Topsail/Sneads Ferry Fishing Reports
Bonita Rogers Miller, of Jacksonville, NC, with a fat speckled trout that bit a Carolina-rigged finger mullet in the New River near downtown Jacksonville.
Michelle and Melissa Cherry with Michelle’s first dolphin, a cow that bit a ballyhoo behind a black/red chugger 35 miles off Topsail Inlet while they were fishing with Tim Powell on the “Timtation.”
Jackson Wright (age 8) holds an 8.2 lb. sheepshead that bit a live finger mullet near some inshore structure at Surf City. Weighed in at East Coast Sports.
D.J., of East Coast Sports, reports that there’s been an excellent speckled trout bite in the New River in recent days, and anglers are fooling the fish on topwater plugs, suspending hard baits like MirrOlure MR17’s, soft plastics, and live baits.
Red and black drum are feeding along the ICW, on the flats, and around structure like docks. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite live baits or a variety of artificials, with shrimp and fiddler crabs as top choices for the black drum.
Flounder fishing inshore has also been excellent lately, with good numbers of fish coming from inshore structure and the creeks.
The flounder bite has been solid in the ocean as well, where the fish are feeding around nearshore rocks, ledges, and artificial reefs. Live baits will work in the ocean, but Gulp baits pinned to bucktail jigs can be even more effective.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding just off the beachfront, and anglers are hooking both while working casting lures from the piers and trolling Clarkspoons and other shiny offerings from boats.
Not many reports have come in from offshore lately, but there is still a decent dolphin bite for boats making the run to the Gulf Stream.
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
