Added on Thursday, July 12, 2012  Fish Post

Pamlico July 12, 2012

Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that the heat and westerly winds have combined to create hot, rough, and low water on the lower Neuse River. Amazingly, though, anglers are still catching good numbers of fish.

The speckled trout bite has been best from Oriental downriver to the sound, as there’s been slightly cooler water in that range recently. Anglers are hooking the specks on soft plastics and live mud minnows or small finger mullet fished under popping corks.

Large red drum have made their annual appearance in Pamlico Sound and around the mouth of the Neuse a bit early this year, a good sign for the coming months. Fishing large cut baits around bottom contour changes near the mouth of the river offers anglers the best odds of hooking up with the big reds.

Tarpon have also made their appearance from the sound all the way upriver to New Bern, and anglers have already released the first few of the season. The same tactics that fool the big drum will also lead to tarpon hookups.

Striped bass fishing around New Bern is still good, with the best bite in the early morning hours. The fish have been chasing bait on the surface and responding to topwater plugs well for the first hour or two of daylight. Casting soft plastic baits on jigheads around deeper structure is a better option later in the day.

 

Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that the heat and westerly winds have made fishing tough on the Neuse River lately, but persistent anglers are still catching some fish.

Speckled trout, puppy drum, and flounder are feeding together along the river shorelines and around points, docks, and other structure. Live mud minnows and D.O.A. shrimp and other soft plastics are producing most of the action with all three inshore predators.

The fishing should only get better as the area’s trout and puppy drum put on some size as the summer goes on.

Anglers have already hooked some citation-class “old drum” on light tackle while casting for the smaller fish, and it shouldn’t be long before soaking big cut baits on the bottom will produce reliable action with them.

Tarpon have shown up around the mouth of the Neuse River, but it can be tough to tempt them to bite.

 

Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that anglers are finding some excellent mixed bag fishing in the Pamlico River, especially when they can find areas of cooler water, as the river water has been in the mid-80’s and the creeks even hotter. Most of the fish are small but they’re making up for it with big numbers, and anglers are landing some keeper flounder and speckled trout.

Smaller puppy drum and striped bass (in a variety of sizes, but closed season) are mixed in, and all the fish are taking an interest in soft plastic baits on jigheads or small live baits like spot, croaker, pinfish, or mud minnows. Light Carolina rigs are the way to fish the live baits.

Anglers are also still hooking some striped bass on topwater plugs in the early morning and late evening hours.

Tarpon have shown up for the summer on the Pamlico River, and anglers can expect the giant gamefish to be feeding in the area until August. Fishing large cut baits like spot, croaker, and menhaden on the bottom offers anglers the best chance of hooking a tarpon.

 

Richie, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that though conditions have been tough lately, anglers are still finding some flounder and speckled trout action in the Pamlico River and down towards the sound. Small live baits and soft plastics like Gulps are fooling both.

Tarpon have shown up in the area, and a local angler released one last week.

The large red drum are also making their summertime appearance around the lower river and sound. Large dead and cut baits fished on bottom are the way to hook up with the tarpon and big reds.