Pamlico – June 11, 2015
Jennings, of North State Guide Service, reports that anglers are seeing some productive flounder fishing on the Pamlico and Neuse rivers at present (with both good numbers and larger fish). Anglers are fooling the flatfish on live finger mullet on Carolina rigs or scented soft baits like Gulps.
Slot-sized puppy drum are feeding along the river shorelines, with the areas around the river mouths producing more action than the creeks at present (primarily due to low salinity in the creeks). The reds will bite the same things as the flatfish.
Speckled trout are feeding in the same areas, and there’s been a decent topwater bite in the early mornings lately. Anglers can fool the fish on soft plastics or live baits when the sun climbs a bit.
Creeks throughout both river systems are holding plenty of finger mullet and peanut menhaden for anglers looking for bait.
Zach Thompson, of Henderson, NC, with a dolphin that struck a ballyhoo under a blue/white Ilander while he was trolling near the Big Rock on the “Reel Motivation.”
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that the puppy drum bite along shores of the lower Neuse River and western Pamlico Sound is still going. The fish are feeding along marsh grass edges and biting D.O.A. soft plastics bumped along the bottom and fished under popping corks.
Flounder and speckled trout are falling for the same offerings in the same areas, and anglers are also finding scattered action with the three inshore predators upriver and around Oriental.
A June topwater striped bass that struck a popper on the Roanoke River while the angler was fishing with Capt. Mitch Blake of FishIBX.com.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are finding some puppy drum action along the grassy shorelines of the lower Neuse River (with both slot and over-slot fish in the area). Anglers are hooking them on live baits and D.O.A. soft plastics fished on weedless hooks or under popping corks.
Some speckled trout are feeding in the same areas, although often a bit further from the shoreline. They’ll bite live baits or soft plastics, too.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that anglers are seeing the best post-spawn striped bass action they have in years on the Roanoke River. Anglers are hooking big numbers of the stripers on topwater plugs and fly tackle, but the action will likely not hold up for many more weeks.
Anglers are hooking a few flounder and scattered puppy drum in the lower rivers and sound. Dragging Gulp baits along the bottom has been producing most of the action with both.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that the flounder action in the lower Pamlico River and the sound is improving by the week. It’s still not consistently hot, but anglers are eking out a few fish even on slower days and seeing some good fishing on others.
Both live baits and soft plastics like Z-Man MinnowZ and PaddlerZ on Carolina rigs and jigheads are fooling the flatfish.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing a few more flounder and puppy drum while fishing the lower river and sound. The flounder are beginning to move upriver as well, and anglers found some flatfish action around Bath and North Creek this week. Gulp baits and live baits have been fooling the flounder and drum.
A few speckled trout have been in the same areas and biting the Gulps and live baits as well.
The striped bass bite around Washington seems to have been slow recently from the few anglers who’ve tried it.
