Swansboro – Aug 30, 2018
Stukie, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that the wind has been bad over the last few weeks and that not a lot has been going on, but that redfish are still thick back in the marshes. There have been a mix of slot and over-slot fish, and simply dead sticking (throwing a soft plastic on a slack line into a likely hole) can be enough to get a bite. The reds are getting a lot of pressure, though, so be patient.
It’s time for trout to start showing up, but none have been reported yet.
In the surf, sea mullet and flounder have made up the majority of the catch, and there are some good-sized redfish roaming up and down the beach as well.
Plenty of spanish are being hooked right off the beach, and they’re just about everywhere. Most of them are between 2-4 lbs., though some bigger fish have been mixed in as well.
Offshore trips have been hard to make due to the weather.
Dale, of Dudley’s Marina, reports that fishing has been slow, with some flounder chewing inshore around ICW docks and red drum scattered throughout the backwaters. A lot of the flatties are being caught by anglers targeting the reds. Artificials (such as Gulp shrimp) and Skitterwalks are working well for the reds right now.
Nearshore, kings and spanish are biting, while jigging for flounder has also been decent. Spro bucktails (2 oz.) tipped with 4” Gulp shrimp in white are still the ticket for those nearshore flatfish.
Akayla Hamrick (age 11) caught this 30 lb. king while fishing with live bait near the weather buoy out of Bogue Inlet.
Jerry, of Pogie’s Fishing Center, reports that the redfish bite has been on fire in the Swansboro area, from the marshes behind Bear Island to the White Oak River. The reds have been falling for cut and live mullet, in addition to soft plastics (Gulps in particular).
A lot of flounder have been caught recently, but most of them are either just below or just above the 15” mark.
Speckled trout are beginning to show up near the inlets, and anglers can expect to see quite a bit of action as the water starts to cool through the fall.
The nearshore spanish bite has been steady, with small live menhaden or planer/spoon combos getting most of the action.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that the redfish bite has picked back up in the waterway and up in the rivers. Live baits like mullet, shrimp, and shad have been the best choices for getting a bite.
Some black drum and flounder are scattered in the sound off flooded oyster points, and they are eating live shrimp and mullet.
The spanish and king bite has been steady. Flounder are also biting strong in the nearshore waters, where live baits and bucktails are doing the best work.
Johnathan, of On Point Charters, reports that not much has changed in the last few weeks. Red drum are being found in the marshes inside the inlets, and they’ve been partial to Carolina-rigged live baits, such as mullet and menhaden. Strikes are also being generated by topwaters and soft plastics.
Just outside the inlets, breaking spanish can be caught by casting small metal lures directly to the fracas.
The flounder bite on nearshore reefs and ledges (from the beach to 10 miles out) has remained productive, with Gulp-tipped bucktails doing the most damage. One new development is the strong presence of gray trout on basically any hard bottom or AR within 5 miles. Jigging with Stingsilvers has been the ticket for the grays.
Matt Carucci displays a 26″ and 27″ pair of red drum that were caught while kayak fishing with Patrik Wood, of Drum Crazy Kayak Fishing Charters.
Bobby, of Teezher Charters, reports that big spanish are off the beach, but they’ve moved a little deeper to about 60’ of water. As soon as the water clears up, they’ll move back into the 45’ range and a little closer to the beach.
Kings from the mid-teen to 20 lb. range are around, with some 40 lb. fish mixed in as well. Dolphin are being caught on the nearshore reefs, and an 80” sailfish was pulled in at 8 miles, though some respectable sails have been as close as 5 miles.
Bottom fishing has been great for grouper, flounder, and keeper black sea bass.
In the Gulf Stream, boats are finding sailfish every day, though there have been a lot of teaser bites when pulling dredges. Some blue marlin are in the area, and the wahoo bite has been phenomenal.
On the bottom, grouper, triggerfish, and black sea bass have made up the majority of the catch, and the second weekend of American red snapper being open saw just about every boat limiting out quickly.
Mallary, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that the last few weeks have seen a lot of bluefish and spanish action, with the occasional king coming in as well (the most recent king weighing 27 lbs.).
