Added on Thursday, April 23, 2009  Fish Post

Swansboro April 23, 2009

Jeff, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that the water temperatures in the Swansboro backwaters have come up to the upper-60’s after a few cold snaps turned things around last week.

Whiting are schooled up in the ICW near the Swansboro waterfront, and anglers can hook them on 1/16 oz. spec rigs tipped with shrimp.

Bluefish have moved into the inlet connecting channels and deeper creeks. The blues (most 0.5-3+ lbs.) are aggressive and will gladly strike topwater plugs or suspending jerkbaits.

Large schools of red drum are migrating back into the inshore waters where they spent the late winter. Unfortunately, the slimy bottom moss is inundating the water where reds are hanging out, so anglers must use topwater plugs or near weightless soft baits to avoid fouling the lures. Once the water temperature rises into the 70’s, the algae will die and wash out of the shallow bays where the reds feed.

A variety of fish are feeding in the surf right now, so anglers should be ready for anything. It’s a good idea to bring shrimp (for black drum), metal lures (for bluefish), and cut bait or scented soft plastics for the reds.

At the nearshore artificial reefs and live bottoms, Atlantic bonito will be feeding in the early mornings. Anglers can target the bonito with a pink Stingsilver ripped across the surface at first light. Later in the day, the fish will be holding deep over high relief structure, where they can be hooked by jigging or trolling Clarkspoons or deep diving lures.

Anglers are finding a few speckled trout (1-4 lbs.) in the rivers and creeks. Shallow suspending baits like Mirrolure MR17’s or 5″ Gulp jerkbaits rigged on weedless hooks will provoke them to strike. Gulp 4″ pogies on 1/8 or 1/16 oz. jigheads will work as well.

Anglers looking for live bait in the area should be able to cast net tiger minnows on the shallow sandbars near the inlets or peanut pogies in the creeks.

 

Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that the red drum are on the move in the backwaters and could show up almost anywhere. The most likely spots will be sheltered areas just off of a heavy current flow that hold baitfish. The spot will be even more likely to hold reds if there’s little to none of the slimy “winter moss” on the bottom.

Live and chunk baits are top choices for the reds, but they’ll also take an interest in a variety of soft plastics.

More reds are feeding around oyster rocks up the White Oak River and Queen’s Creek, where spinnerbaits or chartreuse soft plastics should be easier for the reds to find in the stained water.

Flounder are also holding on the oyster rocks, with decent numbers of keepers starting to show up. Gulp shrimp on jigheads or live mud minnows on float rigs will fool the flatfish.

Deeper holes in the river and creeks are giving up some speckled trout (most 1-2 lbs.), and they’ll also take an interest in Gulps or live mud minnows.

Bluefish (ranging from 12″-5 lbs.) are feeding in the channels near the inlet and around the Emerald Isle Bridge.

The bluefish aren’t incredibly aggressive yet, and Gulps and other scented soft baits are outproducing topwaters or metal lures right now.

 

Chesson, of CXC Charter Fishing, reports that boats making it out to the blue water recently have had good catches of wahoo and gaffer dolphin around the Swansboro Hole and Big Rock, but the days they’ve been able to fish have been few and far between.

The sea bass bite has been excellent recently around the 240 Rock and the Hutton wreck, and a few keeper gags have been coming from the same areas. Metal jigs and bottom rigs baited with squid or cut baits will produce action with the bass and gags.

The bonito are still around 10-15 miles off the beach, and anglers recently caught a few casting Stingsilvers while anchored up at the Hutton.

 

Dale, of the Reel Outdoors, reports that surf fishermen are catching bluefish (some to 5 lbs.) from the point at Bogue Inlet. Cut mullet baits have been producing the best results on the bigger blues.

Elsewhere along the island, surf and pier anglers are catching whiting, black drum, red drum, and bluefish. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp and cut baits will draw strikes from all the surf feeders.

 

Billy, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers are catching black drum and whiting on bottom rigs baited with shrimp.

Plug casters are hooking up with some bluefish on Gotchas.

The water is 60 degrees.