Pamlico June 6, 2013
Brad Whitaker with a healthy striped bass that bit a Yeeha swimbait in the Neuse River while he was fishing with Capt. Mitchell Blake of FishIBX.com
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that there’s been a fairly solid topwater speckled trout bite in the lower Neuse River lately. Anglers are catching the specks and puppy drum later in the day while casting soft plastic baits, and the bite’s been best from Oriental on down to the sound. The fish are a bit scattered, but biting consistently, and anglers who stay on the move shouldn’t go too long without action, especially when they can find small schools of menhaden.
The specks and pups are entering their summer pattern along marsh banks and points in under 4’ of water, where anglers should be able to target them for the months to come.
Low water has slowed down the striped bass and puppy drum bite around New Bern, but anglers are still eking out some fish while working topwater plugs and soft plastic baits. Easterly winds should push more water into the river and improve the bite.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are seeing the Neuse River fishing settle into a summer pattern, with many of the fish moving downriver towards the sound. Casting D.O.A. shrimp and CAL soft plastics along deeper shorelines, points, and other structure in the lower river is producing plenty of action with speckled trout (many 18-20”) and puppy and slot red drum. A few flounder are feeding in the same areas and taking an interest in the soft plastics as well.
Large red drum have also begun to move into the sound, and anglers should keep an eye out for the wakes the big fish push while working the shorelines. The big reds are already feeding nearby in the ocean, and with large amounts of bait pushing into the sounds and rivers, they may well make an early showing this year.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that anglers are still connecting with a solid class of post-spawn striped bass in the Neuse River near New Bern (most fish 20-27”, with a few over 30”). Anglers are hooking the fish on topwater plugs around shoreline structure in the early morning hours, and then shifting to swimbaits and other soft plastics around deeper structure as the day progresses. Larger topwaters and swimbaits have been producing the largest fish.
Rachel Furci with a 19″ red drum that bit a Gulp shrimp near Pamlico Point.
Flounder fishing has been improving, with good numbers of fish feeding well up into the estuary. Most are still undersized, but the average size should increase over the coming weeks.
Speckled trout fishing has still been decent, but many of the fish are on the smaller side right now. Keying in on structure with some current flow has been the best way to locate the specks recently.
Puppy drum are also feeding in the Neuse (with some keepers but most just undersized), and anglers are finding most of the fish along marsh banks in the area.
Richie, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still connecting with good numbers of speckled trout (many 2-3 lbs.) down towards the sound. Most are falling for Gulp baits, but some anglers are hooking up on MirrOlure MR17’s and topwater lures like Zara Spooks.
Puppy drum are moving upriver, almost to Washington. Anglers are hooking big numbers while casting Gulp baits along the river shorelines and structure.
The flounder bite is still decent down around Swan Quarter, Bath, and in the Pungo River, with live baits and Gulps producing most of the action.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that anglers are connecting with puppy and slot-sized red drum and speckled trout in the lower Pamlico River, and one angler was surprised by a citation-class red while working a light popping cork rig just off the shoreline. Soft plastic baits are producing most of the action, either under popping corks or on light jigheads.
The reds have been primarily feeding tight to the shore line along stumpy banks and marsh points, with the best speck action out off the bank a bit in 3-4’ of water.
