Swansboro September 16, 2010
Scott Thurston with a 26.5" red drum that fell for a Gulp bait while he was kayak-fishing the backwaters near Swansboro.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that red drum are schooling up and feeding on shrimp in the area’s bays and on the grass flats. Consequently, live shrimp are one of the best baits for the reds, and a popping cork rig is the way to fish them in the shallows.
Black drum and sheepshead are feeding along the bridge and dock pilings where they’ve been all summer, and more of them are starting to look for meals on the oyster rocks in the area’s shallows. Fiddler crabs and live shrimp will fool both crustacean-lovers into striking.
The cooler temperatures have turned the trout bite on a bit, and anglers can find the specks around the oyster rocks in the area’s creeks and rivers. They’ll bite topwater plugs in the early mornings and live shrimp for the remainder of the day.
Inshore flounder fishing has turned on, and anglers are finding big numbers (though many undersized fish) in the bays where they’re drum fishing. Better odds of landing bigger flatfish lie around docks and deeper holes off of the ICW, and in the deeper channels near and in the inlet. Live finger mullet are the way to go for the flatfish.
Surf fishermen are hooking up with red and black drum and better numbers of larger flounder.
The wind has kept most anglers inshore over the past week, but false albacore are beginning to show up just off Bogue Inlet. Anglers can find them busting bait along the inlet tideline and the beachfront, and then cast small metal lures into the melee to tempt them to bite.
The recent north winds should also trigger an improving king mackerel bite along the Crystal Coast beaches.
Chesson, of CXC Charters, reports that there are still some large spanish mackerel feeding at nearshore structure off Bogue Inlet, but they’re becoming scarcer. Small live baits are the best ways to tempt them to bite.
Amberjacks are feeding on high-relief structure and around buoys in 60’ of water and deeper. They’ll strike live baits, vertical jigs, topwater plugs, and more.
Surprisingly, anglers have also been hooking up with decent numbers of gag grouper along the chains of the various offshore buoys in the area. Live baits, bucktail jigs, and many more offerings will fool the grouper.
Brian Sanchez, of Walkersville, MD, with a pair of fat speckled trout he hooked in Core Creek on mud minnows while night fishing with his father Skip.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of flounder inshore and in the island’s surf. Live finger mullet and Gulp baits are tough to beat for the flounder.
The red drum bite has also been solid in the surf and inshore. The reds are falling for cut baits and finger mullet in the surf, as well as topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, and Gulps in the area’s marshes and bays.
Pompano and spot are rounding out the surf catch, with both falling for shrimp.
Speckled trout are still feeding up the rivers and creeks in the area, and live shrimp are the best baits for them.
Off the beaches, false albacore are chasing bait around the inlet and nearshore. Anglers can tempt them to bite small metal lures while they chase bait on the surface.
The wahoo bite has been on fire out around the Big Rock. Anglers are hooking most of the ‘hoos on ballyhoo rigged beneath dark-hued trolling lures.
Joanne, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that anglers are hooking up with some whiting, spot, croaker, and pompano while bottom fishing with shrimp. Much of the best action has been at night.
Some bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the planks.
