Added on Thursday, July 30, 2009  Fish Post

Swansboro July 30, 2009

Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that with the hot weather, anglers’ best odds of putting together a good catch will come from fishing early and late in the day unless it’s overcast.

There’s been a good puppy drum and black drum bite in the deep (5-7’) channels behind Bear Island lately. Live shrimp are fooling both fish consistently.

Red drum are feeding in the backwaters as well, and anglers are fooling them with topwater plugs in the early mornings and live shrimp beneath popping corks as the day wears on.

Speckled trout are feeding in the ICW near many of the bridges, and anglers are hooking them on live shrimp beneath slip floats.

Sheepshead are feeding around the bridges and at private docks off the ICW. Anglers are hooking them while fishing fiddler crabs close to the dock pilings and on live shrimp beneath slip floats.

The flounder bite continues to get better, and anglers are catching good numbers of keeper fish in the mouth of the inlet and in the Coast Guard Channel. The strong southwest winds lately have kept many people from fishing the nearshore structure for the flatties. They should, however, also push some of the fish into the inlet over the next week, so anglers can expect the inlet bite to remain good or get even better in the coming days.

There have been plenty of bluefish and ladyfish feeding in the ICW in the evenings, and anglers can hook up with both on live shrimp and finger mullet or while casting glow Gulp baits and other lures.

 

Stan, of Capt. Stanman’s Fishing Charters, reports that there’s been some excellent bottom fishing at structure from 18-42 miles off Bogue Inlet. Groupers, snappers, grunts, pinkies, sea bass, and other bottom dwellers are feeding at structure in that range, and squid and cut and live cigar minnows or pogies are drawing bites from all the bottom fish. Gamakatsu Grouper hooks in 11/0 are the ticket for the grouper, and 4/0 and 5/0 Octopus hooks are hooking the smaller bottom dwellers.

Fishing balloon baits on the surface while anchored up and dropping bottom baits is fooling decent numbers of dolphin (up to 15 lbs.).

The king bite has been sporadic lately, but anglers have been catching a few around the Rock South of 13 (up to the mid-20 lb. range). Live pogies or jig baits like sardines, greenies, and cigar minnows will fool the kings. Many of the large kings still seem to be south of the area, but they could arrive at anytime.

 

Dale, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that the flounder bite is improving inshore in the area. Anglers are catching good numbers of flounder (many smaller but a decent number in the 4-6 lb. range lately) on bucktails tipped with Trigger-X and Gulp baits.

Red drum are still feeding on the marsh flats, and topwater plugs like Top Dogs and Skitterwalks are fooling them in good numbers.

The king mackerel bite has slowed down a bit inshore, but anglers are still picking away at the large spanish (3-5 lbs.) and smaller kings while drifting and slow-trolling with small live baits around the nearshore wrecks.

 

Chesson, of CXC Charters, reports that the king and large spanish mackerel bite is still strong right along the beaches, and anglers are hooking the fish on small live baits like finger mullet and peanut pogies while slow-trolling or drifting.

Amberjacks and barracuda are holding around the wrecks and buoys 5-20 miles off the beaches, and both will take a strong interest in live baits.

Cobia and gag grouper have been feeding at bottom structure in 60-70’ lately. Live pogies, cigar minnows, and other baits will tempt them both to strike.

 

Rhonda, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers are finding action with a few spot, pompano, whiting, and some puppy drum. Shrimp are producing most of the action.

Plug casters are hooking some spanish mackerel on Gotcha plugs.