Topsail July 22, 2010
Steve Pearson, from Hampstead, with a grand slam he hooked around docks and creeks near south Topsail whiel fishing with Capt Wayne Crisco of Last Resort Charters. Carolina-rigged pogies fooled all the fish.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers caught sailfish as near as two miles off the beach last week. The fish are spread out from there on out to the Gulf Stream, and live baits or rigged ballyhoo will tempt them to bite.
Boats are finding decent action with school-sized king mackerel in the 7-10 mile range with some larger fish (teenagers up to 20+ lbs.) feeding around 30 miles. Live baits or dead cigar minnows will fool the kings.
Dolphin are in the mix around eight miles out, with better fishing (and again, larger fish) 25 miles and further. They’ll take an interest in the same baits as the kings.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches in the late afternoons, and anglers on the piers and in boats are hooking them casting Gotcha plugs and other lures and while trolling Clarkspoons.
Inshore, the flounder bite has turned on near the inlets, in the creeks, and around structure like docks and bridges. Live mud minnows and finger mullet or Gulp baits will attract attention from the flatfish.
Red drum are feeding in many of the same places as the flounder and in the surf near the north end of Lea Island. Live and cut baits or artificials like gold spoons will fool the reds.
Anglers are still finding a few speckled trout around inshore structure. They’re feeding best at night, and live shrimp will attract their attention.
The sheepshead bite is still incredible inshore and along the oceanfront piers (with several 8+ lb. citation fish weighed in this week). Live fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and other baits will fool the sheeps.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that anglers are still catching some big black drum around the area’s bridges on shrimp.
Some speckled trout are feeding around the bridges as well. Live shrimp are the best baits to fool them, though anglers may be able to hook up on shrimp imitations and topwater plugs as well.
The red drum bite is still decent in the bays and around docks off the ICW and New River (with some larger 30”+ fish caught and released lately). Live baits, topwater plugs, and scented soft plastics (the new Gulp Ripple Mullet has been particularly hot) are fooling the reds.
Flounder are still feeding around inshore structure and in deeper holes near the inlet. They’ll fall for live baits or Gulps.
The best king mackerel and dolphin fishing has been around 25 miles offshore lately. Some fish are feeding closer, but the numbers and average size are much better past 20 miles. Live baits and dead cigar minnows or ballyhoo will fool both predators.
Cameron Kellum and Capt. Ricky Kellum, of Speckled Specialist Charters out of Jacksonville, with a pair of red drum that fell for topwater plugs along a grass bank near Sneads Ferry.
Wayne, of Last Resort Charters, reports that anglers are finding plenty of action with red drum and flounder from Topsail down to Figure Eight. Most of the fish are in the docks and creeks, and very low tides lately have made the ends of floating docks particularly productive. Live peanut pogies and finger mullet (which are finally abundant inshore) are producing bites from the flatfish and reds.
Large sheepshead (some 8+ lbs.) are feeding around the bridges and other hard structure inshore, and anglers can hook them on live fiddler crabs.
Wayne, of Seaview Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are decking some black drum and a few whiting on cut shrimp.
Plug casters are picking up some spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Steve, of Surf City Pier, reports that live-baiters had several tarpon strikes last week off the end of the pier.
Some bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs.
Bottom fishermen are picking away at whiting and spot both day and night. Shrimp and bloodworms are attracting their attention.
Rob, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that tarpon have been the main story lately, with live baiters fishing from the end of the pier getting dozens of strikes last week, and catching and releasing several tarpon. A 20 lb. king mackerel also fell for a live bait last week.
A few spanish mackerel and bluefish are coming over the rails for anglers casting Gotcha plugs.
Bottom fishermen have been hooking some spot and whiting at night, and a few slot-and-above puppy drum.
