red Drum are moving fishing getting better

[seamonkey]

Looks like the Red Drum fishing is going to be plentiful this year.

Red drum are moving; fishing getting better

Published: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 8:50 AM EST
Dr. Bogus

Just as all the doom and gloom is draining us into the depths of the winter doldrums, where cabin fever and depression are taking a strangle hold, I actually have some good fishing news.

The redfish are biting, the redfish are biting!

News from several fronts, Capt. Jeff Cronk and Capt. Joe Shute to name a few, are that the massive schools of red drum that have been holding off the Cape Lookout Shoals and Bear Island and all the way to New Topsail Inlet are hungry and biting.

What a difference a few degrees makes.

These are traditionally areas that the reds congregate throughout the winter, and this year’s exceptional cold has even pushed out more fish than usual. The problem is that the cold moved many fish to the south and also with the temperatures solidly in the mid to low 40’s they have been too sluggish to bite. In addition, the weather often precluded even going out to try.



This weekend, moderating temperatures and 49 degree gin-clear water perked up the fish enough to feed and calm seas lured anglers out to catch some fish. Capt. Joe had some great photos of the “purple haze” that is an unmistakable sign of the red drum schools.

There were also several groups out there shooting for upcoming television shows, including Carolina Fishing TV and Down East Outdoors, so you know the fishing must have been hot. With the surf temperatures now poking back into the 50s, this fishery should be on for some time.

We just need the weather to cooperate. By the way the surf fishermen were also wearing out the fish from the beach at Lookout.

Baits?

Gulps!, when worked slowly, were the top baits and Capt. Joe got his best luck throwing a black Clouser fly with gold flash on a 7-weight fly rod. Fish were so thick that there were many foul-hooked fish.

Most fish were slot to around 30-inches. What are they actually eating out there? Who knows, there were no baitfish to be found in the area. Maybe some sand dollars or other crunchy food.

Most of the creeks remain slow to “dead,” although I did get a note from Ricky Kellum that there were lots of trout still in the New River area, but most with lockjaw until the water warms a bit. He was landing a few on plastic shrimp like the Storm or Billy Bay Shrimp where the water was around 46 degrees. Remember low and very slow.

Offshore, if you can get to the Big Rock, there is some 79 degree water there that is holding goodly numbers of amberjacks, false albacore and wahoo.

[stripercrazy]

I would love to take a triip down there one year for that.