Swansboro/Emerald Isle – July 2023
Richard, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf anglers are finding schools of bluefish and some spanish mackerel moving within casting range. In addition, cut shrimp, sand fleas, or bait strips are producing sea mullet and other smaller various bottom species.
Inshore anglers are seeing red drum action starting to pick up, and this uptick is likely due to a bunch of bait around.
Offshore runs are producing king mackerel and dolphin near areas such as the SE Bottoms and Keypost.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that the red drum action has been pretty good for anglers fishing topwater plugs and live finger mullet. The more productive target areas have been back in the marsh channels on lower tides and on ICW docks during higher tides.
Sheepshead and black drum are staged up around local bridges, docks, and oyster points. They have been feeding on shrimp or crabs fished on Jaw Breaker jigs.
On higher tides, there are spanish mackerel jumping around inside and throughout the waterway. The spanish are hitting the smallest metal jigs that anglers can cast to them.
Nearshore anglers are catching large spanish mackerel, amberjacks, king mackerel, and some mahi while trolling live menhaden over the reefs.
Evan Strickland (age 6), of Spring Hope, caught these amberjack using live menhaden while fishing out of Bogue Inlet.
Dale, of Fish or Die Charters, reports that the red drum are scattered all around the area. Anglers are having success fishing topwater baits and soft plastics on lightly weighted jig heads. If the artificial baits aren’t getting it done, a finger mullet or cut menhaden fished on a Carolina rig should work.
Black drum and sheepshead are hanging around the local bridges and docks. The sheepshead are feeding on sea urchins or fiddler crabs, while the black drum have preferred fresh shrimp or cut blue crab.
The waterways are loaded with menhaden, and this has drawn some of those schools of spanish mackerel and bluefish inshore. This inshore action produces best when sight-casting metal jigs in a variety of color patterns.
Even though there isn’t a keeper season yet, flounder are all over the area. Any soft plastic or Carolina-rigged live mullet fished on the bottom will entice a strike.
Matt, of Friendly City Fishing Charters, reports that nearshore anglers are finding good numbers of spanish mackerel right off the beaches. Casting spoons at surface-feeding schools and around bait balls will entice strikes.
There are plenty of bluefish mixed in as well.
Inshore anglers have seen the red drum bite really picking up. There is a ton of bait around inside, with schools of menhaden, good-sized finger mullet, and shrimp all becoming easier to find. All this bait has the reds more actively feeding. The fish are spread out anywhere from shallow bays, to oyster beds back in the marshes, to the docks along the ICW.
John, of Early Riser Fishing Charters, reports that anglers running off the beach have seen flying fish moved in as close as 60’. With them have come mahi, king mackerel, and the occasional sailfish.
Anglers have done well stocking the livewell with menhaden on the way out. Smaller baits have worked well for mahi, while the larger baits are better for kings or sailfish.
Scattered cobia are around as well, and they’ll readily strike a live bait.
Inshore anglers have found the red drum and trout action to be pretty good in the early mornings. Targeting points and structure along the riverbanks with topwater plugs has been a great tactic to start off, and as the day progresses, live finger mullet or cut bait will keep the bite going.
Tyler, of Drumroll Charters, reports that the red drum have been a little finicky, but patient anglers are still having success targeting the grass beds and oyster bars up against marsh banks.
Sheepshead have been reacting well to cut sea urchins, with a Jaw Breaker jig helping with hookup numbers.
There are some nice-sized black drum hitting this same setup around the hard structures.
Cobia are kind of all over the place, though they have mostly pushed offshore at this point. With bait around off the beach, don’t be surprised, though, to still see some of these fish caught in close on the nearshore reefs.
Duane Cook, of Wilmington, NC, caught this mahi using ballyhoo and other trolling baits. He was fishing offshore of Morehead City.
Tony, of Fin FinderZ, reports that with offshore water temperatures now hovering around 75 degrees, fish are moving into their summer patterns.
Hard-fighting amberjacks have pushed in and are staged up over many of the nearshore reefs.
Mahi fishing has been1 scattered but good, with fish being found from out on the break to spots nearshore where favorable conditions (water clarity, temperature breaks, and/or floating grass or debris) come together.
Bottom fishing has been strong, including nice catches of grouper.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers patiently fishing off the end found their first king mackerel of the season, and it was a quality fish at 40 lbs.
The spanish mackerel and bluefish action has been pretty good on casting plugs, with the bluefish also being caught on bottom-rigged bait.
Anglers out bottom fishing are catching pompano, trout, plenty of croakers, and the occasional flounder (released).
