Topsail – September 11, 2014
Web Eckel (age 9) with a 4+ lb. flounder he hooked on a live finger mullet off his dock at Wrightsville Beach.
Doug, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf and pier bottom fishermen are seeing some solid action right now. Good numbers of sea mullet along with some pompano and black drum are falling for shrimp and sand fleas just off the beaches, and anglers have also seen some decent spot runs over the past week while baiting up with bloodworms.
Anglers fishing the south end of Topsail Island are connecting with decent numbers of red drum on cut baits and finger mullet, and they may also be able to hook up while casting lures like gold spoons.
Inshore, there’s been some good flounder fishing around the inlets, in the marshes, and around structure like docks. Live finger mullet are fooling most of the flatfish, but anglers can also hook up while working Gulps and other soft plastic baits.
Speckled trout are feeding in the marshes and creeks, particularly off the New River (and anglers have landed some big trout recently). Live shrimp, topwater plugs, suspending lures, and soft plastics are all effective on the specks.
Spanish mackerel are feeding just off the beaches, where anglers are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons from boats and working Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs from the ends of the piers.
King mackerel are looking for meals a bit further offshore, and anglers reported some solid action 10-12 miles out last week. Some dolphin have been mixed in, and both predators will bite live baits or ballyhoo and cigar minnows pinned to dead bait rigs.
T.J. Conroy, of Pittsburgh, PA, with his first ling mackerel, a 25 lb. fish that struck a live blue runner off the end of Surf City Pier.
Bottom fishermen are reporting some legal gag grouper at bottom structure within 10 miles of the beachfront. The gags will bite live, dead, and cut baits. Plenty of black sea bass, grunts, and other smaller bottomfish are feeding in the same areas and will attack smaller cut baits and squid.
Offshore trollers continue to find excellent wahoo action at local Gulf Stream hotspots. The fish are biting both traditional skirted ballyhoo spreads and baitless high-speed lures.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers are still seeing some excellent red drum action along the New River and ICW right now. Schools of fish have been working the flats and bays and providing some exciting sight-casting action on many days. Topwater plugs, gold spoons, and a variety of soft plastic baits will fool the reds.
Some speckled trout are in the same areas and biting the same baits.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs from the pier. A 12 lb. false albacore also fell for a diamond jig recently.
Live-baiters landed a 26 lb. king mackerel off the end of the pier last week.
Bottom fishermen are decking a few sea mullet in the daytime and decent numbers of spot at night. Shrimp and bloodworms are fooling both.
Some keeper flounder are biting small live baits on the bottom.
Doug, Brandy, and Josh Kelly, of Topsail Beach, with the results of a triple red drum hookup they found while surf fishing the local beachfront. The fish on the left was over-slot and released after the photo.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some gray trout, red and black drum, spot, and sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp, bloodworms, and cut baits.
Casters working Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs are hooking good numbers of bluefish and spanish mackerel, and they also landed a king mackerel last week.
Cheryl, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet and spot on shrimp and bloodworms.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for casting lures like diamond jigs in the early morning hours.
Live-baiters hooked a tarpon from the end of the pier last week.
