Swansboro May 7, 2009
Rodney Williams, of Surf City, with a wahoo caught in 135' 60 miles off New River Inlet. The fish ate a ballyhoo under a pink Blue Water Candy Mini-Jag.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that spanish mackerel have shown up in droves, with anglers catching good numbers from the piers on out to the nearshore structure and reefs in the 3-5 mile range. Many of the spanish have been a very nice class of fish (18-24″), and boats are putting together the best catches while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and trolling weights in the early mornings, with gold spoons particularly hot.
Bluefish are mixed in with the spanish and are chasing bait in the deeper marsh channels, the inlets, and the ICW as well. They’ll hit just about anything, with soft plastics, Mirrolures, and topwater plugs all good choices.
There are a good number of red drum feeding in the marshes behind the barrier islands right now. The fish are feeding heavily on crabs, so topwater plugs have been less effective than subsurface lures like spinnerbaits and scented soft plastics. Live mud minnows fished on float rigs, light Carolina rigs, or drop shot rigs are also highly effective.
The flounder bite has been solid lately in the western creeks off Bogue Sound and particularly in Queen’s Creek and the White Oak River. Gulp shrimp have been the most productive baits for the flatties lately. Plenty of smaller flounder are moving into the inlets, and larger fish are staging on the live bottoms and wrecks 5-10 miles offshore.
Some speckled trout are feeding in the same areas as the inshore flounder, and Gulp shrimp, D.O.A. shrimp, and live mud minnows underneath popping corks should fool the trout when anglers find them.
Gray trout and whiting are feeding on the bottom around the turns of the inlet channel and in deeper holes around the Swansboro waterfront. Spec rigs in shrimp glow and white and then tipped with shrimp will attract attention from the trout and whiting.
Anglers searching for live bait shouldn’t have a problem finding tiger minnows on the sandbars near the inlets and peanut pogies and finger mullet in the backs of the smaller creeks. The cold winter killed off many of the resident shrimp, however, so it will be a while before anglers are able to find shrimp large enough for live baits.
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Richard Cole, Zach Moore, Corey Durako, adn Richard Gilligan with dolphin, a wahoo, a blackfin tuna, and a gag grouper they caught at the Same Ole. The pelagics bit ballyhoo under blue/white sea witches and black/purple JAG's adn the gag fell for a vertical jig while the anglers were aboard the 29' Donzi "BlueBYU."
Chesson, of CXC Fishing, reports that offshore anglers found excellent dolphin fishing in the blue water the last time they could get out. Most of the fish were just gaffer size (in the 8-12 lb. range), but a few larger fish (some up to 40 lbs.) are in the mix as well. Most boats were hooking up with a wahoo or two per trip as well, and a few managed to get into the blackfin and yellowfin tunas. Skirted ballyhoo will fool all the blue water predators when boats can find them. Last week, the hottest action was on the cooler side of the temperature breaks as well.
Amberjacks are schooled up at the Hutton and other offshore wrecks, and anglers should have little difficulty hooking up with them on vertical jigs or live baits.
King mackerel have moved into the 20 mile areas, and they should be moving even further inshore over the coming weeks.
A few Atlantic bonito are still chasing bait in the area, and anglers hooked up with some last week around AR-340 (six miles off the beach).
Inshore, the red drum are moving into their usual summer haunts in the marshes. Anglers can search for the reds around flooded grass beds, and then cast Gulp baits or other lures to entice them to bite.
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William Argenbright, Ed Jadlowski, Joe Hartman, and Mike Pletl with a solid catch of Atlantic Bonito taken near Diver's Rock off New River Inlet. The bonito fell for vertically worked diamond jigs in 40' of water.
Dale, of the Reel Outdoors, reports that surf and pier anglers are hooking up with whiting and black drum while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Hatteras bluefish (to over 8 lbs.) are also making an appearance, and anglers are catching them from the surf and piers on cut mullet, live baits, and casting lures.
Spanish mackerel (many in the 3-4 lb. class) are feeding nearshore as well, and anglers are catching them while trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers from boats and casting Gotchas from the piers.
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Rhonda, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers casting Gotcha plugs and gold hook rigs limited out on spanish mackerel last Friday and Saturday before the wind dirtied the water.
Some Hatteras-sized bluefish are also falling for the Gotchas.
Bottom fishermen are finding action with whiting, gray trout, pompano, and black drum in the daytime, as well as whiting and gray trout at night. Shrimp are producing the best results on the bottom rigs.
