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Pamlico sound/ lower Neuse for big reds today

8K views 28 replies 14 participants last post by  lunkerbandit 
#1 ·
Put in at Adams creek/ sea gate marina and went north and fished from around 2-7 today. Caught a couple of blues, one flounder, one trout. Was hoping for big reds. Schooling menhaden in many places being chased. Kept trying casting around them and only got blues. Several boats out looking like they were doing the same. Anyone get some today? might try again in the next day or two.
 
#11 ·
Put in at cedar island this morning. Caught a few flounder while looking around for bait. Wind picked up big time and never found any bait schools today? How can you find those schools of menhaden with the wind whipping around? I kept an eye on my sonar but no luck there.
 
#12 ·
looks like the wind is going to be blowing for the next couple days. ill be down there at first light tomorrow (oriental) until sunday. hopefully we will be able to get into something. I've been waiting for this trip for about 6 months now and of course the wind is going to blow for multiple days of the trip
 
#15 ·
A bit early to be making that call I think since in general old drum fishing was always triggered by the full moon in August, which was last week. Hard to imagine guides saying come on out and pay me to put you on fish, not likely we'll find any.

On another note, in recent years it seems the preferred method is popping corks in the daytime and everyone rants and raves if they hookup once or twice a day. 20 plus years ago when I started drum fishing pretty much everybody went at night and hookups of 5 or 6 was not uncommon and my own personal best is 13 in one night. I know people who did better than me in both quantity and frequency.
 
#17 ·
it was definitely tough for us. w/ the forecast for today, we went ahead and left yesterday afternoon. plenty of bait everywhere but the wind made it tough. no old drum for us. talked to several guides and there clients and didnt seem like anyone was having much luck w/ them
 
#18 ·
August full moon bite

We were there for the full moon in August when that system sat down on the coast all week with thunderstorms. Tons of bait, no markers. Finally Friday 16th an overnight storm broke around 10am and we ran out near Broad Creek and the wife threw it down the mouth of this shouldered moose. Only bite that week, and after talking to anyone we could and checking the posts here, he was the only one that came over the rail that week apparently. Bait everywhere, definitely blues cutting swim baits in half. Heading back this week, hoping to find some shop with mullet to buy so we can try some night soaking.

Where can you buy mullet near Oriental/Whortonsville?



 
#19 ·
We were there for the full moon in August when that system sat down on the coast all week with thunderstorms. Tons of bait, no markers. Finally Friday 16th an overnight storm broke around 10am and we ran out near Broad Creek and the wife threw it down the mouth of this shouldered moose. Only bite that week, and after talking to anyone we could and checking the posts here, he was the only one that came over the rail that week apparently. Bait everywhere, definitely blues cutting swim baits in half. Heading back this week, hoping to find some shop with mullet to buy so we can try some night soaking.

Where can you buy mullet near Oriental/Whortonsville?



Neuse River Bait and Tackle on hwy 55 in Grantsboro.
Nice little tackle shop.
 
#21 ·
They are super nice. That's who turned us on to Blabbermouth rigs. I spoke to them in August and he said they have a standing order for 500lbs every morning, BUT... their phone number is dead and emailing them through their website came back as a dead email. No way to reach them. I was hoping to pay for and reserve some mullet before it's all sold out again.

***Just called again and their phone line is back up. Got 50lbs reserved. That should be good for 3-5 people soaking 2-3 nights for a few hours each. Or daytime soaks if the chop is up.
 
#25 ·
I was being cheeky. Yes it is big 12 inch jumping mullet. Neuse River BnT still has not got any in this week but they turned us on to B & J Seafood market over the bridge in New Bern. They have plenty. Bought 50lbs from them. $2 per pound. Our 18 yo daughter landed a 44 inch female this morning on it!
 
#28 ·
In years past by now we've seen many posts of Old Drum landed in the Neuse, but not this year. We saw some great conditions in September the week of the full moon. Threw the blabber mouth rigs, caught a couple, threw tennis ball chunks of jumping mullet, caught one. Fished the full moon at night soaking the big cut mullet, fresh, zero nibbles from anything. Light wind, clear nights. We are noobies with only 6 week long trips down in 4 years, but this was the worst year, and we spent more hours on the water for 8 days with better mullet bait, more experience, and blabber rigs we know work. Bait all around us, blues working them for sure. Cut some swim baits on us. Broke off 3 Drum on the same Uni knots that we caught the others on with 50lb braid and 30lb flouro leaders (the braid snapped on top of the Blabbermouth rigs! Checked line constantly, no abrasions), incredibly frustrating. Lost confidence in the Uni Knot. I know everyone pops off some Old Drum but the Palomar has never broke on me. No one in the area was talking of a drum bite at the August full moon or September full moon week. Wondering if the hot weather and water pushed the spawn back? How's the bite in October so far? Anyone else have a better report of Old Drum in the Neuse this year? NCAngler is usually lit up with pics and reports by September. Tough year. So **** hot this year.
 
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