Swansboro Winter 2010-2011
Randy Crews and his son with a red drum they hooked while casting Gulp baits to schooling fish on the shoals of Bogue Inlet with Capt. Jeff Cronk of Fish'N4Life Charters.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that red drum are beginning to school up in the surf zone and on the inlet shoals, and they will be schooling even tighter the colder the water gets. Anglers can hook the fish while slowly working scented soft plastic baits they’re casting to the schools.
The speckled trout bite will be best towards the backs of the local creeks as the water cools off, and anglers can tempt the fish to bite Gulp baits, soft plastic shrimp imitations, and live mud minnows worked slowly.
The larger trout that don’t head up the rivers and creeks will be feeding in the surf zone and at the ocean jetties, where mud minnows and soft plastics will get their attention.
Bottom fishing at nearshore rocks and live bottoms during the winter should produce action with big black sea bass, triggerfish, some tautogs, and other tasty bottom dwellers.
Jeff, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that anglers are catching plenty of small speckled trout, black drum, and puppy drum in the inshore waters and surf zones around Swansboro. Though most of the specks have been small, anglers are seeing some solid keepers (and a few 4-8 lb. fish coming from the creeks and upper White Oak River).
Gulp jerk shads, pogies, and mud minnows on light jigheads are producing most of the action.
Some small schools of redfish are working the shallow and muddy bays along with the inlet shoals and surf zone. Inshore, weightless Gulp baits are producing most of the action, while a 4” Gulp shrimp on a 3/8 oz. jighead or drop shot rig has been attracting attention in the surf (23-35” fish).
There are plenty of small black drum (1/2-1 lb.) feeding in the upper White Oak, and fresh shrimp on bottom rigs is producing all that anglers want to catch.
Joe Thomas, of New Bern, NC, with a 44" jack crevalle he hooked on a Hopkins spoon in the Emerald Isle surf and released after the photograph.
As December fades into January and February, anglers can look for reds schooling in the surf zone, searching for porpoises working when the water’s too dirty to see the reds themselves. Working baits extremely slow is vital in the dead-of-winter conditions.
Keeper-sized trout will be holding far up the rivers and creeks. Anglers should fish live mud minnows or small (2-3”) scented soft plastics.
Chesson, of CXC Fishing, reports that anglers are catching huge numbers of little speckled trout (with a few to 3 lbs.) in the creeks off the ICW.
Off the beaches, the black sea bass fishing should remain solid all winter long, and anglers can find bass action around structure in 40-70’ of water. Some keepers will be around this nearshore structure, but the truly big sea bass will be more prevalent in 100’ and deeper. Cut baits will produce plenty of action with the bass, but whole-fish baits like small pogies and mullet (live, dead, or frozen) tend to attract attention from the biggest fish.
Anglers are still catching good numbers of gag grouper at bottom structure from 70’ on out, and they should be in the same areas until the grouper closure takes effect January 1. Live baits are the best bets for the bigger groupers.
Stan, of Capt. Stanman’s Fishing Charters, reports that bottom fishing has been excellent at bottom structure offshore of the area. Areas in 100’ and deeper are producing plenty of action with large triggerfish and sea bass.
Fishing structure closer to the beach in around 70’ has been producing even larger bass (some to 5 lbs.) along with triggerfish and other bottom dwellers.
Pieces of squid wings have been attracting most of the attention from the bottomfish.
The bottom action should stay good as long as anglers can find water temperatures over 60 degrees atop structure. It’s a good idea to fish with a buddy boat this time of year, as falling overboard is a real possibility and the human body doesn’t last long in 50-60 degree water.
Pat Renfro with a waho that fell for a blue.white Ilander/ballyhoo combo behind a planer near the Rise.
Rich, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf anglers are hooking up with some puffers, whiting, and a few red drum.
Inshore, anglers are finding some speckled trout action, mostly far up the rivers and creeks, but the fish can be challenging to locate and fool.
Bluefin tuna are beginning to make an appearance around Cape Lookout.
Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are still reporting a solid wahoo bite.
