Pamlico/Neuse – August 15, 2019
Donald, of Custom Marine Fabrication, reports that trout fishing has been very good, with limits of fish being caught while casting soft plastics and live shrimp under corks around ledges and deeper grass banks.
Slot-sized red drum are hitting these same baits from Oriental up to New Bern, though hot water temperatures have the fish scattered.
Citation-class red drum have begun to show up from the lower Neuse out into the sound. Fishing cut bait on a Lupton rig and soft plastics under popping corks have landed some of these early season fish.
Tarpon are being hooked along ledges in the sound with Carolina-rigged cut baits.
Kaden Blake, of Chocowinity, with a 47” trophy red. He landed it using a custom-poured Yee Ha swimbait, TFO Rod, and Florida Fishing Products Reel. He was fishing with his father, Capt. Mitchell Blake of FishIBX.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that limits of speckled trout are being caught while fishing soft plastics under popping corks. These fish have been in fairly large schools this summer, and locating a school holding over a ledge or deeper hole has been producing non-stop action.
Slot-sized red drum are holding on the flats and along grass banks, and they’re hitting soft plastics fished on lighter jig heads.
Flounder are in the same areas. They prefer baits worked slow along the bottom, as the hot water temperatures have the fish sluggish.
Trophy red drum are starting to show up in lower sections of the river, and they’re hitting larger soft plastics fished under popping corks. Targeting the ledges that these fish move along has been key in getting a strike or two.
David Osborne with a 45″ red drum caught in the lower Neuse River on a trout rod with a white 3″ Gulp soft plastic.
James, of Neuse River Adventures, reports that speckled trout fishing has been great, with the trout hitting Z-Man soft plastics on 3/16 oz. jig heads under a popping cork. Targeting deeper holes and banks has been key in locating the schools.
A few flounder are along the shorelines and in the creek mouths, and they’re hitting both soft plastics and Carolina-rigged live baits.
Slot red drum are mixed together with the other species. These reds are hitting soft plastics under corks or on jig heads.
Large “old” drum are beginning to push into the river, and the next few weeks should see many more fish caught as the bait moves in.
Jennings, of North State Guide Service, reports that citation-class red drum are starting to be caught in the sound and up into the rivers. The best tactic so far has been soft plastics under popping corks.
Speckled trout fishing continues to be hot, with limits of fish hitting soft plastics.
Flounder fishing has been picking up with the push of bait into the river, and bouncing baits along the bottom on banks and ledges has been landing a few keeper fish.
Stephen, of Neuse River Bait and Tackle, reports that good-sized flounder are being caught with Carolina-rigged live mud minnows and mullet. Anglers have had much success in targeting deeper holes around docks and other shoreline structures.
Puppy drum are holding in these same structured areas, and they’re hitting live baits and Gulp shrimp soft plastics fished on 3/16 oz. jig heads.
Speckled trout (up to 21”) have been schooled up in deeper holes outside of creeks and along the river shoreline. A few fish are hitting topwater plugs early (as well as MirrOlure MR-17s), but soft plastics have been the most productive when fished on a naked jig head or under a cork.
With the increased arrival of bait schools, large red drum are showing up in areas from the sound into the lower river. Blabbermouth and D.O.A. popping corks with Z-Man SwimmerZ and D.O.A. Airhead soft plastics are being scooped up by local anglers in search of a trophy fish. Anglers have also landed a few at night with fresh cut mullet fished on Lupton rigs.
Richie, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that flounder fishing has picked up for anglers targeting the grassy shorelines with soft plastics and Carolina-rigged live baits.
Slot-sized red drum are in these same areas, with most of the reds broken up into small schools and staged around structure.
Speckled trout fishing has been good in the lower river around Swan Quarter. Soft plastics fished under popping corks has been the most productive setup all summer.
Citation-sized red drum are being caught around deeper ledges and shoals in the lower Pamlico River and out into the sound. Large popping cork rigs and cut baits on Lupton rigs have both been catching trophy-sized fish.
Mitchell, of FishIBX, reports that citation-class red drum are starting to push from the sound into the rivers. YeeHa soft plastics under popping corks produces well when worked along ledges.
Speckled trout action has been good on grass banks and deeper holes along the shorelines. Smaller soft plastics and popping corks have been successful all summer for the trout.
A few flounder are staged up on the same banks, and they prefer soft plastics or live baits bounced along the bottom.
