Pamlico – July 20, 2017
Richie, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that flounder fishing around the Swan Quarter area in the sound has provided limits of fish to those willing to work for it. Covering lots of ground while casting 3” pearl white Gulp shrimp has been the ticket for landing numbers of flatfish.
Tarpon have been moving through the area, and a couple have been landed. Tossing out a live spot or croaker early in the morning has been the best recipe for hooking a silver king.
The striper bite continues to provide action for those tossing topwater plugs early in the morning. Most fish have moved pretty far up the Pamlico River, but when you find the fish, they are concentrated in high numbers.
John Batts with a 7 lb. tripletail. He was targeting flounder and trout when the fish struck a Gulp shrimp near Swan Quarter.
Todd, of Neuse River Bait and Tackle, reports that tarpon fishing has started to heat up, as good numbers of fish have been spotted moving through the Pamlico Sound. Covering lots of ground and using large spreads of live and cut croakers has been the key to hooking up. Those lucky enough to land a silver king have seen weights between 85-180 lbs.
Lower-slot red drum have been feeding well in the Neuse River. Targeting shorelines with ambush points (such as coves and marsh points) has produced the best bite. Those using Z-Man MinnowZ or Gulp shrimp rigged on a jig head have had the most success. Anglers choosing to use bait have had luck throwing out chunks of crabs on the bottom.
Soft plastics worked on the bottom and under popping corks have worked well for speckled trout. Most of the trout are hanging near structure in the main river channel in the Neuse. Anglers targeting deep water structure and reefs for trout have had success rigging small live croaker on Carolina rigs.
Mitchell, of FishIBX, reports that redfish have been feeding well in the Neuse River and have been willing to take a variety of baits. Bass Assassin soft plastics, Rat-L-Traps, and live baits have all worked to land limits of slot redfish.
Those targeting flounder are finding high numbers of fish, but most are on the short side. Picking through the small ones has been the best way to land a few keeper fish for the dinner table.
Focusing on transition points in the river has been the key to locating speckled trout. Soft plastics rigged under a popping cork or on a jig head have been the best tactic for trout. Most of the fish being landed are in the 13-18” range.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that with the rising water temperatures, the fishing has slowed down a bit; however, anglers toughing it out are still landing quality fish. Speckled trout, red drum, and flounder have been holding in the deeper holes and pockets along the lower part of the Neuse River. Targeting these deep holes along marsh lines has produced the best numbers of keeper fish.
With lots of shrimp making their way in to the river, D.O.A. shrimp worked slowly off the bottom has been the key to getting bit. Live baits on Carolina rigs have also worked well.
The tarpon have made the
ir way into the sound, and a few have ben landed. A couple of the big red drum have also been landed as by-catch while tarpon fishing.
Brooke Ayers, of Smith Mountain Lake, VA, caught this 48″ bull drum on cut mullet while fishing the Pamlico Sound.
Grey, of Hyde Guides, reports that targeting deep water points around the interior bays and shorelines of the Pamlico Sound has produced quality trout (in the 18-24” range). There are even a few citations in the mix. After the morning topwater bite ends, tossing soft plastics on jig heads (as well as cut bait fished on Carolina rigs) has done the trick.
When targeting puppy drum, anglers are seeing fish anywhere from 17” to over-slot. Throwing a Rapala Skitterwalk in the speckled trout pattern or a soft plastic rigged on a jig head around grass flats has been the key to success.
A few of the big drum have made their way into the sound. Drift fishing with fresh cut mullet has already produced a handful of quality fish.
A few flounder have been in the mix. The best tactic for the flounder has been casting 3” pearl white Gulp shrimp. Most flatfish have been under-sized, but a few fish have been between 16-22”.
