Pamlico/Neuse River – August 2024
Donald, of Custom Marine Fabrication, reports that red drum (of varied sizes) are being caught in good numbers throughout the lower Neuse River. Both live baits and artificials are having success, with neither option truly working better than the other.
Anglers have been seeing a bunch of tarpon up and down the river. Overall, the numbers so far have shown that this is one of the better years in recent memory. Anglers getting hooked up are mostly doing so while bait fishing.
Some big drum are already being landed by anglers using bait fishing tactics around ledges and shoals.
Speckled trout are around, including some that are well upriver with the water still so salty. The numbers might not be great, but some citation fish are in the mix from the sound all the way up to New Bern. Getting on the water in the early mornings has been a big factor for success.
Brad, of Gunny B Outdoors, reports that good-sized red drum are being caught with artificials thrown around docks and other shoreline structures (such as stumps). Targeting areas that are holding bait is really key in getting strikes. Topwater has had some success with the reds, though this action is hit or miss.
Striped bass, though, is a species that has been locked into topwaters. On some of the cloudy days, the bite might last all day long.
A few speckled trout are providing action. Most of the trout are staged up on ledges and flats closer to the sound.
Fishing deeper holes around structure (such as high-rise bridges, stumps, and the ends of people’s docks) is producing black drum. Both fiddler crabs and fresh shrimp will entice strikes.
Some big red drum are starting to show up early as the area gets closer to that fishery kicking off.
A few tarpon continue to show towards the sound.
Wendy Overgaard, of Oriental, caught (and released) this 27.5″ speckled trout while kayak fishing in Jones Bay using a 4″ Gulp shrimp.
Dave, of Pamlico Pirate Charters, reports that anglers are having a lot of success in the early mornings targeting the shoreline points for slot-sized red drum, flounder, and a few speckled trout.
Anglers are getting excited as the area starts to see old drum showing up in the river and sound. This early in the season, soaking bait is going to produce most of the action. Try to target the deeper ledges (8-14’ range), and aim for the times of day where the water isn’t the hottest. This means being on the water early or fishing a little before dusk.
Tarpon are around and could show up mixed in with the big drum.
Typical of summer, bluefish are scattered throughout the river.
Kent, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that red drum remain the top target for anglers. There’s been a scattered slot redfish bite for those targeting stump beds and marshy shorelines with both live baits or soft plastics.
It’s still early, but a few over-slot and citation drum are starting to show up. This early in the season, anglers are having the most success with cut baits fished on Lupton rigs near the shoals.
Though hookups are much fewer, tarpon are in the area as well.
Speckled trout are being caught by those anglers getting out and fishing the deeper (8’+) reefs and wrecks.
Some of the lower Pamlico hard structures are holding black drum.
Zach, of UFO Fishing Charters, reports that a majority of the bait and smaller red drum have been further upriver, but a stretch of wet weather should flush freshwater down and push the bait and fish back towards the sound.
Speckled trout fishing is steady in the sound. Topwater plugs in the shallows early in the morning have had success, but definitely watch for the trout to move deeper to avoid the hot water once the sun is up.
Scattered sheepshead are around bridges and barnacle-covered pilings.
Loads of flounder (to 20”) are in the area. Any angler fishing live baits should find the flatfish hard to avoid.
Some old drum are showing up around the mouth of the Pamlico. It is still early, though, and most of these fish will still be on the east side of the sound.
The same areas where the river transitions to the sound has seen tarpon popping up from time to time.
Karla Smith, of Goldsboro, NC, caught this bull red drum while fishing in the Pamlico Sound using cut mullet.
Grey, of Hyde Guide, reports that moving through the middle of summer, fishing in the area is all about the red drum and flounder.
Flounder are seemingly everywhere, with good numbers staged up on just about every point in the river.
Red drum are scattered all throughout the river and sound, and they’re holding on flats, shoreline banks, and the more wind-swept points. Topwater plugs are having a lot of success early, with spoons and popping cork setups being great choices after those first few hours. The class of fish is a little mixed, but upper-slot redfish (25-26”) are the norm.
Some old drum are starting to show up. It is definitely early to say the bite is on, but anglers bait fishing around shoals at night have been hooking into fish.
Speckled trout can be picked up when the weather allows anglers to get out in the sound to the deeper water that is holding these fish.
