Topsail November 12, 2009
Jason R. Harris and Fint S. Harris (age 2) with a 20.5" flounder Jason hooked on a live shrimp pinned to a Carolina rig near the Surf City Bridge.
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that surf anglers are hooking up with some fat pompano and whiting while baiting up with shrimp and sand fleas.
The red drum bite has been good towards the south end of the island as well. The reds will fall for gold spoons or live and cut baits.
Speckled trout are beginning to show up in the surf, and the coming cool weather should only get the bite better. Fishing MirrOlures and soft plastics in the sloughs along the beaches is the way to tempt bites from the surf specks.
Anglers fishing the piers are catching good numbers of whiting and some spot. Shrimp and bloodworms will fool both.
Some flounder are feeding in the surf, and anglers are hooking them on small live baits.
False albacore are chasing bait just off the beaches and inlets, and anglers can hook them on diamond jigs or other metal casting lures.
Gray trout are schooling up at structure and deeper holes just off the beaches, and they’ll also fall for a diamond jig or other jigging lures.
Some big king mackerel have been feeding just off the beaches as well, and live pogies, bluefish, or other baits are most likely to tempt them to bite.
Better numbers of kings (but smaller fish) are feeding at structure 10-20 miles out, and they’ll fall for live or dead baits.
Timmy Alligood, of Rolesville, NC, and Capt. Stephen Alligood, of Sneads Ferry, with a 19 lb., 10 oz. American red snapper and a 22 lb., 9 oz. gag grouper they hooked 34 miles off New River Inlet on live pogies. Weighed in at East Coast Sports.
Eric, of New River Marina, reports that the speckled trout bite is still good in the area, although the best action lately has been either up the river near Jacksonville or around the inlets, with the fish at Sneads Ferry a bit slower. Live shrimp and shrimp-imitations from Billy Bay, Storm, and Berkley are fooling most of the specks right now.
The red drum bite’s been good lately as well, with anglers finding the fish feeding in the creeks and bays off the ICW, but the water’s been a little dirty to sight-cast to the fish. Spinnerbaits, topwater plugs, and Gulps will all attract attention from the reds.
Spot and whiting are feeding in the inlets and along the beaches, and bottom rigs baited with shrimp or bloodworms will fool both bottom feeders.
Gray trout are schooled up in 30-40’ of water just off the beaches, and anglers should be able to easily load a cooler while working diamond jigs or other metal lures just off the bottom.
Some big king mackerel are still feeding nearshore, but they will be moving out to deeper water over the next few weeks as the water temperatures drop. Live baits like pogies will tempt the remaining smokers before they head offshore.
Bottom fishermen are finding an excellent gag grouper bite within 15 miles of the beaches, with some stout sea bass mixed in. Cigar minnows, sardines, and other baits dropped to ledges and other bottom structure in the area will tempt them to bite.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream lately have been rewarded with a solid wahoo bite (with fish to 80 lbs. landed recently). Ballyhoo rigged under skirted trolling lures will fool the ‘hoos.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that the trout bite has been solid around the area lately. The best fishing has been in Bear and Brown’s Inlets and the creeks off of the New River. Live shrimp fished under sliding floats and Berkley Powerbait shrimp and other shrimp imitations are the best baits for the specks.
Mike, of Corona Daze Charters, reports excellent speckled trout fishing from Topsail Beach down to Wrightsville over the past few weeks (with some fish 5+ lbs.). Anglers are catching the fish around creek mouths and channels, bulkheads, and other inshore structure. Live shrimp and TT21 MirrOlures have both been productive baits lately.
Fritz, of Surf City Pier, reports that anglers have been finding an excellent whiting bite lately (most fish 12-14”+). Shrimp on bottom rigs are fooling the whiting. Some spot and black drum are mixed in as well.
Anglers are also catching red drum and a few trout from the pier. Live finger mullet and shrimp, as well as MirrOlures and Gulp baits, have been effective on both.
Jan, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that the whiting bite has been great on incoming tides in the nighttime recently. Fresh shrimp are accounting for most of the fish.
A few black and red drum are also taking an interest in shrimp-baited bottom rigs.
The speckled trout bite is beginning to get good, and anglers are hooking the specks on live shrimp and some artificials.
Wayne, of Seaview Pier, reports that anglers bottom fishing with shrimp are landing good numbers of whiting at night.
