Topsail Report: Pompano, Reds, Flounder, Specks

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Tons of pompano in the surf, saw lots caught at Jolly Roger Pier. Surf City Pier reports the same. A few blues and spanish in the early morning. Reds in the surf, bait up with live finger mullets on a carolina rig or fish finder rig. Heard of some nice speckled trout in the New River, live shrimp. Flounder catches are getting better, especially near the inlets. If you like pier fishing, drag a live shrimp or finger mullet along side the piers. Shrimp are plentiful in the sounds right now. Take your cast net and minnow bucket. Some of these shrimp are great eating size! If you don't use them fishing, take 'em home and cook 'em! Weather has been great! Fall Fishin' at Topsail is gettin' better every day!

Short Fishin' Trip

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Short two hour fishin trip this morning. Grabbed my flea rake a bucket and one fishin rod, and walked across the street to the surf. Caught more than enough fleas in just one rake. Weather was beautifuil, overcast with qa light NE breeze. Tide going out. Caught a couple nice whiting and two pomps. Just enough for dinner. Met a fellow angler from wilmington on the beach. Shout-out to Johnny, enjoyed the fishin chat. Hope you can make it back soon.

Till next time...
Tight lines!
Johnny

Earl Update 12:26 pm

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This from Stormpulse.com


[quote]
Tropical Storm Warning

Topsail Beach, NC

Earl now heading north, .areas affected, this local statement provides important information and recommended actions for people in new hanover and pender counties, and marine interests in the adjacent coastal waters. .watches/warnings, A tropical storm warning continues for the following locations, Pender, new hanover. For marine interests, a tropical storm warning continues for coastal waters from cape fear to surf city. Please check the latest public and marine forecasts for detailed information about additional hazards. .storm information, At 11 am edt, the center of hurricane earl was located near latitude 30.9n, longitude 74.8w. This was about 310 miles southeast of wilmington nc. The storm was moving north at 18 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 140 mph. .situation overview, Hurricane earl will pass just east of the North Carolina coast late this afternoon into early Friday morning. Winds are expected to increase to near tropical storm force this afternoon and continue through early Friday morning mainly along the immediate coast. Strong rip currents and large surf conditions will continue today and Friday. .precautionary/preparedness actions, .next update, The next local statement will be issued by the National Weather Service in wilmington around 300 pm edt, or sooner if conditions warrant. , tropical storm warning remains in effect, , new information, At 11 am edt, the center of hurricane earl was located near latitude 30.9n, longitude 74.8w. This was about 310 miles southeast of wilmington nc. The storm was moving north at 18 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 140 mph. , precautionary/preparedness actions, , winds, The latest area forecast is for maximum winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph. However, as hurricane earl approaches, Stronger winds are still possible. Minor damage may occur to older mobile homes. Isolated power outages will be possible. , storm surge and storm tide, Storm surge is expected to be minimal because hurricane earl will be passing east of the region and at a time of relative low tides. Along the coasts of new hanover and pender counties the probability of 2 foot storm surge remains less than 10 percent. Meanwhile, surf heights will range from 8 to 12 feet for several hours this afternoon and evening. , rip currents, Large swells from hurricane earl will lead to strong rip currents along area beaches. The rip currents will be strongest this evening as the storm passes and the tides fall. Large breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet are also expected. Strong rip currents will continue into Friday even as the storm moves away to the northeast.
[end quote]

Regards,
Johnny

Earl Update

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Making last minute preps for hurricane Earl. He is starting to worry me a bit. Should have turned east by now, but has not. No evacuation orders from Topsail yet, if they issue an evac order, WE BE GONE! Don't wanna see a cat 4 storm up close! Ok, so I may be a bit skeeerrred!

The official report as of 11 am:
Earl has taken a small turn to the north. As of 11 am, Earl was only one degree west from north. We need a bit more of an easterly shift. As of right now, no evac orders for Topsail.

I will report again, as time allows. If we stay, I will post the situation as much as possible, as long as I have the internet.

God Bless us all.
Johnny and Donna

Topsail Beach Surf Fishing Update

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Hello from Topsail Beach! I went surf fishing this morning, fished two hours before until two hours after high tide. I caught several snapper blues, about 10 to 12 inches, used one for cut bait and released the rest. A short flounder bit the cut blue fish. She was only a quarter inch short, but she was really thick. I am a stickler for the size limits of all fish, but I have to admit, I thought about running this one across the dunes real quick. She was a beauty, but common sense ruled and she was released unharmed. She would have made some nice fillets! I also caught two pompano, one way bigger than my hand, and the other bout hand size. Fresh cut shrimp caught three nice keeper mullets, all five fish now in the freezer. Really nice day with my feet in the sand. Got a private show (no one else on the beach) by a pod of bottle nose dolphins. Jumping, twisting, flipping,....... like a show at Sea World! Lasted about ten minutes. I think they may have been feeding, not sure. Donna and I checked out Trout St after dinner tonight, got nothing but skeeter bites. Those Topsail Skeeters ran us off the dock after about an hour. They were so big, they were stealing our bait! Ok, maybe not, but they were big enough. Pogies and finger mullets were on the move, but none came close enough to net. Another good day at Topsail Beach! Of course, I really can't think of a bad day here......... maybe ....... nah, it's always a good day at Topsail!

Till next time....
tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

New Record! Surf City Pier

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Surf City Ocean Pier has a new record for the heaviest tarpon. Eleven year old Jaycob landed the monster after a two hour fight, the tarpon was landed.
Stats:
Weight:     133 lbs
Length:      70 inches
Girth:      33 inches
Bait:   live shad

Read the entire story from the Surf City Pier Site, Click here:

Till next time....
tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

Red Drum

The reds are feeding good right now. One CONFIRMED report of over twenty over the slot size reds caught by three anglers in just a couple hours. Most are coming from tidal creeks near the inlets, but there are reds biting most everywhere including the ocean. Don't overthrow the fish, they are in the suds. Go get 'um!
Till next time.,,,
Johnny

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Topsail Beach Purple Martins

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Sea turtle hospital news

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 Re-Print from The Topsail Voice. Click HERE to view the original article.

TOPSAIL VOICE

By Karen Sota

Published: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 9:40 AM EDT

Leaving? So soon?

It’s been a crazy summer and it’s just flown by. Our college interns are headed back to school, or out into the cruel world in search of gainful employment. They’re taking lots of memories with them, and we thank them for giving us a bit of a break for what seemed like a very short time. Flipper hugs, guys.

Meet Remembrance

Speaking of our summer interns, they weren’t on the job more than a few days before one very sick Loggerhead arrived on the scene. Admitted on May 31, Remembrance was named in honor of those who fought for our country so that we could live in freedom.

This little lady was in the right place at the right time. A very concerned couple spotted her bobbing in the water near Masonboro Island, and stayed with her until our Wrightsville Beach coordinator, Nancy Fahey came to retrieve her. She arrived at our hospital emaciated and covered with barnacles and other ocean debris. She was so fragile that we wondered if something as innocuous as a gentle misting was going to send her over the edge.

After a few days in very shallow fresh water, under the constant care of intern Amanda it looked like maybe she had enough fight left in her to make it. Looking back on those first few weeks it’s obvious that this turtle is the 2010 poster child for the power of a strong will to live. But we can’t overlook the fact that she also had the benefit of our decades-plus experience in sea turtle rehabilitation, and the positive vibes flowing from hospital staff and visitors.

Long story short – she’s another one of our hospital miracles. And now that she’s feeling so much better her sparkling personality is really making her a standout in a sea (no pun intended) of turtles. She’s inquisitive and constantly thinks of ways to amuse herself. She’s fascinated by the water coming into her tank and enjoys playing catch with it. Remembrance is obviously happy and grateful for a second chance. She makes us smile.

Topsail Turtle Project

Wow – 97 nests and counting. The Loggerhead mamas are really industrious this year and we’re thrilled about the possibility of breaking 100 before the nesting season ends this month.

Island visitors and residents have always been great at reporting any and all sea turtle activity, but this year you’ve been especially attentive as our additional eyes on the beach. Our dedicated Topsail Turtle Project volunteers have already been pulling double shifts as their nests begin to hatch. You can keep up with nesting stats on our website: www.seaturtlehospital.org.

Michael Coyne (Administrator of seaturtle.org) was recently able to attach satellite tracking tags to two of our nesting Topsail Loggerheads, Topsail Belle and Naytiri. You can watch them journey up and down the Atlantic coast on www.seaturtle.org. You can also spy on Sennet, one of our rehabbed turtles who left us last September with his own satellite tracker.

Keep your eyes open for any and all sea turtle activity (nesting, stranding, harassment and/or unattended holes that could trap nesting mamas.) If you spot something contact Terry Meyer, our Director of Beach Operations, at 910-470-2880.

Note: We can tell the difference between Harris-Teeter Grade A Large and sea turtle eggs, and burying them is neither clever nor amusing. It’s just a waste of time and money.

Hospital Tours

We will remain open daily (except Wednesday & Sunday) from 2-4 p.m. through August. Meet five of our patients during your tour of our hospital, including our resident Kemp’s Ambassador Lennie. I’ve notice that Lennie has been furiously writing in his journal, and I’m really curious about what he’s putting in there. But every time I try to get a peek at it he tucks it under his flippers and refuses to hand it over.

Our record crowds are continuing and lines can be long. Come prepared with umbrellas and sunscreen, and if you live locally Saturday is the best day to visit. We have plenty of stock in our gift shop so don’t leave without checking out the new T-shirt colors and other items exclusive to our hospital.

This is our final summer in our current location, behind the blue water tank in Topsail Beach. Please feed that big donation jar on your way out. All contributions go toward our new facility as well as fund our work at our current location. We’re staffed by volunteers and completely supported by your donations!

Turtle Talks

Our popular “Turtle Talks” is back every Wednesday, through August. This family-friendly introduction to the wonderful world of sea turtles is held at the Surf City Community Center from 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (so you won’t get caught at the bridge). There are lots of handouts and hands-on stuff for kids and adults. It’s fun, informative and free, but of course donations for our turtles and the hospital are gratefully accepted.

Questions/Comments?    Contact me at: flippers@embarqmail.com with questions or comments.  For an application to become a hospital volunteer or to be added to our future e-newsletter contact me at: flippers@att.net.

(Karen Sota is a volunteer at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, a.k.a. the turtle hospital. For more information on the sea turtle hospital go to www.seaturtehospital.org.)






Till next time....
Tight lines
Johnny and Donna 

Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival celebrates the community’s roots

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Re-Print from Topsail Voice, August 11,2010. Click Here to view the original article.

TOPSAIL VOICE

Published: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 9:40 AM EDT

Festivals can be found all over nation, celebrating everything from apples to zoos but here in the greater Topsail area, many of our festivals reflect area history and traditions.

The Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival is no exception.

The festival, planned for this weekend, celebrates the proud tradition of commercial fishing and the village of Sneads Ferry.

First established in the 1700s as a fishing and farming community, Sneads Ferry’s working waterfront was, and still is today, vital to the community’s economy.

Until recently the community depended on the fishing industry which includes trawling, shrimping, clamming, crabbing as the key economic driver supporting families and other businesses in the area. The fishing industry is still and important part, but sadly a declining part, of the unique economy of the community.

In the past 50 years many coastal towns and villages have succumbed to the economic challenges posed by developments and rapid change, which in turn closed or, at best, reduced the commercial fishing industry to only small players in the economic picture.


Sneads Ferry has resisted these changes by remaining an unincorporated community and protecting as much as possible of its heritage and fishing traditions.

But in spite of these efforts, the community is still feeling the effects of its larger neighbors, Wilmington and Jacksonville. The nearby developments, increased restrictive regulations on the industry, and a declining economy are taking a toll on both the community and its fishing base.

The annual shrimp festival is one way the community, its residents and businesses continue to remember and promote the very traditions and industry that is such a vital part of the community’s history.

The longtime families of the area revere the histories and traditions of the fishing village while new arrivals to community learn to appreciate the community and its unique heritage.

This weekend residents and visitors will have the opportunity to remember, reflect and celebrate a unique community and the proud fishing tradition that make Sneads Ferry the very special community that it is.

The Shrimp Festival is a celebration of a coastal fishing community that continues to proudly remember its roots.





Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Marine rescues drowning teen in North Topsail Beach

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This article is a reprint from the Topsail Voice newspaper on August 11,2010. Read the original article in the Topsail Voice newspaper, click here.

TOPSAIL VOICE
By Connie Pletl
Published: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 9:40 AM EDT

N. TOPSAIL BEACH – A teenager struggling in the water near an ocean pier was rescued by a US Marine last week.

Sergeant Stephan A. Gladding, 25, who is with Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th MEU, was at the beach in the early afternoon on Aug. 7.

He’d brought his surfboard and intended to do some surfing when he noticed someone struggling to stay above water.

A teenager had drifted in about 200 yards from the shore and approximately 100 yards from the far end of the Seaview Pier.

Gladding jumped on his surfboard and paddled out to retrieve the teenager.

“I saw him and didn’t see any boats coming or anyone else jumping in so I just started paddling as hard and as fast as I could,” Gladding said. “I thought I was his only hope.”

Gladding put the teen on his surfboard and brought him back to shore where authorities from North Topsail Beach took over.

Gladding noted that there were strong rip currents that day.

Rip current warnings had been issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration because of the lunar tides and the remnants of Tropical Storm Colin.

Gladding is stationed at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. His hometown is Portland, Michigan.


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Surf City revises alcohol ordinance

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This article is a reprint from the Topsail Voice, Wednesday, August 11, 2010 To view the original article, click on the "Topsail Voice" link above.

TOPSAIL VOICE
By Connie Pletl
Published: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 9:40 AM EDT

SURF CITY – If you want to have a beer on the beach in Surf City, you can, as long as you abide by a few rules.

Seeking to clarify the ordinances pertaining to public alcohol consumption and possession, town leaders held a public hearing on the matter on Aug. 4.

Town Manager Michael Moore said the town statute regarding alcoholic beverage possession and consumption actually prohibited it in public areas, even on the beach.

In chapter 12 – Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions — of the town code Section 12-11 states that it is illegal for people to consume alcohol in public areas in town.

“…it shall be unlawful for any person to consume or possess an open container of malt beverage or fortified wine on any street, sidewalk, or alley of the town…included but not limited to public parks, public beach and sound access, and municipal buildings and grounds,” states the chapter in part.

Moore said after he had looked over the statute and discussed it with the town council; he investigated other towns to see how they handled the matter.

He then recommended that the town revise the ordinance to allow alcoholic beverages to be consumed on the beach, except in the area around the Roland Avenue beach access.

Moore said that the revised ordinance would prohibit the consumption of alcohol and the possession of open containers within 500 feet of the Roland Avenue beach access.

“What about glass containers?” asked Mayor Zander Guy.

Moore said that glass containers would continue to be prohibited on the beach.

Councilman Mike Curly asked if the town needed to include age restrictions in its ordinance.

Moore said the age limit was covered by state law.

“You still have to be at least 21,” he said.

The ordinance does allow for exceptions for special events if prior written approval is obtained from the town manager and any needed permits are received from the appropriate alcohol law enforcement agencies.

There were no public comments during the hearing.

The town council voted 5-0 to adopt the revised ordinance.



Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Topsail Fishing

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My sources say "fishing is slow!" About the only action I know of is around the bridges in the ICW. Fish with sand fleas or the small one armed crabs. I can't recall their proper name just now. Anglers are catching fat black drum and some nice sheepshead. Try live bait in the same spots for the occasional flounder.

On the piers, it's much the same with a few spanish and blues early and late, sharks, and the occasional flounder during the heat of the day, and a few spots, black drum, and sharks, skates, and sea mullets at night. The inlets are holding a few lady fish at night. Good fighters, jump like a tarpon! The Jolly Roger Pier reported a few kings, a tarpon with lots of hook-ups on the tarpon. They just can't get them to the pier.

Most of the charters are catching fish, the captains all have their "favorite honey holes" where they can locate and entice the fish to bite. Charters are catching reds, flounder, and the occasional speckled trout.

The weather is great! So come on down and enjoy a day of fishing, just don't be too disappointed if the bite is slow. There are plenty of sand crabs, (mole crabs) to be found at the tide line in the surf.

Construction update: CVS Pharmacy construction is moving along. Looks like they are about ready to start the walls. Just off Hwy 210 and Hwy 17 intersection near Lowes Hardware, the new Harris Teeter Supermarket has hit a growth spurt. The walls are just about up.

If you haven't checked out the new Italian restaurant in the shopping center at Hwy 210 / Hwy 50, go enjoy a meal. My friend "Yogi" is the night chef and we all know how great his cooking is. Give them a try, tell them "Fishin' Topsail" sent you.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Surf City clarifies alcohol laws

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Ok folks, I am sure you have heard the rumblings of alcohol consumption on the beach in Surf City. Here is the latest.

"quote"


By Amanda Hutcheson
Citydesk@StarNewsOnline.com

Published: Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 12:09 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 12:09 p.m.

( page of 2 )

Surf City's town board unanimously passed a revised ordinance Wednesday clarifying alcohol laws in the town. The new ordinance makes it illegal to consume or possess open containers of alcohol on any town street, sidewalk, alley or town property, including buildings and parks.

Alcohol will be allowed on the beach except at the Roland Avenue beach access, but glass containers are prohibited. And town officials emphasized that state laws about the minimum drinking age of 21 still apply.

"end quote"

Want more on this story? Click Here

Fishing News:

Capt. Rob at Jolly Roger Pier reports " We have seen normal summertime fishing the last several days. A few spots and mullet on bloodworms at night, a decent number of large puppy drum, and blues/Spanish when the water is clear. They are still seeing/hooking a few tarpon off the end, and there was a nice king lost earlier this week. The wind is supposed to shift to the East tomorrow and remain there for several days. That should clear the water and pack more bait in on the beach". - Capt. Rob Orr

One other note, lady fish are thick around the Surf City turning bridge. These fish are fun to catch, jumping several times like a tarpon!  Go give 'em a try!

Till next time....

tight lines!

Johnny

Fishing in the Cape Fear Region

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Cape Fear Region red drum fishing is starting to make a turn around the fish are starting back to bite a little more aggressively,finding the fish requires quite a bit of local knowledge to be succesfull.
Capt.Mike Dennis out of Carolina Beach,N.C. has been succesful in finding fish in the Bald Head Island area,running inshore charters in the backwaters.

Light tackle spinning fishing for red drum,is a alot of fun,using live bait tactics,seems to be the best way entice a bite.
Capt.Mike Dennis
Cape Fear Guide
Capt.Mike@charter.net
www.capefear-guide.com

910-619-0928

Topsail Island Fishing

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Weather looking great. Slight chance of some tropical weather in the near future, more as we get the info. CVS Pharmacy is back in the construction stage. The walls are going up now. Harris Teeter grocery store is scheduled to open in spring 2011. Walls are almost up. Our area is growing fast.

Now the fishing reports.

Sea View Pier: Still no report directly from Sea View Pier, I must have the wrong number, can't get anyone to answer the phone. If you know anything bout fishing at Sea View, please post it for our members. I have reports of a few Spots and Mullet.  Three Tarpon and a few nice Spanish.
Surf City Pier report: Aug 3rd ...."finally a few fish...caught a 36 lb king Sunday....a 24 lb king on Monday..... We have seen several spanish early morning, a few spade fish and pompano.....seeing a few spots and a few of mullets, mostly at night." (Thanks Vinita)
Jolly Roger Inn and Pier: Josh Sloop caught this 5 1/2 lb. Speckled Trout on Saturday. There have been lots of tarpon hook-ups and several landings in the last week to ten days. Kings are biting decent also. Also some big spanish hitting live bait. There were quite a few puppy drum caught, also had one 5 lb. speckled trout! Nice! Fishermen also reported seeing a big school of black drum cruising around under the pier. They managed to a few of the black drum, but most of them were hesitant to bite due to the clear water. Also reported were a few flounder, spots, mullet, and bluefish. 
Surf report: Lots of sharks, big ones at night, especially near the inlets. Flounder and some big red drum are hitting live finger mullets, some big speckled trout are eating live shrimp fished under a popping cork. Not many reports of specks hitting grubs or mirro-lures right now, but it won't be long. Water is still a bit warm for schooling specks. Water is full of black drum, but they aren't biting great, I am guessing because of the clear water. 
Offshore report: Water temps are still in the mid 80's. Winds N-NE at 10 to 15 mph. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Looks pretty good to me for offshore fishing. But I am not a weather man, so check it out for yourself. I have had reports of lots of mahi at 20 miles and further, some kings and sharks. There have been some big sharks near the inlet, along with some blues and spanish. There have been reports of lots of reds on the ocean side of Lee Island. Live bait and gold spoons getting the best results. 


Typical summertime fishing, not great, but better than almost anything else I can think of doing. Come on down and get your limits! Bring plenty of water to drink. It's HOT at Topsail Island.


Some Surf City news:
 Check out the Movie in the Park and Concert in the Park schedule. Some really good movies for the kids and some great bands ready to play. Events are every Saturday night at the Surf City Soundside Park, just across the swing bridge.

Saturday, August 7    Movie: Astro Boy - Rated PG

Saturday, August 14     Concert: Pamlico Joe and Clean Water Flow. A nice program concerning our resources. Get details about these events at the Town of Surf City website;  http://surfcity.govoffice.com/

Saturday, August 21       Movie: G Force - rated PG

 

Saturday, August 28   Concert: Sea Pans

Saturday, September 4      Movie - Up - rated PG

 

That's all for now.

Till next time....

Tight lines!

Johnny

Inshore July Fishing

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Inshore July fishing has been tough since the July 4Th weekend,low pressure fronts have been moving through the Cape Fear Region for the last week,water temperatures are high,red drum bite has been off.
Live bait has been plentiful,the Cape Fear River has been loaded with schools of menhaden from the dredge pond to the Fort Fisher Ferry landing.
Flounders are being caught inside with a good bite this past week at the Exxon Docks in downtown Wilmington,I mainly fish in the Buzzard Bay and the creeks behind Bald Head Island we are catching flounders,red drum bite has not been consistent.
Thank,God for the rain we really needed it at Carolina Beach,N.C.

Capt.Mike Dennis
Cape Fear Guide
Capt.Mike@charter.net
www.capefear-guide.com

910-619-0928

Kings at Surf City Pier

Anglers at Surf City Pier caught two kings today! More later.
Till next time;
Tight lines!
Johnny
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test post

test post from Johnny

Hot Weather/Fishing Report for area Waters.

The weather is still warm to hot and the fishing is the same, some days warm; some day we have hot fishing. The water temps in the area are getting to late July temps already in June; I believe this is going to give us a summer trend of fishing for most of the season. To the fishing report>>>.

We are still seeing so good numbers of Cobia around the area waters. The Cobia are around the inlets, shoals, and bars just off the beach. We are also still seeing them offshore a bit; around hard bottoms and reefs. Live bait has been the key to the bigger fish lately. Smaller Cobia have hit jigs around the inlets and ocean sand bars. Sight casting live bait to bigger Cobia just off the beach has produced some nice Cobia form Carolina Beach to Topsail. When we drift fish for Cobia, we are using carolina rigs with three to four once egg sinkers and 7/0 circle hooks with an eighty pound Berkley big game mono leader. The baits we are using are small Bluefish, Mullet, and Menhaden.

The Flounder fishing is really starting to pick up. We are seeing Flounder inshore as well as just off the beaches. The places we look for Flounder are in the ICW, Cape Fear River and Creeks off the ICW. Look for drop offs on the edge of the main channel with current or any where baitfish are passing by. Most of the Flounder are eating little menhaden and Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs. The Flounder are mixed in size to just under keeper size to a few over five pounds. We have caught some Flounder on Artificial baits as well. We have had the best luck with Berkley Gulp 3” pogy in pearl white and smelt colors. Rig the grubs on a red or black jig head for best results.

We have had some great Sharks fishing trips in the last two weeks; the bigger fish are just starting to show up. We are already even starting to see a few Hammerheads just off the beach. Shark fishing will be good until early October. Best baits for the near shore sharks are, fresh and live Menhaden. When we use bait to catch the sharks we use spinning reels, with 300+ yards of thirty and fifty pound Spider wire Ultracast braid. Rigging the baits; eight feet of 80 pound mono leader; some will wind on to the reel. Connected the 80 pound mono to a fifty pound swivel, then to Two to three foot of #9 SS wire and an 8/0 or 9/0 off set J hook. If you prefer Fly fishing, I like Striped bass flies in Menhaden patterns with 4/0 and 5/0 hook sizes. We use ten to twelve weight set ups; have lots of extra flies with you!

When Shark fishing gets good, it’s not long before we start to see some Tarpon in the area. We have seen some nice schools of Tarpon pushing up the beaches in the last two weeks. Tarpon fishing in North Carolina can be very fun but it can be a challenge to get one to bite! We fish for Tarpon on the bottom or free lining, using live and fresh dead baits like; spots, bluefish and Menhaden. We are rigging these baits on fish finder rigs, with three to five feet of 80 to 100 pound mono leaders. Circle hooks are the best bet for good hook ups and landings for Tarpon in hook sizes 7/0 to 9/0 depending what hook series you like. I have also had a fair share of Tarpon on my kite rig with live baits like greenies, bluefish and menhaden. Nothing like seeing a Tarpon hit kite baits!

Redfish are still biting well, but with all the hot weather its best to go early in the morning or later afternoons when the water is a bit cooler. Topwater lures and rattling corks in the shallow waters earlier mornings and afternoons will produce some Redfish. Working grubs like Berkley Gulp later in the day in deeper waters will also produce Reds for ya. Sometimes it can be just like colder mouths, slow down your presentation a little when the water gets hot. Give the Redfish a little more time to catch up with your bait.

A few other fish that are biting lately; Spanish mackerel bite has been hit or miss lately. The best catching have been earlier in the morning and casting jigs and spoons to jumping fish, has put most of the fish in the boat lately. The Sheephead bite has really picked up in the last few weeks, fishing around bridges, pilings and bulkheads will produce some nice Sheephead. Off the beach from five to fifth teen miles the King Mackerel and Mahi are showing some. Fast trolling Ballyhoo or slow trolling lives baits a working for the Mackerel and Mahi. There has also been a few Sailfish caught as well lately in the same areas.

Fishing Gear we use:

Reels Penn Conquer and Sargus spinning in sizes 2000 and 4000. Spiderwire Ultra-cast braid in 10 and 15#. Rods: Ugly stick lite 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy and the All Star ASR spinning rod ASR844S and ASR845S.
Cobia, Shark and Tarpon: Spinning setup Penn Conquer 7000 with an Ugly Stick Tiger lite Jigging rod 6’ 6” and Penn 320LD Reel and a Tiger lite jigging rod. Line for Cobia, Shark and Tarpon: Berkley Big Game 30# mono and 50# Spiderwire Stealth High-Vis Yellow.

Thanks for reading this report, if you would like to go fishing drop me a line. Book now for this coming summer fishing season and don’t forget to take a kid fishing!

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
PENN Reels Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Heating Up!

Good summer fishing today. The Spanish mackerel and bluefish bite was above average throughout the day. We weighed several citation size pompano that were caught both on the pier and in the surf. I also saw some very nice summer whiting landed, along with spots and sheepshead. Multiple fishermen reported seeing a school of nice sized trout moving around under the pier today. There was a small cobia landed on a bottom rig, and one of the guys plugging on the end lost a 10-15 lb. king mackerel that he hooked on a gotcha plug. There were no king fishermen on the end today, but yesterday they reported seeing several schools of tarpon cruising by, and there were many surface schools of cigar minnows around the pier throughout the day. There was also a sailfish sighted free jumping just off the end of the pier!

Surf fishing is improving with a decent showing of big pompano and large summer whiting being caught on sand fleas. There are also some nice drum moving up and down the beach.

Offshore fishing is good to great right now. The nearshore mahi bite is really starting to take off. We found schools of mahi busting cigar minnows on multiple occasions this past week. The key to catching these mahi is getting on them early before the fleet of boats arrive. The grouper are beginning to move slightly further offshore to their summer haunts, but there are still plenty of fish within decent range. We had to pick through a lot of small fish this past week, but after moving several times ended up getting on good bites both days. In the Gulf Stream the wahoo and billfish are scattered, with plenty of mahi hanging around the weed mats and structure; most being on the smaller side.

Good luck!

Capt. Rob Orr

Jolly Roger Inn & Pier

Topsail Beach, NC

www.thejollyroger.com

(910)-328-4616

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Rainbow Thief ..................... Shame on You!

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Hello from Topsail Beach. Donna and I have lived in this area for seven years now. For the first time I remember, something was stolen from us. We just returned from a nice walk on the beach, and found that our shoes, my sandals and Donna's Rainbows, were stolen from the Empie Beach access #7 in Topsail Beach. We will replace the shoes, but we are very disappointed. If these shoes were taken by mistake, please return them, if they were stolen on purpose, SHAME ON YOU! We will pray for you. I am attempting to make excuses for whoever did this, but I just can't figure how someone would "acidently" take two pairs of shoes that does not belong to them. I am forgetful, getting more so as I get older, but I think I would know which shoes I wore to the beach, and I am real sure I wouldn't wear two pair at the same time. An otherwise beautiful and restful walk was marred by someone's thoughtless actions.  So, BEWARE!  There is a shoe thief amongst us!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

Topsail Beach June Update

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Sounds, piers, and ICW; The flounder bite in the inshore and nearshore waters is fast improving. I have heard of several fish this week close to 5 pounds. Best bait seems to be smaller menhaden on a carolina rig and fished  slowly. Reds are biting well also. Same bait and same rig on a falling tide. Around bridges and docks, sheepshead are plentiful.Some big bluefish are still around as well. I got a report of a 9 pounder caught in the ICW while flounder fishing! Just offshore, the cobia have made a strong showing at the inlets and near shore artificial reefs. Spanish mackerel have been on one day and off the next. When you find them they bite well. Other days they are hard to find. Blues, some big choppers, are still around the piers along with hit and miss spanish. Kings are moving in closer. Mahi are bunched up nearshore. There are lots of fish in the 10 mile area. Best baits seem to be live bait, with cigar minnow and ballyhoo are working also. Piers are reporting good catches of sheepshead, with blues and spanish during the day, (early am and late pm) with spots, virginia mullets, lots of spade fish under the pier, and scattered reports of keeper flounder. Live bait best for the flounder, with fresh cut shrimp for bottom feeders, and clam flavor fish bites for the mullets and spots. Do ya feel lucky? Well, do ya! Then this is your kind of fishing, no guarantees, just some quality time with nature friends. See you on the beach!

Till next time....

Tight lines!

Johnny and Donna

Topsail Update June 14 "HOT!!!" More than just the temp.

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

 The temps are soaring. Upper 90's today with a heat index of 110*. HOT, HOT.  But so is the fishing!  The piers are getting runs of blues, spanish, and even kings. All three piers have now landed a king, the latest I know about is a 33 pound king from Jolly Roger caught by fishing friend BT. Piers are reporting some good spot runs, ladyfish, big sheepshead and even an occasional speckled trout. Best bet for trout right now is live shrimp. The spanish bite has slowed a bit, but there are still lots around at sunrise and sunset.

The surf is starting to heat up. Mullets and red drum leading the charge. Best chance for a reds, in my opinion, is south of Jolly Roger pier, the closer to the inlet the better. Also in the surf are black drum, some big pompano (use sand fleas and fish on the sand bar.)  Spots are showing up in the surf, but still not in large numbers. There has been scattered reports of keeper flounder. Finger mullets, which are getting more obtainable in the sound, seems to be the best bait.

On the inside, fishing is HOT! Red and black drum, spots, sea mullets and keeper flounder are plentiful. And of course lets not forget our sharks and skates.

Best times for fishing is early morning, with dusk running a close second. I haven't seen any difference in the tide bite, though high might be a bit better.

Fishin' is good. Come on out and get some!




Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Hot Weather & Hot Fishing around the area!

Southeast North Carolina has been quite HOT lately the good thing about this is the fishing has been the same; HOT! The summer trend of local fishing is really showing and the summer fish showing up in good numbers too. We have been fishing for all kinds of fish lately; Mackerel, Cobia, Blues, Redfish, Flounder, Trout and Sharks. Let’s talk about that in this weeks fishing report>>>

Let’s start with one of my favorites; Cobia. I love to catch’em, cook’em and eat’em! We have seen quite a few Cobia lately; we caught a forty pounder on last Monday. We are seeing most of the Cobia just off the beach and out to five miles off the beach. Live bait has been the key to the bigger fish lately. Smaller Cobia have hit jigs around the inlets and ocean sand bars. Sight casting live bait to bigger Cobia just off the beach has produced some nice Cobia form Carolina Beach to Topsail. When we drift fish for Cobia, we are using carolina rigs with three to four once egg sinkers and 7/0 circle hooks with an eighty pound Berkley big game mono leader. The baits we are using are small Bluefish, Mullet, and Menhaden. Drifting these baits around inlets, sandbars and near shore live bottoms; has produced the best bites.

The inshore Redfish bite has been very good lately with artificial baits as well fresh cut and live baits. Working shallow waters early morning and late afternoon when the heat of the day is lower has produced well. Later in the day when the sun is high, we are working deeper waters for the Redfish. The shallow water lures have been MirrOlure’s Top Dog Jr and Top Pup, also a rattling cork with a Berkley Gulp Alive peeler crab under the cork has also produced very well in waters of one to three foot deep.

When we are fishing deeper grubs that have been doing well are Berkley Power bait shrimp and Gulp Alive 3” shrimp in colors new penny and molting. Saltwater Assassin’s Copperhead and 10W40 colors are catching some Reds as well. Rigging the grubs on a simple red jig head 1/8oz to 1/4oz, just make sure the jig head has a hook that will not straighten out when you hook that nice Redfish! Tip: one thing I’ve starting using this season is Berkley Gulp Alive Shrimp spray; I put a shot on all my non-scented grubs. It seems to work well for Redfish and Flounder fishing.

The Spanish mackerel bite has been good lately with the best of it being early in the morning and late afternoon. Trolling Clark spoons in sizes 00, 0 and 1 in colors sliver, gold and pinks flash are working well. When we are seeing the Spanish jumping and feeding on top; casting jigging spoons is producing some nice Spanish. There is still a lot of Blues mixed in with the Spanish up and down the beach too. We have found some bigger Spanish by going off the beach a few miles and getting away from the crowds in the clearer waters.

Flounder fishing is really picking up around the area. Most of the Flounder are eating little menhaden and Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs. The Flounder are mixed in size to just under keeper size to a few over five pounds. We have caught some Flounder on Artificial baits as well. We have had the best luck with Berkley Gulp 3” pogy in pearl white and smelt colors. Rig the grubs on a red or black jig head for best results. Flounder fishing should stay consistent right through the summer and fall.

The Shark fishing is picking up with the warmer water temps and should be good all summer long. Best baits for the near shore sharks are, fresh and live Menhaden. When we use bait to catch the sharks we use spinning reels, with 300+ yards of thirty and fifty pound Spider wire Ultracast braid. Rigging the baits; eight feet of 80 pound mono leader; some will wind on to the reel. Connected the 80 pound mono to a fifty pound swivel, then to Two to three foot of #9 SS wire and an 8/0 or 9/0 off set J hook. If you prefer Fly fishing, I like Striped bass flies in Menhaden patterns with 4/0 and 5/0 hook sizes. We use ten to twelve weight set ups; have lots of extra flies with you!

Keep your eyes peeled for some great new Berkley Gulp products that will be out soon, some of these baits are going to be great for Redfish and Flounder fishing; Trust me!!!

Fishing Gear we use:

Reels Penn Conquer and Sargus spinning in sizes 2000 and 4000. Spiderwire Ultra-cast braid in 10 and 15#. Rods: Ugly stick lite 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy and the All Star ASR spinning rod ASR844S and ASR845S.
Cobia: Spinning setup Penn Conquer 7000 with an Ugly Stick Tiger lite Jigging rod 6’ 6” and Penn 320LD Reel and a Tiger lite jigging rod. Line for Cobia Berkley Big Game 30# mono and 50# Spiderwire Stealth High-Vis Yellow.

Thanks for reading this report, if you would like to go fishing drop me a line. Book now for this coming summer fishing season and don’t forget to take a kid fishing!

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
PENN Reels Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

King Mackerel!

I just received word that the FIRST KING OF THE YEAR was just landed on the Jolly Roger. It was caught by Bennet Tolar on a live bluefish. At this time the unofficial weight is 33 lbs.!

Big kings are finally here!

Capt. Rob Orr

Jolly Roger Pier

(910)-328-4616

www.jollyrogertopsailbeach.com

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Topsail Update Fishing Report

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Hello from Topsail Beach! Fished the surf last evening with Donna, didn't get anything, but I was anything but disappointed.  It was a nice evening, weather was perfect and, I found lots of big sand fleas int the surf. For me, that means the bigger sea mullets will be moving closer to the shore. Time to start some serious surf fishing. I fished the Jolly Roger Pier in Topsail Beach this morning. Arrived about 6am and there were already several king rigs out at the end of the pier. While I was plugging for blues and spanish, one of the king anglers got a hit. Nothing like screaming drag to wake up a person in the early morning. Unfortunately, the fish pulled the hooks, so we don't know what it was. But BT said it was shaking it's head a lot, whatever that means. I don't king fish from the pier, but I am guessing that those who do will understand the significance of the head shaking. I caught several blue fish, some nice fillet size, but no spanish. I did see a couple of smaller sized spanish brought over the rail, but these were about 3/4 of the way out the pier on the south side, not at the end where I was fishing. Maybe I should have moved down a bit, but I was having a nice conversation with a new fishing friend from Warsaw, NC. Shout out to my new friend Kyle, hope to see you on the pier again soon. Saw no bottom fish, no flounder, but there were several anglers walking the rails with live minnows and live shrimp. Gonna be a hot one today, not much breeze as of right now, and lots of sun. Don't forget the sunscreen in your tackle box. You'll need it today. May get a visit from our son Scott and his family. Looking forward to their visit. Haven't seen them or the grand babies for a while. Just got home, woke up Donna and gonna fix a nice breakfast. If you get here quick, you can get some bacon, eggs, and grits. Catch 'em up!

Till next time....
Tight lines,
Johnny

Topsail Report-6/10/10

Sorry for the lax reports as of late. The fishing, from the pier, to offshore and back inshore, has shifted into the warm water, summer pattern. Mornings and afternoons have been much more productive than has mid-day fishing. Although the quantity of fish has decreased with this change, the overall size and quality of fish has increased.

Jolly Roger Pier- The Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still here in good numbers, but the bite has been restricted to early in the morning (first hour of daylight) and late afternoon (last two hours of light). This morning they had an excellent Spanish and blue run right after sunrise. Gotcha plugs are still the lure of choice, but as the water warms and they start feeding on smaller shad/minnows, I expect the diamond jigs to start producing as well. Flounder, drum (black and puppy), sheepshead, pompano, and spots have all been scattered throughout the day and night. I just weighed a 4 ½ lb. and a 9 lb. sheepshead that were caught this afternoon on the pier.

Surf- I received mixed reports from surf fishermen this past week, with a smattering of bottom fish and drum reported. Sand flees are by and far the bait of choice. FRESH shrimp or cut/live bait follows as a close second. The drum moved in-in outstanding numbers immediately after the NE wind we had near the end of May. They have since spread out along the beach in the sloughs and deeper holes.

Inshore- A few larger trout and flounder can now be found back in the sounds and the intercostal. Reports of a few very nice sized flounder have been coming in throughout the week. Some of the best action has been around the inlets with live baits and or gulp. The mullet and shrimp are beginning to become more active in the creek and marsh areas, making it easier to acquire live bait. Drum are scattered throughout the marshes around oyster rocks and docks (structure).

Offshore- We finally had a few calm days this week, and quite a few people got out and took advantage of the beautiful conditions. Near shore the Spanish and blues bit well near the inlets early in the morning. Just off the beach (0-12nm) the kings and cobia are scattered around hard-bottom and artificial structure. Find the bait, and you will find the fish. Mahi and sailfish are just beginning to move into the same areas from 7-20 miles offshore. Gulf Stream fishing was mixed this week, with decent gaffer mahi fishing and scattered wahoo and billfish. We made it offshore Tuesday and were greeted by a flat calm ocean. I was anxious to find some mahi a little closer to shore, so that is what we started out targeting. The bite was slow, and from sunrise to 8:30 AM, we only found one king. I made the call to switch over and do a little bottom fishing, and man was it the right call! We picked up and ran to a patch of ledges/live bottom, where we found a red hot grouper bite. We quickly reached our five-man limit, and began to catch and release 25-30” grouper! One of the crew spotted a large leatherback turtle surface, and I quickly ran over to see if there might be a cobia cruising with it. There wasn’t a cobia, but rather a school of cobia; 9 to be exact. They were not in the feeding mood, but we finally got two to bite. For one reason or the other, we ended up pulling the hook on both fish. Just wasn’t our day, but I sure hated to see all that pretty white meat swim away! All in all it was a great day on the water, and we were back at the dock by 1:30.

Even with the water warming, there is still some great fishing to be had. The key is to get out early before it gets to hot. I think just a couple days of good light E or SE wind would really pack the bait in on the beach and get things going.

Good Luck,

Capt. Rob Orr

Jolly Roger Pier

Topsail Beach, NC

(910)-328-4616

www.jollyrogertopsailbeach.com

Fishing Topsail Message Board

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Doormats on Sale at Lowes?

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Don't let the title of this post fool you. A friend who works at IGA in Surf City, known as J2, (real name Justin) opened his cooler today and what was inside was....... yep.. A DOORMAT!  It was a flounder, weighing in at a six plus pounds! Wish I had a picture. I keep forgetting that my new Blackberry smart phone will take pictures. It's a good thing the Blackberry is smart, cause it doesn't seem like I am. What a beautiful fish! Congrats Justin!

Till next time....
tight lines!
Johnny

SPOT ALERT!

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

SPOT ALERT! Fished Jolly Roger Pier this morning. Caught blues till I was just tired of reeling them up. If you had blood worms near the end of JR pier this morning, you could have a bucket of spots. Good run while I was pluggin' my arms off! Great Day at Topsail Beach!

RE: The Gulf Oil Spill
If you aren't upset and unhappy with the way the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is going, check out this website. The web page superimposes the oil spill graphic onto a map of our area. (or any area you choose) Simply enter the zip code for the area you would like to compare. The Topsail area zip is 28445. (That's Holly Ridge, Surf City, and Topsail Beach) ..............

This is a sad, depressing, and upsetting event, that in my opinion, could have been handled better. I think it's time for something else to be done. Do I know what that should be? Not in the least. I have no idea. But we put a man on the moon........ shouldn't we be able to handle this better?

Here is the link. www.ifitwasmyhome.com

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Topsail Report

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Hello from Topsail Beach!
Got a lot of stuff tonight. It's been a while since last post. My apologies. Ok, on with the news.

Mark this on your calendar. July 3rd is the 2nd Annual Kid's Fishing Competition and Celebration at Surf City Pier. Registration begins Saturday. The first 150 children to pre-register will receive a free T-shirt! This is a free event for all children 16 years of age and younger. Call or stop by the pier for more details.

Our grandchildren are scheduled to be on Topsail the week of July 4th. They will be in the tournament, Lord willing. This is a great event for the kids as well as an opportunity to spend some quality time with your children. There is no greater joy than to see the expression on a childs face when he/she catches a fish. The size of the fish doesn't seem to matter, they are excited just the same. Make plans to be their if you are in the area that week. I am sure you will enjoy the time with your children.

Fishing / Catching report

The Sea View Fishing Pier reported a 74 pound tarpon was caught on June 8. Blues and spanish were also caught, seems the best tide is high. Also caught were mullets along with skates, flounder, a few spots, croakers, black drum and several ladyfish.

Surf City Fishing Pier reports fishing was kinda slow today with a few spanish and blues caught early. A few spots were caught in the surf this morning. the wind and surf are picking up. Vinita hopes the bottom fishing will pick up tonight with the rough surf.

Jolly Roger Fishing Pier's Robin Orr reports there aresome nice drum and sheepshead around not, as well as spots, blues and spanish.

Below is a picture of my friend Elijah with a nice spanish he caught on Jolly Roger Pier. He caught a bigger one, but my picture didn't turn out. Sorry for being so late posting. Congrats to Elijah and April. They were married and spent their honeymoon fishing on JR pier. Hope to see you back soon.

Looks like typical summer time fishing.  Catch 'em up!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Check out East Coast Sports website for a great selection of fishing rod racks for your truck. These look great! I think I might bring one home for the Blazer. I am not worried what Donna might say, because I am the boss of this house. Donna said I could be the boss for a day or two. Whata woman!

Red Drum Cape Fear NC

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Red Drum bite in the Cape Fear Region has really picked up the last week,the arrival of plenty of menhaden has really helped the bite.
Fishing 4 days last week has confirmed that the red drum are here and are hungry not only have the numbers of bites has improved,the number of over the slot size fish has increased.
Here are a few of the pictures I took, just to busy catching to take a picture of all the reds!
Capt.Mike Dennis
Capt.Mike@charter.net
www.capefear-guide.com
910-619-0928

Topsail Update

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Fishing is good at Topsail Island. There is a bit of everything biting, but not a huge amount of anything. The piers are seeing spots, mullet, black drum, a few reds, some sheepshead and spade fish. There have been a few keeper flounder, though most are undersized. The flounder have been taken with cut bluefish, cut hardhead mullet, and live minnows and shrimp. I even one saw one keeper speckled trout. (Remember the size limit for speckled trout has increased this year to 14 inches, 10 per day max) Saw one gray trout this week. You can only keep ONE FISH PER DAY now. Min size is still 12 inches. (Check out the 2010 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide for Sports Fishermen; May 2010 version here.) The surf fishing is starting to get better, as more sand fleas come to the surface. If you can find fleas, you might get a large pompano on the sandbars, or sheepshead around the dock and bridge pilings. The sheepshead bite has really been on fire in the backwaters this week. There are some finger mullets and shrimp around, but not many yet. (I haven't found them)

Weather looks pretty good this week. Here is the forecast for Topsail, ShowMyWeather.com.

Long Term Forecast

TUESDAY... High: 85°F Low: 65°F PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE MID 80S...EXCEPT IN THE LOWER 80S AT THE BEACHES. SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH. OVERNIGHT: PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WINDS AROUND 5 MPH.

WEDNESDAY...High: 89°F Low: 71°F MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE MORNING...THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S...EXCEPT IN THE LOWER 80S AT THE BEACHES. SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. OVERNIGHT: PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING...THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOWER 70S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY...High: 90°F Low: 70°F MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS AROUND 90. CHANCE OF RAIN 40 PERCENT. OVERNIGHT: PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. LOWS AROUND 70. CHANCE OF RAIN 40 PERCENT.

FRIDAY...High: 91°F Low: 71°F PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S. LOWS IN THE LOWER 70S.

SATURDAY...High: 91°F Low: 71°F PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S. LOWS IN THE LOWER 70S.

SUNDAY...High: 91°F Low: 71°F PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S. LOWS IN THE LOWER 70S.

Looks like a great week for fishing.

Lets all send our prayers to the folks along the gulf coast that are being devasted by the oil spill. As people that live near, and depend on the water for our livelihood, lets remember, this could be us in a few years. Do we really want to take the chance that our beautiful coastline may be ruined for years by the lust for oil money? You all know my feelings on this subject, so I won't rehash it here.

Lets go fishing!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

The Innocence of Youth

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


I know this isn't about Topsail Island fishing or news, but I had to post this.



Till next time....
tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

Fishing / Catching Reports

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide
Fishing / catching reports. Do you think fishermen lie bout there catch? NAW you know not. Here are the reports I have received. Lots of reds near the New Topsail Inlet. Some keeper flounder from all the piers. Large pompano on sand fleas. (fleas still hard to find, for me anyway) Large speckled trout way up in the New River. Now, here is what I know to be true. Huge chopper blue fish are coming over the rails at all TI fishing piers. Small mullets, mostly at night. Big ( 4 and 5 lbs) black drum. A few sheepshead. Couple keeper flounder. I witnessed the landing of several nice spots. Of course, there are the sharks and skates. In and around the ICW, I have personally seen nice black drum and lots of sheepsheads, at SC turning bridge and the HWY 172 bridge in Sneads Ferry. My fishin' buds and friends Caleb and Jonathon caught a bucket full of big sheepshead. Take the young kids to the Surf City park, tons of pinfish mean lots of fun for the kiddies. All in all, it ain't a bad time to be at Topsail Island! I really enjoyed fishing with brother Jesse, my Dad, and friend Ken at Jolly Roger Pier this week. Brother is back home in VA, Dad leaving in the morning. Last day to fish with him. Gotta go!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

Keeper Flounder, Jolly Roger Pier

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Hello from Topsail Beach!
My brother Jesse and wife Sarah are visiting us at Topsail. Jesse caught a nice keeper flounder Tuesday night late. Pier house was already closed. Dressed and in the fridge, gonna eat fish tonight.

It's really cloudy, but no rain yet, cept maybe a sprinkle. Think I'll give is a shot and go fishing! Whadaya think?

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Rain

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Rainy day at Topsail Beach. Still the best place in the world to be! We love this island! Not much going on fishing, few small sea mullets, sharks, rays, skates, small flounder, the occational blue and spanish. It's gonna get better!
Till next time....
tight lines!
Johnny
http://www.fishintopsail.com/

Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center

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2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

TOPSAIL VOICE

By Connie Pletl

Published: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 9:49 AM EDT

SURF CITY – The new Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center became one step closer to reality last week as volunteers, community members and area officials gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony.

At the event on May 20, Executive Director Jean Beasley thanked everyone who had helped and supported the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, also known as the turtle hospital, throughout the years.
“This is a dream come true,” she said.

Beasley, along with members of the turtle hospital board, Surf City Town Council and those instrumental in getting the new turtle hospital off the ground, grabbed shovels and broke ground for the new facility.

Norht Carolina Flounder Fishing

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide
North Carolina Flounder fishing is picking up in the Cape Fear River,Capt.Mike Dennis found the flounder & speckle trout to be biting just south of Snow's Cut on Saturday. Chip Clark and Brian Gibson landed some good size fish while on a 4 hour charter.

Capt.Mike Dennis
Cape Fear Guide
Capt.Mike@charter.net
www.capefear-guide.com
910-619-0928

Quick Update-Drum are here!

Just a quick weekend update. The drum have finally arrived. All up and down the island, in the surf and on the pier, the puppy and black drum fishing has been good. I have also seen blues, flounder, sheepshead, and quite a few spots.

Capt. Rob Orr

Jolly Roger Pier

Topsail Beach, NC

(910)-612-6673

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2009 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide

Topsail/Jolly Roger Pier Report

Fishing has been up and down this week. The first part of the week we had really good spanish and blue fishing on the Jolly Roger. When the NE winds moved in Tuesday night, it muddied the water and killed the spanish bite. Wednesday was slow for the most part, with only a handful of mullet reported. Today the wind finally switched back to the SE, and by dark the water was finally beginning to clear. There was a good mix of fish caught on the pier today. Although no one species was hot and heavy, so to speak, fishing was steady throughout the day. A 5 1/4 lb. black drum was landed, as well as a 7 lb., 26 1/2 inch puppy drum. I also heard reports of spots, flounder, trout, sheepshead and blues being caught. Several of the blues were what we call "chopper" blues (ranging from 5-20 lbs.).

I just haven't heard from that many people surf fishing this past week. With the wind and current ripping like it has been, it would have been very difficult to get anything to hold. I do know that the NE wind cut some really nice new sloughs up and down the beach, and with the drum showing up around the pier, you should be able to find a few cruising up and down the sloughs. Look for where the sloughs that run close to the beach flow out through the outer sandbar. This is where the most bait congregates, and therefore is normally the best place to find larger predators.