Topsail – September 25, 2014
Samantha Suarez with a 22″ flounder that bit a live finger mullet on a high falling tide at a Topsail-area dock.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf casters are finding some excellent action right now as cooler temperatures put fish on the move. Big numbers of bluefish are feeding in the surf and biting a wide variety of baits along with metal casting lures like spoons.
Slot and over-slot red drum are also looking for meals in the breakers and biting cut baits and spoons.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen are hooking solid numbers of spot, sea mullet, and other panfish while baiting up with shrimp and bloodworms.
Inshore, the red drum bite is going strong in the marshes and around structure like docks and bridges. Live and cut baits are fooling many of the fish, but anglers are also hooking up on topwater plugs, soft plastics, and other lures.
Black drum are looking for meals around the same structure, and they’re biting shrimp.
Flounder are feeding in the inlets and around inshore structure. Live finger mullet or scented soft baits like Gulps will get attention from the flatfish.
There’s been some decent speckled trout action in the creeks and up the New River for anglers casting MirrOlures and soft plastic baits.
Natalie Godwin, of Beaufort, NC, with her first red drum, a 25″ fish that struck a Gulp shrimp in a Topsail Island bay while she was fishing with her boyfriend Will Epperson.
Not many boats have been offshore recently, but there are king mackerel feeding within a few miles of the beachfront, where anglers can hook them on slow-trolled live baits like menhaden.
Bottom fishermen are hooking grouper and smaller bottom dwellers like sea bass and grunts at structure within 10 miles of the beaches. Live baits are tough to beat for the grouper, while cut baits and squid will fool the smaller fish.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers continue to catch solid numbers of red drum along the New River and ICW despite less-than-favorable conditions on most recent days. The reds are feeding in the bays and on the flats off the waterways, and they’re falling for topwater plugs, gold spoons, and soft plastic baits pinned to jigheads and weedless hooks.
Some healthy speckled trout are looking for meals in the same spots as the reds and taking an interest in topwaters, soft plastics, and suspending baits like MR17 MirrOlures.
Flounder action has also been strong lately, and anglers are hooking big numbers of flatfish while working TTF soft plastic baits laced with Pro-Cure scents. The flatties are feeding in slightly deeper water than the reds and specks but around the same areas.
Richard, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers live-baiting from the end of the pier have landed several king mackerel and released a tarpon in recent days.
Taylor Wiley, of Sneads Fery, with a 24.3 lb. king mackerel that attacked a live threadfin herring off Seaview Pier.
Anglers casting Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs are hooking good numbers of spanish mackerel (some 3+ lbs.) and bluefish.
Bottom fishing has been productive as well, with a solid spot bite last weekend along with some pompano, sea mullet, gray trout, and more. Shrimp and bloodworms are fooling the bottom feeders.
Jim, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent action right now. Bottom fishermen are hooking black drum, puppy drum, sea mullet, spot, and more. Shrimp, bloodworms, and cut baits are producing most of the action.
Some sheepshead are feeding under the pier, and anglers landed some fat ones last week.
Plug casters are hooking bluefish and some spanish mackerel while working Gotchas and diamond jigs from the pier.
And a 31 lb. king mackerel fell for a live bait off the end of the pier last week.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are seeing some action with slot and over-slot red drum from the pier. Cut and live baits are fooling most of the reds.
Black drum and sea mullet are biting shrimp on bottom rigs.
The pier has seen some solid spot runs over the past week, but the action seems to occur at a different time each day. Bloodworms are fooling the spot.
Big numbers of flounder are falling for live and strip baits under the pier (but many are undersized).
Anglers working diamond jigs and Gotcha plugs from the pier are hooking solid numbers of bluefish and spanish mackerel despite dirty water conditions lately.
