Swansboro – May 7, 2015
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with big numbers of gray trout, bluefish, and black sea bass at nearshore reefs off Bogue Inlet. Most are falling for 3/4-2 oz. Stingsilvers and other jigging lures. Some false albacore are feeding in the same areas and also falling for the jigs.
Spanish mackerel have shown up along the beachfront, and anglers are catching big numbers while trolling spoons and casting jigs. The falling tidelines in front of inlets have been producing some of the best action.
Lauren Caveness (age 14) with a false albacore that she caught and released after it chased down a gold Clarkspoon while she was trolling near AR-362 with her father on the “Miss Rachel.”
Red drum are still schooling up in the bays and marshes behind the barrier islands and have begun to feed more aggressively as the water temperatures climb. Anglers are hooking solid numbers on topwater plugs and soft plastic baits, along with cut baits when they do become finicky.
Flounder are beginning to show up in shallow water in many of the same areas, and they’ll bite soft plastics and live baits.
John Cain and Josh Bachelor, of Raleigh and Pink Hill, NC, with the results of a triple hookup of upper-slot red drum they found while fishing behind Bear Island with Capt. Rob Koraly of Sandbar Safari Charters. The reds fell for cut bait and Zoom Flukes.
The mainland creeks are also showing some improved fishing, with good numbers of flounder, trout, and smaller puppy drum. Mud minnows and smaller soft plastics are fooling all three fish.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are finding spanish mackerel and Atlantic bonito schooled up around the local inlets and nearshore structure. Chasing working birds and casting metal lures like Stingsilvers underneath them has been producing plenty of action with both, and anglers are also hooking up while working the lures vertically around schools of bait they mark on the sounder.
Trolling diving plugs or Clarkspoons will also attract attention from the bonito and spanish.
Offshore, there’s still some solid trolling action along the break. Anglers are connecting with increasing numbers of dolphin by the week, along with some blackfin tuna and a few wahoo. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are fooling the majority of the fish in the blue water.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that there’s been an excellent dolphin bite in the Gulf Stream off Bogue Inlet recently. The best action has been from the Big Rock to the Rise, and anglers are hooking the fish on skirted ballyhoo. Some wahoo and blackfin tuna are mixed in and also falling for ballyhoo.
Flounder, black sea bass, and gray trout are looking for meals at nearshore structure within 10 miles of the beachfront, and anglers can hook all three on bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits.
Spanish mackerel and Atlantic bonito are feeding on the surface in the same areas and will pounce on diamond jigs or other flashy lures cast towards fish chasing bait on the surface.
Surf casters are connecting with sea mullet, bluefish, and a few red drum. Shrimp and cut baits have been the best bets for the fish in the surf.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that spanish mackerel have shown up, and anglers are catching solid numbers of the fish while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier.
Plenty of bluefish are mixed in with the spanish and also falling for the plugs.
Bottom fishermen are decking some sea mullet, black drum, pufferfish, and a few early pompano.
The water is 64 degrees.
