Pamlico – July 16, 2015
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are finally seeing the fish activity in the Neuse River pick up, both around New Bern and downriver toward Oriental and the sound.
Striped bass action around New Bern is improving, with a mixed class of fish falling for topwater plugs early and late in the day. Targeting shoreline stump fields and other structure is the best bet to connect with the stripers.
The puppy drum bite downriver has improved as well. Anglers are hooking slot and over-slot red drum while working the shorelines of the lower river and western sound. They’ll bite a variety of baits and lures, but D.O.A. Deadly Combo popping cork rigs and Cal soft plastics pinned to jigheads have been very productive recently.
Some flounder are feeding in the same areas as the reds and will fall for the D.O.A. lures or live baits fished along the bottom.
The heart of the citation-class “old” red drum bite is just around the corner. Anglers can hook the big reds while soaking cut baits around shoals, shell beds, and other bottom irregularities or by casting large soft plastics under popping corks to connect when they see signs of fish or bait on the surface.
Lee and Garrison Peppers, of Raleigh, with a topwater striped bass they hooked near New Bern while fishing with Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that anglers are seeing a better speckled trout and puppy drum bite in the lower Neuse River right now. Most of the fish are feeding along the river shorelines and around marsh grass edges. Anglers can fool them with topwater lures like Rapala Skitterwalks or subsurface baits like D.O.A. soft plastics.
The topwater striped bass bite around New Bern remains strong. Most anglers are connecting with the fish early and late in the day while working lures around structure like stump fields or shorelines.
Curtis Pelt, of Rocky Mount, NC, with a trio of keeper flounder he hooked while working Gulp baits near Swan Quarter.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that anglers are connecting with big numbers of flounder while fishing the Pamlico and Pungo rivers at present. Anglers are hooking most of the fish while working shorelines and structure in the area, and they’re biting Z-man soft plastics on jigheads well. Anglers can also load up on live finger mullet, small menhaden, or mud minnows and fish them on Carolina rigs with success.
A few puppy drum and some striped bass have been feeding alongside the flounder and taking an interest in the same baits. Anglers also caught and released a 24.5” speckled trout while targeting flatfish last week.
Johan Wagner, of VA, with a striped bass he hooked on a Storm Chug Bug while casting to a Neuse River shoreline near New Bern with Capt. Dave Stewart of Knee Deep Custom Charters.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the area’s flounder bite still seems to be the best thing going at present. Anglers are running into good numbers of flatfish while fishing the Pungo River and around Swan Quarter, Bayview, and Lower Dowry. Most are falling for Gulp baits bounced slowly along the bottom, but anglers are hooking some fish on live mud minnows and other baits as well. A few speckled trout and puppy drum have been mixed in and falling for the same baits, but action with both species seems a bit slower than usual.
Many of the area’s anglers are focused on big game, chasing citation-class red drum and tarpon. Reports of both have been a bit slim, but the weather has kept many boats away from the open water where they’re most likely to hook up. Fresh dead and cut baits fished on the bottom will fool both the big reds and tarpon, and anglers may also be able to tempt the drum to bite large artificials under popping corks.
