Topsail/Sneads Ferry – July 2024
Jerry, of East Coast Sports, reports that red drum that are scattered throughout the backwaters have been the top target inshore. The topwater bite has been really good first thing in the morning, and as conditions heat up, live bait on a Carolina rig works great. Target areas such as grass banks, oyster beds, and docks.
Anglers are finding some black drum and sheepshead hanging around inshore hard structures.
Spanish mackerel have been pretty thick just outside the inlets and out along the beaches, with some bigger fish (to 4+ lbs.) in the mix. Both trolling and casting tactics have had success.
King mackerel have been active and are staged up mostly around nearshore structure in the 10-20 mile range.
The mahi have started to push within 30 miles, with some fish being caught as close as 15 miles off the beach.
Gulf Stream trips are still producing mahi, wahoo, and blackfin tuna.
Mike, of Native Son Guide Service, reports that spanish mackerel fishing has been good. A bunch of small fish are in close to the beach, with the 20” class of fish out in the 30-40’+ depths.
Inshore, better numbers of menhaden are showing up. This increase in bait has improved the red drum bite. Most of the reds are the 17-22” class, with bigger fish mixed in while targeting grass flats and oyster points. Live bait is great, but soft plastics are also catching their share.
Any live or artificial baits fished along the bottom are getting picked up by flounder that are scattered throughout the area.
Speckled trout are around, though the action isn’t enough to solely target them. Most are simply a by-catch while targeting red drum.
Anglers fishing shrimp or crabs around hard structures are catching sheepshead and black drum.
Ray, of Spring Tide Guide Service, reports that red drum in scattered sizes (from 16-36”) are staged up along points and channel/creek openings along the waterway. Topwater plugs are having a bunch of success, though getting on the water super early is key. Otherwise, bait fishing with cut menhaden has been enticing most strikes.
Anglers fishing shrimp around the bridges are catching black drum.
Spanish mackerel fishing off the beach has been up or down. The success of each day really fluctuates, and both trolling and casting tactics are each having their time of success.
Some cobia are still hanging around bait over the nearshore reefs.
Everette Schuman (age 5) and Jackson Alberti (age 6), of Hampstead, with 14 lb. and 12 lb. gag groupers caught in 75′ of water while 18 miles out of New Topsail Inlet using cigar minnows.
Chadwick, of South End Anglers, reports that anglers have been finding red drum by targeting grass points along the ICW, oyster beds, docks, shallow bays, and creeks. Early mornings and late evenings tend to provide the best action.
Topwater action is picking up for anglers on the water both early and late in the day. Any variety of Rapala Skitter Walks, MirrOlure Top Pups, and MirrOlure Catch 2000s will attract strikes. For anglers fishing soft plastics, any variety of Z-Man swimbaits are a great choice. As the sun gets high overhead, jerk baits such as MirrOlure MR-17s or Yo-Zuri 3D minnows have had success, and when all else fails, live or cut bait will usually come through.
Speckled trout are around. They’re mostly hitting topwater plugs and small live finger mullet.
Flounder fishing has been very good both inshore and on the nearshore structure. Live peanut pogies on Carolina rigs has been the best producing setup.
Right off the beach, spanish mackerel fishing has been sporadic. As typical with summertime, Clarkspoons rigged behind planers are usually the hot ticket.
Anglers fishing the deeper nearshore wrecks have seen solid catches of black sea bass, grunts, vermilion snapper, grouper, and triggerfish while dropping cut squid or metal jigs.
Plenty of amberjack and barracuda are on these same artificial reefs.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that spanish mackerel has been the best bite. The go-to setup of #00 Clarkspoons fished behind #1 planers or trolling weights works the best.
The area is also seeing some schoolie-sized king mackerel show up on the beaches alongside the spanish. Kings are also scattered in the 15-30 mile range.
Joe, of Atlantic Sportfishing, reports that the mahi bite has been good, with warmer water temperatures having them scattered from the Stream to areas nearshore. Anglers will do best looking around temperature breaks, weed lines, floating debris, and areas where bait is abundant. If you see flying fish, you are in the right area.
Keep an eye out for cobia in these same areas.
The bottom bite is still on fire. Anglers have been catching vermilion snapper, triggerfish, black sea bass, and porgies while targeting structure in the 70’+ range.
Runs out to the Gulf Stream have been producing wahoo, blackfin tuna, and the bigger class of mahi.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers have been catching a bunch of croakers, bluefish, and speckled trout.
A few sheepshead are hanging near the pier pilings.
Tarpon are around, with an estimated 120-pounder caught already this season.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers have caught sheepshead by fishing close to the pilings with sand fleas and shrimp.
Speckled trout are being found by anglers using live bait in the early mornings.
A 28 lb. jack crevalle was recently caught.
Davie Waggett, of Wilmington, caught this 29″ black drum behind Figure Eight Island using a Rapala XRap 08 White Ghost.
Tyler, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers bottom fishing are catching a nice variety of sheepshead, black drum, speckled trout, sea mullet, and red drum. Live shrimp has been the best bait by far, with cut shrimp also having a lot of success but attracting attention from pinfish and stingrays.
A handful of flounder have been caught (and released) on live bait.
Spanish mackerel are being caught by anglers set up with live bait on king rigs.
Tarpon are being seen, so it’s only a matter of time before there’s a hookup.
