Topsail August 26, 2010
Thomas Berry and Jonathan Graham with a wahoo that fell for a live threadfin in 90' of water off New River Inlet.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf and pier anglers have been picking away at a mixed bag of summer bottom feeders like whiting, spot, and pompano along the island. Shrimp will fool all three, and the action’s been best at night and early and late in the day. Red drum are feeding in the surf at Lea Island, where anglers can hook them on finger mullet or gold spoons.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding along the beaches, and anglers are hooking them on plugs, jigs, and live baits from the piers and while trolling spoons and other lures from boats.
A few large king mackerel are in the same area, and they will take an interest in live baits.
Big sharks are feeding nearshore, and large cut baits will tempt them to bite.
Amberjacks are schooled up and feeding on structure from a few miles offshore out to the break. Topwater plugs and large Hogy soft plastics are producing some exhilarating surface action with the jacks.
Some sailfish are spread out from a few miles off to the Stream, but they aren’t terribly plentiful in any one location.
Boats making the run to the Stream are seeing increasing numbers of wahoo.
Inshore, the flounder fishing remains solid near the inlets and inshore structure. Small live baits are the way to go for the flatfish.
Sheepshead are feeding near the bridges, docks, and rockpiles, and anglers can hook up with some huge fish while dangling fiddler crabs and other baits near the structure.
Red drum are on the feed in the bays, especially off the New River, and anglers can fool them with a variety of lures or live baits.
Some tarpon have been seen in the New River as well.
Ladyfish are feeding around well-lit areas with current at night. Live baits and Rapala X-Raps will get their attention.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that the king mackerel bite has slowed, but anglers are still picking up a few dolphin at the usual king spots on live and dead baits.
Bottom fishermen are finding action with gag grouper starting 8-10 miles off the beaches. They’ll fall for live baits or dead sardines, Boston mackerel, and more.
Alice Sherman (age 6) with her first red drum, a 30" fish that she landed unassisted after it fell for a finger mullet in the Lea Island surf.
Gray trout are feeding at bottom structure just off the beaches and will take an interest in Stingsilvers or other jigging lures, but not many anglers are pursuing them since the limit has dropped to one per person.
Inshore, the flounder bite is still solid for anglers fishing live baits and Gulps around the inlet and inshore structure.
Sheepshead and black drum are feeding around the 172 Bridge and will fall for shrimp or other crustacean baits.
Red drum are still chasing bait in the bays off the ICW and New River. Topwater plugs and scented soft plastics are the way to go for the reds.
Some speckled trout are in the creeks and around inshore structure, and fishing early will up anglers’ odds of catching a few. Live shrimp are the way to go for the trout.
Spot and croaker are feeding in deeper holes inshore. Anglers can hook up with both on bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Wayne, of Last Resort Charters, reports that anglers are still catching good numbers of flounder while fishing deeper holes in marinas and around other structure inshore. Most of the fish are falling for live finger mullet.
The red drum bite last week was incredible (with many over-slot fish in the mix). Anglers hooked big numbers on live and cut pogies and finger mullet while fishing the marshes between Topsail and Figure Eight Island.
Sheepshead (some to 9 lbs.) are feeding around hard structure inshore, and anglers are hooking up with them on fiddler crabs.
Wayne, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are hooking up with some spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotcha plugs.
Bottom fishermen are finding some action with whiting and spot at night.
Jan, of Surf City Pier, reports that there’s been a pretty good spanish mackerel bite in the afternoons lately. Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs are tempting bites from the spanish.
Bottom fishermen are decking some spot and whiting at night on shrimp.
Live baiters landed a 36 lb. king mackerel last week and broke the pier’s tarpon record with a 133 lb. fish.
Jackie Weathersby with a 34 lb. king mackerel that fell for a live pogie off the end of Jolly Roger Pier.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that there’s been an unusually strong showing of bluefish for August recently. They’ll eat Gotcha plugs and just about anything else anglers can cast.
Bottom fishermen are finding action with a mixed bag of pompano, whiting, red and black drum, and more.
Large sheepshead (many 7-9 lbs.) are feeding near the pier’s pilings and will take an interest in fiddler crabs and other crustacean baits.
Live baiters landed a 34 lb. king mackerel and got several tarpon bites last week.
