Fresh Topsail Island Fishing Reports

It’s been a rough few weeks on the ocean — wind, swell, and sloppy seas have kept most of us dockside and dreaming about blue water. But good news is finally on the way! ? Looks like a weather window is opening up the weekend of October 25th, and it’s shaping up to be a great time to head offshore. The bite has been hot whenever boats have made it out — wahoo are stacked up, blackfin tuna are thick, and a few late mahi are still hanging around the breaks. Bottom fishing has been solid too with triggers, vermilion snapper, and grouper biting when conditions allow. If the forecast holds, this could be one of the best offshore weekends of the fall. Time to check the gear, fuel up, and be ready to roll when the seas lay down. We’ve all been waiting for a break — and it’s finally coming. Let’s go fishing! ⚓?

Hey folks, Captain Scott here with Raider Spirit Sport Fishing checking in from Sneads Ferry with the latest offshore update. The wahoo bite is starting to fire up, and things are looking great out on the Gulf Stream. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been seeing steady action with wahoo ranging anywhere from 25 to 60 pounds, and on the right day, it’s been downright hot. Most of our trips are producing a few solid fish, and when they hit, they hit hard. That first run never gets old and hearing that drag scream and watching the rod bury as a wahoo tears down-sea still gets my blood pumping every time. The Gulf Stream water has been beautiful lately, clean, blue, and full of life. We’ve been finding the best action around temperature breaks and structure edges in the 40-fathom range, roughly 35 to 40 miles offshore. When the wind lays down and we can make the run, the fishing has been fantastic. The weather windows have been short, but the reward has been worth it every time we get out there. We’ve been HS trolling with Islanders and jet heads, running a mix of dark and bright colors. Black and purple, blue and white, and pink and black have been our top producers. A few fish have also come off the planer rod, so we’ve been keeping that line in the spread for those deeper bites. If you’re heading out, make sure your wire leaders are solid and your drags are smooth — these fish don’t play around. Wahoo are pure muscle and teeth, and they’ll test every bit of your tackle. Looking ahead, October is shaping up perfectly for the fall wahoo run. The bait is here, the water’s right, and the conditions are lining up for some of the best offshore action of the year. I expect the bite to stay strong through early November before the next round of cold fronts moves in. Now’s the time to get offshore if you’ve been waiting for your shot at a trophy wahoo — they’re here and feeding. If you’re ready to experience that wahoo power for yourself, come fish with us on the Raider Spirit. We’ve got open dates available this month, and we’ll be running full-day offshore trips targeting wahoo, blackfin tuna, and mahi. Tight Lines!

Despite the crazy weather over the past few weeks. Fall time fishing is in full swing! We're seeing big schools of Spanish, blues, and bonita's up on the beach with some nice kings mixed in. Offshore bottom fishjng is really great from the seabass, trigger fish, grunts, and so much more! We're seeing alot of king offshore with alot of ajs mixed in. Wahoo and tuna bait in the Gulfstream is in fire right now! Great time of year to get offshore and fill some fish boxes!

With the shorter days and cooler nights, has the inshore fishing on fire! We're seeing alot of red fish moving around with some nice trout. The black drum are starting to move in and school up, late fall and winter is always my favorite time for sheephead! Still seeing some alot nice flounder but unfortunately they are out of season! Great time of year to enjoy some great inshore action!

Lots of Redfish and trout around Topsail island and Surf City this week. Cooler temps habe them chewing

Lots of redfish and trout feeding on mullets and shrimp this week! Perfect weather perfect tides !