Topsail/Sneads Ferry – April 2022
Jerry, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf anglers have finally seen the arrival of good-sized Virginia mullet, pufferfish, and bluefish while bottom fishing.
Both black and red drum action is picking up. The reds, in particular, are starting to break out of their winter schools with inshore water temperatures rising.
Speckled trout are mixed in throughout the area, though the bite has been finicky this year.
Off the beach, anglers are looking forward to the Atlantic bonito action picking up. Target these schools by sight-casting to surface-feeding action around nearshore structure.
Michael Grimstead hooked this 24″ speckled trout on a Rapala X-Rap while fishing near Figure Eight Island.
Mike, of Native Son Guide Service, reports that black sea bass fishing is phenomenal at artificial reefs off the beach, and a couple schools of false albacore are showing up in the area.
The great-eating Atlantic bonito will be here anytime now. They will be moving in on the bait running off the beaches. Casting 1/2 – 1 oz. diamond jigs around bait balls or over areas of structure will get anglers in on this action.
Inshore, the speckled trout bite has been picking up. The more favorable weather patterns have allowed anglers to land a few while fishing topwater plugs.
Red drum action has been overall hit-or miss. The fish are still around and holding in their larger schools, but after a long winter of fishing pressure, they are a bit finicky. Anglers have had the most success with weedless-rigged jerk shads (to keep baits clean of the bottom debris).
Black drum are staged up around docks throughout the area. There are plenty of good-sized (16+”) fish around with the mostly smaller drum.
Ray, of Spring Tide Guide Service, reports that inshore anglers have found some nice-sized speckled trout while fishing topwater plugs in the river. As water temperatures warm, these trout are now moving out of their winter holes and will feed more actively.
Red drum are still holding on shallow flats back in the marsh. The bait that’s arriving inshore will start to break these fish out of their larger, wintering schools.
Atlantic bonito have started to show up in the 8-10 mile range and will be pushing into the beaches over the coming weeks. Anglers can target these fish by trolling Drone spoons and watching the surface for feeding action. When finding breaking fish, anglers will get strikes by casting Big Nic and similar metal casting jigs into the feeding frenzies.
Chadwick, of South End Anglers, reports that red drum are breaking up out of their winter schools and anglers are finding the Z-Man line of soft plastics (StreakZ, MinnowZ, 4” JerkshadZ, and DieZel MinnowZ) all working great paired on Eye Strike jig heads. When fishing areas with bait present, a variety of MirrOlure suspending lures have had success. For the most pressured and finicky schools, live shrimp under corks can be a trip saver.
Speckled trout are mixed in around Topsail for anglers fishing Spook Jr. and similar topwater plugs, but not quite in the numbers anglers hope for.
Fishing lightly-weighted paddle tails along the bottom are hooking into a few flounder.
Nearshore anglers are finding false albacore and Atlantic bonito starting to run along the beach. The false albacore can be found just about anywhere in more open waters, while the bonito tend to be structure dependent.
Black sea bass, grunts, and porgies are thick on the bottom structure. A variety of squid on chicken rigs, Blue Water Candy Roscoe Jrs., and 3 oz. Stingsilvers will get strikes. At times, it takes plenty of weeding though shorts to end up with enough for supper.
Daniel, of Surf City Charters, reports that Gulf Stream runs have been producing good wahoo action. Anglers have been able to get a solid number of strikes while high-speed trolling between temperature breaks.
Schools of blackfin tuna are mixed in just about everywhere out in these same areas.
King mackerel are slowly pushing in towards the coast. Most fish are holding in the 35-mile range in the 68.5 degree water.
Nearshore anglers have found schools of Atlantic bonito starting to show up around bait balls.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that bottom fishing has been producing some really good action on bigger black sea bass (to 20”) and vermilion snapper in the 70-80’ range. These fish are not picky, with cut squid, minnows, and jigs all having success.
Schools of bluefish and false albacore are moving into these same areas where anglers are bottom fishing. Look for these species to become more commonplace and push closer to the beach in the coming weeks.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that plenty of sea mullet have started moving onto the beachfronts for anglers fishing bottom-rigged baits.
Mixed in with the bottom fish action are croakers, pufferfish, and a few gray trout.
Some bluefish are starting to show up, which is a great sign that spring fishing is right around the corner.
Tim Barefoot (left) and David Keith with the african pompanos they hooked on Barefoot Tackle squid jigs. They were fishing offshore of Wrightsville Beach with Capt. Rick Croson of Living Waters Guide Service.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that bottom fishing is picking up as water temperatures on the beach move up. Sea mullet have been the most active species in this first wave of fish to arrive.
Blowfish are scattered in the action for anglers fishing with cut shrimp, and those fishing in the evenings have landed a few good-sized black drum.
Tyler, of Seaview Pier, reports that solid numbers of sea mullet are being caught in the evenings.
A few keeper black drum are also mixed in as they move in from their offshore haunts.
Pufferfish are part of the mixed bag that bottom fishing is producing.
As water temperatures warm up, the pufferfish will push on and bluefish will start moving in.
