Pamlico – September 25, 2014
Dan Furimsky, of Greenville, NC, with a 49″ red drum that bit a popping cork rig while he was kayak fishing the Neuse River.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that anglers are seeing some solid striped bass action in the Pamlico River around Washington right now. The stripers are biting topwater plugs early and late in the day, with soft plastic baits on jigheads the way to go when the sun is high.
Speckled trout are beginning to move into the creeks, and anglers should see more and more as fall progresses. The specks will also bite topwaters and soft plastics.
Puppy drum are looking for meals along the shorelines of the lower Pamlico River. Anglers are hooking solid numbers of the pups while soaking cut baits and working a variety of artificials tight to the banks.
Citation-class (40”+) red drum are still feeding in the lower Pamlico River and the sound, and anglers have seen some of the best fishing of the year for the big reds recently as the fish are hungry and fattening up for their fall migration south. Anglers are hooking the reds while working a variety of artificial lures around visible schools of fish, bait schools, and other signs of life in the area. Large diving crankbaits and soft plastic swimbaits have been some of the most effective offerings recently.
David and Jessica Buchanan with a 49″ red drum they caught and released in the Pamlico River after it struck an artificial while they were fishing with Capt. Mitchell Blake of FishIBX.com.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are hooking solid numbers of large red drum when the winds are calm enough to fish for them. The best bet lately has been bottom fishing with large cut baits, but anglers are also hooking some of the giant fish on D.O.A. popping cork rigs on calmer days. The action should continue into October.
Speckled trout are feeding along the Neuse River shorelines and in some upriver creeks (with some big fish). Suspending hard baits like MirrOlure and Rapala Subwalks are fooling many of the specks, and anglers are also hooking up on D.O.A. soft plastics pinned to jigheads and under popping corks.
Striped bass are on the feed in the river around New Bern and have been very receptive to topwater plugs in recent days. Working topwaters around shoreline structure like stump fields is the way to connect with the stripers, and anglers can look forward to an excellent keeper season opening in October.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that the red drum bite out of Oriental has been good when the weather’s cooperative recently. Anglers are hooking solid numbers of fish (most 40-50”) while working large soft plastic baits beneath popping corks, and they should see the action hold up for several more weeks.
Smaller puppy drum and speckled trout are feeding along the river shorelines near Oriental and biting smaller D.O.A. soft plastics on jigheads.
Upriver, the striped bass bite has been red hot near New Bern, and anglers are also hooking some speckled trout in the same area. Topwater plugs are fooling both fish, and anglers are also connecting while working suspending hard lures, soft plastics, and popping cork rigs.
George Poveromo with a citation red drum that struck a D.O.A. soft plastic beneath a popping cork while he was fishing the Neuse River with Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent flounder fishing around Bath, Belhaven, and North Creek (with big numbers and some citation 5+ lb. fish). They’re biting a variety of baits and artificial lures, and the Gulp 5” Jerkshad has been one of the most popular and effective lately.
Speckled trout are feeding in many of the same areas, and they’re biting MirrOlures and topwater plugs along with soft plastics on jigheads.
Anglers are still connecting with some citation-class red drum around the mouth of the Pamlico River, both while soaking cut baits and sight-casting artificals to feeding schools of fish.
The striped bass bite has turned on in the river near Washington, and anglers are fooling the stripers on topwater plugs and a variety of subsurface lures.
