Swansboro August 6, 2009
Scott Thurston, of Swansboro, with a 22" 4 lb., 3 oz. flounder that attacked a Fish Bites paddle tail grub in Queen's Creek.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of flounder inshore. The bite’s been on in the inlet and the Coast Guard channel lately, and anglers are catching some larger fish in deeper holes in the mainland creeks. Live peanut pogies or 4” Gulp baits are producing most of the action with the flatfish. High tides are flushing more flounder into the inlet by the day, so the inshore flounder action should continue to improve over the coming weeks.
The large amounts of rain and extreme low tides of the past few weeks have made for excellent sheepshead fishing at the bridges and other structure along the ICW. Fishing fiddler crabs or other crustacean baits close to the structure is the way to attract attention from the sheepshead.
Red drum are still feeding on the flats in the marshes, but extremely low tides lately have made them very difficult to get to.
Tom Temple and his grandson Michael with an 8 lb. sheepshead they hooked while fishing some inshore structure with Capt. Jeff Cronk of Fish'N4Life Charters out of Swansboro.
Jeff, of Fish’N4Life Charters, reports that anglers are hooking red drum on the flats during afternoon high tides. Artificials like Gulp baits and topwater plugs are fooling most of the fish.
The inlets are holding big numbers of summer flounder right now, although only a few are keepers. Carolina rigs baited with live finger mullet or 4” Gulp baits are fooling most of the flatties.
When anglers can get out into the ocean with all the winds lately, the summer flounder bite has been excellent around the nearshore live bottoms and artificial reefs (most fish 1-4 lbs.). Bouncing bucktails tipped with Gulp baits vertically over the structure has been fooling the majority of the fish.
Spanish and king mackerel are feeding in the same areas, and anglers are hooking both fish in the early mornings while free-lining small live baits on #4 and #6 gold treble hooks.
Stan, of Capt. Stanman’s Fishing Charters, reports that king mackerel (some large ones to nearly 40 lbs.) are feeding at the wrecks and rocky structure east of Lookout Shoals. Live baits like large pogies are the way to fool these big kings.
Glenn Badders with a 42 lb. king mackerel he hooked off New River Inlet while fishing with his wife Brenda.
Dale, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that anglers are still catching some red drum in the marshes on topwater plugs and Gulp and Trigger-X soft baits.
Flounder are feeding in the marshes, the deep channels, and around inshore structure. Live baits on Carolina rigs or the same Gulp and Trigger-X baits will fool the flatties.
Joanne, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are landing some whiting and black drum on shrimp.
Some bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs.
