Topsail July 5, 2012
Angela Campione, of Holly Ridge, and Scott Erickson, of Surf City, with a 42 lb. cobia that bit a jig at some bottom structure 8 miles off Surf City.
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are hooking big numbers of spanish mackerel from the piers and boats. Pier anglers are hooking up on Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs, and boaters are snagging them while trolling Clarkspoons.
King mackerel are finally making an appearance, and anglers caught decent numbers within 10 miles of the inlets last week.
Some dolphin have also worked inshore to the same areas, but the dolphin fishing is still better further out. Live and dead baits will both fool the dolphin and kings.
Gag grouper are feeding at structure 10-20 miles out, with better fishing on the offshore end of that range lately. Live baits and dead cigar minnows are the way to go for the gags.
Plenty of black sea bass are in the same areas and will pounce on cut baits or squid.
Spot and sea mullet are feeding along the beachfront, and anglers are hooking them from the piers and surf on shrimp and bloodworms.
Inshore, there’s been a decent red drum bite on the flats near the inlets, with anglers hooking up on live baits, soft plastics, and topwater plugs.
Flounder are feeding around the inlets and docks, where Gulp baits or live finger mullet and mud minnows will tempt them to bite.
Ladyfish have shown up inshore, and anglers are hooking up with the spirited fighters around bridges and lit docks at nighttime. Soft plastic baits on light jigheads will tempt them to bite.
A few speckled trout are still feeding around the bridges, where anglers are hooking them on live shrimp in the early morning hours.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with some red drum around docks, in the creeks, and on the flats around Topsail and Figure Eight. The middle tide stages have been producing the best fishing in recent days, and live finger mullet and menhaden have been the best baits, with the fish showing a slight preference for the menhaden lately.
Flounder are feeding in the same areas and around deeper inshore structure like ledges in 10’+ of water. They’ll also take a hearty interest in finger mullet and menhaden on Carolina rigs.
Jake Orr with a bull dolphin that struck a trolled ballyhoo in 225' of water off Topsail Inlet while he was fishing on the "Pierless."
Anglers are still catching some sheepshead around bridge and dock pilings in the area. Live fiddler crabs fished tight to the structure are the tickets to hookups with the sheeps.
Spanish mackerel are chasing bait around the inlets, and anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons or casting diamond jigs to fish they spot feeding on the surface.
Bottom fishing at nearshore structure in the ocean is producing fast action with black sea bass, triggerfish, grunts, flounder, and other tasty fish. Cut baits, squid, live baits, and vertically jigged bucktails and metal jigs are all producing action with the bottom dwellers.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of flounder while working bucktails and soft plastics in the marshes and around inshore drop-offs near Sneads Ferry. Plenty of small fish have been in the mix, but anglers are also catching some fat keepers (fish to 6 lbs. lately).
Red drum are still feeding on the flats and in the marshy bays in the area, but the extreme low tides have been a bit of an obstacle in targeting them lately. Live baits, soft plastics, and topwater plugs will all tempt bites from the reds when anglers can get to the fish.
Black drum are looking for food around the bridges in the area, and clams or fresh shrimp will tempt them to bite.
Sheepshead are also holding around the bridges and other inshore structure, and they’ll take an interest in live fiddler crabs.
Anglers fishing live shrimp in the creeks and around structure are still connecting with some speckled trout.
Bill, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet and pufferfish while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Some speckled trout are falling for live shrimp in the early morning hours.
Bluefish and a few spanish mackerel are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs that anglers are working from the pier.
Louis Conner, of Lake Fontana, NC, with a 25" flounder that bit a Gulp pogy on aPrototype jighead while he was fishing the marsh near Sneads Ferry with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures.
Bob, of Surf City Pier, reports that big numbers of black drum have been coming over the rails lately. Anglers bottom fishing with shrimp are also hooking a mixed bag of spot, sea mullet, croaker, flounder, and more.
Plug casters are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotchas.
Tarpon are swimming past the pier, and live baiters hooked several last week.
Austin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that red and black drum are falling for live finger mullet fished under the pier. A few flounder are also falling for the mullet.
Bottom fishermen are catching decent numbers of spot on real and artificial bloodworms.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs.
Live baiters are seeing big numbers of tarpon off the end of the pier.
