Topsail/Sneads Ferry – May 2022
Jerry, of East Coast Sports, reports that anglers taking advantage of breaks in the wind have been finding Atlantic bonito from the beach out to the 50’ range. Some of the first spanish mackerel have been mixed in this area as well. Both trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and casting jigs have produced strikes.
Offshore anglers have been catching some wahoo on the troll as they wait for the arrival of mahi in the coming weeks.
Grouper keeper season is also opening this month, and anglers expect to see a good bite starting on day one.
Inshore, red drum have started to spread out into smaller groups as they move out of the marshes.
Speckled trout fishing has been hit or miss, but the quality of fish has been good. Most of the action is back in the mainland creeks and up in bays.
Brian Klauser, of Pumpkin Center, NC, hooked this speckled trout on a MirrOlure 27MR in the New River. He was fishing with Capt. John Parks of Early Riser Fishing Charters.
Mike, of Native Son Guide Service, reports that anglers are finding a decent speckled trout bite moving into late spring. It has taken effort to locate the concentrations of fish. Once fish are found, the action is good, and most of the trout are larger than last fall’s run.
Red drum are a bit scattered as they transition out of their wintering patterns. Covering ground has been the most productive tactic so far. Topwater plugs are great for this kind of scouting.
Nearshore reefs are absolutely loaded with black sea bass, and a few catch-and-release flounder have also moved onto these nearshore structures.
Atlantic bonito action has been steady off the beach. Anglers anticipate this bite remaining strong but tapering off over the coming weeks as they continue their migration.
Spanish mackerel have already shown up alongside the bonito, and this has been an early welcome surprise.
Ray, of Spring Tide Guide Service, reports that anglers fishing up in the New River are finding a sporadic speckled trout bite that rewards persevering anglers with quality fish when locating schools.
Red drum have started to spread out through the area, and they’re moving up into the river and onto other inshore flats. With both species, topwater plugs have been working well for anglers on the water early in the morning. As the sun has risen, switching tactics to MirrOlure hard baits and Saltwater Bass Assassin swimbaits or grubs has been successful.
Off the beach, spanish mackerel action has been picking up. Both trolling and casting are successful tactics, but anglers have seemed to catch the more quality fish while casting to surface-feeding schools.
Daniel, of Surf City Charters, reports that Atlantic bonito have shown up in the area, though a short drive south (around Wrightsville Beach) has provided a bit more consistent action.
Offshore anglers have had a rough few weeks with weather patterns. When it breaks, expect to see reports of wahoo.
King mackerel are pushed into the 25-30 mile range. In the coming weeks, this turns into the 15+ mile range, as the kings work their way nearshore.
Inshore anglers have been finding most of the red drum to be holding in bigger schools throughout the back bays.
Sheepshead and black drum are staging up around structure inshore as they move in from their offshore wintering areas.
Speckled trout are hitting artificials back in the mainland creeks.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that Atlantic bonito and spanish mackerel are feeding from the inlet out to the 5-mile range. Most of the fish are coming on the troll by anglers set up with #0 and #1 sized Clarkspoons behind #1-3 planers. Larger (3 1/2”) Drone spoons behind bigger planers and Yo-Zuri deep diving plugs are also getting strikes.
Bluefish have moved in and are being found just about everywhere in the ICW, around inlets, and nearshore out with the spanish and bonito. There are some larger blues (to 5+ lbs.) in the mix of mostly smaller fish.
Nearshore bottom fishing has been producing good-sized black sea bass (16+”), grunts, and beeliners on cut bait in the 15-mile range.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that sea mullet have moved into the area in strong numbers for bottom fishing anglers.
Anglers fishing in the evening have been finding some good runs of bluefish.
The first pompano and spanish mackerel of the season were recently caught.
Robbin Justice Jones, of Garner, caught (and released) this 39″ striped bass on a bottom rig with shrimp. She was fishing from Surf City Pier.
Jeff, of Surf City Pier, reports that bottom fishing had been producing the occasional good-sized black drum (to 5 lbs.) and some scattered gray trout.
Good numbers of Virginia mullet are showing up in the counts, and pompano (to 2 lbs.) are mixed in the action for anglers fishing smaller bottom-rigged baits.
Taylor, of Seaview Pier, reports that good numbers of sea mullet have been running alongside croakers and scattered black drum.
A couple spots are being caught at night.
Some good-sized bluefish have been caught as these fish start to migrate onto the beaches.
Spanish mackerel are all around the area, and pier anglers should be getting into them any day now.
