Swansboro – October 9, 2014
Rob Cordero, of Bogue, NC, with a 12 lb. gag grouper that bit a bucktail jig near Christmas Rock while he was fishing with Capt. Rob Koraly of Sandbar Safari Charters.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent king mackerel fishing just off the beachfront right now. Slow-trolling live menhaden around bait concentrations, nearshore structure, and water color changes is how anglers are connecting with the kings.
Red drum are feeding in the surf zone from Emerald Isle to Browns Inlet. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite bottom rigs baited with shrimp and cut baits or Gulps and other soft plastic baits pinned to heavy jigheads.
More reds are looking for meals in the bays near the inlets, where anglers can cast topwater plugs, soft baits on lighter jigheads, or live and cut baits to hook up.
The speckled trout bite is improving and should only get better as cooler temperatures get the fish feeding heavily. Anglers are hooking most of the specks right now around oyster rocks in the White Oak River and marsh creeks and fooling them with live baits and soft plastics.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing Charters, reports that king mackerel fishing along the beachfront is red hot right now. Anglers are hooking most of the kings while trolling a wide vareity of live baits including menhaden, spanish mackerel, bluefish, mullet, and more within 5 miles of the beach around Bogue Inlet.
More kings are falling for rigged ballyhoo and diving plugs that anglers are adding to their spanish mackerel spreads while trolling faster.
The spanish bite has also been solid recently, and anglers are hooking big numbers while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and torpedo sinkers.
Jeff Wood, of Jacksonville, NC, with 6 and 3.5 lb. flounder he hooked on live finger mullet in Browns Inlet.
Robbie, of Hall’Em In Charters, reports that a wide-open king mackerel bite just off the beachfront has been keeping anglers busy in recent weeks. The kings are falling for live baits slow-trolled around nearshore structure and bait concentrations.
Bob, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that local surf casters are still seeing some good red drum action along the Emerald Isle beachfront. Both baited bottom rigs and soft baits like Gulps on jigheads are fooling the reds.
Big numbers of bluefish are also feeding along the beachfront and biting bottom rigs and metal casting jigs. Anglers are also picking up a few spanish mackerel on the metal lures.
Some sea mullet and pompano are taking an interest in bottom rigs baited with shrimp and sand fleas just off the beaches.
Inshore, anglers continue to find good numbers of flounder in the inlets, around the marshes, and at ICW structure like docks. Gulps and live baits are fooling the flatfish.
Red drum are feeding on the flats and in the marshes. Topwater plugs, soft plastics, and live and cut baits will attract attention from the reds.
Katie Speed, of Cape Carteret, with a 28 lb. king mackerel she landed 2 miles off Bardens Inlet while fishing on the “Ally-Reb.” A live menhaden fooled the king.
Speckled trout action is turning on a bit, and cooler temperatures ahead should further spur the bite. Anglers are finding most of the specks in the creeks and rivers, and they’re fooling them with a variety of suspending lures and soft plastic baits.
Just off the beaches there’s been some excellent king mackerel fishing lately, with most of the fish falling for live menhaden.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet, bluefish, croaker, pompano, and puppy drum while bottom fishing with shrimp and cut baits.
Plug casters have been connecting with more blues along with some spanish mackerel and false albacore.
A few flounder have been falling for small live baits fished under the pier.
The water is 74 degrees.
