Topsail – July 7, 2016
Don, of East Coast Sports, reports that bluefish are providing action in the surf. Fresh cut mullet seems to be working the best, but blues are also being caught on metal jigs casted out around high tide. Spanish mackerel are being caught by surf fishermen, particularly around New Topsail Inlet.
Some nice flounder have been weighed in over the past holiday weekend. Fish up to 4 lbs. are being caught using Z-Man and Gulp soft plastics on 3/8 oz. Blue Water Candy jigheads. Live mud minnows and finger mullet fished on Carolina rigs are producing similar results.
Cut shrimp and Fishbites have been working on sea mullet and croakers, and the bite has been a little better at night on both. A few small black drum have been reported as well in the same areas.
Pompano have been biting well when the surf conditions are favorable, but large swell and dirty water have slowed the bite. Freshly dug sand fleas have been producing the best, with fresh shrimp also getting bites.
Sheepshead are being caught around the Surf City Bridge and some deeper docks along the ICW. Fiddler crabs, sea urchins, and barnacles are what everyone has been using for the sheepshead. Black drum are being found in the same areas on fresh shrimp on the bottom.
Bluefish are spread out all over the marsh and will take the same offerings used for red drum and trout. The red drum fishing has remained good over the past week, and the fish are keying in on finger mullet. Live mullet under a popping cork or free lined with split shot have been getting the bites. The reds are holding around oyster beds, grassy shorelines, and waterway docks.
A few keeper gray trout are being caught along with a few speckled trout. The grays are eating small metal jigs like Sea Striker Jigfish. The specks are favoring topwater plugs early in the mornings, such as the MirrOlure Top Pup Jr. and the smaller-sized Rapala Skitterwalk. Ladyfish are feeding heavily in similar areas and taking the same topwater plugs.
Just off the beach, boaters have been reporting black sea bass, and cut squid on bottom rigs and metal jigs are getting the bites. Gag grouper are being caught best in 100+’ of water.
Spanish and bluefish are being found just outside the inlets and along the beach fronts. Planers and spoons have accounted for most of the fish caught. There are decent numbers of spanish feeding on the surface early and late in the day for those that prefer to catch them casting. Epoxy and small metal jigs retrieved quickly are getting the bites.
King mackerel and mahi are being found in the 15-30 mile range. Ballyhoo and cigar minnows fished behind lures and skirts are drawing attention from both. There are a few cobia remaining in the area waters. They have been spotted mostly around the offshore buoys and bottom structure. Live baits pitched to the cobia have worked better than bucktails.
Boaters making their way to the Gulf Stream are finding the typical summer bag of wahoo, blackfin tuna, and mahi. The better bite has been on the break and mostly inside of it. Blue Water Candy Jags, Ilander lures, and Fathom lures have all been producing.
Tonya Jones, of Wilmington, with a 20″ red drum she caught on a live finger mullet while fishing in the waters around Topsail.
Chad, of Lucky Dawg Guide Service, reports that red drum are holding in the creeks, marshes, and docks along the ICW. Flats Intruder spoons, topwater plugs, and live baits are getting the bites.
Flounder fishing inshore has been good, with the fish holding around creek mouths, deep water docks, and channels. Live finger mullet and pogies on Carolina rigs are how most fish are being fooled.
Sheepshead fishing along the bridges has picked up, with live fiddler crabs getting most of the bites.
Spanish fishing has been best right along the beach. Clarkspoons on a #1 planer and Blue Water Candy Daisy Chains and Double Shots have been the preferred baits for the spanish.
Taylor Wiley with a tarpon he beached and released from Seaview Pier.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that flounder fishing around the nearshore reefs has been good. The fish are taking an interest in bucktails and live baits fished on Carolina rigs. Most of the flounder landed have been keepers, and a few fish are measuring around the 20” mark.
Spanish fishing has been solid just outside the inlet. Pink “00” spoons and #1 planers have been working well. A falling tide has been producing best, and there have been lots of fish on the surface during the evenings.
There are still quite a few cobia in the area. The fish have been scattered from the inlet out beyond the 10 mile line. The fish are picky, but they can be tempted with live baits and bucktails.
Robbie, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that a mix of bluefish and spanish mackerel are being caught by plug fishermen off the end of the pier. King fishermen are landing a few citation-sized spanish on live baits. Some kings are finally beginning to show up, as several were landed over the past week.
Tarpon are being spotted most days. Several have been jumped on king gear, but only one fish has been landed recently.
Bottom fishermen are hooking good numbers of flounder, with several keepers making it back to the pier house. Pinfish and croakers are being caught on fresh shrimp and Fishbites.
Ed, of Surf City Pier, reports that flounder up to 3 lbs. are showing up along the pier. Croakers and pinfish are also being caught on the bottom.
Over slot red drum have continued to bite over the past few days, with six fish caught on one day. The first king of the year was landed last week. The fish weighed 30 lbs.
Anglers using live bait have been catching citation-sized spanish mackerel.
Frank, of Seaview Fishing Pier, reports that over the past week there has been a great tarpon bite, and ten fish were landed and many others hooked. The fish are being targeted with live baits on king rigs.
There have been a few kings landed in the 30 lb. range. The bait has been thick lately, so that should continue to attract the kings around the planks.
Some very large spanish mackerel are being caught by the king fishermen, including a 7.5 lb. fish weighed this past week.
