Topsail August 24, 2006
Stan, of Captain Stanman’s Fishing Charters, reports that as hot as the bite was in the area of D, E, Christmas, and Honeymoon for the past three weeks, that’s how fast the change in wind direction has shut the bite down. Then after two days, the king bite started up again with many of the 20 pounders in the Sneads Ferry KMT coming from those areas.
Menhaden in the Swansboro area is still hard to find. More bait has shown up that is the perfect size for flounder, but they’re not big enough for catching big kings.
Dolphin are still biting good around the 14 buoy on rigged ballyhoo, and some weeds and small dolphin have shown up at the Honey Hole, S/E Bottoms, and the Honeymoon.
Jig bait is a little more predictable at the C, D, and E buoys. If you don’t find them at the buoys, then move away making a circle pattern until you find them. The predators have been moving them off the buoys and forcing them to the top.
Jeff, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that the flounder fishing is still hot on the internal waters around Bogue Sound, Bogue Inlet, the ICW, Bear and Brown’s Inlets, and White Oak River.
The good high tides have returned this week, and they’re pushing lots of slot-sized redfish into the backwaters, including the shallow bays around the inlets and the tidal creeks behind the barrier islands. There should be plenty of redfish and some black drum around the oyster rocks in the sound and river, as well as Queens Creek.
There are also reds holding around the inlet shoals on the falling tide. You can usually find these fish working in the white water close to the beach and sand bars.
Many speckled trout have moved down river and toward the tidal creeks behind the barrier island recently. Although most of these early fall fish are 12 to 16 inches, there are some big fish of 2+ pounds mixed in.
The big king mackerel and a lot of big (3 to 6 pound) spanish mackerel have moved into the nearshore waters, with good concentrations of fish in the 30 to 50 foot range.
The summer flounder bite along the nearshore live bottoms and AR’s has been consistent, with multiple catches being the norm. Most of these flounder are weighing from 1.5 to 3 pounds. Live mullet on a Carolina rig and Berkley Gulp baits tipped on a bucktail have been the top producers of flounder this season in our area.
Billy, at Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that black drum, pompano, and whiting are coming over the rails. Shrimp is the best bait for all three.
Flounder from 2 to 4 pounds are biting all sorts of live minnows on Carolina rigs.
Speckled trout from 1 to 2 pounds are hitting cut shrimp on the bottom.
Many kings were landed this week, with the largest going 36 pounds. A 107 pound tarpon was also caught on a live bait.
The water at the pier is 82 degrees.
