Pamlico – July 31, 2014
Curtis Pelt with a fat pair of flounder that fell for soft plastic shrimp near Swan Quarter.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still hooking up with some flounder and speckled trout in the lower Pamlico and Pungo River, with the best action still around Swan Quarter and Engelhard. Gulp and Z-Man soft plastics are tempting bites from both.
The red drum and tarpon action still hasn’t kicked into full gear, but anglers did report some tarpon hookups last week while fishing off Wade Point. The big fish bite should improve as more bait and fish move into the western sound and lower rivers.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that tarpon have moved into the western Pamlico Sound and lower rivers, but the bite has been scattered and inconsistent. Anglers are seeing the big fish rolling on the surface, and chasing bait and getting in front of a feeding school with live, dead, or cut baits is the way to fool one of the “Silver Kings” into biting.
A few citation-class red drum are starting to feed on bait balls in the lower rivers, and anglers have released several while soaking cut baits on the bottom and casting soft plastics. The big drum action should only get better as more fish and bait move into the area in the coming weeks.
Speckled trout, puppy drum, and some flounder are feeding in the lower rivers and biting soft plastics and live baits.
Mike Fujimagari, of New Bern, with an upper-slot red drum that struck a D.O.A. soft plastic in the Bay River while he was fishing with Capt. Dave Stewart of Knee Deep Custom Charters.
Anglers are also seeing some consistent striped bass action further up in the river, and they’re hooking them on topwater plugs and a variety of subsurface artificials.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that speckled trout and upper-slot puppy drum are still providing the majority of the action for local anglers. Most are feeding along the shorelines of the lower Neuse River and nearby creeks, and anglers are hooking both fish on topwater plugs, suspending lures, and soft plastics on jigheads and weedless hooks. Live and cut baits on circle hooks are also producing for anglers who don’t want to toss artificials.
Anglers have hooked some citation-class reds on light tackle while fishing for the smaller drum and specks, and the summer/fall big drum action should be kicking into gear over the coming weeks. The big reds will fall for cut baits on the bottom or larger soft plastics under popping corks.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that anglers are still seeing some solid action with puppy drum and speckled trout along the shorelines of the lower Neuse River. They’re biting D.O.A. shrimp and other soft plastics fished solo and beneath popping corks.
Anglers have already landed a few of the giant citation-class red drum in the area, and the action should only be improving over the coming weeks. Anglers can tempt the big reds to bite large cut baits on the bottom, but it’s more exciting and plenty effective to work large soft plastics under popping corks in areas where the fish are feeding. Anglers can also tempt the reds to bite modified popping cork rigs on fly rods.
