Pamlico/Neuse River – September 2024
Donald, of Custom Marine Fabrication, reports that red drum action has been picking up. Anglers are having success with all sizes of fish, including puppy drum, slots, and bull reds. A majority of these fish are being caught targeting ledges and points along the main shoreline banks.
So far, the scattered early season fish are being caught with cut baits out around Cedar Island, with some bigger reds also being found up the river. The artificial action has been just about nonexistent this early into the season.
Speckled trout are another species that will pick up in September. The trout bite will be centered downriver (closer to the sound) for the start of this action.
Brad, of Gunny B Outdoors, reports that red drum action has been good. Live bait remains the top choice, but if using artificials, flashy bait patterns such as gold flake have helped get strikes.
Most of the slot red drum have been staged up on the flats (1-3’) around docks or some other structure. Finding shallow areas holding bait has been the key to success.
A few larger speckled trout (to 22”+) are mixed in the action.
Bluefish have been all over the place, and many times anglers are finding red drum feeding right underneath the blues. Some schools of big blues (8-15 lb. class) are out in the river.
Bait fishing at night has been the best bet for the bull red drum, with daytime fishing and artificial action being more of a struggle this early in the season.
Dave, of Pamlico Pirate Charters, reports that the area has been seeing good numbers of upper-slot red drum hanging around (to 33”). The best bet has been targeting areas with bait, especially bait paired with wind blowing the baits up against points and banks, and the better action has been in shallower water.
For the most part, cut bait has been the top producing tactic, with less action coming on live bait. Some days mullet works best, and some days menhaden works best.
Anglers are waiting for bait balls to be more common out in the deeper water, and then efforts in the area will focus full-time on catching the citation class red drum (40”+).
Numbers aren’t great, but there are some good-sized speckled trout (to 27”) being caught on the same natural bait options used to target slot redfish.
A lot of flounder are in the area.
Rachel and David Brisson with a citation red drum caught soaking cut mullet on a ledge in 12′ of water in the Pamlico Sound. They were fishing with Capt. Jennings Rose of North State Guide Service.
Kent, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are expecting speckled trout to start moving back into the river in September. Most of the trout have been out in the sound or holding in deeper areas, but these slightly cooler conditions and an influx of better salinity will really help the bite push back in.
Anglers working the shoreline points and ledges have been catching plenty of slot-sized red drum and flounder.
The first reports of citation-class red drum have come in. This early bite has been sporadic overall, though, with anglers that are finding any success using cut mullet, spot, or croakers rigged on Lupton rigs at night. Most of the big drum are coming from areas downriver and out on ledges in the sound.
Hugh, of Pungo Charters, reports that anglers are starting to see a few more trout showing in the river, with some bigger fish up around Swan Quarter.
Slot red drum fishing has been good, with the best success happening in the early mornings while fishing topwater plugs. As the day progresses, switching over to cut baits has helped anglers stay on the bite.
Some tarpon are still rolling out around the mouth of the Pungo River.
A few old red drum are being caught, with most coming from closer to the sound and in areas around the Bay River.
Zach, of UFO Fishing Charters, reports that speckled trout and red drum are biting from the mid-river areas on downriver. Targeting areas closer to the sound will help produce action.
Some black drum have started showing up in better numbers now that a bunch of shrimp are pushed out of the creeks.
Flounder are staged up in big numbers along the banks and ditches where anglers are targeting other species.
Moving through September, a bunch of anglers are starting to keep an eye out for the bull drum. Citation fish are already being caught out in the sound.
Cole Stevens, of Harnett County, NC, caught this 35″ red drum near Arapahoe, NC, using Carolina-rigged cut bait.
Grey, of Hyde Guides, reports that speckled trout action has been good. Topwater fishing first thing in the morning has had a lot of success, with popping corks the best tactic to stay on the bite later in the day. The trout have been holding deeper, and using a long leader (4-feet) or jigging over deeper hard bottoms has helped get strikes. The best plan seems to be targeting deeper points or anywhere you find a good current rip.
A ton of flounder are in the area (and have been all summer long). The flatfish are staged up on sandy banks in 2-3’ of water, and anglers fishing artificials on these shorelines can hook into as many as they’d like.
The big drum action is starting to pick up as we move into September. Soaking cut bait at night has been the top tactic as the area waits for this action to really fire off.
A ton of big bluefish (to 10+ lbs.) are being caught by anglers fishing cut baits for big drum.
