Topsail Island – April 23, 2015
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are finding Atlantic bonito around Divers Rock, the F Buoy, and other nearshore spots off New River Inlet. The bonito are falling for trolled spoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers along with small metal casting lures like diamond jigs.
Hugh Schrowang, of Woodbury, CT, with a healthy speckled trout that struck a Salty Bay soft plastic while he was fishing the New River with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures.
Surf casters are connecting with some bluefish (to 3-4 lbs.), sea mullet, black drum, and a few flounder and puppy drum. Shrimp and cut baits are fooling most of the fish in the breakers.
Inshore anglers are finding a few speckled trout around the inlets and more in the creeks where they spent the winter. Soft plastic baits are getting attention from the specks.
Red drum are looking for meals in the marshes behind Lea Island, and anglers are finding schools of the reds on some days. They’ll bite a variety of baits or topwater plugs, soft plastics, and spoons.
Flounder fishing is picking up inshore as well, where anglers are fooling the flatfish on live baits and scented lures like Gulps.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that Atlantic bonito have shown up at nearshore structure off Topsail and New River. Anglers can find the bonito by trolling plugs like Yo-Zuri Deep Divers or searching for working birds or fish chasing bait on the surface. When they’re feeding on top, casting lures like diamond jigs around the activity will tempt them to bite.
Inshore, red drum are feeding in the creeks and marshes with a few flounder alongside them. Soft baits like Gulps will fool both fish.
Some speckled trout are also looking for meals in the creeks, where anglers are tempting them to bite live shrimp and a variety of soft plastic baits.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that the flounder bite is improving for hook-and-line anglers, and giggers have connected with some big flatfish recently. Most are feeding around depressions in flats and drop-offs near points and bars. Scented soft plastics like Salty Bay Cigar Minnows are fooling most of the flatfish that anglers are hooking at present.
Speckled trout are feeding around creeks and bays off the New River, but the bite has been a bit sporadic recently and anglers must be in the right place at the right time to connect with the specks. Soft plastics on jigheads, Storm Shrimp, and MirrOlure topwater and suspending plugs have been attracting attention from the trout when they’re feeding.
Red drum are still feeding in the same areas, and they’ve begun to bite a bit more aggressively in recent days. Topwater plugs are fooling good numbers of the reds, and anglers are also hooking up on soft plastics, Flats Intruder Spoons, and Cajun Sleighs.
Mike, of No Excuses Charters, reports that anglers are finding schools and pods of red drum throughout the marshes, but the fish have been tough to tempt to bite recently. Scented soft baits and gentle presentations are anglers’ best bets to hook up on artificials.
Speckled trout are still scattered throughout the creeks and marshes, but getting on a solid bite has been tough lately. The specks that anglers are seeing have been solid fish, however. Soft plastics and suspending plugs are good bets for the trout.
False albacore and Atlantic bonito are schooled up and chasing bait off the area inlets. Anglers can fool both by casting small metal lures like diamond jigs around fish they spot feeding on the surface.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers have seen some excellent black drum fishing around the higher tides recently. Most are falling for shrimp on bottom rigs, which are also fooling some sea mullet, pufferfish, and plenty of dogfish and skates.
Bluefish have shown up and are biting bottom rigs, as they haven’t been chasing Gotcha plugs yet.
Anglers are also starting to hook some keeper flounder while bottom fishing with live and strip baits.
Ed, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some fat sea mullet mixed in with smaller fish while bottom fishing with shrimp and Fish Bites. Some gray trout, black drum, and skates and stingrays have been mixed in.
Bluefish have also shown up, and anglers are hooking a few on Gotcha plugs.
April, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that some large sea mullet are biting bottom rigs with shrimp and other baits. Some black drum and croaker are also taking an interest in the bottom rigs.
Bluefish are feeding around the pier and striking Gotcha plugs.
