Swansboro July 2, 2009
Rachael Patterson, of Broadway, NC, with an 18 lb. dolphin she hooked on her first trip offshore. The fish (and the others pictured) fell for a ballyhoo under a Blue Water Candy Mini JAG while she was trolling near the Swansboro Hole with Craig Taylor.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that the nearshore spanish and king mackerel bite has been excellent lately. Anglers are finding the mackerel at wrecks, reefs, and other structure within 5 miles of the beaches. Live pogies or other baits are tops for the kings and these larger spanish (some to nearly 6 lbs. last week).
Smaller spanish mackerel are still chasing bait along the beaches. Anglers can catch them on trolled Clarkspoons, and with the heat lately, there’s been lots more action on lures trolled deep behind trolling weights and planers.
Inshore, anglers have been seeing the spanish jumping just inside the inlet and along sandbar drop-offs in the ICW. Stopping and casting diamond jigs or Gotcha plugs is producing plenty of hookups.
Flounder are feeding at nearshore structure, too, and anglers bouncing bucktails and heavy Carolina rigs (1-2 oz. weights, 40 lb. leaders, and 2/0 hooks) with live baits are hooking up with keeper flounder (some to 20+”) and sea bass.
The inshore flounder bite has been best in creek mouths and the deep holes along the marsh edges lately, with good numbers of fish also coming from the channels near the inlets. Smaller Carolina rigs with live finger mullet or other baits are tops for the flatfish inshore.
The red drum bite is still solid in the marshes in mud bottom and oyster rock areas, but anglers can expect the fish to begin moving to the marsh edges soon due to the increasing daytime heat. Anglers are hooking the reds on live finger mullet and Gulp baits, with a few falling for topwater plugs in the early mornings and on overcast, cooler days.
The sheepshead bite has been on and off over the week, likely due to recent rain that seems to stop the sheeps from feeding as heavily. Anglers are finding the fish around the Swansboro and Emerald Isle bridges, and incoming water is producing the best bite. Fiddler crabs fished tight to the bridge pilings are the best baits to hook up with the sheeps. Some larger fish are feeding under residential docks, but anglers must fish them at high slack tides in order to get baits tight to the pilings where the fish will be feeding.
Speckled trout are feeding in deeper holes (4-6’) around oyster rocks, along marsh edges, and in the backs of the creeks. Live shrimp under floats are the best way to target the trout, but there are lots of pinfish and other undesirable pests that will make quick work of the shrimp. However, once anglers find a feeding school of trout, they should beat the pins to the shrimp.
Black drum are feeding around many of the oyster rocks and bridge pilings where anglers are sheepshead fishing. Anglers can hook them on live shrimp during incoming tides in these areas.
There have been plenty of shrimp along the grass edges and coming out of the creeks, so anglers should have little trouble catching some in a cast net for baits. Plenty of pogies and finger mullet are working the same areas as well.
Jo Ann Shields, from Lexington, NC, with a 6 lb. 14 oz. black drum caught on a live shrimp. She was surf fishing from Indian Beach at Salter Path.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing, reports that king mackerel and dolphin are still feeding at wrecks, AR’s, and around the alphabet buoys off of Bogue Inlet, though the dolphin bite has slowed down just a bit lately. There have been plenty of baits like cigar minnows and greenies in the area for anglers to jig up, but the fish have been taking a liking to live pogies, too.
There are also lots of barracudas in the area, and anglers are hooking some of the cudas and losing hooked fish to some as well.
Bottom structure in the same range where the kings and dolphin are feeding is giving up some gag grouper and other bottom feeders to anglers dropping baited bucktails.
Dennis Jones, from Wallburg, NC, with a sailfish he released at the Swansboro Hole while fishing on the "Sea Gypsy" with Capt. Danny Herko. The sail fell for a blue/white-skirted ballyhoo.
Dale, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf anglers are still catching a mixed bag of spot, whiting, pompano, and other bottom feeders on shrimp, sand fleas, and bloodworms.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for gold Kastmasters that surf anglers are working from the point.
In the marshes, anglers are still catching a lot of red drum on topwater plugs and spinnerbait/Gulp combinations.
Big numbers of smaller flounder are taking an interest in Gulps on jigheads while anglers are drifting the channels.
King mackerel and dolphin are still feeding at structure 2-15 miles off the beaches. Live baits like pogies are best for the kings, and the dolphin are taking more of an interest in dead cigar minnows. Most of the dolphin are gaffers between 7-15 lbs. Plenty of barracuda are around, and anglers are losing some of their dolphin and kings to barracudas near the boat.
Boats are sight-casting to some cobia around the AR buoys and the alphabet buoys.
Joanne, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers casting Gotcha plugs are hooking up with some spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Bottom fishermen are picking up a mixed bag of speckled trout, spot, and whiting on shrimp.
