Swansboro April 26, 2007
Jeff, of Fish’N4Life Charters, reports that mid April’s wind and cold kept fishermen off the water many days, but good fishing was there when anglers could get out. In the internal waters, speckled trout, red and black drum, gray trout, bluefish, sea mullet, and a few flounder bent rods and filled coolers on the nice days.
In the surf, anglers found red and black drum, sea mullet, puffer fish, bluefish and others.
Jigging at nearshore structure produced sea bass and a few summer flounder. False albacore and bonito also thrilled anglers at the nearshore reefs.
As May begins, inshore fishing will be wide open. Target red drum with spinnerbaits tipped with Gulp, topwaters, and float rigs with artificial or natural baits. The drum will be feeding in the marshes and around oyster beds at higher tides, and in adjacent deeper water when the tide falls. A jighead or Carolina rig is a better way to present soft plastic or live baits when the drum are in deeper water.
Flounder will be mixed in with the drum, but they can be specifically targeted by fishing a Carolina-rigged live or frozen minnow around structure in the waterway, around inlets, and in deeper channels.
Speckled trout will be feeding on channel edges in the marshes behind Bear Island and Emerald Isle, and will fall for MirrOlures, soft plastics, and live baits fished under floats.
In the ocean, the nearshore artificial reefs and live bottoms will be hosting flounder, sea bass, spanish mackerel, king mackerel, bluefish, bonito, and some cobia. Troll or cast a variety of 3” to 5” lures for the pelagic species, and jig 1 to 3 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp just off the bottom for flounder action. A Stingsilver tipped with Gulp or Fish Bites jigged near the bottom will produce sea bass and other species.
Stan, of Captain Stanman’s Fishing Charters, reports that bonito have arrived and are feeding within 5 miles of the beach. The bonito are generally found on nearshore structure, such as AR342, AR345, and the Keypost, but they will chase schools of baitfish over barren bottom as well.
The key to finding the fish is searching for diving birds while you are headed to and cruising around the structure. When a school has been located, they can be caught by trolling small Clark Spoons or casting to surfacing fish with light spinning tackle.
If the fish sound, trolling weights or planers can be added 10-20 feet in front of the Clark Spoon to get the lure deeper.
Spanish mackerel are frequently mixed with the bonito to add some variety to the catch.
James, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that bluefish are providing most of the action on the pier right now. The blues will hit both plugs and bottom rigs.
The recent cold front chased away the whiting, but they’ll return as the temperature comes back up. Expect to see speckled trout, puppy drum, and flounder in the next few weeks as well.
The water temperature is 61 degrees.
