Topsail May 10, 2007
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that the piers are seeing catches of whiting, bluefish, and black drum. Spanish are beginning to show up, and they should be running the beach in full force in the next week.
Surf casters are filling coolers with whiting, pufferfish, and black drum. All will hit shrimp on bottom rigs.
Around the Surf City Swing Bridge, fishermen are scoring with speckled trout on pink shine Gulp Jerk Shads.
Spanish are showing up at the nearshore structures at the same time that the bonito bite is waning. Get out and catch bonito now before they’re gone until next year.
Gulf Stream action with tuna, dolphin, and wahoo continues, and some blue marlin are around to thrill blue water anglers.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that trout fishing is on fire in the New River. Fish are biting all over the river, from downtown Jacksonville to Snead’s Ferry. Most of the action is in creeks off the main river.
Billy Bay Halo Shrimp are the best artificial lures, but live shrimp will outfish them. Some fish are coming on topwaters, too.
The flounder bite has begun, and flounder up to 18” have been hitting the artificial shrimp along with the trout.
Wayne, of Sea View Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are catching whiting and bluefish on shrimp.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are keeping plug casters busy.
The first four king mackerel of 2007 were caught last week, and they weighed between 10-24 lbs. Live bluefish tempted the kings to strike.
The water temperature is 68 degrees.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that whiting and pompano are hitting bottom rigs. Shrimp are the most effective bait.
Plenty of bluefish are around and falling for plugs and bottom rigs. A few legal sized spanish are feeding along with the blues, and they’re all hitting plugs.
Tom, of Hot Tuna Charters, reports that big grouper are feeding on ledges 40+ miles offshore. Some gags are 30+ lbs., and anglers are catching limits of grouper.
Teenager kings are 25 or so miles from the beach, and limits of kings are not uncommon either.
Inshore, the speckled trout are in the creeks. Live shrimp are by far the most effective trout bait.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that inshore fishing in the New River is in full swing.
Red drum, speckled trout, and flounder are all biting well. Creeks off the main river are the best spots, and a New Penny Gulp Shrimp on a 3/8 oz. jighead will tempt strikes from all three inshore gamesters.
Bottom fishermen are catching croaker, spot, and black drum on cut shrimp in the river.
Nearshore, the cobia have arrived. In the next few weeks the cobia action will center around the inlet tide lines. The best strategy for inlet cobia is to chum heavily, fish live or dead baits on the surface and on the bottom, and be prepared to sight cast to fish that swim up the chum line.
Spanish mackerel, small kings, and bonito are mixed together at the nearshore ledges and reefs, and all will fall for trolled Drone and Clark spoons.
