Pamlico/Neuse – September 2023
Donald, of Custom Marine Fabrication, reports that anglers out on the water early have been able to entice some striped bass action with topwater plugs and artificials.
Speckled trout are starting to show back up in the river. Anglers can find these fish downriver around some of the larger creek mouths.
The good news on the big red drum bite is that fish have been caught, but this good news is tempered by the fact that the bite is mostly just here and there. Anglers bait fishing have done better so far, but popping cork setups have landed a few. Keep an eye over the month of September for this bite to bust open.
Brad, of Gunny B Outdoors, reports that the citation-class red drum seem to be scattered everywhere. Look for the bigger menhaden to start pushing into the river, and this arrival of bait will likely fire off the drum action.
With more bait arriving in the Neuse, bluefish are also being seen more often in the river.
Speckled trout are starting to move into a late summer pattern where they stage up around the creek mouths. The water is still really hot, but anglers have started to find fish with at least a little regularity.
Chaz Stephens, of Fairfax, VA, caught this speckled trout on live menhaden. He was fishing in the lower Pungo River with Capt. Hugh Sutton, of Pungo Charters.
Dave, of Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters, reports that most of the big red drum action is centered out around the mouth of the Neuse and towards the Cedar Island area. So far, the season has been a little slower, with the numbers of fish not really here yet. Bait fishing can be a better option than popping corks until the bite really kicks off in the coming weeks.
Plenty of slot-sized red drum are around as well. Smaller Lupton rigs with bait are great for enticing a bite when working the flats and shorelines.
A ton of bait is in the river, with a more than usual amount of it being glass minnows, and anglers have found schools of bluefish and Spanish mackerel feeding on these bait balls.
Zach, of UFO Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are excited about the big drum bite, but with water temperatures still in the upper 80s, the area needs to see some changes before the action really kicks off. For now, anglers are finding these trophy-class fish on longer shoals out in the sound. As more bait arrives and temperatures cool even slightly, it will be time to break out the popping corks. For this casting technique, Blabbermouth corks and D.O.A. Airhead soft plastics have been a go-to combo.
Some speckled trout are showing up in the mouths of the larger creeks. These fish are staging up to take advantage of the shrimp in the area.
Flounder are everywhere, and anglers can have success bouncing baits along the bottom in shallower depths (2-3’) along the shoreline.
Black drum can be caught with shrimp around our area bridges.
Will Harden, of Richlands, NC, with a 30″ red drum caught using cut menhaden. He was fishing on the Neuse River with Capt. Brad Smith, of Gunny B Outdoors.
Kent, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that there are citation red drum being caught, but the bite is a little slow. Cut bait fishing is producing most of the strikes, with the popping cork crowd still waiting for better numbers of reds to arrive.
Speckled trout action is sporadic, with action better along grass banks and drop-offs that have slightly cooler water. Areas out towards the sound are also seeing better action (if not the best action).
Flounder are literally everywhere.
Puppy drum are around in pretty good numbers, with anglers having success casting topwater plugs or soaking cut baits.
Some striped bass are staged up on the bridges near Washington and around heavy structure up the Tar River.
Mitchell, of FishIBX, reports that there is bait all over the place, from the sound well up into creeks, and this bodes well for the developing big red drum season. Anglers are just now starting to button down a pattern for the current waves of fish, and this well help with catch numbers in the coming weeks. Both popping corks and bait are having success—it just depends on the day.
Scattered groups of tarpon are hanging around the sounds and rivers.
Flounder are all over the place.
Hugh, of Pungo Charters, reports that the big drum bite has just started up. The action has been a little slow, but this next moon cycle might be all it takes to kick the real action off.
The slot-sized drum have been plentiful, with most of the bites coming in the area’s creeks. Topwater plugs have been working well early, with a switch to cut menhaden being a successful tactic change as the day moves on.
The topwater plugs are also enticing strikes from speckled trout that are starting to show up a bit more. Most of these fish will be up against the grass lines around creek mouths. Anglers can also catch trout with popping cork setups with soft plastics or Halo shrimp.
Flounder are basically everywhere.
Grey, of Hyde Guides, reports that the trophy red drum have started to show up and numbers will be picking up as move through September. Popping corks have been a bit slow so far, as a result of the numbers of fish not quite there yet. For the time being, the evening bait fishing bite provides the best chance of success.
The puppy drum action has been really good, though. Both natural baits and artificials are having success for all sizes of slot red drum when fishing the flats.
Anglers fishing along the banks are also finding some scattered speckled trout.
Flounder fishing has been on fire.
Fishing at the wrecks in the sound has been a little slow. Some bluefish and gray trout are around, but water temperatures need to drop before seeing this open water fishery pick back up.
Anglers are seeing tarpon while out in the sound.
