Topsail May 12, 2011
Kyle Doub, from East Bend, NC, with a 30 lb. king mackerel he hooked on a live spot while shark fishing in the surf at Surf City. Weighed in at East Coast Sports.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish from the island’s piers on Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs.
Larger chopper blues (some to 15+ lbs.) are all over the area, and anglers are hooking them from the pier, the surf, and inshore. The choppers will attack virtually any bait that anglers can cast.
King mackerel are showing up along the beach (including a 30 pounder caught from the surf last week). Anglers can target them by fishing live baits from the piers or while slow-trolling from boats.
There are still a few Atlantic bonito feeding around nearshore structure like Divers Rock, but spanish mackerel are quickly taking their place and will fall for diamond jigs and trolled Yo-Zuri Deep Divers just like the bonito.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen have been decking some sea mullet and spot while baiting up with shrimp.
The red drum bite has been quite good around the south end of the island and Lea Island recently. Anglers can tempt the surf reds to bite cut baits or gold spoons.
Grouper season is finally open, and anglers have been connecting with keeper gags at structure from 3-50 miles off the beach. Red and scamp groupers are more prevalent toward the offshore end of that range. Live baits, large cut baits, and vertical jigs will all tempt bites from the groupers.
Gulf Stream trollers have found some action with dolphin and snake king mackerel while dragging ballyhoo through the blue water recently.
Wayne, of Last Resort Charters, reports that spanish mackerel are making a good showing just outside the inlet, and the bluefish are practically thick enough to walk on. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting metal jigs around feeding fish and birds working the water’s surface will fool the spanish and blues.
Bait balls of pogies are also showing up nearshore, and anglers should keep an eye out for cobia near them when fishing outside the inlets.
Inshore, the red drum bite has been excellent in the shallow marshes of the area, especially behind Lea Island. Cut baits and Gulps have been effective on the reds lately.
Flounder fishing is picking up, too. Some of the best action lately has been around sandbars off the mouths of area creeks. Gulp baits and small live baits will fool the flatfish.
Capt. Allen Jernigan with a 12.8 lb. flounder he hooked on a 4" Gulp shrimp pinned to a 1/4 oz. jighead near Sneads Ferry .
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that red drum are feeding in the area’s shallows, but they’ve been a bit scattered and challenging to locate in large numbers lately.
The flounder bite is getting more reliable, and anglers are hooking flatfish all over the inshore waters.
Live peanut pogies have been producing most of the action with the reds and flounder. They’re not here in great numbers yet, but anglers should be able to find some schools to cast-net.
Outside the inlets, the spanish mackerel bite is getting better and better. Most of the spaniards are falling for trolled Clarkspoons.
Frank, of Seaview Pier, reports that live-baiters landed several king mackerel (in the 20 lb. class) last week and good numbers of chopper bluefish.
Plug casters have been finding good action with spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs from the pier.
The sea mullet bite has slowed down in the day for the bottom fishermen, but anglers are still catching good numbers at night. Some fat pompano are falling for shrimp-baited bottom rigs in the daytime.
Jan, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers have been catching plenty of bluefish and spanish mackerel (some 2-4 lbs.) on Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs.
Chopper bluefish (some to 12 lbs.) have been falling for live baits on king rigs, and king mackerel shouldn’t be far behind them.
Bottom fishermen are decking some sea mullet, sheepshead, spot, and a few pompano while baiting up with shrimp.
Rob, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers landed some fat pompano (to 2 lbs.) last week on bottom rigs baited with shrimp. A few sea mullet are in the mix as well.
Some flounder are falling for small live baits on the bottom.
Large schools of pogies were around the pier last week, and anglers saw several cobia amongst them. King mackerel should be right around the corner as well.
