Swansboro August 30, 2007
Jeff Cronk, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that as September progresses, anglers will see increasing numbers of speckled trout, red drum, black drum, and flounder populating the inshore waters.
Red and black drum will be feeding around inlet points and deep structure during the falling tides. Gulp Alive shrimp and pogies fished on 1/4 oz. or heavier jigheads or live finger mullet and shrimp on Carolina or slip float rigs will attract interest from the drum in this deeper water.
On higher rising tides, the fish will be hunting for meals in flooded marsh, grass flats, and oyster beds. When the fish are feeding shallow, a spinnerbait tipped with Gulp Alives or popping corks fished 1-3’ above a live shrimp or finger mullet will produce better results. The reds will also fall for a topwater worked over the shallows.
September is typically the month when speckled trout fishing gets better. Anglers should target the September specks by fishing with live shrimp around feeder channels between the rivers and sounds and the ocean. Bays filled with shrimp will be concentrating trout in the nearby creeks and channels.
Flounder fishing should be good in September throughout the internal waters and around the nearshore reefs and live bottoms. Good numbers of smaller flounder will be feeding in deep water near the inlets, while the larger fish are structure oriented and holding near ICW and deep channel structure. Bridges, boat docks, rock piles, and steep, shelly channel edges will hold some of the larger flatties.
Spanish and king mackerel should be feeding well nearshore over the coming month. The smaller spanish will be around the inlets and surf zone in less than 40’ of water. Look for larger spanish and kings at the nearshore live bottoms and artificial reefs.
Slow trolling live finger mullet, peanut pogies, threadfins, or cigar minnows will produce much better results with the mackerel than pulling spoons and diving plugs.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that some flounder are still feeding around the inlets, but most of the quality fish are holed up in the bays, rivers, and deep holes and creek mouths in the ICW. Carolina-rigged finger mullet are prime flounder baits.
Speckled trout fishing typically picks up during September in the creeks, marshes, and channels. When the fish first begin to show up, anglers will have best results when fishing live and Gulp baits; however, as the trout become more numerous, unscented soft plastics, Mirrolures, and topwater plugs will all produce good catches.
Red drum are feeding in flooded marshes on high and rising tides and in the creeks when the tide is falling. Live shrimp or finger mullet fished beneath popping corks or on Carolina rigs with light weights will draw strikes from the drum.
Some black drum are feeding on the grass flats and near the bridges, and they will fall for live shrimp.
The recent rains should have improved the sheepshead bite, and anglers can target the striped fish around bridges and dock pilings in the ICW. The Emerald Isle Bridge is a top spot to begin searching for the sheepshead, and anglers can chum the fish into feeding by scraping some of the growth off the bridge pilings. The sheepshead should take an interest in fiddler crab baits.
Big bluefish (up to 10 lbs.) are feeding on smaller blues and other bait around the inlet and the Coast Guard Station.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches and in the inlet, but many are on the small side. Trolled Clarkspoons will tempt the mackerel. If boats are catching undersized fish, they should pull in the spread and reset a few hundreds yards further offshore to search for larger ones. The biggest spanish are feeding in 35’ and deeper water.
At the nearshore reefs, bottom fishing should produce sea bass, triggerfish, gray snappers, grunts, and an occasional keeper grouper. Live shrimp are outfishing squid and cut baits on the bottom.
Flounder are also around the reefs, and they will take an interest in shrimp or live finger mullet or pogies.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that the water is hot, and consequently inshore fishing is a bit slow. Flounder are feeding near the inlet, and anglers can target them with bucktails tipped with Gulp shrimp.
Spanish mackerel are chasing bait in the inlet and on the beach. Shore bound anglers can cast Stingsilvers and Kastmasters at the spanish. They’ll also take an interest in gold hook rigs.
Red drum are cruising the marshes. Topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, and New Penny colored Gulp baits will all get attention from the drum.
Herb, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports than anglers are landing some nice flounder (up to 4 lbs.) on Carolina-rigged live finger mullet.
Spot and whiting are taking an interest in shrimp fished on two-hook bottom rigs.
Early in the mornings, anglers are landing some bait-sized bluefish and small spanish mackerel on Gotcha plugs.
The water temperature is 87 degrees.
