Added on Thursday, July 30, 2009  Fish Post

Topsail July 30, 2009

Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that the king and dolphin action is still good between 5-20 miles offshore. Most anglers are hooking the fish on dead ballyhoo and cigar minnows, but live baits will work as well.

Some large spanish mackerel (up to 7-8 lbs.) are feeding closer to the beaches, and anglers are hooking them on smaller live baits and trolled spoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers.

The grouper bite has been excellent not far off New River Inlet, where anglers are finding action with gags 12-18 miles offshore. Live baits, cut baits, and cigar minnows are all attracting attention from the gags.

Anglers are catching smaller spanish and some bluefish from the piers on Gotcha plugs.

Surf and pier bottom fishermen are decking some fat whiting, spot, and black drum while baiting up with shrimp.

Inshore, drifting near the inlets with live finger mullet on Carolina rigs has been producing some solid flounder catches lately. Gulp baits are also attracting attention from the flatfish.

The red drum bite has been excellent in the marshes and creeks lately, and Gulp baits, gold Johnson Spoons, and topwater plugs have all been drawing strikes from the reds.

A few speckled trout are still feeding around the bridges, and anglers can draw bites from the specks on live shrimp fished beneath floats.

Ladyfish are feeding heavily at inshore structure at night. Gulp baits and live baits will attract plenty of attention from the ladies, but they aren’t picky at all and are liable to strike just about anything else anglers cast at them.

 

Eric, of New River Marina, reports that the red drum bite is still solid inshore. Anglers are finding the reds in the bays and creeks off the New River and the ICW, and they’re hooking them on topwater plugs, Gulp baits, and live baits.

The speckled trout bite has been good near inshore structure in the area. Anglers are hooking the specks on live shrimp and Billy Bay and Storm artificial shrimp.

Black drum are still feeding around the 172 Bridge. A bottom rig baited with shrimp will tempt the drum to strike.

Anglers are picking up good numbers of flounder spread out throughout the area, and they’re taking an interest in live baits on Carolina rigs and many of the lures that anglers are casting for the reds.

The spanish mackerel bite remains excellent just outside the inlet for boats trolling Clarkspoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers.

Bottom fishermen have been finding an excellent gag grouper bite at structure 10 miles and further offshore. Live baits and dead cigar minnows, sardines, and Boston mackerel are fooling the groupers.

Anglers trolling live and dead baits at structure 10 miles and further off the inlet are still picking up good numbers of king mackerel and dolphin.

Some sailfish are feeding in the same areas as the kings and ‘phins, and several were released around the Sneads Ferry Big Rock recently.

 

Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that the trout bite has been excellent in the New River around Sneads Ferry over the past week. All the fish have been coming on artificials, mostly Billy Bay and Storm soft plastic shrimp. Topwater plugs have also been attracting some strikes from the specks.

 

Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that there’s been excellent dolphin fishing around 25 miles out of Topsail Inlet lately. Live baits are fooling most of the fish, but anglers have also caught good numbers on rigged ballyhoo.

Some sailfish are mixed in with the dolphin 18-25 miles out, and they’ll take an interest in live or dead baits.

King mackerel are still feeding around the big schools of pogies along the beaches, and anglers can hook them by free-lining or slow trolling live pogies near the edges of the schools.

 

Steve, of Surf City Pier, reports that bottom fishermen have been decking some bluefish, spot, and whiting on fresh shrimp lately.

Plug casters caught some spanish mackerel early in the week.

Some larger spanish (5-6 lbs.) have been falling for live baits on the king rigs, and anglers caught several kings last week as well (the largest 28 lbs.).

 

Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers have been catching some puppy drum, black drum, whiting, pompano, spot, and flounder while bottom fishing with shrimp and other baits.

Fishing with live shrimp has been producing some solid speckled trout action lately (with most fish 2-5 lbs.). Some anglers are hooking the specks on topwater plugs early in the day as well.

Plug casters are hooking up with a few spanish mackerel early and late in the day on Gotchas.

Live baiters landed some small kings and a 105 lb. tarpon last week.

 

Juanita, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers have caught good numbers of bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotcha plugs recently.

Bottom fishermen are landing some spot and whiting on shrimp at night and a few flounder on live baits during the daytime.

Live baiters caught several king mackerel over the past week.