Topsail – August 27, 2015
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers bottom fishing from Topsail Island’s beachfront are hooking some sea mullet, black drum, and bluefish. Shrimp and cut baits are providing most of the action.
Pier anglers are hooking much of the same along with some spot.
Bluefish are also falling for casting lures for surf and pier casters.
Bob Leath with a 33″ red drum he caught and released in the surf at North Topsail Beach after it struck a piece of shrimp on a #6 hook pompano rig.
Inshore, there’s been plenty of flounder action around the inlets and near structure like docks and seawalls. The flatfish will bite live baits like finger mullet and mud minnows or scented soft lures like Gulps.
Red drum are looking for meals in the same areas as the flounder and in the area’s shallow creeks and marshes. Live baits and soft plastics will fool the reds as well, but anglers can also cast topwater plugs, spoons, spinnerbaits, and a variety of other offerings with success.
Connor McLean (age 7) with his largest red drum, a 25″ fish that struck a live menhaden in the ICW near Topsail Island.
Offshore, bottom fishermen are reporting plenty of action with grouper, sea bass, grunts, triggerfish, snappers and more while sending baits to structure in 80’ and deeper. Squid, cigar minnows, cut baits and a host of other offerings will attract attention from the bottom dwellers.
Gulf Stream trollers are finding plenty of wahoo action while pulling baits at local spots along the break. Some sailfish have been mixed in, and both predators are taking an interest in rigged ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures.
Tyson Philyaw with a 28″ red drum he caught and released in a Topsail-area creek after it struck a live finger mullet.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that anglers are still finding a decent flounder bite around deeper inshore structure like docks and bridges. Live finger mullet and peanut menhaden pinned to Carolina rigs are fooling the flatfish.
Red drum are looking for meals around the inlets and at grass banks with some current flow in the marshes and creeks. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite live baits as well, but cut baits can be a better choice at times as the reds can sniff them out from further away than they can spot them.
Eric Fowler with a queen triggerfish that he hooked while fishing some bottom structure off New River Inlet with Capt. Joe Hifko of Rough and Ready Charters.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that live-baiters continue to catch some large spanish mackerel from the end of the pier, and they also released several jack crevalle last week.
Matt Uckert with a 22.5″ flounder he hooked in a Hampstead creek off the ICW after it struck a live finger mullet.
Anglers working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier are hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel, but the bite’s been a bit slow overall.
Bottom fishermen are still primarily catching croaker and other smaller panfish, but a large spadefish was landed this week as well. Shrimp are producing most of the action on the bottom.
Danny and David Cavanaugh with a cobia, a king mackerel, and a spanish mackerel that bit cigar minnows while they were trolling 20 miles off Topsail Inlet on the “Oh Hootie.”
Wayne, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers have seen some spot action in the evening hours over the past week while bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms.
Flounder are falling for live baits fished under the pier.
Anglers live-baiting from the end of the pier hooked some large spanish mackerel last week.
Kathie Kader with a 26.75″ red drum she hooked on a Carolina-rigged finger mullet while fishing behind Lea Island.
April, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers have been landing some keeper flounder while soaking live baits near the pilings.
Bottom fishing with shrimp and other baits is producing some action with spot and sea mullet.
Anglers live-baiting from the end of the pier are connecting with some large spanish mackerel and have seen some kings recently.
Brad Pottorff, of Jacksonville, NC, with a 26″ red drum he hooked along a grass bank at New River Inlet on a live finger mullet.
