Puppy drum explode at lower Neuse River

Slot-size puppy drum are providing hot action at the lower Neuse River.

“Puppy drum, mostly in the 22- to 27-inch slot sizes, are biting like crazy now,” said Mark Hoff (Sweetwater Charters, 252-717-4521). “They’re everywhere, and we’ve been catching them using live bait with small Owen Lupton rigs. Early in the morning they’re taking artificial lures.”

Best lures are 3-inch Gulp! soft-plastic shrimp with a 1/4/-ounce jighead.

“I’ve switched over to a stand-up jighead that let’s the tail stand up in the water and have been getting better results,” Hoff said.

Hot colors for Gulp! shrimp lures have been new penny, sugar spice and lime tiger.

“Sugar spice is a white lure that glows in the dark,” he said. “It’s my go-to lure now. It’s got a little phosphorescent sparkle, and drum will come from 5 feet away to hit it in dingy-water conditions. The lime tiger color is a little like the nuclear chicken color but more limey green.”

Hoff finds most of his puppy drum at main river points, although many reds are remaining in Neuse feeder creeks in water as shallow as 3-feet deep.

“Reds in the creeks are acting like a cross between carp and bass,” he said, “especially after the sun gets up. Find some knock-down trees, docks or where big oaks throw shade. They’ll be in that shade.

“The ones out in the main river are staying tight to the banks around the marsh islands.”

Hoff starts fishing most days, if anglers are willing, at the crack of dawn and targets speckled trout at flats near main-river channels.

“The bite is consistent for four or fish fish, but you gotta be where you know specks will be at daylight because it lasts only about 90 minutes, then when the sun gets up, they’re gone,” he said. “We’ve been finding specks from Raccoon Island all the way to Cherry Point, but it’s a short bite, then we go looking for puppy drum.”

The lower Neuse also is seeing a surprising run of big croakers, 12- to 14-inch-long fish.

“I took some fellows out the other night, and all they wanted to do was catch croakers, and they did,” Hoff said. “They caught their limit in four hours.”

He’s finding croakers up to 2 pounds over oyster rocks in deep water, from 12- to 18-feet deep.

“I use a two-dropper bottom rig with squid pieces on No. 6 long-shank hooks,” he said. “Drop it to the bottom, then reel it up a couple feet and hang on. We’ve also been catching them with jigs, but the bigger croakers seem to prefer live mud minnows.”