Swansboro October 24, 2013
Wayne Rose, of Roper, NC, with a 29″ gag grouper he hooked on cut bluefish while fishing off Bogue Inlet on the headboat “Nancy Lee.”
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that there’s been a solid red drum bite in the area marshes recently. Most of the fish are falling for live finger mullet, but Gulp baits and topwater plugs have been effective as well.
Reds are also moving to the inlets and beachfront as the water cools and schooling up around the shoals. They’ll only grow more numerous in the inlets and ocean as the temperatures drop even further.
Flounder are feeding alongside the reds inshore and falling for soft plastics and live baits as well.
The speckled trout bite is getting started in the sound, but many of the fish are still up the creeks and rivers. The sound action will get better as the water cools off and the fish get on the move. Live shrimp are tough to beat for the specks, but anglers can also hook up on a variety of soft plastic baits.
Out in the ocean, schools of false albacore are feeding around the inlet and to a few miles offshore. A few spanish mackerel are mixed in, and anglers can target both while casting small metal lures like diamond jigs around working birds and fish feeding on the surface.
Robbie, of Hall’Em In Charters, reports that there’s been an excellent speckled trout bite around the inlets lately (with many fish 3-4 lbs.). Live shrimp and finger mullet fished under slip-float rigs are fooling most of the specks (with the mullet producing large fish on average). Anglers are also hooking a few on Zoom Flukes, other soft plastics, and MR18 MirrOlures.
Bobby Houser and Jason Roberts with a 65 lb. wahoo that bit a ballyhoo near the Swansboro Hole.
Some black drum and sheepshead are mixed in with the specks and also taking an interest in live shrimp.
Red drum are feeding in the local marshes (most mid-slot fish), and they’ve been biting topwater plugs well lately. Live shrimp under rattling floats and Gulp baits are also attracting plenty of attention from the reds.
Out in the ocean, there’s been an excellent king mackerel bite within 10 miles of the beaches. Anglers slow-trolling live menhaden and bluefish around live bottoms in that range have been finding fast action with the kings. ‘
Some large spanish mackerel are still around and falling for slightly smaller live baits.
False albacore are schooling up from the inlet to the 10 mile range, and anglers looking for a tough battle can hook them on light spinning gear while casting small metal jigs to fish feeding on the surface.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with big numbers of king mackerel while fishing within 10 miles of the beachfront right now. The fish are feeding around bottom structure and suspended bait concentrations, and live menhaden are fooling them into biting.
Lauren Hall with a mid-slot red drum she hooked on a live shrimp under a rattling float while fishing near Swansboro with her father, Capt. Robbie Hall of Hall’Em In Charters, and her great uncle Floyd Smallwood.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf anglers are catching big numbers of red drum on cut and live mullet, along with Gulp baits and other artificials.
Some speckled trout are starting to show up in the surf and will bite live baits, soft plastics, or MirrOlures.
Sea mullet and spot have been taking an interest in bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms in the surf and off the pier.
The king mackerel bite just offshore has been solid lately, with live menhaden fooling most of the fish. There are also a few dolphin in as close as Station Rock, where king fishermen caught several last week.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that live-baiters have landed a king mackerel and a 47 lb. cobia from the end of the pier in recent weeks.
Plug casters are hooking spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotchas and casting jigs from the pier.
Bottom fishermen have been connecting with spot, pompano, sea mullet, gray trout, sheepshead, and more while soaking shrimp and bloodworms on double-drop rigs. A few black and puppy drum are also biting the bottom rigs.
The water is 74 degrees but will be dropping with the weekend’s cold front.
