Pamlico – May 28, 2015
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers have seen some decent action with keeper flounder and smaller puppy drum while casting to the shorelines of the lower Neuse River. They’ve been a bit finicky lately, so live baits like mud minnows are outproducing artificials at present.
There’s also been a bit of action with slot sized red drum in the western Pamlico Sound, and the slot reds will also take an interest in mud minnows or a variety of soft plastic baits.
Many anglers have been targeting cobia at the beach recently, and sight-casting bucktail jigs around menhaden “bait balls” is tempting bites from the cobes, citation-class red drum, sharks, and rays. Anglers are hooking all four while soaking live and dead baits near the inlets as well.
Curtis Pelt, Billy Suggs, and Bobby Mason with a limit of striped bass they hooked on cut white shad while fishing the Roanoke River near Scotland Neck, NC.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that there’s been some excellent striped bass action in the lower Roanoke and Pamlico rivers over the past week. Anglers are hooking big numbers of the stripers on a variety of techniques, with plenty falling for topwater plugs and flies that anglers are casting. Even though the bite’s been full throttle lately, the end of the keeper season means there’s been very little competition on the water.
A bit further up the rivers and in the creeks, largemouth bass and sunfish are eagerly biting topwater popping bugs for fly casters.
The speckled trout, puppy drum, and flounder bite has been a bit off recently in the lower rivers, but the action should turn around in the coming weeks.
Tyler Lamm (age 13), of Wilson, NC, with his first striped bass, caught on a topwater plug while he was fishing the Neuse River with Capt. Dave Stewart of Knee Deep Custom Charters.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers haven’t been fishing the local river and sound waters much over the past week as most are focused on chasing spanish mackerel, cobia, and more at the beaches.
There likely are some striped bass feeding around Washington for anglers who care to look for them. Casting Rattlin’ Rogues, bucktail jigs, and a variety of soft plastics around the local bridge pilings, submerged timber, and other structure is the best bet for anglers looking to connect with the stripers.
