Topsail Island Variety Pt.3

Welcome to the third part in a series I have Titled Topsail Island Variety. In this blog series we have discussed the unique features of late winter and early spring fishery. From schooled up Redfish to deep water Speckled Trout we then transitioned into our late Spring through Summer. With an abundance of spices to target like Sheeps Head, Black Drum, Flounder, and of course Redfish and Speckled Trout. This now brings us into what is one of my favorite times of the year to be on the water and that is the fall. I chose to give the fall season its own blog post because it is both unlike all the other seasons but at the same time has similar traits of all the other seasons. In early fall we still get flood tides but unlike the summer these flood tides are typically in the morning which opens up a vast variety of possibilities for the rest of the day. Accompanied by these high tides are negative lows which are great for belly crawling Redfish, these two opportunities are great for the fly angler or the sight fisherman. As the temps drop in the Fall our inshore water here in Topsail Island begins to get clear just like our Winter time fishery. You can target migratory Speckled Trout on the flats with great visibility as well as redfish in the same areas. Although the temps are falling there are still all the same species to be targeted such as the Sheeps Head, Black Drum and Flounder before they transition into their Winter patterns. What makes this time of year so unique to me is the abundance of bait. On Topsail Island in the Fall we have a mixed bag of summer time bait such as menhaden and finger mullet as well as a push of new bait like shrimp. This melting pot of bait causes our fish to be aggressive and willing. It seems to me that fish in this time of year rarely deny a well placed fly or artificial bait which makes for some record breaking days on the water. Well I hope you have enjoyed learning all about what makes Topsail Island so special and unboxing all of our inshore angling opportunities. If you want to see more content like this check out Eastern Current Saltwater Fishing Podcast on Spotify where my self and two other NC guides discuss everything saltwater fishing. Thanks for tuning in and we will see you next time