Swansboro June 29, 2006
Jeff, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that the internal waters including Bogue Sound, White Oak River, Queens Creek, Bear Creek, and all the bays and creeks between the inlets and the ICW are producing good numbers of redfish, black drum, sheepshead, flounder, bluefish, and even some speckled trout.
The shallow oyster bars and grass flats are holding a lot of the redfish, black drum, and sheepshead, with an occasional flounder and speckled trout. The bait of choice is going to be a live shrimp fished under a popping cork.
There are plenty of live shrimp around the mouths of the feeder creeks in Bogue Sound, White Oak River, and Queens Creek. Live mullet or peanut shad will also get strikes from the redfish, flounder, trout, and bluefish.
Out along the main inlet channels and ICW, the best bet will be live minnows (mud minnows, tiger side minnows, mullet minnows, small pinfish, etc) fished on a Carolina rig.
There will be redfish, flounder, and bluefish along the edges of the ICW channel and docks, rock piles, and pylons. Drifting the inlet connecting channels can produce any species, but usually more flounder and bluefish.
There should be sheepshead feeding off the pylons along docks in the ICW, bridge pylons, and around flooding grass flats and oyster bars. A live shrimp or fiddler crab fished under a popping cork will work great on these.
Along the artificial reefs and live bottoms, the best bottom fishing bite will be targeting flounder and sea bass. The same areas will also be holding king mackerel, spanish mackerel, and dolphin. There will be an occasional cobia or barracuda around these inshore spots too.
Places to target include AR 342, 315, 320, 330, 340, and 345, as well as live bottom areas like Keypost Rocks, East Rock, Station Rock, Bear Rock, and Lost Rock.
Stan, of Capt. Stanman’s Fishing Charters, reports that the dolphin are slowly moving inshore to the 12 to 15 mile rocks and live bottoms. There are reports of them being caught at 45 Minute Rock and Station Rock.
The jig bait left Charlie and Delta buoys again. Plan to have some dead cigar minnows and Yo-zuri Deep Divers on your boat.
There haven’t been any menhaden recently in the Swansboro area.
The Northwest Places, 14 Buoy, and the 90 Foot Drop should be holding bigger and a higher quantity of dolphin. Small kings are at the Southeast Bottoms, Sponge Rock, and 45 Minute Rock.
James, at Bogue Inlet Pier, reports whiting and spot biting dead shrimp on the bottom.
Keeper flounders are biting live shrimp.
Those casting plugs are catching bluefish.
The water temperature is a warm 84 degrees.
