Pamilco – August 6, 2015
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are finding action with some flounder while working the shorelines, points, and docks along the lower Neuse River. There are plenty of short fish, but anglers are putting some keepers in the boat and connecting with an occasional puppy drum or speckled trout. Mud minnows and finger mullet on Carolina rigs are the best bets for the flatfish near structure like docks and points, with jigheads and D.O.A. CAL plastics allowing anglers to cover more water when searching for feeding fish along a shoreline.
The big red drum are making their appearance in the Neuse and out in the sound. Soaking large cut baits around shoals has produced much of the action so far, and should be effective day or night. There’s been plenty of bait around New Bern recently and the artificial bite for the big reds should crank up as it moves downriver. Quietly approaching bait schools and casting large D.O.A. soft plastics under popping corks is the most effective technique for anglers looking to hook up on artificials.
Capt. Mitchell Blake, of FishIBX.com, leaders a tarpon on the way to winning the Pamlico Invitational Tarpon Tournament with anglers Clay Willis and John LoGelfo.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that large red drum have shown up around the lower Pamlico River basin, and the bite should improve as more fish make their way across the sound to the local waters. Anglers are hooking most of the fish now on large cut baits early and late in the day, but more fish will mean more opportunities for anglers working artificals under popping corks to tempt bites from the giant reds.
The local flounder bite slowed down a bit around the full moon over the weekend, but it should be right back on track in the coming weeks. Anglers are hooking most of the flatfish on Z-Man soft baits worked around shorelines and structure in the area.
Tom Van Dyke, of Greensboro, NC, with his first red drum, a 41″ fish that he hooked on a cut bait while fishing the Neuse River with Capt. Dave Stewart of Knee Deep Custom Charters.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the flounder bite in the lower Pamlico region has still been the hottest thing going for local anglers. Spots like Rose Bay, North Creek, and Swan Quarter have all been producing plenty of action with the flatfish, and anglers are hooking most of them on Gulp and Z-man soft baits pinned to jigheads.
Striped bass are still feeding in the river around Washington. Anglers can fool the stripers with topwater plugs early and late in the day around structure like the bridges. Subsurface lures will get attention from the fish when the sun’s high.
The large red drum bite around the mouth of the Pamlico River is starting to turn on for the season, and anglers have released decent numbers over the past week. Most are falling for cut baits fished around ledges and shoals, but anglers may also be able to tempt the fish to bite large soft plastics under popping corks when the big fish are actively chasing bait.
Some tarpon have been seen in the same areas recently, but hookups are much harder to come by than sightings.
