Swansboro May 12, 2011
Tim Steedly, of New Bern, NC, with a 7 lb., 10 oz. flounder he hooked on a live bait from Bogue Inlet Pier.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that the red drum action is still hot in many of the shallow bays in the Swansboro area. The topwater bite is turning on, especially along the grass flats on lower tides (with many upper to over-slot fish).
Some chopper bluefish (to 10 lbs.) are also falling for topwater plugs on the flats closest to the inlets.
Spanish mackerel are showing up along the beach, especially towards Cape Lookout, and following bait around the inlets. Most are larger than usual, and anglers are hooking them while casting small soft plastics on 1/4 oz. jigheads and on 1/2 oz. diamond jigs.
Cobia are making their first appearance along the beaches and around bait balls working just offshore. Casting bucktails to fish and pods of pogies that anglers sight is the way to hook up with the cobia, and bottom fishing with dead baits around the inlet channels will also produce strikes. The cobia fishing should only improve over the next few weeks.
Deeper channels and holes inshore are holding good numbers of gray trout, and they’ll fall for spec rigs tipped with shrimp and metal jigging lures.
The flounder bite is turning on off the beach, with anglers putting together good catches around structure 5-10 miles off the inlets recently. Bucktails tipped with Gulp baits will attract attention from the flatfish in the ocean.
Flounder fishing is also picking up inshore, where anglers are running into the fish in the creeks, along the ICW, and on the flats where they’re fishing for reds. Gulp baits and small live baits are the way to go for the flatties inside.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing, reports that Atlantic bonito are still feeding around most of the area’s artificial reefs in the early mornings, but the bite is slowing down. Trolling with Yo-Zuri Deep Divers and casting Stingsilvers or other metal lures will produce action with the bonito.
Flounder are beginning to feed on nearshore structure as well, and the ratio of keepers to undersized fish has been improving (now better than 50/50). Anglers can hook the flatfish on bucktails tipped with Gulps or natural baits.
The cobia bite is turning on around Cape Lookout, where anglers can hook fish by bottom fishing with dead baits or casting bucktails with soft plastic trailers to fish they sight.
Offshore, dolphin are showing up in ever-increasing numbers along the edge of the Gulf Stream. Trolling skirted ballyhoo will tempt bites from the dolphin.
Larry and Carter Hudson, of Pikeville, NC, with Atlantic bonito they hooked on Yo-Zuri Deep Divers while trolling near Diver's Rock aboard the "Season Ticket."
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding along the beaches and just off Bogue Inlet. Anglers are hooking them while casting Gotchas and Easy Hooker jigs from the pier and while trolling and casting from boats.
Several cobia have been sighted from the pier already, and boaters are reporting them around the Bogue Inlet and alphabet buoys. Some amberjacks have also moved in to the A-Buoy area. Live baits and a variety of lures will tempt bites from the AJ’s and cobia.
Billy, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers have been landing plenty of bluefish (some to 10+ lbs.) lately on plugs and baited bottom rigs. Some spanish mackerel have also been taking an interest in Gotcha plugs worked from the pier recently.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with some black drum, sea mullet, and healthy pompano (1-2 lbs.) on rigs baited with shrimp.
Flounder (including a 7.6 lb. fish this past week) are falling for small live baits on the bottom.
