Swansboro June 10 ,2010
Brett Lanier, from Goldsboro, NC, and Edward Venters, from Swansboro, with a 43.6 lb. bull dolphin they hooked west of the Big Rock on a skirted ballyhoo while fishing with Matt King. Weighed in at Dudley's Marina.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that anglers are finding some excellent sheepshead action around deeper dock pilings in the area (with decent numbers of 4-6 lb. fish). Fiddler crabs and sea urchins are producing most of the action, with the bigger fish showing a preference for the urchins.
Black drum (some to 12-15 lbs.) are feeding in many of the same areas as the sheepshead, and they will take an interest in fiddler crabs or live shrimp.
Red drum are feeding along marshy points in the sound, and they’re on oyster rocks and in small creek mouths off the rivers and larger creeks. Live shrimp and Gulp-tipped spinnerbaits are attracting most of the attention from the reds right now.
The flounder bite is on in the inlets, and drifting the nearby channels with tiger-side minnows or finger mullet is an excellent way to hook up with them.
The flounder action also remains solid on the nearshore reefs. Live baits or Gulp-tipped bucktails will produce action nearshore.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches and at nearshore structure, and anglers can troll spoons and diving lures, cast metal lures to breaking fish, or free-line small live baits to attract attention from the larger fish.
Cobia are in many of the same areas and hanging around buoys as well. Sight-casting bucktails or chumming the fish to the boat will get the cobia’s attention.
Amberjacks are feeding at structure in the 4-10 mile range, and they will take an interest in a variety of baits and lures.
Jeannie Shultz with a 27" red drum she hooked on a popping cork rig while fishing the backwaters near Swansboro with Capt. Jeff Cronk of FishN4Life Charters.
Jeff, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that there’s plenty of bait in the area and the inshore fishing has been excellent lately. Anglers are finding plenty of 3-5” pogies in the creeks off the sound and mainland, with larger pogies in the ICW and river mouths. Plenty of 40-60 count shrimp are in the same areas as the peanut pogies. Threadfin herring are schooling around the Swansboro bridges on the falling tide.
The flounder bite has been excellent, with the best action around ICW docks, marsh points, and smaller creek mouths on the falling tide. Anglers are picking up the fish on Carolina-rigged live baits and spinnerbait/Gulp pogy combos.
The area’s red drum are working the marsh bays in pods of up to a dozen. Topwater baits are producing well on the rising tide, and Gulp pogies are attracting attention when the fish turn down topwaters.
Sheepshead fishing around area oyster rocks and dock and bridge pilings has been producing plenty of action lately. Fiddler crabs are some of the best baits, and anglers can catch them during the last few hours of a falling tide or purchase them at Dudley’s Marina.
Nearshore, the spanish and king mackerel bite is solid. Anglers should look for terns diving in the early morning hours around tide lines or the surf to locate the spanish, and trolled Clarkspoons or diving lures will draw them to bite.
The nearshore live bottoms are covered with bait and the school king mackerel that feed on it. Fishing 4-6” live baits on king rigs will draw them to bite.
In the same areas, anglers can hook up with summer flounder (in the 4-6 lb. class) on 1-2 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp shrimp.
Zeke Lewis, of Richlands, NC, with a puppy drum he hooked on a MirrOlure near Bear Island while fishing with his father, Capt. Zealy Lewis of Scales and Tails Inshore Outfitters.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing, reports that the king mackerel bite is hot within 3 miles of the beach. Trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers will draw bites from the kings, and anglers can also slow-troll live baits to hook up.
Amberjacks are feeding on structure in the 5-10 mile range, where anglers can tempt them to strike live baits, topwater plugs, and other lures.
Dolphin are moving closer to the beaches all the time, and anglers may well find them feeding within 15 miles of the beach.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that the king mackerel and dolphin bite has been on at Station Rock and the Hutton lately. Live baiting is the best way to fool both fish, but they’ll also take an interest in dead baits.
Kings and cobia are also on the hunt along the beaches and nearshore.
Chopper bluefish are terrorizing bait along the beachfront, and anglers can hook them while trolling a variety of lures and live baits or fishing large cut baits in the surf.
Billy, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are decking a mix of spot, croaker, pigfish, and whiting on shrimp.
Live baiters landed the first king mackerel of the year and a cobia last week, and several more cobia have been spotted from the pier.
