Topsail September 16, 2010
Baylee Fox, from Silk Hope, NC, with a 1.5 lb. whiting that fell for shrimp beneath Seaview Pier.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are starting to see some spots from the island’s piers and surf. Bloodworms are the best baits, and the better action has been at night lately.
Some fat whiting and citation-class pompano are feeding in the surf as well, and both are falling for shrimp and sand fleas.
Inshore, the red drum bite has been excellent in the bays and creeks, and the fish have been striking topwater plugs well. Gulps and live baits will fool the reds when they won’t bite on top.
The flounder bite has been solid in the ICW and around the inlets. Anglers are catching most of the fish on live finger mullet and Gulps.
Sheepshead are feeding around hard structure like bridge and dock pilings inshore and the ocean piers. Fiddler crabs and sand fleas are top choices for the sheepshead.
Off the beaches, bluefish are all over the place, with decent numbers of spanish mackerel mixed in. Anglers are hooking both while working Gotcha plugs and other lures from the piers and trolling Clarkspoons from boats.
The grouper bite is still solid around bottom structure offshore of the area, with gags feeding inside 20 miles and reds and scamps further out. Live baits, cut baits, frozen cigar minnows, and other baits will fool the groupers.
Gulf Stream trollers are reporting an excellent wahoo bite along the break. Ballyhoo rigged under dark-hued trolling lures are among the most productive wahoo baits.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that the red drum bite has been on in the bays off the ICW and the New River. Topwater plugs, Gulps, spinnerbaits, and live baits will all attract attention from the reds.
The speckled trout bite is turning on for the fall, and anglers are finding the fish in the creeks and around structure in the river, with a few coming from the ICW as well. Live shrimp are the top trout baits, but anglers can also hook up on soft plastic imitations when they can’t find the real thing.
Spot are showing up in the ICW and in the river around the 172 Bridge. A bottom rig baited with shrimp or bloodworms will attract their attention.
Black drum and sheepshead are also feeding around the bridge, and anglers can fool them on shrimp and other crustacean baits.
Spot, croaker, whiting, and some gray trout are feeding along the beaches, and they all will take an interest in shrimp.
Amberjacks are feeding at high-relief structure within a few miles of the beaches and further offshore. Anglers can hook them on live baits, topwater plugs, or vertical jigs.
Grouper are feeding at bottom structure from the 10 mile range on out to the break. They’ll bite live or frozen baits.
The king mackerel bite has been extremely slow, but bluewater fishing is turning on. Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream recently have found fast wahoo action along with a few blackfin tuna right along the break. Rigged ballyhoo are the way to go for both fish.
Zoe (age 2), from Apex, NC, with a 1.86 lb. pompano she hooked on cut shrimp while fishing from Surf City Pier.
Wayne, of Last Resort Charters, reports that anglers are finding excellent red drum action around docks in South Topsail and Figure Eight. The fish are falling for live finger mullet.
Spanish mackerel are feeding inside the inlets, and anglers can hook them while free-lining finger mullet close to the inlets.
Flounder are feeding around inshore structure and in the marshes and creeks from the Cape Fear River all the way up to Topsail. Live finger mullet on Carolina rigs are the ways to go for the flatfish.
Wayne, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers are catching bluefish and a few spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs and free-lining live baits from the pier.
Some flounder are falling for live baits fished on the bottom.
Anglers baiting bottom rigs with shrimp are hooking up with some spot and whiting.
Steve, of Surf City Pier, reports that the pier has seen its first few spot runs of the year recently. Bloodworms are the way to go for the spot.
Anglers baiting up with shrimp are hooking up with some whiting, spadefish, and pompano.
Live-baiters landed a 25 lb. king mackerel from the end of the pier last week.
Cindy, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are catching some flounder and red drum on live finger mullet.
Spot are beginning to show up, and anglers can hook them on bloodworms or shrimp.
A few spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs worked from the pier.
