Topsail – June 5, 2014
Robert Rogers, of Franklinton, NC, with a 23″ black drum that struck cut shrimp in the sound at south Topsail.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that boaters and pier anglers are seeing cobia cruising along the beachfront and around bait balls not far from shore. Anglers are connecting with the cobes while sight-casting Blue Water Candy bucktails (including a 55 lb. fish weighed in last week).
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are also feeding along the beachfront. They’re falling for Clarkspoons that anglers are trolling from boats and Gotcha plugs and other casting lures that anglers are working from the piers.
Bottom fishermen are reporting solid action with gag grouper and black sea bass starting around 10 miles out, with red and scamp grouper feeding around structure further offshore.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are still finding some stellar dolphin action, and a few billfish have been in the mix as well. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are fooling most of the fish in the blue water.
Inshore, the red drum action is going strong in the marshes and bays, where anglers are hooking the fish on live baits, soft plastics, and topwater plugs.
Some reds are also feeding on the inlet shoals, and anglers can tempt them to bite baited bottom rigs or gold spoons.
Flounder action continues to improve inshore, where anglers are hooking the fish on live baits and scented soft lures like Gulps.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that the flounder action has finally come around inshore. Giggers have been finding good numbers for weeks, but hook-and-line anglers are finally seeing a decent bite, with both live baits and soft plastics putting the flatfish in the boat. The inlets, marshes, and around inshore structure are the spots to target the flounder.
Halye Lohr, of Graham, NC, with a 16″ flounder she hooked near New Topsail Inlet while fishing with her cousins on the “FlatFish.”
Red drum have spread out a bit over the past week, but anglers are still hooking good numbers in the bays and marshes off the ICW and New River. Gold spoons, topwater plugs, and soft plastics are all attracting attention from the reds.
Speckled trout are feeding around the area bridges in the early morning hours, and they’re biting live shrimp, soft plastics, and suspending hard lures.
Anglers soaking shrimp near the bridges are also connecting with some black drum and sheepshead.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are still hooking some sea mullet at night and spot during the daytime while bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms. An occasional red or black drum has been mixed in.
A few flounder are falling for small live baits fished near the pier.
Sheepshead are showing up around the pilings and will bite sand fleas or fiddler crabs.
Plug casters are hooking a few spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotcha plugs early and late in the day.
Ed, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers saw a decent spot run last week, with shrimp and bloodworms producing most of the fish. An occasional red or black drum is finding the bottom rigs as well.
Some sheepshead are showing up around the pilings, and anglers targeting them landed several last week.
Plug casters are hooking spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotchas and diamond jigs when the water’s clean.
The pier saw its first keeper cobia last week, which fell for a live bait on a king rig.
Cheryl, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some spot and croaker on bottom rigs. Sea mullet are mixed in at night, and anglers are also finding an odd red or black drum.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs in the afternoon hours.
