Topsail August 8, 2013
Stan Owens, of Jacksonville, NC, with an upper-slot red drum that bit a Carolina-rigged finger mullet behind Bear Island.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that there’s been a solid bite of king mackerel (with several 30+ lbs.) and citation-class spanish mackerel (5+ lbs.) for anglers live-baiting from the Topsail piers. Anglers can also hook the mackerel while slow-trolling in boats within a few miles of the beaches.
A better bite of school kings has been taking place 8-10 miles out, and live baits, dead cigar minnows, or trolling lures will fool the smaller kingfish.
Bottom fishermen are reporting action with gag grouper at bottom structure in the same range. Red and scamp groupers are feeding 25+ miles out, along with a variety of smaller bottom dwellers. Live and whole dead baits are top choices for the grouper, while squid and cut baits will attract attention from the other fish.
Surf casters baiting up with shrimp and sand fleas are finding action with pompano, sea mullet, and black drum from the beachfront. The piers have seen some of the same, along with a few decent spot runs recently (with better spot action on bloodworms).
Inshore, there’s been red-hot sheepshead action around bridge and dock pilings and other structure. Most of the sheeps are falling for live fiddler crabs and sand fleas.
Donna St. Pierre, of Parkersburg, NC, with her first gag grouper, which inhaled a live pinfish near Cripple Rock while she was fishing with her husband Teddy on the “Pilot Error.”
Speckled trout and red drum are feeding in the shallows of local creeks and backwaters, and both fish have been quite willing to bite topwater plugs recently. Anglers can tempt them with live baits or soft plastics like Gulps when they don’t want to feed on the surface.
Flounder are also looking for meals in the creeks and around the inlets and marshes. Live finger mullet and mud minnows or Gulp baits are highly effective flounder-foolers.
Allen, of Breadman Ventures, reports that anglers are still connecting with big numbers of red drum while working topwater plugs in the bays and backwaters off the New River and ICW. The fish have been schooled up and very receptive to the surface baits, but anglers can also hook up on soft plastics, spoons, and other lures when they don’t want to feed on top.
Some speckled trout (to 25”+) are mixed in with the reds and also taking an interest in the topwaters.
Plenty of flounder are in the marshes and around the inlets. They’ll bite live baits (like finger mullet) or soft plastics, and the soft plastics work best with scents like Pro-Cure Super Gel added.
Tyler, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking bluefish while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures.
Some large spanish mackerel and several king mackerel have been biting live baits off the end of the pier in recent days.
Rick and Nathan Oyler, of West Union, WV, with 56 and 25 lb. cobia that inhaled tomtates on bucktail jigs at some bottom structure 12 miles off New River Inlet. They were fishing with Capt. Bill Hamner of Fish On Charters.
Speckled trout are also feeding around the pier and have been biting all day long on may recent days. Live shrimp are attracting most of the attention from the specks.
Bob, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers landed good numbers of king mackerel (to 30+ lbs.) on live menhaden and bluefish off the end of the pier last week.
Some large spanish mackerel are also committing to the live baits.
Plug casters are connecting with bluefish while working Gotchas.
Bottom fishermen are decking sea mullet, bluefish, and some red drum on shrimp fished near the surf zone. Some decent spot runs have happened for anglers fishing bloodworms a bit further out on the pier lately.
April, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotcha plugs worked from the pier.
Several king mackerel were landed after biting live baits off the end of the pier last week.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with a few black drum and spot on shrimp and bloodworms.
