Swansboro/Emerald Isle – August 1, 2019
Hannah, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf anglers have been finding good numbers of sea mullet while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Pompano (up to 3 lbs.) are being caught with smaller Carolina-rigs tipped with sand fleas. Fishing the deeper holes right off the sand when the water pulls back has been key in getting bites.
Bluefish are feeding on the surface within casting distance, and they’re hitting glass minnow-style jigs. A few fish are also being caught with Carolina-rigged mullet throughout the afternoon (when they aren’t spotted on top).
Inshore anglers are finding good numbers of red drum in deeper holes and channels in the marshy areas. Topwater plugs have gotten action early, with soft plastics and Carolina-rigged live baits working throughout the day.
A few black drum are mixed in, with most biting Carolina-rigged shrimp.
Flounder are hitting live baits and soft plastics bounced along the sandy bottom areas.
Offshore anglers are catching dolphin in the 25 mile range while pulling ballyhoo around grass lines.
A few wahoo are mixed in the counts, with many coming off baits fished behind a planer.
Paige Krahling, from Exton, PA, with a pair of keeper red drum that fell for Carolina-rigged menhaden. She was fishing with Capt. Johnathan Garrett of On Point Fishing Charters in the back flats of Swansboro.
Dale, of Dudley’s Marina, reports that red drum fishing has been good for anglers fishing early and late in the day with topwater plugs and Gulp soft plastics.
A few speckled trout are striking these same baits, with deeper holes and channels being the key areas to target, especially in the first hour or so of light.
Flounder have been biting well for anglers fishing Carolina-rigged live baits along docks and deeper holes in the ICW.
Nearshore anglers are reporting a good spanish mackerel bite from the inlet out to three miles. High tide has these fish pushed inshore and feeding on schools of mullet in the area.
Flounder are staged up at the ARs. They’re being caught with live bait and bucktails.
Chris, of Pogie’s Fishing Center, reports that flounder fishing has been really good in the marshes behind Bear Island. A majority of these fish have been just short, but steady action with both live bait and soft plastics has anglers forgetting about the hot days.
Redfish are scattered in the area, as the hot water has them split off into very small schools. Anglers are having success when casting topwater plugs in the early morning around grass flats and then using bait and soft plastics in deeper holes throughout the marsh during the rest of the day.
Speckled trout are being caught around feeder creek mouths up towards the mouth of New River. Soft plastics fished under a popping cork have been the most popular setup when searching for schools early and late in the day.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that inshore drum fishing has been great, with red and black drum hitting live shrimp fished on slip-floats and under jig heads.
Speckled trout are mixed in with this bite, but more often the trout seem to be avoiding the heat of the day.
Flounder are hitting bucktails and Carolina-rigged mullet around ICW docks and deeper channels on the way out of the inlet.
Good numbers of spanish mackerel are feeding on the rising tide in the sounds, with small, free-lined mullet being a successful tactic.
Kings and spanish are plentiful at the nearshore ARs, and they’re being caught with a variety of slow-trolled live baits, dead bait rigs, and trolled spoons.
Flounder are showing in good numbers. They’re holding tight to structure, and bucktails with soft plastic trailers are great when fishing vertically for these fish.
Johnathan, of On Point Charters, reports that inshore fishing has been really good for redfish and flounder. Carolina-rigged live baits and soft plastics fished in deeper holes from the ICW to the inlet have been successful in getting bites from both.
A few black drum are in the area, though most have come off shrimp.
Nearshore anglers are doing well when trolling spoons off the beach for limits of good-sized spanish mackerel.
Limits of flounder are being caught with bucktails and soft plastic trailers fished tight to structure at the ARs.
Bobby, of Teezher Charters, reports that nearshore anglers have been finding good numbers of large spanish mackerel and smaller kings around the ARs in the 5-15 mile range. Both are hitting live baits. Mahi are scattered from 10 miles out to the break, and they’re falling for dead bait rigs.
Bottom fishing has been very good, with a wide variety of grouper, amberjack, and snapper all feeding on cut baits.
Josh, of Liquid Fire Sportfishing, reports that the king mackerel bite has been good in the 15-20 mile range, with some larger (up to 35 lb.) fish hitting dead bait rigs with cigar minnows or ballyhoo.
Mahi are being caught in the same 20 mile range with skirted ballyhoo.
Anglers bottom fishing are reporting large amberjack while vertical jigging around structure and live bottoms.
Some large grouper are feeding on cut baits.
Closer to the beach, smaller kings are in the 5 mile range, and they’re mixed with some citation-sized spanish mackerel.
Teresa, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that early morning anglers have been catching some large spanish mackerel (up to 5 lbs.) while casting glass minnow jigs and smaller Gotcha plugs to surface-feeding schools.
Bluefish are mixed in with the spanish (early in the day), as well as biting on their own throughout the afternoon. The day time blues are being caught with cut bait on bottom rigs.
Blowfish and pompano (up to 2 lbs.) are hitting pieces of fresh shrimp fished on a bottom rig.
Sea mullet are mixed in with the bottom fish, with success coming from Fishbites bait strips.
A few large speckled trout (up to 4 lbs.) have been caught with soft plastics in holes closer to the breakers.
Some legal flounder are in these same holes, and they’re hitting soft plastics and bottom-rigged baits.
