Topsail June 4, 2009
Joe Beard, of Laceys Spring, AL, and Chris Beard and Brandon Ventura, of Jacksonville, NC, with dolphin they hooked while trolling off New River Inlet with Capts. Andy and Adam Powell of All In Charters.
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are finding action with king mackerel and a few dolphin while trolling cigar minnows around 23 Mile Rock.
Larger dolphin are feeding out in the blue water around the Same Ol’ and the Swansboro Hole. Skirted ballyhoo are the best baits for the bigger phins.
Nearshore, trollers had good luck with spanish mackerel and large bluefish while dragging Clarkspoons and other lures. Surf and pier anglers are also getting in on the spanish action while throwing Gotchas, Stingsilvers, and other lures.
Bottom fishermen are hooking good numbers of whiting, pompano, and puppy drum in the surf.
Flounder fishing is improving, and anglers are catching good numbers of flatfish from the piers, in the surf, the sound, the inlets, and around the bridges. Small, Carolina-rigged live baits are the tickets to bites from the flounder.
Big chopper bluefish are feeding in the sound as well, and they will bite lures or baits that anglers are casting for reds, trout, and flounder.
Red drum are scattered throughout the sound and the creeks, and anglers can hook them on live baits, Gulps, spinnerbaits, or other lures.
There’s been a decent speckled trout bite around both the bridges over the past week, and most anglers are hooking them on live shrimp.
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Ashely Bonner, from Greenville, NC, with a 6 lb. speckled trout she hooked on an Exude shrimp under a popping cork. She was fishing with Capt. Rennie Clark of Tournament Trail Charters during Military Appreciation Day.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that the flounder bite is getting better by the week. Many of the fish are coming from the inlet area, and the 172 Bridge has also been producing good numbers of flatties. Finger mullet and peanut pogies fished on Carolina rigs are the best flounder foolers.
The bridge is also holding plenty of sheepshead and black drum. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp, clams, or fiddler crabs will fool both the striped fish.
Red drum and trout are feeding in the creeks and bays off of the river and ICW. Live shrimp are becoming more prevalent in the area, and many anglers are using them to hook up with the reds and trout. Anglers are also hooking up while casting topwater plugs, Gulps, Billy Bay Halo Shrimp, and other lures.
Spanish mackerel are still feeding strong right along the beaches. Anglers can troll Clarkspoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers to hook up with the spanish (and plenty of bluefish that are mixed in).
King mackerel are spread out through the area, and anglers are hooking a few at most offshore spots while trolling cigar minnows.
Boats have hooked a few cobia around the E Buoy and Christmas Rock while trolling live baits for kings.
The grouper bite has been excellent around 20 miles off the inlet. Anglers bottom fishing with sardines, Boston mackerel, and other baits are hooking up with red, scamp, and gag groupers along with a variety of other bottomfish.
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Charlie, from Hampstead with a pair of bluefish he hooked from Surf City Pier.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that the speckled trout bite in and around the New River has been excellent lately. Anglers are catching big numbers of the specks while drifting live shrimp on float rigs near structure in the creeks, the ICW, and the River. Billy Bay and Storm shrimp imitations are also producing some action, and anglers may be able to coax a few fish in to striking topwater plugs.
Red drum are feeding alongside the specks and in the bays off the river and ICW. Topwater plugs and Gulp baits are tops for the reds.
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Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports that anglers are finding some sizeable red drum (many over 30″) feeding under docks in the ICW. Live pogies are fooling the big reds, but they’ll also take an interest in Gulps and other lures.
Offshore, the king mackerel bite has been solid in the 18-20 mile range lately (mostly for teenager class fish). Live pogies will fool the kings as well as the reds.
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Vinita, of Surf City pier, reports that casters are hooking up with spanish mackerel and bluefish on diamond jigs and Gotcha plugs.
Sheepshead are feeding around the pilings, and anglers in the know are hooking up with them on fiddler crabs and other crustacean baits.
Bottom fishermen have hooked a mixed bag of spadefish, black drum, whiting, and other fish over the week. The pier also saw a strong spot run last week, with anglers hooking up on shrimp and bloodworms on both sides of the pier.
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Jonathan, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are picking up some whiting, pompano, and black drum on shrimp.
Anglers also hooked a decent number of keeper flounder last week (the largest around 3 lbs.). Live mud minnows and shrimp are producing most of the flounder, but several were landed on grubs as well.
