Swansboro – August 27, 2015
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that anglers are seeing red drum school back up in the bays and marshes off Bogue Sound (with some groups of several hundred). There’s also still good drum action at drains leading from the marshes into the waterway, and anglers are seeing decent numbers of fish move into the surf zone to chase mullet as well. Live finger mullet, topwater plugs, Gulp baits, and a host of other offerings will attract attention from the reds.
Flounder are feeding around the marsh drains and area creekmouths as well as at structure like docks along the ICW. The flatfish will take an interest in live finger mullet or Gulp baits bounced slowly along the bottom.
Black drum and sheepshead are looking for meals around bridge and dock pilings near Swansboro and Emerald Isle. Anglers can tempt both crustacean-lovers to bite live fiddler crabs or shrimp.
There are still some large spanish mackerel feeding in the ICW near Bogue Inlet, particularly at higher tides. They’ll bite free-lined finger mullet or a variety of casting lures.
Tyson Blalock with a 26″ red drum he landed after it fell for a Carolina-rigged finger mullet in a Swansboro marsh. He was fishing with Capt. Dale Collins of Fish or Die Charters.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have been seeing a solid king mackerel bite (nearly a typical fall bite) nearshore from Bogue Inlet to Cape Lookout at present. They can fool the kings on live baits like menhaden pinned to light wire leaders.
Offshore, anglers are reporting some solid wahoo action at local spots along the break. Skirted ballyhoo are fooling the majority of the fish, and baits fished deep off planers have been far outproducing the surface offerings in recent days.
Katherine Frye, of Greenville, NC, with her first red drum, hooked in a marsh near Bogue Inlet while she was fishing with her uncle Steve Johnston.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that anglers are seeing some good action with school-sized king mackerel and some large spanish mackerel at rocks, live bottoms, and other spots within a few miles of Bogue Inlet. Live baits fished on light wire leaders are anglers’ best bets for hooking up with the mackerel.
Flounder are feeding on the bottom in the same areas and will pounce on bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits.
Surf casters are beginning to find some decent red drum action on the local beaches, and they are fooling the fish on shrimp, cut baits, and finger mullet. Anglers are also hooking some black drum, bluefish, sea mullet, and croaker while surf fishing, and pufferfish seem to be making an early appearance as well.
Inshore, anglers continue to catch big numbers of red drum in the marshes on live baits and a variety of artificial lures. Flounder are feeding in many of the same areas and biting live baits and soft lures like Gulps.
Speckled trout have also started biting inshore, with most of the action in the creeks off Bogue Sound. Anglers can fool the specks with live baits, soft plastics, or suspending plugs like MirrOlures.
Skylar Johnson with a 20″ flounder that struck a 3″ Gulp pogy while he was fishing near Dudley’s Marina.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet, black drum, croaker, and other bottom feeders while fishing shrimp on double-drop rigs.
Some spanish mackerel and bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs and other casting lures that anglers are working from the pier.
Anglers are also connecting with some larger spaniards on live baits fished off the end of the pier.
