Topsail/Sneads Ferry – December 2022
Jerry, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf and pier anglers have been catching some Virginia mullet, pufferfish, and black drum. These three species should be in the action up until some of the local piers close for the season.
There’s the hope that a late run of spot will move through, but it seems they just won’t show up great this year.
Backwater rivers and the connecting creeks are starting to see red drum schooling up in large numbers (as they do each winter). The coming weeks will see the inshore water conditions get “gin clear” which makes sight-casting a viable option. Anglers need to be stealthy, as spotting these schools only means they can see you.
Speckled trout are the main target in the creeks during these cool months. Fishing baits slow is the key to triggering late season bites.
Black drum and pufferfish can be caught while fishing shrimp from both the surf zone and inshore holes near the inlet.
Getting off the beach, anglers will find gag grouper being caught at some of the nearshore structured areas up until their season closes, and further out, the jumbo black sea bass and vermilion snapper make great targets for anglers looking to take advantage of nice weather windows.
Wintertime also brings out the anglers looking to go bluefin tuna hunting, as these giant fish start to push into the area with the cool water.
Michael Johnson, of Hampstead, hooked this 7 lb., 7 oz. triggerfish on cut bait in 150′ of water off of Topsail Beach.
Mike, of Native Son Guide Service, reports that the early winter speckled trout fishing has been steady throughout the region. A bunch of smaller trout are staged up in most of the typical fall locations, with bigger fish scattered. Anglers are having success with both lightly weighted (1/8 and 3/16 oz.) jig heads and MirrOlure suspending baits. When fishing MirrOlures, the MR-17s are the go-to model, with popular colors being some combo of pink and blue or a natural bait pattern. The MR-18 model has been a better choice when casting in areas of heavier currents.
Red drum have started to move back onto the flats, and they’re gathering in larger schools as they do in the winter.
Though there is no current season, flounder releases remain part of the daily action.
For anglers fishing inshore, scaling back bait sizes will help with hookup percentages. The red drum on the flats will at times prefer the more stealthy and smaller profiles, such as Z-Man Trout Tricks.
Carolina-rigged cut shrimp will produce action on both black drum and scattered sheepshead until water temperatures get too cool.
Nearshore anglers are getting ready for black sea bass action to get really good. Structures off the beaches will be loaded with smaller (but aggressively feeding) sea bass and taugtogs.
Ray, of Spring Tide Guide Service, reports that New River anglers have started to see better numbers of speckled trout moving in now that water temperatures are cooling. There are some really nice fish around (to 8 lbs.), but many of these fish have been tucked away in creeks well upriver with good salinity. Anglers are having a lot of success with artificial baits, with a variety of MirrOlure MR-17s, soft plastics, and Rapala Twitchin’ Raps or X-Raps all enticing strikes.
The red drum have started schooling up back in the marsh areas as they move into their winter patterns. Anglers can have success in these colder months sight-casting gold spoons and low-profile soft plastics.
Running out of the inlet to the nearshore reefs is producing keeper gray trout while jigging grubs or Stingsilvers.
Jeffrey Rudolph hooked this hogfish using squid on a chicken rig in 125′ of water offshore of Topsail Beach. He was fishing with Capt. Daniel Batts of Surf City Charters.
Daniel, of Surf City Charters, reports that anglers making the offshore run are finding a good class of 60-80 lb. wahoo chewing, and mixed in the daily trolling action might be a sailfish or two.
There are a bunch of blackfin (to 30+ lbs.) also out on the break. The action on these two Gulf Stream species should remain strong into the new year.
King mackerel have mostly been holding in the 10+ mile range, with anglers fishing live baits having the most success.
Inshore anglers are seeing the speckled trout bite picking up. The river has been producing more of the larger fish.
Red drum are scattered, with most being found up in the creeks.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that bottom fishing is the best bet, as the 10-15 mile range has been holding really good numbers of grunts, porgies, and plenty of black sea bass.
Pushing further outside this zone will also produce catches of grouper and triggerfish. The best bait choices for the bottom rigs have been northern mackerel, cigar minnows, and squid.
If you are out in warmer water, it can be a good idea to run a light line bait out for the possible king mackerel. Generally king mackerel are staged in the 20+ mile range striking at slow-trolled dead baits.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers getting out during the daytime hours have been catching some speckled trout and bluefish.
The bottom fishing action has seen a mixed bag of sea mullet, bluefish, speckled trout, croakers, puppy drum, and black drum (especially in the evenings).
Some nights are seeing a good run of spot, in terms of both numbers and sizes.
Phil Jennings, of RI, caught (and released) this 27″ speckled trout on a Saltwater Assassin paddle tail in the New River. He was fishing with Capt. Ray Brittain of Spring Tide Guide Service.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that there has been a lot of good bottom fishing action. Anglers are finding a mixed bag of Virginia mullet, spot, bluefish, slot-sized red drum, and scattered speckled trout.
Fresh cut shrimp has been producing some good-sized black drum.
Tyler, of Seaview Pier, reports that there are decent numbers of black drum and slot-sized red drum being hooked on Carolina-rigged baits.
Anglers fishing the classic two-hook bottom rigs are catching a wide variety of fish, including mullet, bluefish, speckled trout, pufferfish, gray trout, and a decent number of spot.
