Swansboro April 12, 2007
Jeff, at FishN4Life Charters, reports great fishing for speckled trout, red drum, and even flounder. The sizes include specks to 5+ lbs., red drum up to 30”, and flounder up to 2.5 lbs. As the inshore water temperatures rise, fishing will only get better for these and other species.
Red drum from 15-30” will be feeding on flats, oyster bars, and creek mouths. Anglers can target these shallow water drum by casting Gulp baits on 1/16 oz. jigheads and small spinnerbaits.
Reds will also be holding in the surf, and they’re eager to eat natural or artificial cutbaits and scented baits like Gulps on jigheads.
The speckled trout will be looking for meals on grass and mud flats, creek mouths, and in nearby deep holes during cold snaps. This is the prime time of year for trophy size trout, and anglers can target fish approaching 10 lbs. with topwaters, MirrOlures, and Gulp shrimp and pogies. Use the lightest jig head possible with the Gulp baits to suspend them just above the bottom.
Fishermen looking for fast action can head to the inlets and adjacent channels to catch bluefish. Trolling and casting small spoons and diving plugs will draw strikes from the feisty blues.
April marks the traditional start of the flounder season. Inshore, anglers can find flounder feeding on mullet and other small fish around creek mouths.
The nearshore reefs and live bottoms are flounder havens as well. Vertically jigging a 1-3 oz. bucktail tipped with a soft plastic bait is a successful strategy when the flounder are schooled up in these areas.
False albacore and Atlantic bonito will show up in the inlets and at the nearshore structure during April as well. These speedy pelagics are feeding on small baitfish, so anglers should match the hatch by casting small spoons, jigs, and plugs ahead of breaking schools of fish.
Stan, of Captain Stanman Fishing Charters, reports that yellowfin tuna wintered off of Hatteras, and they are now feeding one inlet south off Ocracoke. When the wind lays down enough for boats to get out, limits of yellowfins are common. Some boats have found tuna further south around the Swansboro Hole and between the 300 and 400 lines.
Wahoo are dominating the Gulf Stream catch now, with plenty of fish in the 30 to 50 lb. range. Most of the wahoo action is taking place around the Big Rock. When a wahoo strikes, mark the sport with the man overboard function of the GPS. Then search for more wahoo in the same area.
Some dolphin are beginning to show up, with a recent good catch coming from the Yellowfin Hole.
Mike, at Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that spring fishing is off to a solid start. Sea mullet (up to 1 lb.), puffers, and black drum are all coming over the rails. Bottom rigs baited with fresh shrimp are the ticket to catching all three species.
