Topsail – August 4, 2016
Cathy, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf anglers are connecting with a mix of bottom fish. Sea mullet, croaker, and black drum are being caught with some regularity on fresh shrimp, Fishbites, and bloodworms. The bite has been best on high tide and especially during the night.
Flounder are being found in the surf, and they’re falling for both scented plastics and live finger mullet on Carolina rigs. The fish are in close, so don’t cast or wade in too far.
Bluefish are eating fresh cut mullet and menhaden fished on bottom rigs. In the same areas there has been an increase in red drum activity. Most of the fish have been in the slot, with the occasional over-sized fish.
Casting metal jigs and Gotcha plugs closer towards the inlets has been resulting in a few spanish mackerel and bluefish. The key to producing bites is getting your offerings in deeper water, as spanish are unlikely to feed in breaking water.
Inshore there is a good flounder bite happening. The fish are working along deeper grass lines, waterway docks, and creek mouths. There has been a nice mix of keeper-sized fish in these areas. Live bait has been working the best, but Gulp soft plastics fished on 3/8 oz. jigheads have been rewarding those that prefer not to bait fish.
Bluefish are spread out all over the marsh and taking an interest in a wide array of artificial baits and live finger mullet. The fish can be found early and late in the day along the ICW crashing baits on the surface. Any small topwater plug will fool these fish, and a metal jig retrieved quickly through the school will get hookups.
Red drum are feeding along the marsh and waterway docks. Live and cut baits are getting the best results. Topwater baits fished along grass lines and oyster bars early in the morning has been resulting in a few hookups.
Black drum are holding along docks and bridges. They will take a fresh piece of shrimp fished on a jighead or Carolina rig.
Nearshore boats are reporting solid bottom fishing starting in 40’ of water all the way out to 100’+. Grouper, black sea bass, snapper, grunts, and triggerfish are being found.
Gulf Stream anglers are seeing mahi, blackfin tuna, sailfish, and wahoo in the mix. The fish are taking ballyhoo fished behind Blue Water Candy and Ilander lures. The wahoo have been tempted by the same baits fished behind #8 and #9 planers.
Junior anglers Colby Vick, Katelyn Lucera (winner), and Aaron Lucera with fish weighed in at the annual Carolina Anglers Fishing Club family day tournament.
Chad, of Lucky Dawg Guide Service, reports good red drum action along the docks in the ICW and in the marsh. The reds have been biting both live and artificial baits, like Flats Intruder Spoons and topwater lures.
Flounder fishing has been good both around nearshore structure and in the creeks and docks inside. Black drum can be found around deeper docks, and fresh shrimp is hard for them to pass up.
Off the beach, there has been a good spanish bite early in the morning. Clarkspoons behind a #1 or #2 planer and Blue Water Candy’s Spanish Daisy Chains fished on the surface are a good way to connect with the fish.
Mike Hill, of Kentucky, with a 32 red drum he caught and released while fishing with Capt. Chad Davis of Lucky Dawg Guide Service. The fish fell for bait a Carolina rig.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are providing decent action along the beach, and there are still a lot of undersized kings in the mix. Larger spanish are being found around nearshore reefs, and they will hit free-lined live baits.
The better king bite has been in the 10-15 mile range. Both live baits and dead baits fished on Blue Water Candy dead bait rigs have been fooling these fish.
Nathan Ji with a spadefish he snagged with a Gotcha plug off Seaview Pier.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist, reports that the big speckled trout are becoming more active, and topwater plugs cast around bait balls and crab pots sitting in shallow water are the key. This style of fishing is never a numbers game, but the fish will likely be well above average.
Jamie, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that a few keeper speckled trout are being caught at night. Live shrimp under floats, soft plastic grubs, and MirrOlures are connecting with the trout. Tarpon continue to migrate past the pier and offer good opportunities. There have been fish hooked on most days, and a 97 lb. fish was landed on Sunday. The king bite has been very slow, so the tarpon have offered some welcome “pullage.”
Early in the mornings there has been a decent spanish and bluefish bite off the end of the pier. Sea Striker Diamond Jigs and Gotcha plugs are getting most of the strikes.
Bottom fishing efforts have resulted in a few sea mullet and small croakers. Fresh shrimp and bloodworms on simple bottom rigs have been getting most of the bites.
Wayne, of Surf City Pier, reports that plug fishermen are connecting with spanish and bluefish in the early morning hours. The bite has been quick to shut down once the sun gets up.
Sea mullet and croaker are rewarding bottom fishermen. The best bite has been after the sun goes down. Fishbites, fresh shrimp, and bloodworms are getting results.
A few tarpon were hooked early in the week, but the king mackerel bite has yet to develop.
Richard, of Seaview Fishing Pier, reports that a few flounder are being caught up and down the pier. Most of the fish have been throwbacks, but there have been a mix of keeper-sized fish.
Citation spanish mackerel are being caught on live baits off the end of the pier. Bluefish and smaller spanish are biting early and late in the day on Gotcha plugs and metal jigs. Sea mullet are biting at night, mostly on fresh shrimp.
Good numbers of tarpon are being hooked on a daily basis.
