Pamlico – June 5, 2014
Kathy Cleland, of Belford, TX, with an upper-slot red drum that bit a D.O.A. Deadly Combo rig in the Neuse River while fishing with Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that speckled trout and puppy drum are still feeding actively along the shorelines of the lower Neuse River, but finding a shoreline to fish out of the wind has been a challenge lately.
Casting D.O.A. Airhead baits rigged weedless along the shorelines has been the best bet for the puppy drum lately, and is also fooling a few larger trout.
Most of the specks are sitting a bit further off the bank and biting D.O.A. Shrimp and CAL soft plastics along with Unfair Lures hard baits.
Mike Sachs with a speckled trout that bit a Zoom soft plastic under a popping cork in Slocum Creek while he was fishing with Capt. Stukie Payne of Carolina Backwater Charters.
Large citation-class reds are a possibility on any day, so anglers should keep some heavier gear rigged with a popping cork and larger soft plastic along with an eye out for signs of the big reds.
Gary, of Speck Fever Guide Service, reports that anglers are finding some excellent action with speckled trout, puppy drum, and some flounder in the lower Neuse and Bay rivers. D.O.A. soft plastics on weedless hooks, jigheads, and under popping corks are fooling the majority of the three inshore predators.
When the water level is high enough, there’s still solid striped bass action around New Bern. Casting topwater plugs around shoreline stump fields and other structure is the way to connect with the stripers early and late in the day. Anglers may have to fish deeper structure with jigs and soft plastics to hook up during the midday hours.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that anglers are still finding some world-class striped bass action in the Pamlico, Roanoke, and other river systems in eastern NC. The fish have been very willing to bite topwater plugs lately, and anglers are also fooling them on fly rods and with a variety of soft plastics and swim baits.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers continue to connect with some flounder and speckled trout around Bath. A few puppy drum are mixed in, and all are falling for Gulp and Z-Man soft plastics. The specks have also been taking an interest in topwater plugs on some days.
There still aren’t many people trying out the Washington topwater striped bass bite, but it should be going strong soon if it isn’t already.
