Giant redfish in Pamlico Sound

It’s time to catch your biggest red drum in Pamlico Sound

For Capt. Bobby Brewer of Baldheaded Bobby Guide Service, August is time to chase giant red drum in the Pamlico Sound and the rivers that feed into it.

These big fish have spent several months in shallow water, and are now staging to head offshore when the time is right. They’ll be around feeding up for their journey for the next month or two, maybe three during some years.

And their incessant urge to feed right now means anglers can expect to catch their share if they follow a few tips.

One tactic Brewer (919-349-6112) uses this month is bottom fishing with live or cut bait.

“When I’m bottom fishing for the giant reds, I concentrate on ledges and rocks. The ledges need to have at least a 2- to 3-foot drop. Even more is great,” he said.

Red drum treat these drops like highways, Brewer said, and he finds this technique especially productive when the wind is blowing from deep water to shallow water.

“That pushes food and scent into the rise. I usually use four to six rods, using the required Owen Lupton rig, and scatter the bait from on top of the rise to the bottom part of the drop off. Fresh mullet and menhaden are my baits of choice,” he said.

On the fly

When not bottom fishing, Brewer likes to target these fish with a fly rod, and said this presents a unique opportunity for anglers.

“Many fly anglers don’t get many opportunities to catch a fish this large, and it’s a treasure that we can do it here,” he said.

This is no time to go light on gear.

“I use 10-weight and 11-weight gear when chasing these prizes. And the phrase that “fly reels are only used for holding line” does not apply here. That might be true for smaller fish, but superior reels with great drags are very important when fly fishing for giant reds,” he said.

He suggests anglers use a 3-foot section of 30-pound tippet tied to a Gary’s Pop-N-Fly or a homemade popper, with a large flat wing or Deceiver tied to the other end.

“That flat wing or Deceiver will flutter and sink. Pay attention to the wind, and fish this like a popping cork rig,” he said.