Topsail Beach Fishing Charters Report: (Including Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Surf City and Figure Eight Island Fishing Charters)
-ProFishNC Charters/ Capt. Trevor Smith
Well folks our winter fishing season is in full swing even though the water temperatures are that which we see in spring and late fall.
Lets start with our local beaches and what we are seeing on our inshore fishing charters. Inshore we are still catching good numbers of speckled trout; though, most are the smaller “hammer handle” variety with a few big ones mixed in the catch with many of the lager ones over 4 lbs. The speckled trout are eating Z-Man grubs and swimbaits scented with ProCure scent and artificial shrimp on popping corks along the reeds and deep banks. The Black Drum are feeding heavy right now in the docks and pilings, we are catching most on cut shrimp; however, we are getting many of our larger ones on half of a fresh blue crab on a circle hook and Carolina rig.
Offshore Bottom Fishing is on Fire! This time of year we have the migration of big Black Seabass that moves in toward our shoreline within 3-5 miles of the beach. We are focusing our fishing efforts on the nearshore ledges and artificial reefs that are currently holding the bigger fish. Most of the big Black Seabass are coming on artificial jigs and cut mullet. There are also a winter/ cold-water fish called a Tautog that moves in as well (they have migrated from the northern waters off of New York and New Jersey to winter in the Carolina waters).
In addition to fishing the saltwater, we are also fishing the Cape Fear River in Wilmington. We are currently catching lots of Striped Bass in the old Warf Docks and pilings by throwing swimbaits and grubs. The stripers are also
coming on the troll using divers and Rapala lures. The big Catfish are also chewing right now further up river and are a lot of fun.. We are catching the big cats on cut shad and shrimp.
Feel free to give me a call anytime to talk fishing or to book your next fishing charter.
*Providing Complementary Dock Pickup for Fishing Charters in Figure Eight Island, Wrightsville Beach and Downtown Wilmington, NC
Tight-Lines and Good Fishing in 2016!
Capt. Trev
ProFishNC Charters/ (910) 547-0000