Swansboro – April 9, 2015
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that anglers are seeing pufferfish, gray trout, and bluefish move into the local inlets. Fishing deeper inshore hard bottom areas and drop-offs with bottom rigs baited with shrimp or small metal jigs will tempt all three to bite.
Hunter Wood, of Emerald Isle, with a 20″ red drum that struck a Zoom Fluke in a marsh behind Bear Island while he was fishing with his father.
Extremely low tides have had the area’s red drum on the move recently, and they’re starting to feed more aggressively as more bait filters into the marshes. Soft baits like Zoom Flukes and Gulps will often fool the fish, but anglers can have more luck with cut mullet or crab chunks when the reds are hesitant to bite.
Kathy Loving with a 22″ red drum that bit a Zoom Super Fluke on a White Oak River mudflat while she was fishing with Capt. Johnathan Garrett of On Point Charters.
Speckled trout, smaller reds, and flounder are beginning to feed more actively in the area’s mainland creeks, and smaller soft baits are the way to fool all three.
Out in the ocean, black sea bass and some large gray trout are feeding around nearshore reefs and ledges within a few miles of the beaches. Metal jigs like Stingsilvers bounced over the structure will fool both.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are finding solid black sea bass action at bottom structure from the 10 mile range on out (with some limit catches inshore of 10 miles). Bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits or artificial lures like bucktails and metal jigs will attract plenty of attention from the bass.
Anglers are reporting some Atlantic bonito in the 20 mile range off local inlets, and the fish should begin moving in towards the beachfront as the water warms over the next month. Searching for working birds or fish feeding on the surface is the way to find the bonito, and anglers can hook them on flashy metal casting lures like diamond jigs.
Boats making the run to the break should be able to find some wahoo and blackfin tuna action while trolling skirted ballyhoo.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that anglers are connecting with some flounder, red drum, and speckled trout inshore in the marshes and creeks. Live baits will fool all three, but anglers can also often connect while working Gulp baits or other soft plastics on jigheads.
Anglers fishing the beachfront are still finding a few red drum, but the majority seem to have moved inshore to the marshes.
Sea mullet, pufferfish, and small bluefish have moved into the surf zone and are biting shrimp and cut baits pinned to small hooks on bottom rigs.
Anglers making it out into the ocean are reporting some black sea bass action at structure in the 10 mile range. Bottom rigs baited with squid and small vertical jigging lures will fool the bass.
Some false albacore are feeding on the surface in the same areas and will pounce on small metal casting lures. Atlantic bonito should be showing up in the 10 mile range as well and moving toward the beachfront as the month wears on.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that bottom fishermen have been decking good numbers of sea mullet and pufferfish while soaking shrimp, bloodworms, and cut baits.
Warming water temperatures should soon have bluefish and small spot feeding around the pier and biting the same baits.
The water is 59 degrees.
