Pamlico October 11, 2012
Joe Barnes and Hank Carter with a citation red drum they caught and released in the Pamlico Sound near Cedar Island after it fell for a cut bait.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that anglers are still catching a few citation-class red drum in the area, some of them in shallow water where they can be cast to with popping corks and large soft plastic baits.
The speckled trout bite is on schedule and heating up as the weather cools down, especially from Minnesott Beach downriver to the sound. Topwater plugs have been very productive on the specks in the early morning hours, with small walking lures the best bets. Suspending hard baits or soft plastics on jigheads or under popping corks are the way to go during the daytime hours.
Good numbers of puppy drum (including a few slot fish that have been scarce so far this year) and flounder are mixed in and also taking an interest in the artificials that anglers are casting for trout.
The striped bass bite around New Bern got off to a good start this fall, but a recent menhaden kill has slowed things down. Once the area flushes out a bit, the action should be back on track.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that the striped bass action near New Bern has slowed down after a strong start to the keeper season, but the current northeast winds should push some good water back up the river and turn things back on.
Speckled trout are on the feed further downriver around Minnesott Beach and Oriental, in time for the Pamlico County Shrine Club Speckled Trout Tournament on October 20. Anglers are tempting the fish to bite soft plastics like D.O.A. shrimp and CAL-series lures. Suspending hard baits like MirrOlures and Rapala X-Raps are also solid offerings.
Greg Muyskens, of San Francisco, CA, with a citation red drum he caught and released in the Neuse River near Oriental while fishing with Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service. A large D.O.A. soft plastic under a popping cork fooled the red.
Many of the trout are now legal-sized, and flounder and puppy drum mixed in mean that anglers stand a strong chance at catching a “slam” right now.
A few larger red drum are still feeding in the area, so it’s not a bad idea to keep a heavier rod rigged up to toss if an opportunity presents itself.
Donald, of Custom Marine, reports that there’s a solid trout bite in the creeks off the Neuse River right now (and anglers have landed some to 28” recently). Decent numbers of puppy drum are mixed in, and both are taking an interest in topwater plugs in the early morning hours. Soft plastics or suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s are the way to go when the sun is high.
Striped bass are feeding around the bridges and other structure near New Bern, and like the trout, they’ll bite topwater plugs early in the day and jig/soft plastic combos later.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the striped bass bite around Washington has been solid since the keeper season opened up on October 1. Topwater plugs and wobblehead lures or bucktails paired with soft plastics are tempting bites from the stripers.
Anglers are still finding some good flounder action from close to Washington down to Bath and Swan Quarter. Live baits and Gulps are the way to go for the flatfish.
Speckled trout fishing has also heated up in recent weeks, and anglers are catching good numbers all over the area. Soft plastics and suspending hard baits are producing most of the action with the trout.
