Topsail June 13, 2013
Cona Jones, of TX, with an upper-slot red drum that bit a weedless swimbait inshore of North Topsail Beach while she was fishing with Capt. Jason Dail of Silver Spoon Charters.
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf and pier anglers are connecting with black drum (most 1-3 lbs.) and sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp and sand fleas.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are still feeding within a few miles of the beaches, and they should come even closer as the water clears up over the coming week. Anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons or casting Gotcha plugs and metal lures like diamond jigs.
Inshore, anglers are finding some red drum and flounder in the marshes and around structure like docks. Like the other fish, the bite’s been a bit off in the dirty water in Tropical Storm Andrea’s wake, but it will improve as the water settles down. Live baits, Gulps, and a variety of other lures will fool the reds and flatfish.
Cobia should still be around when anglers can make it out in the ocean as well. Looking for fish around menhaden pods or nearshore structure is the way to find the cobes, and anglers can hook up while casting bucktail jigs or live baits to fish they spot.
Offshore, the dolphin bite remains strong in the Gulf Stream, with a few fish pushing inshore of the break. A few wahoo are also feeding in the blue water and taking an interest in trolled ballyhoo and lures.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are catching a few spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs from the pier. The bite for both should get better as soon as the water clarity improves.
Some sea mullet and black drum are biting bottom rigs baited with shrimp in the daytime, and anglers are also picking up some croaker at night.
A few flounder are falling for small live baits under the pier.
J.T. Yarborough (age 10), of Harnett County, with a red drum that bit a TTF Mrs. Trout Killer soft plastic near Topsail Island. He was fishing with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some spot, sea mullet, croaker, and some solid puppy and black drum while bottom fishing from the pier with shrimp and other baits.
The recent weather has the water a bit dirty for spanish mackerel and bluefish. The week ahead looks good, though, so anglers should see both species biting Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs off the pier in the near future.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that things are settling into a summer pattern with good fishing in the morning and evening hours and bit of a lull in the daytime.
Black drum, some puppy drum, spot, croaker, and sea mullet are taking an interest in bottom rigs baited with shrimp, sand fleas, and more.
Some spanish mackerel and bluefish are biting Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs in the early morning hours.
Plenty of menhaden are around the pier, and anglers have seen (but not hooked) some cobia lately as well.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers saw some solid fishing inshore after Tropical Storm Andrea passed the area last week. Dirty water plagued some spots, but anglers found plenty of action where they could find clean water.
Speckled trout are feeding around the area bridges and at drop-offs in the ICW. Casting TTF soft plastics on light jigheads will tempt the trout to bite.
Flounder fishing was starting to improve inshore before the storm, and it should still be decent wherever anglers can find clean water. Soft plastic baits on jigheads will fool the flounder as well, especially when paired with a scent like Pro-Cure Super Gel.
The red drum action has been strong on the flats and in the bays near Topsail and Sneads Ferry, with a good bite around Figure Eight as well. Topwater plugs are tempting good numbers of bites from the reds, and anglers are hooking them on TTF soft plastics and gold spoons when they don’t want to bite on top.
