Swansboro – October 23, 2014
Brynn Shoffner, of Emerald Isle, with an upper-slot red drum that struck a live finger mullet in a Swansboro-area marsh while she was fishing with Capt. Robbie Hall of Hall’Em In Charters.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that anglers are seeing an improving speckled trout bite near the area inlets, and the action should only get better as the water temperatures drop over the coming month. Live baits (like shrimp and mullet) and soft plastics (like Gulp baits and Zoom Flukes) will attract attention from the specks.
Red drum are feeding on the flats near the inlets, where anglers can hook them on topwater plugs or a wide variety of subsurface artificials. Live and cut mullet can be effective when the fish don’t want to bite the artificials.
More reds are feeding just off the inlets in the ocean, and they’re biting soft plastics on heavier jigheads and cut and live baits.
False albacore are chasing bait just off the inlets, and anglers are tempting them to bite small metal lures they’re casting around surface activity and working birds.
The king mackerel bite is still going within a few miles of land, too, and anglers are hooking solid numbers of kings (some 20-30+ lbs.) on live menhaden and other baits.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still connecting with some king mackerel in the area even after the swells and cold snap last week. The fish are feeding within a few miles of the inlets and biting live menhaden and “jig baits” like cigar minnows, threadfins, and sardines.
Evelyn Berry, of Richlands, NC, with a 48″ red drum she caught and released near Browns Inlet after it struck a pigfish on a Carolina rig.
False albacore are feeding in the same areas and pouncing on metal casting jigs and small, flashy flies.
Robbie, of Hall’Em In Charters, reports that the speckled trout action has taken off for fall, and anglers are finding plenty of willing specks in the marshes and near the inlets. Soft plastics and suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s are attracting attention from the specks.
King mackerel fishing remains solid just off Bogue Inlet, where anglers slow-trolling live menhaden are finding plenty of action.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that local surf casters are still seeing some good red drum action along the Emerald Isle beachfront. Both baited bottom rigs and soft baits like Gulps on jigheads are fooling the reds.
Big numbers of bluefish are also feeding along the beachfront and biting bottom rigs and metal casting jigs. Anglers are also picking up a few spanish mackerel on the metal lures.
Some sea mullet and pompano are taking an interest in bottom rigs baited with shrimp and sand fleas just off the beaches.
Inshore, anglers continue to find good numbers of flounder in the inlets, around the marshes, and at ICW structure like docks. Gulps and live baits are fooling the flatfish.
Mike Larson, of Wilmington, with a 20″ speckled trout that bit a soft plastic bait near Browns Inlet.
Just off the beaches there’s been some excellent king mackerel fishing lately, with most of the fish falling for live menhaden.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers have been seeing some solid spot runs over the past weekend. The best action has been at night, and most of the fish are falling for natural or artificial bloodworms and cut shrimp. Decent numbers of sea mullet have been mixed in with the spot.
Some fat flounder are biting live baits fished under the pier.
Anglers working Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs from the planks are connecting with good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Before the swells from last week’s hurricane, anglers were still catching solid numbers of king mackerel from the pier, and the action may heat back up in the coming weeks.
