Topsail – October 27, 2016
Austin, of East Coast Sports, reports that the surf fishing around Topsail is providing solid action. Anglers fishing shrimp and Fishbites are connecting with sea mullet, bluefish, pompano, and black drum. Red drum are being caught in the surf using fresh cut mullet on a fish finder rig.
Anglers fishing around the dredge dock area are seeing black drum, red drum, and flounder. There have also been some speckled trout caught in the same area on soft plastics fished on jig heads. Hard baits by MirrOlure and Rapala have also been hooking a few fish.
Flounder are being caught in the marsh and around docks in the waterway. Scented soft plastics fished on the bottom or Carolina rigged live mullet or mud minnows has worked best, and there have been some larger than average fish caught recently.
Red drum fishing remains decent along grass shorelines, oyster beds, docks, and creek mouths. The fish will take a topwater plug fished in the morning or late in the evening. Fresh cut mullet fished on the bottom has been accounting for some fish around the waterway docks.
Speckled trout fishing has been excellent over the past week. The fish are responding to hard twitch baits very well. The numbers of fish and the size this year has been an improvement over the last few. Z-Man and Gulp soft plastics are getting bites from the trout.
Offshore anglers are reporting good king mackerel action from just off the beach out to the 20 mile range. The fish are being hooked on Drone spoons, Blue Water Candy dead bait rigs, and Big Nick Mack-A-Hoos. There are some cobia being caught and released in the same areas.
Bottom fishermen are reporting decent gag grouper fishing beginning in the 60’ range. In this same range there are also grunts, black sea bass, triggerfish, ringtails, and porgies. The bottom fishing will continue to get better closer to the beach as the water continues to cool.
Gulf Steam boaters are connecting with mahi and wahoo. The wahoo are being hooked using #6 and #8 planers with wire-rigged ballyhoo. Dark colored skirts in front of the ballyhoo has been working the best. The mahi are eating a variety of small trolled lures in front of dink ‘hoos.
Jesse Stallo (age 10) with a 26 red drum caught behind Figure Eight Island on a Gulp soft plastic.
Chad, of Lucky Dawg Guide Service, reports that fall fishing has kicked off. The speckled trout bite has been hot, with good-sized fish being caught. They are hitting a variety of baits such as curly tail grubs, paddle tails, topwater plugs, and MirrOlure MR17’s. Most of the fish are being found near the inlets, and the top and bottom of the tides have produced the best bites.
False albacore numbers are high just off the beach, and small casting jigs are a great way to hook up.
Red drum and flounder can still be found throughout the marsh and ICW, as well as on the ledges just off the beach. Live finger mullet on Carolina rigs have accounted for most of the bites.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that king mackerel fishing is red hot in the 5-10 mile range. There’s a good mix of sizes, with fish around 15 lbs. being the average. Dead cigar minnows on Blue Water Candy dead bait rigs are getting most of the bites, and the fish are being hooked throughout the water column.
False albacore fishing is very good. The fish are holding just outside the inlets out to 10 miles. Trolled Clarkspoons, casted jigs, and fly casted rain bait imitations are all equally catching the fish.
Speckled trout fishing is excellent, with a lot of quality fish being hooked. The trout are taking grubs on jig heads and MirrOlures in many of the creeks and channels. Hard baits seem to be hooking more of the larger fish.
Robbie, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that bluefish are being hooked on plugs. Bottom fishermen are catching pompano, sea mullet, and a few spots.
Speckled trout are being caught on bottom rigs baited with shrimp and soft plastics fished on the bottom.
Large red drum were caught over the past week on cut mullet and bluefish. There were also several king mackerel landed (on live bluefish).
Terry, of Surf City Pier, reports that on Thursday there were 11 kings landed, and the bite has been decent all week. A few cobia have also been caught and released.
False albacore have been in range several times over the past few days. They are taking small jigs retrieved quickly through the school.
There has been a scattered spot bite throughout the week. In addition, sea mullet, black drum, and pompano are being hooked on the bottom.
Specked trout in the 16-18” range are being caught. Their numbers (and sizes) are expected to improve as the water cools.
David, of Seaview Fishing Pier, reports that speckled trout up to 18” are being caught. Soft plastics on jig heads and live minnows have accounted for most of the trout hookups. Bluefish are being caught on Gotcha plugs and cut bait on the bottom.
Keeper red and black drum have been caught over the past week, and nice-sized sea mullet are falling for fresh shrimp. Spots have been hooked off and on over the past few days, with bloodworms out producing everything else.
King mackerel have been landed in decent numbers since the water has settled down after Hurricane Matthew.
