Pamlico – July 17, 2014
Zach Rouse, of Winterville, NC, with a 43″ red drum he hooked on a topwater plug in a creek off the Neuse River.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that anglers are still finding some excellent action with flounder, speckled trout, and red drum in the lower Neuse River, although weather conditions have made it tough to get to and hook the fish on some recent days.
The fish are feeding along the shorelines and around structure in the lower parts of the river, where anglers have been hooking solid numbers on D.O.A. soft plastics pinned to jigheads. The jigs have been outperforming hard lures or popping cork rigs over the past week.
Large baitfish are moving into the river every day, so big citation-class red drum should be schooling up in some of the same areas in the coming days as well.
Upriver around New Bern, anglers are finding some excellent topwater action in the early morning hours. Big numbers of striped bass are falling for the topwaters around shoreline stump fields and other structure, and anglers are also connecting with some upper-slot red drum and a few speckled trout in the same areas.
Scott Washburn, of Pfafftown, NC, with a 26″ speckled trout that attacked a D.O.A. soft plastic along a lower Neuse River shoreline. He was fishing with Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are finding plenty of action with speckled trout and puppy drum (many upper and over-slot) while casting artificials in the lower Neuse River. High winds and lightning have made fishing dicey several times in the past week, though. Anglers are hooking most of the fish on D.O.A. Shrimp and C.A.L. series lures, but some anglers have also done well tossing live mud minnows on circle-hook Carolina rigs.
A few flounder are in the same areas and biting the same offerings.
Several anglers have reported hooking large “old” red drum while working lures for trout recently, so anglers should be prepared for a large push of the fish to move into the river soon. Early in the season, they tend to feed in shallower water, so anglers should keep an eye out for the big fish and avoid spooking them by running over shoals.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that anglers are finding some mixed bag action with flounder, speckled trout, and red drum in the lower rivers of the Inner Banks and where they meet the sounds.
All three are falling for Z-Man and other soft plastics and live baits, and anglers are also hooking some specks and reds while working topwater lures and other hard baits.
Owen O’Neil, of Washington, D.C., with one of many upper-slot red drum he and family caught whiel fishing the lower Neuse River with Capt. Dave Stewart of Knee Deep Custom Charters.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with some speckled trout while casting lures in the bays around Swan Quarter and the mouth of the Pungo River. Most are falling for Gulp baits or 5” MirrOlure Provoker soft plastics on light jigheads.
Not much flounder or puppy drum action has been reported locally recently, but anglers are connecting with some of both to the south in Jones Bay and the Bay River. The pups and flounder are also taking an interest in Gulps and other soft plastics along with live baits.
Big red drum have shown up off the Pamlico Sound, but the bite seems to have been better down off the Neuse River than around the mouth of the Pamlico recently.
