Topsail – July 30, 2015
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are hooking some red drum inshore around the marshes, creeks, and inlets. They’ll bite live baits or a variety of artificials.
Flounder are feeding in many of the same areas and around inshore structure like ICW docks. Live baits like mud minnows and finger mullet or Gulp baits will attract attention from the flatfish.
Spot are beginning to show up in the ICW and sound, and anglers should see more as summer progresses towards fall. Shrimp and real and artificial bloodworms are tough to beat for the spot.
Anglers bottom fishing from the piers and beachfront are hooking some spot, sea mullet, and black drum. There’s also been a decent red drum bite around Topsail Inlet. Shrimp, cut baits, and finger mullet are producing results with the surf fish.
On clean, calm days, some spanish mackerel and bluefish have also been feeding within range of surf casters.
Boaters are also getting in on the spanish and bluefish action just off the beaches while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures.
The king mackerel bite seems to have pushed offshore a bit, with the best reports coming from the 15-18 mile range recently. Live baits are the best bets for the kings but anglers are also hooking up on dead baits like cigar minnows.
Bottom fishermen are reporting grunts and gag grouper at spots 10-20 miles off the inlets. More grouper and a host of other bottomfish are feeding at structure further offshore. Squid and cigar minnows will attract attention from the grouper and other fish.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that anglers continue to hook some solid flounder while fishing around inshore structure like docks and bridges (with some large fish). Live finger mullet are fooling most of the flatfish.
Black drum are looking for meals in many of the same places, where anglers can tempt them to bite fresh shrimp fished close to the structure.
Anglers are connecting with red drum in the marshes while casting baits near grass banks and shell beds. Soaking live and cut baits and waiting for the reds to find them has been the best bet lately.
Jim and Preston Russ with an upper-slot red drum they caught and released inshore at Topsail Beach.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers are still finding solid topwater action with red drum and speckled trout in the waters around Sneads Ferry. Both are feeding in marshy bays off the ICW and New River and anglers are fooling them while working MirrOlure topwaters. Gold spoons, suspending plugs, and Salty Bay soft plastics will attract attention from the reds and specks on the occasions when they don’t want to bite on the surface.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers continue to hook some large spanish mackerel on live baits off the end of the pier (to 7+ lbs.).
Some days are producing decent action with smaller spanish and bluefish for anglers working Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Some large red drum have been biting cut baits off the pier at night.
Flounder are falling for live baits under the pier during the daytime.
Bottom fishermen are hooking a mix of small panfish along with an occasional black drum while baiting up with shrimp.
Cole, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some large spanish mackerel on live baits fished on king rigs from the end of the pier.
Sheepshead are feeding under the pier and biting baits like sand fleas.
Anglers fishing live mud minnows and mullet under the pier are connecting with some flounder.
Spot and sea mullet are biting shrimp and other baits on bottom rigs.
Erin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking a few spot at night and croaker during the daytime. Some black drum are mixed in for anglers baiting up with shrimp.
Plug casters have been hooking a few bluefish but not many spanish mackerel.
