2026 Topsail Spring Surf & Pier Fishing Challenge
The 2026 Topsail Spring Surf & Pier Fishing Challenge returned to Topsail Island on May 1‑3, with anglers competing within the Surf and Pier Divisions for bluefish, sea mullet, and black drum honors. A mix of rain, wind, and shifting pressure systems made for a challenging spring weekend, but the anglers who connected did so during narrow windows when the fish pushed in tight and fed hard.
David Mink, of Sneads Ferry, took the Surf Bluefish division with a 10.6 lb. fish caught around 3:15 a.m. on Saturday from the north end of Topsail. Once the tide bottomed out, a short run of bluefish slid through, and Mink picked off several 3‑4 lb. fish before the big one hit. He was fishing a 12’ heaver rigged with a 5/0 drum rig when the winning blue finally came tight. The fish held the top spot through the weekend, even with another 10.6 weighed later in the event.
In the Surf Sea Mullet division, Rancey Wood, of King, NC, claimed the top spot with a 2.0 lb. fish landed Saturday afternoon while fishing the beach just down from Seaview Pier. Rain and wind pushed across the island for much of the weekend, and the fish fed better ahead of the weather. Wood connected during that short pre‑front window. He was fishing a two‑drop rig baited with cut mullet and live sand fleas, and the winning fish ate on the high hook.
David Mink, of Sneads Ferry, landed the heaviest fish of the weekend in the 2026 Topsail Spring Surf & Pier Fishing Challenge. His 10.6 lb. bluefish came early on Saturday morning from the surf on the north end of the island.
The Surf Black Drum division went to Lance Barnes, of Pikeville, who landed an 8.0 lb. fish just after 2:00 a.m. on Saturday from the north end near Public Access #2. He had caught a 32” red drum in pre-fishing on Friday from the same stretch of beach, and the spot produced again when the black drum hit shrimp. The fish pulled steady drag as soon as it hit, and Barnes worked it through the low‑tide waves before easing it into a few inches of water and grabbing it by hand. At 25 inches and thick across the shoulders, it held as the heaviest black drum of the weekend.
Sabrina Ridley, of Wilmington, won the Surf Red Drum TWT with a 5.6 lb. redfish landed just before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday from the north end of Topsail. She was fishing a two‑drop rig baited with shrimp, picking at sea mullet and black drum, when a cast she didn’t like turned into the one that mattered. The redfish hit the moment the rig touched down.
On the pier side, Josh Sheets, of Wilkesboro, took the Pier Bluefish division with a 1.9 lb. fish caught around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday from Jolly Roger Pier. The bite came on an incoming tide when a big ball of menhaden pushed tight to the beach, mixing with the glass minnows that had been sliding down the pier all weekend. The blues followed the bait into the breakers, and Sheets was in the right place when they did. He hooked the winning fish on a white and blue head Got‑Cha plug.
Rancey Wood, of King, NC, took the top spot in the Surf Sea Mullet Division of the 2026 Topsail Spring Surf & Pier Fishing Challenge with a 2.0 lb. fish. His winning sea mullet was caught on the north end of the island using a mix of cut mullet and sand fleas on two-drop rigs.
Sheets’ bluefish was also the heaviest fish caught by a tournament angler from any of the three piers, earning him and Jolly Roger Pier the traditional Pier Cup honors, a trophy that will reside at Jolly Roger until it’s to be defended in the fall version of this event.
The Pier Sea Mullet division went to Raleigh angler Ronnie Whitaker, who weighed a 1.0 lb. fish around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday from Surf City Pier. The winning fish a piece of fresh shrimp on a bottom rig. Whitaker’s sea mullet ended up being the only fish he caught the entire weekend.
The Pier Spanish Mackerel TWT was won by Maduka Ballard, of Leland, with a 1.7 lb. fish caught Saturday evening from Seaview Pier. He was throwing a white Got‑Cha plug when some spanish pushed bait down the pier, mixing in with a steady run of bluefish.
Josh Sheets, of Wilkesboro, won the Topsail Pier Cup with his 1.9 lb. first place bluefish in the 2026 Topsail Spring Surf & Pier Fishing Challenge. He hooked the bluefish on a Gotcha plug while fishing from Jolly Roger Pier.
All fish weighed in during the tournament were donated to First Fruit Ministries, a Wilmington based organization that provides thousands of meals annually to those in need. The event concluded with an Awards Dinner hosted by East Coast Sports and the Medlin family, with Boy Scout Troop 777 preparing a BBQ meal for all participants.
For full results from the 2026 Topsail Spring Surf and Pier Fishing Challenge, and for details on upcoming events including three fall surf fishing tournaments, visit FishermansPost.com.
