Large red drum weighing from 30 to 50 pounds are providing rod-bending action for anglers at Cape Lookout’s east beaches and shoals.
“The big reds showed up two weeks ago, and they’re still there,” said Dave Dietzler, a Morehead City-based saltwater guide. “Each year in mid April the water temperature hits the mid 60s, which is perfect for most inshore species.
“It’s been exciting to catch these big fish at the Cape Lookout shoals. It’s a 3- and 4-year-old class of fish that’s making its way inshore after spending the winter in the ocean.”
Dietzler (Cape Lookout Charters, 252.240.2850, www.capelookoutcharters.com) and his clients have been catching these “old” drum with artificial lures, including large bucktails and Hopkins jigs.
“We troll at first to find them, then sight fish (cast) when we find ’em,” he said. “The water is really clear on the east beach, and it’s pretty easy to spot them.”
Dietzler said bluefish also are starting to appear at Beaufort Inlet after having been at the Cape for the last two weeks, speckled trout weighing 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds are starting to show up in the creeks, and big flounder are being caught at the artificial reefs offshore.
“The flounder are hitting TriggerX shrimp on 1 1/2-ounce bucktails at places like AR 315 and AR 320,” he said. “The water’s 55-feet deep but people are catching some big flounder out there.
“The specks are hitting live mud minnows, MirrOlures, suspending baits and Rapala twitch baits.”
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