Topsail Fishing Update

2010 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Click on the comments button at the bottom of the post to make or read comments on this post.


Hello from Topsail Beach. Weather has been beautiful this week. Unfortunately, that's not what we need right now as far as fishing goes. Water temp is still in the low 70's. We need a good three or four day Nor'easter to blow the cool north air and the bait fish in to the surf. There are a few kings being caught at all piers, some days are great for king fishing. Example, one day last week the Jolly Roger Pier landed eleven (11) kings, got another 4 to the pier, and even more strikes but not hooked. Bottom fishing is slow and scattered. There are some nice fish being caught, but there is no rhyme or reason to the catches. You just have to be at the right place, at the right time, and you get your cooler maybe half full. There are a few blues on gotcha's as well as bottom fishing, larger blues are in the surf near the inlets. Spot's are scattered, with an occasional small catch here and there. Speckled trout are rare. Flounder seems to be the only bright spot. I have seen some nice flounder caught from the piers, as well as the surf and sounds. Live finger mullets best bet for a good strike, but live mud minnows and gulp sw may attract their attention. Success has been on carolina rigs as well as jigs, the lighter the better. Also try some small diameter line for added chance for a flounder or speck strike. Donna caught a nice keeper flounder last week on cut shrimp and a bottom rig. I have seen just a few whiting, but a lot of small virginia mullet and small pompano. A few large pompano have been reported from the surf using sand fleas or cut shrimp. There are a bunch of stargazers in the shallow surf recently, and with the extreme water clarity we have had this week, you can even see them on the bottom. I was in over knee deep water and could see the bottom clearly, along with the stargazers, skates, and baby flounder. There have been a few unverified red drum catches mostly on the southern end of the island. I have heard there are "huge" schools of over slot reds around Lee island. I have fished the northern shore of New Topsail Inlet several days, and haven't seen one much less a large school.

So we are still waiting for the "fall run" to develop, and it should bust loose any day now. If you like to fish from a boat, contact your favorite charter captain and book a trip. They all know where the "honey holes" are and are doing really well.

Good luck!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny