Pamlico – July 23, 2015
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that fishing is still on the scrappy side in the Neuse River right now, but persistent anglers are still finding some success.
Speckled trout and puppy drum are feeding along shorelines in the lower river and western sound. Anglers are fooling both on D.O.A. CAL soft plastics rigged on jigheads or weedless hooks along with D.O.A. shrimp fished under popping corks. More bait seems to be showing up in the area, so the inshore action should improve in the coming weeks.
Anglers are also reporting some black drum around docks and bridges in the lower Neuse. Fishing shrimp or fiddler crabs around the pilings is the best bet to connect with the drum, and anglers should remember the new size and bag limits for the fish when targeting them.
Striped bass are still looking for meals upriver near New Bern, and anglers are scoring some topwater action with them. The best bets have been Storm Chug Bugs, Rapala Skitterwalks, and D.O.A. CAL Swimbaits buzzed along the surface. Fishing early or late in the day are the best bets as the midday heat makes fish and anglers lethargic alike.
Hunter and Snookie Martin and Capt. D. Ashley King, of Keep Castin’ Charters, with a 30.5″ striped bass that they hooked while casting along a Neuse River shoreline near New Bern.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that anglers are still finding plenty of post-spawn striped bass action on the Roanoke and Pamlico rivers. The bite is slowing a bit, though, and the fish have been biting best at first and last light recently. Topwater plugs have been getting plenty of attention from the stripers.
Anglers are also catching solid numbers of largemouth bass in the Pamlico, with topwater action early and late in the day and fish biting soft plastic baits when the sun is high.
The speckled trout bite in the Pamlico is still much slower than usual, but anglers are encountering some puppy drum and flounder while fishing shorelines and structure in the area. Live baits and Gulps have been fooling most of the fish, and covering plenty of ground is vital to success.
Steve, Ab, and Chris Pomp, of Suffolk, VA, with flounder they landed while casting Z-Man soft baits in the Pamlico River with Capt. Richard Andrews of Tar-Pam Guide Service.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that anglers are still finding some flounder action on the lower Pamlico River. Most are falling for live baits and Z-Man soft plastics dragged slowly along the bottom.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the flounder bite continues to improve in the region, with good reports coming from the head of the Pungo River and Lower Dowry Point. Anglers are hooking the flounder on live baits and scented plastics like Gulp and Z-Man lures. Decent numbers of white perch have been mixed in with the flatfish, and a few speckled trout have been scattered around as well.
Rumors continue to swirl about large red drum in the sound and around Swan Quarter and Englehard, and it shouldn’t be long until the fish grow more numerous. Anglers can soak fresh cut baits around shoals and drop-offs to connect with the big reds when they arrive.
