Topsail – July 17, 2014
Mark Chenault, of Castle Hayne, NC, with his first red drum, a 25″ fish that fell for a live mud minnow near Richs Inlet while he was fishing with his dad.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are finding some excellent topwater action with red drum and speckled trout inshore right now. The fish are feeding in the backwater creeks and bays, and anglers can fool them with live baits and soft plastics when they don’t want to commit to the topwaters.
Flounder fishing has been hot lately as well (with fish to 9 lbs. weighed in recently). The flatfish are feeding around the inlets and inshore structure like docks and bridges, and anglers are tempting them to bite live finger mullet and peanut menhaden on Carolina rigs.
Sheepshead are feeding around dock and bridge pilings as well (some to 10+ lbs.). Live fiddler crabs dangled close to the structure are tough for the sheeps to turn down.
Ladyfish have moved into the inshore waters and are feeding around lighted structure at night and all over the area in the daytime. They’ll bite a host of baits and lures, but Egret Vudu Shrimp have been particularly effective in recent days.
Surf casters are hooking some red drum around the inlet shoals and some fat black drum up and down the island’s beachfront.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding just off the beachfront, and boaters have found particularly good spanish action right outside the inlets in the afternoons lately. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting metal jigs to fish feeding on the surface is the way to connect with the spaniards.
Capt. Tommy Berry with a fat cobia he hooked on a live crab after casting a host of other artificials and live baits to it. He was fishing solo off North Topsail Beach.
Cobia are still around in decent numbers, and anglers are hooking them on live baits, bucktail jigs, and eel imitations within a few miles of the beachfront.
Anglers trolling offshore are still reporting some good dolphin action while pulling dead ballyhoo and cigar minnows.
Bottom fishermen have been taking advantage of the short red snapper season and bringing some of the tasty fish back to the docks. Gag grouper are also feeding around bottom structure in the same 70-100’ depths, and both will bite live, dead, or cut baits.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers are hooking solid numbers of speckled trout (including some gators) and upper and over-slot red drum in the bays and creeks off the ICW and New River at present. Topwater plugs have been highly effective on both inshore predators on recent days, but anglers can also connect while casting gold spoons, MR17 MirrOlures, or soft plastic baits when the fish don’t want to eat on top.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that flounder fishing is improving in the area, with the fish feeding near the inlets, in the marshes, and around inshore structure in the area. White soft plastic baits and live finger mullet are producing most of the flatfish action, and the bite’s been best on the incoming tides.
Red drum are feeding in many of the same areas, particularly the marshes near the inlets. Moving water is key to finding solid action with the reds, and anglers can also fool them with soft baits or soft plastics.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some pompano and sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp in the daytime. Spot are biting shrimp and bloodworms at night.
Capt. Tommy Berry with a fat cobia he hooked on a live crab after casting a host of other artificials and live baits to it. He was fishing solo off North Topsail Beach.
Speckled trout are feeding near the pier, and they’re biting live shrimp in the early morning hours.
Plug casters are hooking a few spanish mackerel while working Gotchas and diamond jigs from the pier.
Garrison, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some spot and sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms in the evening hours.
A few red drum are also taking an interest in baited bottom rigs.
Some bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier.
Live-baiters have been landing some large spanish mackerel off the end of the pier.
Cheryl, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are hooking speckled trout in the morning hours on live shrimp and artificials.
Some red and black drum are taking an interest in shrimp and other baits on bottom rigs.
