Moving water will concentrate flounder, red drum and speckled trout for Topsail anglers
Topsail Island first achieved notoriety in the golden age of piracy, as a favored stomping ground for such nefarious scoundrels as Blackbeard and Stede Bonnett. In fact, treasure hunters have combed the island for years searching for the ill-gotten gains rumored to rest beneath a stone yet to be turned. However, with little more to show than calluses, it’s sufficient to say that putting down shovels and picking up spinning rods to sample the Topsail triple would have time better spent.
The treasured inshore grand slam of speckled trout, red drum and flounder rests beneath the water’s surface, certainly within reach. Experts agree that mastering the Topsail Island fishery is a matter of mastering the tidal influences of this tide-driven estuary.
Bordered by New River Inlet to the north and New Topsail Inlet to the south, this 26-mile long barrier island, 25 miles north of Wilmington, is governed by the cycles of lunar activity. The fish understand, and the fishermen most also.
Predator fish become acquainted with the cycles of moving water that delivers their meals, and they have a tendency to turn on when they sense current and turn off when it stops.
“It’s all about catching that window of moving water,” said Wayne Crisco of Hampstead, the owner of Last Resort Charters. “The fishing can go from zero to 60 in seconds. I don’t usually have a preference for a rising or falling tide, as long as it’s moving. When it’s on, it’s on, and when it’s not, you can hang it up.”
With this in mind, it’s critical to be know where the tide will be when you plan time on the water and begin in areas with the most tidal influence. If you launch during a period of slack water, be it high or low tide, it will be best to start fishing spots near the inlets, where the water will be moving first once the tide ensues. Then, follow the tidal movement up or down the island or into the mainland creeks near the inlets. When the tide is moving too fast to fish effectively near the inlets, it will pay to move farther inland.
Moon phases will also play a role. Full- and new-moon periods will result in longer and stronger tidal swings, while the quarter-moon phases diminish the gravitational pull, resulting in less tidal flow.
According to Crisco, it’s possible to catch all three parts of the inshore slam from the same spot, but he often fishes different locations to pick up all of his dinner guests.
“I like to fish structure for trout and flounder, and I usually move to the creeks to pick up my (red) drum,” he said.
That structure Crisco refers to can be bridges like the Surf City swing bridge, rows of docks or oyster beds near channel breaks where the current is moving.
The availability of live bait is often the ace in the hole for anglers seeking the slam.
“The mullet minnows are starting to show up, but I usually load up with peanut pogies, also known as juvenile menhaden,” said Crisco. “Menhaden feed on the algae that grows on the bottom of boats. Marinas, seafood markets — anywhere with a large concentration of boats — is a good place to catch them.”
Crisco pins the 3- to 4-inch peanut pogies on a Carolina rig with 1-ounce of lead or less. When targeting bridge pilings for flounder, he often ties off and works over individual poles, sliding his rig meticulously along the bottom.
“You can’t be too close to the structure; a flounder will lay down there with his nose on a piling,” said Crisco, who also likes a 5-inch Gulp swimming mullet.
“When I find larger menhaden, I’ll use them as cut bait for redfish,” he said. “Nothing makes a redfish’s mouth water like a 6- to 7-inch menhaden separated from its head and tail section. “You may have to look a little harder for the big ones in June; the trick is to look for the big flips on the surface. The bigger the flip, the bigger the menhaden,” he said.
The creeks and channels that cut through marshes near New Topsail inlet are hot spots for redfish.
“I do prefer the last of the falling tide for drum in this area because the low water will pull all the bait out of the marsh grass and into the creeks,” said Crisco, who anchors and fan- casts a spread of cut menhaden along a channel bank about 2 feet from the edge. Then, he waits for the magic to happen.
“A place like this can be dead, and all of a sudden, three or four rods will go down when the tide gets right,” said Crisco, who favors areas with oyster beds and baitfish activity.
According to Crisco, speckled trout are still very active in June and subject to be on the feed wherever the tide is right. However, rising water temperatures often push the best bite to dawn and dusk.
“I like to fish topwater for trout early and late in the day and in between I like jerkbaits and the Betts’ Billy Bay Halo Shad,” he said.
Live shrimp will also be available and irresistible to trout.
“I float live shrimp with the current because the pinfish will be bad,” said Crisco. “It also allows me to cover more water.”
Crisco floats shrimp over shell beds near bridges, docks and channel breaks in the Intracoastal Waterway and into mainland creeks like Old Topsail Creek. An adjustable slip float allows the bait to ride the current a couple feet above the bottom. Crisco pins his shrimp to a No. 4 treble hook, with at least a ¼- to a ½-ounce of lead to keep it down.
In addition to hard structure and breaks, anglers can take advantage of the regeneration of eelgrass in the shallows of Topsail Island.
“With the implementation of the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, the (N.C.) Division of Marine Fisheries has taken a stance to protect submerged aquatic vegetation,” said Wilmington’s Jason Dail of Silver Spoon Charters. “We’re seeing it migrate from Carteret County, through Onslow, and into Pender County. It’s good habitat for adult fish as well as juvenile finfish, crabs and shrimp.”
Dail targets trout in these areas first thing in the morning when searching for a slam.
“It’s almost fail-safe that there will be some trout and redfish milling around that grass for the first couple hours in the morning,” said Dail, who also believes the grass bite is less tidal dependent. “You can find grass on the shallow flats, in the creeks, and the ICW where the water is less than 4 feet deep.”
“In June, the white shrimp will be in, so a shrimp imitation like a Yo-Zuri shrimp will be hard to beat for trout,” said Dail, who likes this hard bait’s suspending action worked over the grass. “I also like the Blue Water Candy soft-plastic shrimp patterns.”
With trout in tow, Dail makes a move to pick up the other members of the slam.
“I like flats with scattered oysters for redfish and flounder,” he said. “They both like the same habitat and can usually be found close by each other.”
Dail, who guides out of a shallow-draft flats boat, can follow fish almost anywhere.
“I spend most of my time fishing shallow water bays in 2 to 3 feet of water,” Dail said. “For reds and flounder, I usually throw a soft-plastic mullet pattern like a Gulp bait or one of the Blue Water Candy soft plastics on a jighead.”
Both Crisco and Dail spend a lot of time fishing creeks in June, however, a creek that can sustain the slam will need meet certain criteria.
“Mill Creek and Virginia Creek can be productive for all three species,” Dail said. “Virginia Creek is especially good because it has flats, oyster beds, deep bottom and good current. Banks Channel is another good place.”
Oyster points and shorelines with good relief are features Dail keys on.
“You’re looking for a 3- to 5-foot ledge. Where the bottom goes from 2 or 3 feet deep on down to 8, 9 or 10 feet deep,” he said. “In my experience, the big, steep ledges are not as productive; low relief is better.”
Creeks that drain the mainland are also dependent on the tide, although the high and low tides will differ depending on their distance from an inlet.
“I like the high end or low end of a tide, I find it more productive than the middle,” he said.
DESTINATION INFORMATION
HOW TO GET THERE — Topsail Island lies between Onslow Beach and Lea Island, about midway between Jacksonville and Wilmington. It is comprised of three small towns: North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach. NC 210 provides access from US 17. A public boat ramp is at the end of Shrimp Lady Lane under the high-rise edge. Soundside Park has a free ramp on the island side of the swing bridge, and the town of Topsail Beach has a public ramp off South Anderson Boulevard.
WHEN TO GO — Fishing at Topsail is good year-round, but the best shot at an inshore grand slam is from June through early November when flounder are present. Trout and puppy drum are available year-round.
BEST TECHNIQUES — An inshore grand slam is possible using both live bait and/or artificial lures. For trout, hook up a live shrimp on a No. 4 treble hook under a float. For reds and flounder, a small menhaden fished on a Carolina rig with a 1/0 Kahle hook and a weight of an ounce or less is perfect. Cut pieces from a larger menhaden will work fished on the bottom. As far as artificials go, thread minnow or shrimp imitations on a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jighead for trout or reds. Gulp, Yo-Zuri and Bluewater Candy shrimp are tough to beat. For flounder, a 5-inch Gulp swimming mullet is a great bait. Fish everything on a medium-light to medium action spinning outfit spooled with 10- to 20-pound braid, using a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader.
FISHING INFO/GUIDES — Capt. Wayne Crisco, Last Resort Charters, 910-465-0611, www.lastresortcharters.com; Capt. Jason Dail, Silver Spoon Charters, 910-540-0319, www.silverspooncharters.com; East Coast Sports, 910-328-1887, www.eastcoastsports.com; See also Guides and Charters in Classifieds.
ACCOMMODATIONS — Holiday Inn Express and Suites, 888-465-4329, www.hiexpress.com/sneadsferrync; Tiffany’s Motel, 800-758-3818, www.tiffanysmotel.com; Island Inn, 800-573-2566, www.topsailislandinn.com; Topsail Chamber of Commerce, Surf City, 910-329-4446, www.topsailchamber.org.
MAPS — Sealake Fishing Guides, 800-411-0185, www.thegoodspots.com; Captain Segull’s Nautical Sportfishing Charts, 252-288-5918, www.captainsegullcharts.com; GMCO’s Chartbook of North Carolina, www.gmcomaps.com.
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