Topsail October 25, 2012
Richard Walton, of Rocky Point, NC, with a 6 lb. flounder that bit a live shrimp pinned to a float rig off Seaview Fishing Pier at North Topsail Beach.
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that big numbers of bluefish and spanish mackerel are feeding just off the beaches along Topsail. Anglers are hooking them on Gotcha plugs from the piers and while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures from boats.
King mackerel are also making a strong fall showing, with good numbers biting off the piers and for boaters fishing from the beachfront out to spots in the 10-15 mile range. Live baits like menhaden and bluefish are tough to beat for the kings.
Boats making the haul to the Gulf Stream are finding that the excellent wahoo bite is still going, and some dolphin and kings are mixed in. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are fooling all three.
Bottom fishing at structure within 15 miles of the inlets is producing plenty of action with gag grouper along with grunts and other smaller bottom feeders.
Surf casters are scoring action with red drum at both ends of Topsail Island and across the inlet at Lea Island. Finger mullet and cut baits are the best bets for the reds in the surf.
Fat sea mullet, pompano, and some black drum are rounding out the surf catch, and all will take an interest in shrimp and sand fleas on double bottom rigs.
The red drum bite is also going strong in the bays and creeks inshore, where anglers are hooking up on live and cut baits, Gulps and other soft plastics, topwater plugs, and more.
Speckled trout fishing is turning on strong, with the best bite in the creeks and around hard structure in the ICW and sound. Rapala X-Raps and a variety of soft plastics are fooling the specks.
Flounder fishing is also good inshore (with fish to 12 lbs. weighed in last week and big numbers of keepers). Live baits and Gulps are producing most of the action with the flatfish, and anglers are finding them in the creeks, inlets, and around structure inshore.
Daniel, of Flat Foot Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still catching plenty of inshore slams on recent trips, and bait remains plentiful throughout the inshore waters.
Flounder are feeding around docks and other inshore structure, with deeper water the most productive right now. Live finger mullet and Gulp baits are fooling the majority of the flatfish.
The speckled trout bite keeps getting better (and bigger fish are showing up). Live shrimp and shrimp-imitating soft plastics are the best bets for the specks.
Dylan Peters (age 11), of Holly Springs, NC, cradles a 26″ red drum he hooked on a finger mullet in the surf near Bogue Inlet.
Anglers are connecting with red drum around structure on moving tides, and both live finger mullet and menhaden are tempting them to bite.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that the speckled trout and flounder bite has been excellent lately in the New River and ICW around Sneads Ferry and Topsail. The flounder are falling for soft plastics and live baits. Storm shrimp and Texas Tackle Factory soft baits are producing the majority of the trout.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking some spot, sea mullet, pompano, and other panfish on double-hook rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
Some flounder are coming over the rails as well (with fish to 6 lbs. landed recently). Live baits are producing the flatfish action.
Plug casters are hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotchas, and a few false albacore were mixed in last week.
Bob, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers landed several king mackerel last week (the largest 26 lbs.) while live-baiting from the end of the pier.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some red and black drum, sea mullet, pompano, and spadefish. Shrimp and cut baits are producing most of the action.
Speckled trout are beginning to make an appearance around the pier, and they should get more numerous as the water temperature falls.
Briggs, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers saw some decent spot runs last weekend and the season should be far from over. Bloodworms and shrimp on bottom rigs are tempting the spot to bite.
Sea mullet and pompano (some to 2+ lbs.) are in the mix with the spot, and they are also biting shrimp.
Flounder are falling for small live baits fished under the pier.
Plug casters are hooking big numbers of bluefish on Gotchas.
