Topsail June 21, 2007
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf anglers are landing whiting, pompano, and bluefish. The whiting and pompano are eating cut shrimp fished on bottom rigs, and the blues will take cut baits.
Bluefish and whiting are feeding in the inlets and nearby channels.
In the sounds, anglers are catching plenty of flounder and some red drum and speckled trout. The flounder are falling for live mud minnows fished on Carolina rigs. Gulp baits and other artificials are drawing interest from the trout and drum, and spinnerbaits are especially effective on drum feeding in the marshes.
Spanish mackerel are chasing bait along the surf line, and boats are hooking up with the spanish by trolling Clarkspoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers just behind the breakers.
Cobia are feeding nearshore, and the inlet sea buoys have been loaded with them. The cobia will hit a variety of baits, but live baits have out produced dead and artificial offerings lately.
King mackerel are feeding 3-30 miles from shore. Dolphin are mixed with the kings around 23 Mile Rock and nearby. Both fish will hit diving plugs, cigar minnows, and ballyhoo, with ballyhoo attracting more dolphin bites.
A few sailfish are showing up, and a small pack of sails was sighted at AR368 early in the week.
Bottom fishing has been excellent, with boats finding solid grouper action 23-30 miles offshore. Sea bass and grunts are feeding closer to the beach.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that New River trout fishing remains steady. Most of the trout are in the 2-3 lb. class, and they are falling for Storm and Halo shrimp imitations as well as topwater plugs.
Anglers are catching lots of red drum in creeks and on flats off the ICW. The drum are feeding around flooded marsh grass, and the best time to target them is within an hour on either side of the high tide. The reds will eagerly strike topwater plugs most of the time, but spinner baits and soft plastics will get bites when they’re less aggressive.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers casting diamond jigs and Gotcha plugs are hooking up with good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Flounder fishing has been hit or miss. Some nice fish have been caught, but there isn’t a consistent bite.
Bottom fishermen are landing a few pompano.
King mackerel fishing was excellent last week, and the week’s largest king was 25 lbs. Live bluefish are accounting for most of the king bites.
Wayne, of Sea View Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are catching black drum, spot, and whiting on cut shrimp.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are hitting Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs.
A few flounder are striking small live baits.
The king mackerel fishing has been on fire over the week, with more than a dozen kings caught. A 37 lb. king was the largest caught last week.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are catching black drum (some weighing over 10 lbs.) and decent numbers of summer spot. The black drum are hitting sand fleas and cut shrimp, and most of the spot are eating shrimp.
Pier anglers are catching plenty of flounder, but most are undersized.
Plug casters are hooking up with bluefish and some spanish mackerel on Gotchas.
Live baiters have caught solid number of kings (up to 30 lbs.) over the week, several cobia, and have hooked up and lost some tarpon. Bluefish are the go-to live baits.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that red drum are abundant and on the feed in area waters. Most of the drum are holding in creek mouths off the ICW, and anglers are getting drum bites on spinner baits and spoons.
Speckled trout fishing is still good in the New River. Live shrimp are the prime trout baits, but the specks will also hit Gulp and Halo shrimp imitations.
Boats are finding spanish mackerel and bluefish on the feed in the inlet and along the beach. Trolled Clarkspoons and diving plugs will produce good result on both.
There are still a few cobia around the inlet and cruising the beach.
King mackerel and sharks are chasing bait along the beach. The kings will fall for live pogies, and there are plenty of pogies in the river right now.
The grouper action is hot just 15 miles from shore. Anglers are boating gags by fishing with cut baits, and they’re catching kings, cobia, and a few dolphin around the same spots (both while light-lining and trolling).
The billfish bite has been red hot over the past week at the Swansboro Hole and the Big Rock. Gulf Stream anglers are also boating wahoo and big dolphin (40-60 lbs.) in the blue water.
Ballyhoo trolled underneath Sea Witch skirts will produce strikes from all of these offshore predators, and pink/white has been an especially hot color lately.
