Swansboro July 26, 2007
Jeff, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that area sheepshead fishing is still hot. Anglers are landing plenty of the striped fish from 1-3 lbs. by baiting up with fiddler crabs, rock crabs, and sand fleas. The local bridges have been holding the most fish, especially the Onslow Beach Bridge and Highway 58 and 24 Bridges.
Black drum are feeding around the same structure the sheepshead are, and they will take the same baits. Target the black drum by working baits on the bottom around the bases of the pylons.
Bogue, Bear, and Brown’s Inlet are holding plenty of summer flounder, and anglers are landing fish from under the 14” size limit up to around 4 lbs. A few larger fish in the 5-10 lb. range are feeding on the flats of Bogue Sound.
The summer flounder bite is heating up on the nearshore reefs, ledges, and live bottoms as well. Double digit numbers of flounder aren’t uncommon, and bucktails tipped with Gulp baits are outproducing live baits at the nearshore structure.
Inshore red drum fishing has slowed down a bit due to the high volume of gill nets set in the internal waters. The drum that anglers are finding have been feeding in the channels and on ICW structure rather than in the net-choked shallows. Some large bluefish are feeding along with the drum and falling for topwater lures.
The high winds have created murky conditions in the surf zone and hampered ocean red drum fishing.
Anglers are landing decent numbers of 1-3 lb. speckled trout all over Swansboro area waters. Most of the trout are biting live baits that anglers are fishing for flounder and drum, and a few are also falling for Gulp baits.
Bluefish and ladyfish are feeding around the inlet shoals, grass flats, and eddies around ICW structure. At night, the ladyfish are feeding beneath lighted docks and bridges.
Plenty of spanish mackerel are feeding around the inlets and along the surf zone, but most are on the small side. Anglers targeting the spanish should troll Clarkspoons between the beach and 40’ depths.
Larger spanish and some kings are feeding around the nearshore live bottoms and AR’s. These fish prefer small live baits to trolled spoons or dead baits. The larger kings have been feeding 5+ miles offshore.
Dale, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that anglers are landing plenty of red drum throughout Bogue Sound. Drum fishing has been best on incoming and high tides. The drum are falling for live baits, Gulp baits, spinnerbaits, and topwater lures.
Flounder fishing has been excellent in terms of numbers over the past week, although many of the fish are on the small side. Gulp baits and Gulp-tipped bucktails will fool the flounder, as will live mullet (for anglers who can catch them).
Surf fishermen are landing pompano and whiting while fishing with shrimp and sand fleas. Bluefish are also feeding in the surf zone, and anglers are hooking up with blues by casting gold Kastmasters and Stingsilvers.
The spanish mackerel bite is still hot nearshore, and some boats are catching limits while trolling Clarkspoons. The best action has been a little ways off the beach. Boats trolling just outside the breakers are catching mostly bluefish.
Plenty of kings are following schools of pogies up and down the beach. Trolling live pogies is the best way to put kings in the boat.
Rhonda, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking up with some whiting. Fresh shrimp are producing the best results on the bottom rigs.
Plug casters are landing good numbers of bluefish.
Flounder are taking an interest in live finger mullet fished on the bottom.
Some large spanish mackerel are hitting live baits on king rigs, and several kings were caught over the week. Last week’s largest king was 27 lbs.
The water temperature is 85 degrees.
