Topsail July 4, 2013
Todd Willis, Thomas and Travis Sexton, and Ricky White with a blackfin tuna, a wahoo, and plenty of gaffer dolphin they hooked while trolling ballyhoo in the Gulf Stream off New River Inlet. They were fishing with Capt. John C. Cruise of Pelagic Hunter Sportfishing.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers have been connecting with some red drum while casting topwater plugs in the marshes off the sound between the recent storms. The reds will also bite live baits, Gulps and other soft plastics, and a variety of other lures.
More reds have been feeding in New Topsail Inlet, where anglers can fool them with cut baits, finger mullet, or gold spoons when the water’s clean.
Some spot and sea mullet have been feeding in the surf and around the piers, and anglers are hooking them on shrimp and bloodworms.
Some large spanish mackerel have also been caught off the piers recently (to 6 lbs.), and when the weather lets boats get back out into the ocean, the spanish action should be going strong. Trolling Clarkspoons around working birds, leaping fish, or bait schools is the way to connect with the spanish, but small live baits are even better bets for the biggest fish.
Ladyfish are feeding inshore in the ICW and sound, and some of anglers’ best odds of hooking up with the ladies come around lighted docks and bridges at night. The ladies will strike a variety of lures and baits, but Rapala X-Raps are one of the best bets.
Sheepshead fishing has been strong around the bridges inshore lately (with fish to 8 lbs. weighed in). Live fiddler crabs are fooling most of the sheeps.
Not many boats have been offshore over the past week, but there are likely still some king mackerel feeding in the 10-30 mile range when the weather allows boats back out.
Dolphin and wahoo fishing should still be strong in the Gulf Stream as well.
Christian Alves and Brian Hartman, of WV, with their first dolphin, hooked offshore of New River Inlet while they were trolling with Capt. Bill Hamner of Fish On Charters.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that despite the rain and wind, anglers have found some excellent action in the New River and ICW recently. Speckled trout and red drum are feeding alongside one another in the bays off the main waterways. They’ve been readily biting topwater plugs recently, and anglers can tempt them to bite TTF soft plastics or flashy lures like gold spoons when they don’t want to feed on the surface.
Flounder are feeding in the marshes and in deeper water, although the bite still isn’t off the charts. TTF soft plastics with scents like Pro-Cure Super Gel added are solid choices for the flatfish, and anglers can also hook up on live finger mullet or mud minnows.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are still seeing a summertime pattern with a mixed bag of bottomfish including spot, sea mullet, croaker, and puppy drum, but not much of any one species.
Some speckled trout have been falling for cut baits, as well as live shrimp and finger mullet, in the past week.
Gray trout have also been biting cut baits on the bottom at night.
The water’s been a bit dirty for spanish mackerel and bluefish, but both should reappear when it cleans up.
Garrison, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some spot, sea mullet, and black drum while bottom fishing with shrimp, bloodworms, and other baits.
Cheryl, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that plug casters have been catching some bluefish and spanish mackerel in the early morning hours.
Some black and red drum and a few flounder are also coming over the rails. Shrimp and live baits on bottom rigs are fooling the drum and flatfish.
