ProFishNC Charters Fishing Report (Wrightsville & Topsail Beach)
Capt. Trevor Smith
October 9, 2013
Topsail Beach - Saltwater Fishing Report
ProFishNC Charters Fishing Report (Sept & Oct) for Topsail Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Wilmington & Figure Eight Island (Fall Fishing is Here! + September Fishing Recap & Fishing Forecast).
September Fishing Recap: Topsail Beach, Wrightsville Beach and Figure Eight Island Fishing summary.
September fishing has come and gone…
Nearshore Fishing: What a GREAT Month for nearshore fishing charters! We were able to catch Boat Limits of Grey Trout almost every trip along with lots of Offshore Flounder in the 3-6 pound range. We also did very well with Spanish Mackerel, F. Albacore & Sharks including some nice Hammerheads.
Inshore Fishing: Inshore in September is good as well with lots of Red Drum, Flounder and Bluefish in the box! The mullet run was HUGE this year with plenty of bait everywhere! The Flounder were stacked in the inlets and backwater estuaries as most were caught on artificials with Blue Water Candy Jigheads. Most of our Red Drum came on live mullet and Pogies on Carolina rigs around the deeper water docks.
Tip: If you plan to fish in the winter and spring here in Topsail Beach, Wrightsville Beach or Wilmington, STOCK UP on MULLET! I managed to catch, brine (with only Sea Salt, Ice and a little "cure") & freeze TONS of varying sized mullet for the winter and spring fish runs (I even brined some with Blue Color "Nates Bait" for the darker colored waters).
Now… For the October Fishing Forecast and Fishing Report for Wrightsville Beach, Topsail Beach, Wilmington and Figure 8 Island:
Nearshore: Currently, there is an EPIC F. Albacore and Spanish Mackerel BLITZ right off of our North Carolina Inlets! I do troll occasionally; however, I prefer to put my clients on the fish by sight casting to the schools of feeding fish using various jigs that "match the hatch". When we see the fish feeding on the surface, we race over to them and cast the jigs just over the "washing machine" that appears to be on the surface of the water… then HANG ON! These fish are fast, have tons of energy and provide an overall awesome fishing experience.
We are still catching LIMITS of Grey Trout and releasing many more once the boat limit is reached. I am picking up the Grey Trout on "Live Bottom" off of the beaches in the 2-6 mile range. Vertical Jigging is proving to provide the best action for the G. Trout.
The Nearshore Flounder Fishing continues to be excellent right now. I am finding most of my Nearshore Flounder in the 3-10 mile range using both Live Mullet and 2oz Spro Jigs tipped with a large Berkeley GULP or live mullet.
There are a TON of sharks from the beach out to 10 miles as well, when my clients are ready for something different, the sharks provide constant action (a kid favorite!).
The Cobia are beginning there migration back down south and can be found on the jetties, around piers and on the live bottom and wrecks in the nearshore waters. We hooked two cobia this past week in a matter of an hour (these cobia were cruising the live bottom off of Wrightsville Beach).
Inshore Fishing: Inshore Fishing has been HOT as well with some days better than others due to weather. We have been catching lots of Flounder, Drum & Speckled Trout in their usual inshore areas with more trout coming from the deeper water grass-lines, Red Drum and Black Drum around the docks and flats, Flounder have been laying in the backwater inlets and creeks feeding heavy on shrimp and baitfish.
Note: I will be posting/ publishing numerous descriptive "How To Guides" for Trout (both Speckled Trout and Grey Trout), Flounder, Red Drum, Sheepshead, Spanish Mackerel, King Mackerel & F. Albacore Tuna just to name a few.
Gear Used (From the Tackle Shop, Intracoastal Angler in Wilmington, NC):
*Shimano Spheros Reels
*20lb PowerPro Line
*7ft Graphite Rods
*Diamond Jigs, Tsunami Jigs & small Shimano Jigs
*20lb Yozuri Fluorocarbon (Pink b/c it is the first color to disappear underwater at approximately 2ft sub surface).
*Shark & Cobia Gear: Shimano Rods and 10000 series Shimano Spheros reels, 60lb PowerPro Braid.
As always, don't forget to take your kids fishing and hope to see you on the water!
Capt. Trevor Smith
ProFishNC Charters (http://www.FishingChartersNC.com)
[email protected]
(910)547-0000
Topsail Beach Fishing Forecast:
Fishing Forecast for the rest of October going through November:
Currently at Topsail Beach & Wrightsville Beach, the water temperature is from 71 – 75 degrees depending on the tide and where you are fishing. This water temp decline provides an EXCELLENT Fall Fishing Window that will provide steady action as the temps drop. The Speckled Trout will move in HEAVY over the next month going through November and are a blast to catch on artificial and live baits. The Red Drum will still be Very thick and feeding every chance they get. Focus on the deep water docks, rock outcroppings and jetties (they are feeding on live mullet and pogies). Sheepshead fishing is excellent right now and will get better as the water cools. Fish the bridge pilings with live fiddler crabs for the most action, as the water cools focus on the jetties and rock outcroppings closer to the ocean. The F. Albacore will continue to provide constant action going through November as will the Spanish Mackerel. The bigger flounder that I am currently catching offshore will move to the backwaters to fatten up for the winter.
Target Species:
Flounder, Red Drum, Grey & Speckled Trout, Cobia, Mackerel
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