Swansboro – December 10, 2015
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that speckled trout are on the feed all over the Swansboro area, but most are undersized at present. Anglers are connecting with some larger fish while fishing the mainland creeks and rivers in the area. Soft plastics like Zoom Flukes and shrimp imitations or live mud minnows are excellent bets for fooling the specks.
Gray trout are feeding in Bogue Inlet and at structure nearby. Anglers can tempt the grays to bite a variety of offerings, but metal jigging lures like Stingsilvers are some of the simplest and most effective.
Most of the area’s red drum have moved into the surf zone, where they’re schooling around the shoals of Bogue and Bear inlets. Anglers can spy the schools and cast to them from the beach or work the backsides of the bars from boats when it’s calm enough. Gulps and other soft baits on heavier jigheads are the ways to tempt the surf reds to bite. Some smaller fish are feeding alongside the specks in the creeks and rivers and biting the same offerings.
Over the winter, black sea bass will grow more numerous on structure within 10 miles of the beachfront, and anglers can usually put together some solid catches when they can get out into the ocean. Bottom rigs baited with squid or cut baits and small vertical jigging lures are tough for the bass to turn down.
Bill Norris, of Swansboro, NC, with a mixed bag of red drum, speckled trout, and flounder that struck Z-Man soft plastic baits while he was fishing near Swansboro with Capt. Dale Collins of Fish or Die Charters.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing Charters, reports that offshore bottom fishermen have found some excellent action around structure in the 85-100’+ water depths off Bogue Inlet recently. Black sea bass, beeliners, gag grouper, and a host of other tasty bottom dwellers are looking for meals around the structure. They’ll attack squid, cut baits, and cigar minnows on bottom rigs, or they’ll hit bucktails and vertical jigging lures for anglers who want to be a bit more active. The gags close to harvest on January 1, but anglers can find success with the smaller bottom feeders through the cold months.
Sarah Joyner and Megan Cook with a 38″ red drum they hooked on squid while fishing off Bogue Inlet near the Keypost.
Stukie, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that there’s plenty of trout and red drum schooling up near the inlet shoals. Anglers fishing in the creeks and rivers on the mainland side of Bogue Sound have been fooling the large, hungry reds with cut bait or Gulp soft baits.
Pufferfish and sea mullet fishing has also been great in the surf and on the pier. To get bites from either, keep it simple with just a simple hi-lo two-hook rig with bits of shrimp or squid.
Anglers are also seeing the trout fishing heat up inshore, with good numbers looking for meals in the creeks and rivers. There have been a handful of 3-4 lb. trout caught, but the majority have been under 13 inches. Most are being caught by using Zoom and Gulp soft baits used with light jigheads.
Chris White, of Newport, NC, with a limit of speckled trout that bit an electric chicken Mr17 MirrOlure while he was kayak fishing a creek near New Bern.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers are hooking good numbers of sea mullet and pufferfish while bottom fishing from the pier with shrimp and other baits.
Some legal gray and speckled trout have also been falling for bottom rigs and artificials that anglers are working from the pier.
The water is 58 degrees.
