Topsail March 27, 2014
Benny Trujillo, of Houston, TX, and Rey Cirino, of Ft. Bragg, NC, with a pair of red drum they hooked in some shallow water off the New River while fishing with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures. The reds fell for TTF Killer Falts Minnow soft plastics scented with Pro-Cure.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that red drum are schooled up along the shoals surrounding area inlets. Sunny days often create conditions where anglers can spot the schools and sight-fish in the surf. Gulp baits on heavy jigheads are fooling most of the fish anglers can see, while circle hook bottom rigs baited with shrimp or cut baits are the way to go when fishing blind.
Inshore, schools of smaller reds are feeding around the creek mouths off the ICW and New River. They’ll bite Gulps and other soft baits or fresh shrimp on jigheads or Carolina rigs.
Some solid speckled trout are feeding well up many of the same creeks, and anglers are fooling the specks on soft plastics and suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s. Anglers should remember the trout season is closed until June 15, however, and trout are catch-and-release only until then.
Pier anglers are decking some pufferfish while bottom fishing with shrimp, and the numbers will increase as soon as the water temperature climbs a few degrees. Some sea mullet should also be joining the mix in the coming weeks, and they also have a tough time turning down shrimp on double-drop bottom rigs.
Richard Walton with a 25″ red drum he hooked on a piece of shrimp pinned to a jighead while fishing a Sneads Ferry creek.
Not many boats have made it out into the ocean over the past few weeks, but black sea bass are feeding on structure starting a few miles out in the ocean. Anglers may have to work out to the 15-20 mile range to weed through the small fish to 13”+ keepers, however.
False albacore should be working the surface in the 20 mile range as well. Anglers who spot fish feeding on the surface or diving birds can tempt the tough tuna relatives to bite small metal casting jigs or trolled spoons.
Further offshore, there should be some wahoo action at local spots like the Same Ol’ Hole when warm water is pushed up against the break and boats have the weather to make the long run. Trolling ballyhoo beneath skirted lures will tempt bites from the wahoo, and anglers can also pull baitless high-speed lures faster to cover more water and find active fish.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that red drum are schooling in the backwaters off the ICW and New River (with some schools holding 500+ fish). Anglers are hooking the reds on TTF soft plastics, and scenting them with Pro-Cure Super Gel has been very effective lately. Gold spoons have also been tempting bites from some more active fish.
A few speckled trout are mixed in with the red schools, and anglers are hooking more specks in the creeks on soft plastics and suspending baits like MirrOlure MR17’s.
Greg, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some pufferfish from the planks on shrimp and other baits on bottom rigs.
The sea mullet haven’t shown up yet, but it’s time and anglers should see the tasty panfish mixed in with the puffers over the next few weeks.
Bluefish are generally the next to appear in the waters around the pier, typically in early to mid-April.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that the pier opens Friday, March 28. Anglers have been hooking some puffers and a few sharks and skates already from the pier, and the action will get better as the water warms up over the coming weeks. The angler who lands the first sea mullet of the season from the pier for 2014 will receive a free season pass, and that should be happening in the coming weeks as well.
Cheryl, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers have landed pufferfish, skates, and a few undersized flounder over the past week. The action should improve, and anglers should see the arrival of some sea mullet as water temperatures rise and spring wears on.
