Swansboro September 11, 2008
Tom Cronk and Dr. Jack Cole with four of 26 flounder they caught on bucktails and Gulp baits while onboard with Capts. Mike Taylor and Jeff Cronk of NCCHARTERFISHING recently.
Jeff, of Fish’N4Life Charters, reports that prior to Tropical Storm Hanna, the fishing was great in the Swansboro area. As mild as this tropical storm was as it passed the Crystal Coast, fishing should be back to normal with a couple of flushes of the tide.
The flounder bite has picked up both in the internal waters and along the area’s live bottoms and artificial reefs. Gulp baits or Carolina-rigged live baits like finger mullet are excellent baits for the flounder.
The large schools of redfish in the area have been broken up due to the pressure of gillnets, and the fish have scattered all over the internal waters. The best bite has been on live bait, Gulp baits fished on jigheads, and spinnerbaits. Even the day after the storm, anglers were able to find some reds up to 31″ willing to fall for topwater plugs.
There have been a few speckled trout being caught around Bear Inlet and Brown’s Inlet, as well as in the creeks behind the barrier islands. Live shrimp are the bait of choice, but you can expect to go through 10 dozen or more in just a couple hours of fishing as there are plenty of hogfish, pinfish, croakers, and some black drum that will be joining in on the bite.
The spanish and kings have been blitzing along the beach near Bear Rock, Station Rock, the Keypost, and East Rock. Small finger mullet and menhaden about 4-5″ in length fished on a scaled down king rig using two # 6 gold treble hooks and 8 -10″ of leader will get the job done on the mackerels.Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that there are still some good numbers of red drum feeding in the marshes. The best bite has been in the flooded grass on higher tides and along the channel and ICW edges when the water’s lower. Spinnerbaits, gold and silver spoons, and Gulp baits are attracting plenty of attention from the reds. Live shrimp are the best baits, but the recent rain will be making big numbers of shrimp a little tough to come by for a few days.
The cooler weather that should be coming over the next month should improve the speckled trout bite in the creeks and channels.
Gray trout are beginning to school up on the nearshore reefs and in deep holes off the ICW. Anglers can mark the trout on their depthfinder, and then drop heavy jigheads with Gulps, Stingsilvers, and spec rigs to the fish to draw bites.
Flounder have been feeding well on nearshore structure and in the deeper channels inshore. Live baits and Gulps will get their attention. The bite may take a week or so to recover on the nearshore reefs after getting stirred up by the storm, however.
Spanish and king mackerel were feeding heavily at the nearshore reefs last week, and they should be back when the water clears as well. Small live baits will produce action with the mackerel.
Johny Hallow, of Greenville, NC, caught this 20 lb., 39" king mackerel on a red-skirted cigar minnow between the C Buoy and the SE Bottoms. He was fishing off Bogue Inlet with John Hallow, Tim Colie, and Nickolas Colie.
Jamey, of Coastal Carolina Charters, reports that there’s plenty of bait along the beach, and the spanish mackerel and kings are cruising around looking for a meal. There are still lots of big schools hanging around, particularly around Bogue Inlet Pier and the Keypost. Live peanut pogies and finger mullet will both attract attention from the mackerel, but anglers can also hook up while trolling Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows in blue patterns.
Out towards the Charlie buoy, the bait has been pretty steady and the king bite is on. Steve’s Rock, the 50’s Bottoms, and Southeast Bottoms are hosting action with kings, dolphin, and an occasional wahoo. The fish will strike live cigar minnows, greenies, and pogies, with pogies particularly highly recommended.
Bottom fishing for grouper and other species has been productive at ledges not far from the Naeco lately. Closer to shore, bottom bouncers are hooking up with some sea bass.
Flounder fishing has been pretty steady, with the nearshore ledges producing some nice size fish. Live finger mullet are the ticket to strikes, but the fish will also fall for a bucktail/scented soft plastic combinations bounced off the bottom.
Lyle Pendleton, of Woolwine, VA, with a 4 lb. spadefish he hooked off Jolly Roger Pier. The fat spade fell for shrimp on a bottom rig.
Dale, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that the surf fishing’s been good since the storm passed through last weekend. Anglers are hooking red drum (some up to 30+”) from the point at Bogue Inlet on cut and live mullet.
Some fat croaker are falling for shrimp fished on bottom rigs.
In the backwaters, anglers are still catching some red drum, but the large schools seem to have broken up into small groups and single feeding fish. Topwater plugs are still getting their attention.
Stan, of Capt. Stanman’s Charters, reports that prior to the storm anglers had some solid action with dolphin and king mackerel nearshore, with some teenager dolphin feeding at the 240 Rock.
While bait was plentiful in the past few weeks, the pogies disappeared last weekend, hopefully to return in time for the Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament.
Patty, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers are catching some big croaker, whiting, and black drum while fishing shrimp on bottom rigs.
Before the storm churned up the water, the bluefish and spanish mackerel bite was good for anglers casting Gotcha plugs, and the fish should return as soon as the water clears.
The water is 81 degrees.
