Swansboro April 11, 2013
Kylie Lawson and Nick Twining, from OH, with pair of red drum they caught-and-released behind Bear Island while fishing with Capt. Rob Koraly of Sandbar Safari Charters.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that warming weather has improved the fishing and anglers’ options in the area.
Red drum are schooling up in the backwater bays and flats behind the barrier islands (with fish ranging 16-30”+). The action is still best in the afternoons and on falling tides (as both warm the water), and anglers are able to sight-cast to the fish on most days when there isn’t too much wind.
Gulp baits, cut mullet, and live mud minnows have been the best bets for the reds recently, and slow presentations are the way to tempt them to bite.
There are also good numbers of reds (though most are smaller) feeding in the mainland creeks and rivers, and the same baits will get their attention as well.
Speckled trout are still feeding in the mainland creeks and up the White Oak River. Soft plastic baits and suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s are fooling the majority of the trout right now. Warming water will push the specks out of the creeks in the coming weeks, but the action in the White Oak should stay good for months to come.
Rebecca Horton with a red drum that struck a spinnerbait in a bay near Swansboro while she was fishing with Capt. John Mauser of Tailing Tide Guide Service.
Some sea mullet have shown up around Swansboro, but the bite hasn’t been on fire yet. Warming water should improve the mullet bite and push some gray trout into the same deeper channels and holes.
Robbie, of Hall’Em In Charters, reports that the speckled trout action is still excellent after an incredible bite all March, with big numbers of quality fish from 18-24”+. The mainland creeks and rivers have been providing the best trout action, but the fish will soon be moving out of the creeks (where they spent the winter) and into the marshes of Bogue Sound (where they can be targeted until June). Anglers are hooking up on a wide variety of baits, but Zoom Fluke soft plastics and MirrOlure MR17’s have been some of the best bets lately.
Red drum are feeding all over the marshes behind the barrier islands (with most fish smaller but some upper and over-slot reds mixed in). They’ll bite Gulp baits, but Zoom Flukes laced with some Blue Crab Pro-Cure Super Gel have been even more effective recently.
Some black drum are feeding in the creeks off Highway 24, and they’re readily biting cut shrimp.
A few sea mullet are making a showing around Swansboro, but the main body of fish has yet to arrive.
Anglers are starting to pick up some flounder around the area’s nearshore reefs, and the reef bite will only get better over the coming months.
Mel Galati, of Auburn WA, with a healthy speckled trout that bit a Storm shrimp in the White Oak River near Stella while he was fishing with Capt. Chris Sewell of Fishead Charter.
Josh, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that anglers are seeing plenty of red drum in the marshes behind Bear Island, where they can tempt the fish to bite Gulp baits and other soft plastics.
Speckled trout are moving out of the creeks and rivers and into the sound and nearby inlets. Soft plastics and suspending hard lures like MirrOlure MR17’s are top choices for the specks.
Black drum and sheepshead have shown up inshore, and anglers are hooking both around the Morehead port wall and other hard and rocky structure closer to Emerald Isle. Fresh shrimp will tempt bites from both of the crustacean-lovers.
Offshore, anglers are finding action with wahoo, blackfin tuna, false albacore, and more while trolling skirted ballyhoo around local blue water hotspots. Jigging in the same areas is providing fast action with amberjacks.
Jerry, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers are hooking big numbers of pufferfish from the planks. Sea mullet are mixed in, and both are taking an interest in fresh shrimp on bottom rigs.
Some bluefish have also shown up. Most are biting bottom rigs, but one angler did land a bluefish on a Gotcha plug last week.
