Topsail May 26, 2011
Tim Ellis, of NC State University, with a speckled trout he caught, tagged, and released after it struck a soft plastic jerkbait while he was fishing the New River with Capt. Ricky Kellum of Speckled Specialist Charters. The fish is a small part of a four-year study that will conclude in 2012.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are encountering chopper bluefish all over the area, from the surf and piers to the inlets and sound waters. The big blues will bite just about anything, but fast moving lures and cut or live baits will particularly get their attention.
Surf and pier anglers are also hooking up with some red and black drum, sea mullet, a few flounder, and some sheepshead around the pier pilings. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp and cut baits will attract bites from just about anything swimming through the surf right now.
Inshore, black drum and sheepshead are feeding around hard structure like oyster rocks and dock and bridge pilings. Fiddler crabs, sand fleas, or other crustacean baits will tempt both fish to bite.
Red drum are feeding around oyster rocks off the ICW and the marshes and biting topwater plugs as well. Some speckled trout (to 5 lbs.) are mixed in, and the fish will take an interest in scented soft plastics or other subsurface lures when they are biting topwaters.
Spanish mackerel are feeding heavily along the beaches and just offshore. Anglers can hook up with the spaniards while trolling Clarkspoons or casting Shore Lures or other metal jigs to the feeding fish. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in.
Big numbers of black sea bass are holding at just about any bottom structure from the beach to the break. With their season opening June 1, it won’t be long until anglers can take them home.
Gag grouper are still feeding at structure a bit further offshore, and live, frozen, and dead baits will tempt bites from the gags.
Gulf Stream trollers have been putting together nice catches of gaffer dolphin recently, with a few wahoo and blackfin tuna mixed in. The dolphin are beginning to work their way in from the Stream, and they should continue to work closer to shore over the next few weeks. Ballyhoo under skirted trolling lures are top choices for the dolphin and other blue water gamefish.
Good numbers of school king mackerel have been reported around WR4, and they’ll take an interest in live baits, dead cigar minnows, and lures like Yo-Zuri Deep Divers.
Eric and Ricky Rambeaut with a pair of 27 lb. yellowfin grouper they landed while fishing some structure in 130' of water off New Topsail Inlet.
Wayne, of Last Resort Charters, reports that flounder are feeding at the nearshore rocks and wrecks off the area, and live menhaden are producing plenty of action with them. Just about any ledge or other structure within a few miles of the inlets should host some productive flounder fishing right now.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are chasing bait along the beaches, and trolling Clarkspoons or other small lures will tempt plenty of bites from them.
Inshore, flounder fishing is still solid in the creeks and along ICW docks and other structure, where anglers are also running into good numbers of red drum. Small menhaden are the go-to baits inshore as well, and there have been plenty in the backs of the creeks lately.
Speckled trout fishing has been decent lately as well, and anglers who can get their hands on some live shrimp will increase their odds of hooking specks considerably.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Charters, reports that red drum and some large bluefish are entering a summer pattern and looking for meals along the shallow flats from New River to Rich’s Inlet. Gulp shrimp and jerk shads and live menhaden are attracting plenty of attention from both.
Flounder fishing has been good in the deeper (15’+) channels near Figure Eight Island, and the flatfish are falling for the same baits as the reds and bluefish.
Wayne, of Seaview Pier, reports that plug casters are hooking up with some spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotchas and diamond jigs from the pier.
Live-baiters fishing the end of the pier have been enjoying decent action with king mackerel and seeing a few cobia.
Bottom fishing has been a bit slow during the days, but anglers are still catching some sea mullet at night.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with chopper bluefish on the king rigs with regularity, and they landed one king mackerel last week.
Some spanish mackerel and bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs worked from the pier.
Bottom fishermen are finding some action with spot, sea mullet, pompano, sheepshead, and a few flounder.
James Schoonover with a 25" red drum he caught on a Gulp pogy beneath a popping cork while he was fishing with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures Charters.
Mason, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers have been landing plenty of bluefish (from bait size up to 12-14 lbs.) lately on a variety of baits and lures.
The spanish mackerel bite has been solid for anglers working Gotchas and other metal lures from the planks.
Black drum and some sheepshead are feeding near the pier and taking an interest in shrimp and other crustacean baits.
