Topsail/Sneads Ferry – July 2025
Jerry, of East Coast Sports, reports that red drum have been scattered around in the inshore waters as is common during summertime patterns. These fish are holding along grass banks, oyster bars, and docks from the waterway back into the creeks. Topwater plugs work great in the low-light hours, and switching to live or cut bait is best once the sun is up.
Nearshore anglers are seeing plenty of spanish mackerel and bluefish off the beaches.
King mackerel are scattered along the beach as well, although most have pushed back out into the 10-20 mile range.
Dolphin are moving into the 20-30 mile range.
Bottom fishing in the 90-120’ areas remains productive, with catches of grouper, grunts, black sea bass, and vermilion snapper.
Closer to the break, the action is a bit scattered, with mahi and some wahoo being the top targets.
Mike, of Native Son Guide Service, reports that black drum are holding in deep holes around docks. Live fiddlers or mud crabs have worked well, with bait stealers wrecking havoc on anglers attempting to fish with shrimp.
Red drum are hitting cut menhaden better than anything. Smaller live baits (3”) work well, but the scent of cut bait helps as water temps heat up. Creek mouths, docks, grass banks, and oyster points are the types of areas to target.
Speckled trout are biting in the mornings, especially along the waterway where you can see any shrimp popping. Topwater plugs or popping cork setups are best.
Off the beach, bottom fishing is producing grunts and smaller black sea bass, and anglers should keep an eye out for a cobia popping up around any reef.
Spanish mackerel fishing is slow, but anglers willing to grind it out can put fish in the boat.
Jackson Johnston, of Topsail, caught this 24″ trout behind Lea Island on a Z-Man Fluke soft plastic.
Ray, of Spring Tide Guide Service, reports that fishing behind Topsail has been fair, but anglers are waiting for more bait to show up to improve the bite. For now, runs into the river are more productive.
Topwater action is good for red drum, with really aggressive hits being common. When seeing short-strikes, follow up with a gold spoon. As these fish are really broken up, being on the trolling motor and working the banks and covering ground will bring the most success.
Some trout are hitting the same topwaters being worked on the shallow banks.
Black drum are around for anglers willing to fight through all the smaller trash species to get a bite on cut bait.
Although the bite is slow, spanish mackerel are just off the beach and around the inlets.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist, reports that live shrimp are available and have quickly become the top bait for targeting speckled trout. Fishing shrimp really deep under slip corks in the 14-28’ range (and around structure) is the best tactic. This approach can also yield black drum and red drum.
Throwing topwater plugs can be successful for catching speckled trout when the conditions are cooperating, such as low light, clouds, and/or calmer winds. A wide variety of lures have had success, but a simple popper plug has been a favorite.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that spanish mackerel fishing remains strong for anglers trolling #00 sized Clarkspoons behind planers. Casting jigs are also having success when finding spanish feeding on the surface.
Bottom fishing is another great option when the weather allows for a run into the 70-100’+ areas. Black sea bass, amberjacks, and some gag groupers are all part of the catch.
Inshore, anglers are catching slot-sized red drum on paddle tail soft plastics on lighter jig heads.
Heidi Powers, of Surf City, landed this 33″ red drum on a Heddon One Knocker topwater in less than 2′ of water. She was fishing behind Topsail Island.
Joe, of Atlantic Sportfishing, reports that the grouper fishing has been on fire over good bottom in the 70’+ areas.
The 100’+ range is producing triggerfish, black sea bass, and some healthy vermilion snapper.
Mahi are more available as water temperatures rise. Anglers can find them popping up anywhere in the 100’ areas.
Runs out to the Gulf Stream are producing wahoo, larger bull mahi, and blackfin tuna.
Taylor, of South End Adventures, reports that close to the beach, the spanish mackerel bite has been steady using a Clarkspoon/planer combo. The schools are scattered anywhere from tide lines around the inlet out to 50’.
Bottom fishing in the 10-20 mile range is seeing smaller black sea bass, grunts, and scattered gag grouper.
Some cobia are hanging on structure in the 10-15 mile range.
King mackerel are around the nearshore wrecks and all the way in to the beachfronts.
Occasionally, some bailer-sized dolphin are moving into the 15-20 mile range. This should continue as water temperatures warm up and push more fish in from the Gulf Stream.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are catching bluefish with Gotcha plugs in the early and late afternoon hours.
Bottom fishing efforts are producing spots, croakers, black drum, and some sheepshead.
Some speckled trout are being hooked in the evening.
The end of the pier is slow, although a tarpon was caught earlier this month.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that bottom fishing anglers are catching croakers, sea mullet, and spot.
Sight casting plugs or jigs is finding bluefish and some spanish mackerel.
A few speckled trout have been caught in the early mornings.
Joseph, of Seaview Pier, reports seeing tarpon around the pier.
Anglers sight-casting Gotcha plugs are landing bluefish and a few spanish mackerel.
Bottom fishing efforts are producing whiting and a few red drum.
