Swansboro/Emerald Isle – April 2023
Morgan, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf and pier anglers are seeing some good sea mullet action while fishing bottom rigs tipped with shrimp or Fishbites. Even the first few pompano have started to show up on the beach.
Inshore anglers have been finding success targeting speckled trout back in the mainland creeks. With cooler water temperatures, these fish are still a bit lethargic. The suspending lures such as MirrOlures have been great to use for keeping baits in the strike zone and enticing a reaction bite.
Dale, of Fish or Die Charters, reports that most of the inshore species remain in their winter patterns, especially with the recent cold snaps.
Red drum are being found in good numbers as they hold in their larger schools back in the marshes and shallow creek areas. As with winter fishing, lighter jig heads and soft plastics or Carolina-rigged baits are producing best.
Speckled trout are being caught back in the creeks, but they are slowly becoming more active as water temperatures have been creeping up. A good warming trend should really get these fish moving towards creek mouths and out along the ICW.
Over the coming weeks, look for more action to start happening around the inlet and on the nearshore reefs. Atlantic bonito are being seen further offshore, and as water temperatures warm, they will start to push onto the beaches.
Bluefish will also start pushing into the inlets and staging up in deeper channels leading back to the ICW.
Anglers will also start to have more success with black drum and sheepshead while bottom fishing the inshore hard structures (such as docks and bridges).
Dylan Lutterloh (age 9), from Pittsboro, NC, with a black drum caught on fresh shrimp from the Emerald Isle surf.
Matt, of Friendly City Fishing Charters, reports that the spring speckled trout bite has finally started to pick up after the cooler weather moved on. These trout have begun to move from their deep-water holes to areas out around the creek mouths.
Black drum fishing has remained pretty good for anglers fishing Carolina-rigged shrimp around drop-offs.
Red drum action is steady, though plenty of these fish are still pretty spooky as they just now are starting to move out of their winter patterns. Inshore waters are really clear, and anglers are using the clean water to help with sight fishing efforts on the lighter wind days.
In the coming weeks, anglers should really be ready for speckled trout action to see the most significant changes, as both better numbers and larger fish will start showing up.
John, of Early Riser Fishing Charters, reports that nearshore action has remained generally slower as anglers wait out these, hopefully last, late season cold fronts. Atlantic bonito reports have been starting to pop up, with most saying the schools are holding further offshore. Some stable weather patterns will get more anglers on the water to get a better feel on how the bite is shaping up.
Inshore anglers are finding some of the larger speckled trout starting to become more active. These fish have begun to move around, but water temperatures are holding them back in the creeks.
Red drum also remain in their larger winter schools. This should start to change over the next month if inshore water temperatures move up. Spring fishing sees the reds start to break out into smaller groups and scatter around.
Black drum fishing is good for anglers targeting inshore hard structures with bottom-rigged shrimp.
Tyler, of Drumroll Charters, reports that anglers are finding red drum still holding in their cold-water patterns back in the dark water up the White Oak River and other larger mainland creeks. When in the midst of a warm weather spell, it hasn’t been uncommon to find some puppy drum staged up on the sand flats along the ICW.
Speckled trout also remain in their winter patterns where they are staged up in deeper holes back in the creeks. Look for ledges with a minimum 3-4’ drop-off and then fish the deeper side. Anglers are finding many of these strikes to still be very lethargic, so not retrieving baits too quickly is key. At times, fishing tandem-rigged baits can entice wary fish to strike.
Stephen Brady, of Annapolis, MD, hooked this 3 lb sheepshead near the docks in the Morehead area. He was fishing with Patrik Wood of Drum Crazy Kayak Fishing Charters.
Tony, of Fin FinderZ, reports that the late season cold fronts did not help with pushing forward spring fishing. Nearshore waters continue to be cool, and it remains to be seen when bait and the schooling species (bonito, false albacore, and spanish mackerel) will start arriving. The good news is if we can get back into holding more favorable weather, the fishing action can progress and improve quickly.
Until these new changes happen, anglers looking to get out and scout will be able to load up on meat while bottom fishing. Black sea bass, grunts, porgies, and vermilion snapper are still aggressively feeding over structure, with the better action being deeper.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that the bottom fishing action is really picking up as we move into spring. Better numbers of blowfish have been moving in and mixing with the good-sized sea mullet and croakers.
Anglers fishing cut baits have found some action on skates and dogfish sharks.
Even the occasional early season pompano have started showing up in the catches, a great sign that patterns are moving forward.
