyhoo trolled with skirted lures are fooling the majority of the blue water predators.
Kim Demoux, of Jacksonville, with a 26″ red drum she caught and released in Browns Inlet after it attacked a live finger mullet in a marsh cut.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that there’s still a good flounder bite going on inshore at Topsail. Anglers are hooking the largest fish around deeper inshore structure like docks and bridges on live finger mullet and peanut menhaden.
Good numbers of black drum are feeding in many of the same areas. They’ll take an interest in cut, whole, or live shrimp fished on the bottom close to the structure.
The red drum bite remains strong in many of the area’s marshes and bays. Grass and shell banks with good current flow are producing the best bite, and anglers are tempting the reds to bite live and cut mullet and menhaden.
Mickey Love with a 7.3 lb. flounder that he hooked on a Topsail Beach dock. Weighed in at East Coast Sports.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers are connecting with solid numbers of upper and over-slot red drum around Sneads Ferry. The fish are feeding in the bays and backwaters off the New River and ICW, and anglers are finding solid schools of fish to sight-cast to on some days.
Some large (to 7+ lbs.) speckled trout are looking for meals in the same areas. Anglers are fooling the reds and big specks on topwater plugs, weedless spoons, and Salty Bay soft plastics.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are hooking a few more spanish mackerel and bluefish while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs than they were in previous weeks.
Some larger (4+ lbs.) spaniards are taking an interest in live baits anglers are fishing from the end of the pier on king rigs.
Bottom fishermen are starting to see some pompano and larger (1+ lb.) sea mullet while baiting up with sand fleas. Shrimp are still producing a mix of smaller panfish.
Ed, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers have hooked some solid flounder (to 4+ lbs.) while fishing live baits on the bottom recently. A large speckled trout also fell for one of the live baits last week.
Some big spanish mackerel are biting live baits fished off the end of the pier.
Anglers are hooking scattered smaller spansih and some bluefish while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Bottom fishermen found some action with spot over the past weekend.
April, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that plug casters are hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel from the end of the pier in the early morning hours.
Bottom fishermen hare hooking a few more bluefish and saw some spot action early in the week.
