Topsail Island – June 18, 2015
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf and pier bottom fishermen have been finding action with sea mullet, pompano, and some black drum along Topsail’s beachfront. Shrimp and sand fleas are fooling all three.
Mike Ford, of Danville, VA, with an over-slot red drum that bit a live menhaden while he was fishing inshore of Topsail Island with Capt. Daniel Jarvis of Flat Foot Charters.
Red drum are feeding around Topsail Inlet and biting cut baits, shrimp, and casting lures like gold spoons.
There’s also been a good red drum bite inshore most days. Anglers are finding the reds in the shallows early in the day and feeding in deeper water as the heat cranks up. The reds will bite topwater plugs, spoons, soft plastics, and a variety of cut and live baits.
Jesse and Tonia Clements Berger, of Burgaw, NC, with the results of a double hookup of slot reds they found in the New River while fishing with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures. The reds fell for a MirrOlure She Pup and Flats Intruder spoon.
Flounder are feeding around ICW docks and other inshore structure. Anglers can tempt the flatfish to bite live baits on Carolina rigs or Gulps pinned to jigheads and bucktails.
Sheepshead and black drum are looking for meals in many of the same areas as the flatfish. Live fiddler crabs and other crustaceans fished tight to the structure are attracting attention from the sheeps.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that anglers are finding some good action with slot and over-slot red drum while fishing shallow grass banks around Topsail at present. Live and fresh cut baits have been fooling the reds.
Flounder are feeding around deeper boat docks in the ICW and elsewhere inshore. Anglers can fool the flatfish with live finger mullet fished on the bottom.
Black drum are also looking for meals around docks and other inshore structure. They’ll take an interest in fresh shrimp fished along pilings, seawalls, and rocky areas.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that there’s still excellent red drum action in the shallow water off New River and the ICW. Anglers are finding plenty of sight-casting opportunities for the reds and hooking them on topwater plugs, suspending hard baits, soft plastics, and spoons.
Some speckled trout are in the same areas and biting the topwaters in the early morning hours and subsurface lures later in the day.
Greg, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some sea mullet and black drum while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Plug casters are hooking some bluefish while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding around the pier and biting Gotcha plugs, diamond jigs, and other casting lures.
Spot, sea mullet, croaker, and other panfish are taking an interest in bottom rigs baited with shrimp and Fish Bites.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that the recent heat has the best fishing early and late in the day at present. Plenty of spanish mackerel are feeding around the pier in the early mornings and late afternoons (including some big fish), but it’s been a bit tough to coax them to bite lately. Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs are fooling good numbers of the fish when they’re in a feeding mood.
Black and puppy drum have been feeding around the pier in recent days, and anglers are hooking both on shrimp and cut baits fished on the bottom.
Live-baiters fishing the end of the pier have seen some tarpon over the past week, but they have yet to hook one.
