Topsail July 1, 2010
Mark White, of Hampstead, with a healthy gag grouper he hooked on a piece of Boston mackerel while bottom fishing 50 miles south of Topsail in 120' on the "Reel Jiggy."
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that pier and surf bottom fishermen are catching good numbers of whiting at night, along with a few spot and pompano during the daytime. Shrimp are fooling most of the fish.
Red and black drum are also feeding in the breakers (some reds to 35+”). They’re falling for cut baits and finger mullet fished in the sloughs.
Inshore, the best action has been with flounder and red drum in the creeks and around inshore structure. Both will take an interest in live baits or Gulps, and anglers may also be able to tempt the reds to bite topwater plugs.
The sheepshead bite has also been on fire inshore lately, and the fish are feeding around dock and bridge pilings, oyster rocks, and just about any other hard structure in the area. Fiddler crabs and sand fleas are top choices for the sheeps.
Ladyfish are feeding around just about any lighted dock at night.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still along the beaches and just offshore, but the best action lately has been early and late in the day. Trolled Clarkspoons and diving plugs are the best way to hook the fish, but anglers can also cast diamond jigs and other metal lures to the breaking schools when they’re feeding up top.
Some king mackerel (to 20+ lbs.) have been feeding along the beaches as well, and anglers on the piers and in boats hooked a few last week. Live baits like bluefish or pogies are top choices for both.
Anglers trolling small ballyhoo and cigar minnows for kings hooked several sailfish 3-5 miles offshore last week, and some dolphin are in the mix from there out to about 18 miles. Both dead and live baits are producing action with the fish.
Bottom fishermen are still finding decent grouper action 20 miles and further from the beaches. A few gags are coming from as close as 18 miles, but sea bass, grunts, and other species are making up the bulk of the catch. Anglers can hook the grouper on bottom rigs baited with cigar minnows, cut and live baits, or drop vertical jigs to entice them to bite.
Suzanne Brown, of Erwin, NC, with a 25 lb. barracuda she hooked on a dead cigar minnow near Christmas Rock while fishing with Michael Smith and BJ Blackmon.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are still feeding along the beaches, but the bite has slowed recently. Anglers are hooking the fish that are there on Clarkspoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers.
Some king mackerel are still along the beaches and feeding alongside dolphin at spots further offshore. One sailfish was also reported from the Diver’s Rock area last week. Live and dead baits will fool the kings, dolphin, and any sailfish that anglers happen across.
Bottom fishermen are reporting grouper action at structure 10 miles and further out, but that bite’s been a little off lately, too, likely due to the full moon. Bottom rigs baited with sardines, Boston mackerel, and other baits will fool the groupers.
Inshore, anglers are finding some good flounder action around the 172 Bridge and at deep holes near the inlet. Live baits on Carolina rigs or Gulps on jigheads are fooling most of the flatties.
Large (some 10+ lbs.) black drum are still feeding around the 172 Bridge, and anglers can tempt them to bite bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Anglers are still finding some speckled trout at the bridges, rocky areas, and other structure inshore. Live shrimp are the best baits for the specks, but anglers can also hook up while casting D.O.A. and Billy Bay imitations.
The hot weather seems to have broken up the large schools of drum in the area, but anglers are still picking some up in the creeks and bays. Scented soft plastics under popping corks are excellent tools to find the reds.
Wayne, of Last Resort Charters, reports that the flounder bite is on in the marinas, inlets, and other areas. Live peanut pogies are producing most of the action with the flatfish. Some speckled trout are still feeding around the area bridges and other inshore structure, and anglers can tempt them to bite live shrimp under floats.
Sheepshead fishing has been good lately as well. Anglers can always find the sheeps around the bridges and other hard structure, but drifting along oyster beds has been another productive tactic lately (producing fish to 8 lbs.). Live fiddler crabs are the way to go for the sheeps.
Toni Fasano, from Toms River, NJ, and Kerry Gibson, of Jacksonville, NC, with a shark hooked just outside New Topsail Inlet while they were fishing aboard the "Reel MCS" with Mike LaVecchia.
Wayne, of Seaview Pier, reports that plug casters are catching some bluefish and an occasional spanish mackerel.
Live baiters landed one king mackerel last weekend, weighing 22 lbs.
Bottom fishermen are finding some action with whiting at night while baiting up with shrimp.
Anne, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are catching some bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotcha plugs, with the action best very early and late in the day.
Live baiters landed several king mackerel while fishing from the end of the pier last week.
Bottom fishermen have found some action with spot and whiting at night and a few flounder during the day.
Rob, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are decking some whiting, spot, and a few pompano while baiting up with shrimp.
Some flounder are in the mix for anglers using small live baits.
Sheepshead are feeding under the pier and will take an interest in barnacles, fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and other baits.
Plug casters have had decent spanish mackerel and bluefish action lately.
Live baiters saw some king mackerel and tarpon last week, but they were unable to get any to the pier.
