Swansboro April 15, 2010
Gregory Peters, of Palisade, CO, with a 7 lb. 15 oz. black drum he landed from Bogue Inlet Pier on shrimp.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Fishing Charters, reports that the weather’s finally come around, the water temperatures have hit 70+ degrees, bait is showing up all over the inshore waters, and the fishing is heating up.
Big numbers of red drum are feeding in the backwater bays, and anglers are getting the best shots at them on flood tides. The water’s very clear and the fish are extremely skittish, particularly on lower tides and on sunny days, but stealthy anglers are still catching decent numbers. Live mud minnows and Gulp baits are producing most of the action with the reds.
Anglers are also finding reds in the creeks off the rivers, and they’re fooling them with Gulps and spinnerbaits.
Some flounder are also feeding in the rivers and creeks, especially where a creek mouth or bay empties into deeper water. Casting live mud minnows or Gulp shrimp along the edges of the drop-offs has been producing plenty of bites from the flatties, and decent numbers have been keepers.
The trout bite hasn’t really gotten hot yet, but anglers are catching a few in the soundside creeks.
Whiting and gray trout are feeding in deeper holes along the ICW, like the Swansboro waterfront and the bridges. Anglers are hooking up with both on spec rigs and bottom rigs with fresh shrimp.
False albacore are feeding around structure and bait concentrations just off the beaches, and anglers can entice them to bite pink Maria Jigs, Stingsilvers, and other lures.
Savanna Sert, of Ridgeway, VA, with a 1 lb., 2 oz. whiting she hooked from Bogue Inlet Pier on shrimp.
Jeff, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that the area’s red drum have flooded in the inlets and are now schooling up in the backwaters. Most of the fish are searching the creeks and mudflats for mullet, mud minnows, and crabs. On calm mornings, anglers are enjoying the opportunity to sight-cast to schools of 50-100 fish. Gulp pogies and shrimp or other scented soft baits are producing most of the action with the reds, and fishing them on light (1/8-1/16 oz.) jigheads beneath popping corks has been very effective lately. Some of the reds are also falling for topwater plugs.
A few black drum (most 3-5 lbs.) are mixed in with the reds.
Whiting, gray trout, small spot, bluefish, pigfish, and pufferfish are schooling up in the ICW, particularly around the Swansboro waterfront. Anchoring up and fishing fresh shrimp or Berkley strip baits on bottom rigs will fool all these bottom feeders.
Southern flounder are becoming more active as the water warms and they move towards shorelines, shallow bays, and creekmouths in search of food. Spinnerbaits and Carolina-rigged live baits fished along the bottom are the top flounder producers.
Taylor bluefish (1-3 lbs.) have found their way into the inlets and are feeding along the sand and grass flats and deeper creek channels nearby. Small gulls dipping to the water’s surface will belie the presence of the blues, and anglers can hook them while trolling 3-5” diving lures. The blues are also great targets for fly-rodders, and a short piece of light braided wire in front of the fly will prevent cutoffs from their sharp teeth.
There are plenty of false albacore (most 5-10 lbs.) feeding outside the inlets and around the nearshore AR’s, and the Atlantic bonito shouldn’t be far behind them. Light spinning tackle and topwater plugs, Maria jigs, Stingsilvers, spec rigs, and soft plastic glass minnow imitations will fool both of these fast nearshore tunas.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing, reports that there are plenty of false albacore feeding 4-10 miles from the beaches, and anglers can hook them on fly rods or light tackle with Stingsilvers and other metal lures.
Black sea bass are holding on the artificial reefs in the area, with the best action and fewest dogfish at wrecks 5+ miles off the beach. Searching the surrounding bottom for outlying structure and fish marks will often produce better results (especially with the larger bass) than fishing directly on top of the main structure. The bass will fall for bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits, but anglers can have more fun fishing Stingsilvers, bucktails, and other jigging lures on light tackle for them.
Christian (age 10) with a 25" red drum caught off the ICW behind Topsail Island with a Gulp shrimp. He was fishing with Capt. Andrew Arndt.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf and pier anglers have caught a few whiting and pufferfish over the past week, and the main run of whiting should be just around the corner.
Red drum are feeding in the shallows in the area’s rivers, creeks, and bays, and anglers can hook them on live baits or Gulps, topwater plugs, and a variety of other lures.
Anglers have been hooking good numbers of false albacore around nearshore structure, especially towards Beaufort Inlet.
Kathy, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers had some decent runs of whiting and pufferfish over the past week, and the action should continue. The whiting bite is generally best when the water’s a bit rough and stirred up.
A few fat (up to 7 lbs.) black drum are also coming over the rails.
Fresh shrimp on bottom rigs will produce action with all the bottom feeders.
