Added on Thursday, July 24, 2008  Gary Hurley

Topsail July 24, 2008

Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that there are plenty of ladyfish feeding inshore and in the surf, especially at night around the bridge and other lighted structures. Live baits or a variety of lures will tempt bites from the ladies. A few speckled trout are mixed in with the ladyfish.

Red drum are feeding on the beach and should be there until October. Live baits, cut baits, and gold spoons will all draw attention from the reds.

Surf and pier fishermen are also landing a mixed bag of black drum, whiting, and bluefish.

Some speckled trout and flounder are also feeding in the breakers, where live baits or Gulps should prove effective.

Tarpon and kings are feeding just along the beaches, and live baits are fooling them from the piers.

King mackerel are also feeding at many of the traditional summer spots, and Dallas Rock and Honeymoon Rock are good places to begin looking for them.

Sailfish are chasing baits alongside the kings, and live baits or rigged ballyhoo should prove tempting to both species.

Some bull dolphin have been caught as close in as the 200/200 recently as well.

 

Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that anglers are catching speckled trout in the New River from downtown Jacksonville all the way to Sneads Ferry. Most of them have been solid 2-3 pounders lately, and live shrimp are drawing most of the bites; although, live peanut pogies and a variety of lures will work as well.

 

Eric, of New River Marina, reports that anglers are hooking up with speckled trout and red drum around structure in the New River, the ICW, and at creeks off the main waterways. Live shrimp and finger mullet are both effective on the specks and reds, and Billy Bay shrimp, Gulps, topwaters, and other lures will also work.

There are flounder feeding near the inlet and the 172 Bridge, and live finger mullet or other baits fished on Carolina rigs will get their attention.

Anglers are landing good numbers of sheepshead and black drum while fishing with bottom rigs near the bridge. Shrimp and clams are good baits.

Spanish mackerel are still feeding along the beaches and near the inlet. Trolling Clarkspoons will draw strikes from the spanish and bluefish as well.

There have been plenty of blacktip and spinner sharks feeding in the inlet, and cut baits or live bluefish and spanish mackerel will draw strikes from these wild fighters.

Ladyfish are also feeding in New River Inlet, and anglers are hooking the smaller tarpon relatives on topwater plugs.

Not many boats have been chasing the kings lately, but they should be feeding around AR-355 and the E Buoy, among other places.

Bottom fishing is still productive, and anglers are landing keeper gag grouper as near as seven miles from the beaches. Boats are finding decent catches of red grouper starting at 15 miles. Live baits, cut baits, cigar minnows, and sardines will all produce action with the grouper.

 

Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some big black drum (up to 8 lbs.) fishing with sand fleas. Some sheepshead are taking an interest in the fleas, too.

Anglers baiting bottom rigs with shrimp are catching some whiting, croaker, and other bottomfish.

Small live baits fished on the bottom are producing action with flounder and puppy drum.

Live baiters landed a barracuda last week.

 

Laura, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that flounder (most 14-17″), speckled trout, and pompano are falling for live shrimp and Gulp baits.

Anglers baiting up with sand fleas are landing some sheepshead and black drum.

Bluefish and a few spanish mackerel are biting diamond jigs and gold hook rigs.

 

Sandy, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are catching some fat speckled trout (a few to 5 lbs.) on live shrimp. A lot of puppy drum are also taking an interest in the shrimp.

Sheepshead are falling for both live and dead shrimp.

Whiting and some croaker are biting cut shrimp on bottom rigs.

Live baiters caught several king mackerel last week, the largest weighing 27 lbs.