Topsail September 3, 2009
Capt. Ricky Kellum, of Speckled Specialist Charters, with a 23" flounder that fell for a white Trigger-X shrimp in a creek off the New River near Jacksonville.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers are hooking up with some croaker, sea mullet, and spot off the piers and in the surf. Bottom fishing with shrimp and bloodworms is producing most of the fish.
Some bluefish and flounder are also feeding in the surf zone.
Towards the south end of the island and the northern tip of Lea Island, anglers are finding solid action with red drum in the surf, particularly in the sloughs around low tide.
Inshore, the flounder and red drum bite is hot in the sound and the creeks off the ICW. Live finger mullet and Gulp baits are top producers for the inshore flounder and reds.
Sheepshead are feeding around hard structure inshore like bridge and dock pilings, and anglers are hooking them while fishing fiddler crabs and other crustacean baits tight to the structure.
Off the beaches, the king mackerel bite has been fair in the 10-20 mile range. Live and dead baits will both fool the kings.
Some dolphin have been on the feed around the satellite buoy. Like the kings, they’ll fall for live baits like pogies or dead baits like cigar minnows or ballyhoo.
Wahoo have pushed inshore of the Stream, and anglers hooked them as close as 30 miles out last week. Live or dead baits should fool the ‘hoos as well.
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Brenna Parker, of Four Oaks, NC, with an amberjack she hooked inshore of WR2 on a Blue Water Candy-skirted ballyhoo and released after the photo was taken. She was fishing with Ken Holt aboard the "Cattle Company."
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that boats making the journey to the Gulf Stream are hooking up with some wahoo, with the best action lately around the Big Rock. Rigged ballyhoo are drawing most of the bites from the wahoo.
Inshore of the stream, anglers are still finding some action with dolphin and a few sailfish around Christmas Rock and the E Buoy. Live pogies or dead baits will attract attention from the ‘phins and sails.
The king mackerel bite has been a bit on the tough side of late.
Gag grouper are feeding around bottom structure 10-20 miles offshore, and anglers can hook them on sardines, cigar minnows, or northern mackerel.
Spanish mackerel are feeding in the inlet, nearshore along the beaches, and in the ICW. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting lures like MirrOlure MR 17’s to surfacing fish will fool the spaniards into striking.
Inshore, the flounder bite’s been good around the inlet and the 172 Bridge lately. Anglers are catching big numbers of the flatfish on small live baits and Gulps, but not many big fish.
Black drum and sheepshead are feeding around the pilings of the 172 Bridge as well, and a bottom rig baited with shrimp should tempt them to bite.
The red drum and speckled trout bite in the creeks and bays off the New River and ICW remains solid. Live shrimp, Gulp baits, topwater plugs, and other lures will fool both fish.
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Matthew Stokely, from Wilmington, caught and released this sailfish near the Same Ol' Hole while fishing with Nick Maraveyias and Nick Patsalos on the "Slip Slidin." The sail fell for a ballyhoo under a blue/white sea witch.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that the creeks and banks of the New River are loaded with shrimp, and consequently the red drum and speckled trout fishing’s been excellent lately. Casting topwater plugs near areas where the shrimp are fleeing from predators has been producing the best action with the reds.
Fishing near the 172 Bridge and creeks off the river with float-rigged live shrimp has been the most effective tactic for the specks lately. Trout are also feeding around New River Inlet, and live shrimp are attracting their attention there as well.
The trout and drum fishing should continue to improve as the weather cools off, so long as no tropical storms affect the area.
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Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that bluefish have begun to feed around the pier again after the big swells this weekend. Bottom rigs have been producing most of the fish.
Anglers also landed some stout sheepshead (up to 6 lbs.) this past week on sand fleas.
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Tommy, of Seaview Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are landing a few black drum, spot, and whiting on shrimp.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs.
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Jan, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that some black and puppy drum and bluefish have been coming over the rails for anglers bottom fishing with shrimp lately.
Those baiting up with live finger mullet are hooking some flounder.
