Topsail – November 12, 2015
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent king mackerel action while fishing 5-15 miles offshore at present. Big numbers of the kings are feeding in those areas and biting live baits and dead cigar minnows on dead bait rigs. A large wahoo was also caught alongside the kings last week.
When boats have been able to make it out to the Gulf Stream, the wahoo fishing remains solid, and some blackfin tuna and sailfish are around as well. All three will pounce on ballyhoo trolled with skirted lures like Blue Water Candy Witches and JAGs.
There are still a few king mackerel along the beachfront, as anglers have landed several from the local piers over the past week. The nearshore kings will likely be headed offshore soon, so now’s the time if anglers want to get in on some of the final action of the year close to the beaches. Live baits are top choices for the kings in close.
Spanish mackerel seem to have headed out for winter for the most part, with a few caught off the piers in recent weeks alongside plenty of bluefish. Casting lures like Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs are fooling most of the blues.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen have been hooking solid numbers of sea mullet along with some spot, bluefish, and black and red drum. Shrimp, bloodworms, and cut baits are fooling most of the fish in the breakers.
There are also still decent numbers of large red drum feeding just off the island and biting cut baits cast from the ends of the piers.
Inshore, flounder are still feeding around the inlets and at inshore structure like docks, but the flatfish bite will likely fade out over the coming weeks. Live and Gulp baits will tempt bites from the flatfish.
Red drum are feeding in the marshes and around structure as well. Live and Gulp baits will fool the reds along with a host of other baits and lures.
The speckled trout bite is turning on inshore in the creeks and New River. Anglers are fooling the specks with soft plastics, suspending lures like MR17’s, and a variety of other artificials.
Brian Turnure, Kenny Sloan, and John Oglesby with a 71.6 lb. wahoo that attacked a live, skirted cigar minnow while they were trolling off Topsail Beach at AR-382. Weighed in at East Coast Sports.
Perrin Lee, of Benson, NC, with a citation 4 lb., 4 oz. pompano that struck shrimp in the surf at Topsail Beach.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers are hooking big numbers of speckled trout at present while fishing the bays and creeks off the New River and ICW. Many of the fish are undersized, but anglers are connecting with some solid 20”+ specks while weeding through the short fish.
Some gray trout, flounder, and puppy drum have been mixed in with the specks, and all three are falling for Salty Bay and Egret soft plastics fished on jigheads.
Blake Boyd, of Hampstead, NC, with a tautog that bit a Gulp bait at AR-360 off Topsail Beach.
Greg, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with good numbers of spot and sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms. Some gray trout and black drum have also been taking an interest in the bottom rigs.
Bluefish are biting bottom rigs and Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier.
Anglers are hooking some large red drum on cut baits fished off the end of the pier.
There have also been several surprise November king mackerel hooked in recent days.
Capt. Jim Sabella, of Plan 9 Fishing Charters, with a 43″ red drum he caught and released 1 mile off Topsail Beach. A 1 oz. diamond jig fooled the red, which was netted by his 9 year-old son Dante.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some spot, sea mullet, and black drum while bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms.
Anglers have also hooked decent numbers of citation-class red drum while fishing from the end of the pier recently.
Several king mackerel were also caught over the past weekend by anglers live-baiting from the end of the pier.
Tonya Jones with a speckled trout that she hooked on a topwater plug while fishing inshore of Topsail Island.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are still seeing some solid action with citation-class red drum while soaking large cut baits off the end of the pier.
Spot and sea mullet are biting bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms, with some of the best fishing at night.
Plug casters have been hooking big numbers of bluefish while working Gotchas and other lures from the pier.
