It’s now August, and one of the legendary fisheries is firing up, the “old drum” fishery mainly centered around their Neuse/Pamlico spawning grounds.
A few years ago, I interviewed Capt. Joe Shute, also legendary, about his experiences fishing for and monitoring the old drum stocks. The first part appeared in the News-Times last week, and I’ll finish that informative interview this week with Capt. Joe concerning catching and releasing our revered state fish. Then WTFK 107.1 radio host Ben Ball also poses questions.
Dr. Bogus: This fishery has gotten quite popular over the years. Do you think we’re impacting those fish? Obviously, growth of the fishery is partly because there are a lot of them around.
Capt. Joe Shute: Right, I think that more and more education to people as far as how to handle the fish, what tackle to fish with, you don’t use “J” hooks anymore, you just use circle hooks on them. I think that that’s had a big impact.
Dr. Bogus: We’ve got a lot more user-friendly with them over the years. Even though the fishery has expanded, we’ve gotten better at handling them?
Capt. Joe Shute: Right and there’s been a lot of education put out there from the DMF and also from guides that do seminars and tell people. The main thing is pushing the barb down on these circle hooks because many people don’t realize, and I used to get this all the time on the fisheries commission about how we need to switch everything over to circle hooks, because it’s a catch-and-release fishery. What people don’t recognize is the circle hook was not designed as a catch-and-release hook. It’s a catch-and-HOLD hook. If you don’t push that barb down and you don’t know how to properly release a fish with a circle hook, you end up doing more damage than you do good.
Ben Ball: We talked about this so much. Don’t they make barbless circle hooks? (Note: Gamakatsu, Owner, Mustad and others make barbless circle hooks for sharks, salmon and fly fishing, etc.)
Capt. Joe Shute: There are barbless manufacturers, but it doesn’t take but a second with a pair of pliers to pinch it down. So, it (the hook) will just slip right back out. The main thing is to take it out the same way it went in. You can’t just push it straight down like you can with a “J” hook and pop it out because it’s got the curve in the hook. You actually have to rotate that hook around to get it out.
Ben Ball: How old are the old drum?
Capt. Joe Shute: They can be anywhere, when they are hitting the upper 30s, 40s and 50-inch range, they can be anywhere from 5 or 6 years old to 50 or 60 years old. They live a long time, and some of those fish that you are catching that occasionally we used to see a lot of them years ago, even though there weren’t as many you would see the 60- and 70-pound drum, and they are still out there. And there are a lot of them. I would say the majority of the drum people are catching now are anywhere from 35 and 50 pounds, and once they get up to a certain length, you can just about within a few pounds get the weight of the fish due to the length of the fish. If you got a 45-inch fish, he’s pushing 40 to 45 pounds.
Dr. Bogus: The state record is that 94-pounder (1984), and that was estimated to be over 50 years old. We’ve talked about flies and DOA soft plastics on a popping cork, but the traditional method was using live or cut bait.
Capt. Joe Shute: Mostly it’s cut bait. The two most prevalent baits are menhaden and mullet. A lot of the guides really like to use mullet. They feel that the mullet will get them a better bite. This time of year, especially, don’t go out there with just a dozen mullets and expect to fish for a while. The pinfish and skates and rays are very bad. Most of the guides when they go out there to fish a full day, they take 50 pounds of mullet with them. And they will go through on a good day, 50 pounds of mullet. I leave Morehead and run up there through the ditch, and I always stop here and load my boat up with fresh menhaden. I keep some alive, and I keep some on ice, and I constantly change baits. And we’re fishing 6- to 8-inch baits, and I’m using half a fish on each hook.
Dr. Bogus: I remember going out with Bryan Goodwin, I forget how many rods we had out, but he’d start out at one end…is that the way it works? (https://www.ncoif.com/big-red/)
Capt. Joe Shute: That’s the way it works, I fish six rods when I go, but I know people that fish as many as 12 rods, and that’s too much work for me. Because when you get out there, sometimes when it’s real frustrating, you’ll cast your six rods out, and about the time you get to the sixth one, you’ve got to do it all over again, because there’s nothing, no bait left. The bluefish and the pinfish are that bad. But you know a lot of times that will create a (chum) slick, and that will get the drum in there also.
Ben Ball: Then you can try your popping corks and flies?
Capt. Joe Shute: That’s right, that’s right.
Dr. Bogus: It’s amazing with the popping corks, well I guess sometimes those fish could be suspended part ways up off of the bottom, but often they can be right on the bottom feeding. That dinner bell gets them all the ways to the top!
Capt. Joe Shute: It gets their attention, and they will come up and check it out. A lot of them you know are cruising around the schools of bait, and they won’t be on the bottom, but a lot of them will be underneath the bait on the bottom picking up what falls to the bottom. So, it’s a very good way to get their attention, and when they come up and see that little shad floating there, they say OK, I’m going to eat that.
Ben Ball: You use popping corks in the creeks (to Dr. Bogus).
Dr. Bogus: Oh yeah, in the wintertime particularly. I like to use various kinds of corks, because I can adjust the speed that I work them, and there in the wintertime, the fish get a little sluggish, and so we want to be able to do that. Joe, you said you use 50-pound braid on a 30-class reel.
Capt. Joe Shute: Right, I use one of the old 7000-Penn Battle reels, and I actually have 65-pound braid on mine. And I use a 30-pound class spinning rod, and you can put a lot of heat on those fish. And when I’m setting my drags for the fish, I’m setting it at 12 or 15 pounds. It takes a lot to pull them off, but the good thing about that is when that line starts going, that hook’s already set. You never have to set the hook. It’s great for charters because people say, “Well when do I set the hook?” I say don’t worry. “When will I know if I got a bite?” I say don’t worry, whenever the rod bends over and you hear the line start squealing, then touch it and pull it out of the rod holder.
Finally concerning this fishery, don’t forget, the Owen Lupton type rig is required gear in North Carolina when fishing bait for old red drum.
Check out these links. https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/rules-proclamations-and-size-and-bag-limits/recreational-size-and-bag-limits#c. https://www.sportfishingmag.com/story/howto/how-to-tie-short-circle-hook-rigs-for-bull-redfish/.
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The surf was rough and dirty all week on the blustery persistent Bermuda High-related southwesterlies.
I did see some sea mullet taken in the surf just east of Bogue Inlet Pier. If the water eventually clears, we should see some big pompano, and these days, palometas too. They are being caught off Topsail Island where the water is clearer on the southwest wind.
There are still nice trout and reds inside, even on topwater, especially in the New River where they spawn. Trophy trout to 30 inches have been boated. By the way, you can get a catch-and-release citation for your special trophy trout, so try to keep the big gals alive for another spawn. Nearly all the ones in the mid to upper 20s (inches) and bigger, are females. The flounder, you guessed it, they are everywhere, but no keep ’em until September!
For a great summer target, try sheepshead. Many of the tackle shops carry fiddlers and/or spiny sea urchins. You can also use live shrimp, and the sand fleas are for free! The Morehead City Port area is still hot for big sheepshead.
Finally, big reds are showing nicely and will be around for a few months inside, and after that, just outside the inlets and shoals.
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For the piers, the summer-heat hash-bash continues with fishing slow.
Oceanana Pier had a very slow week with only a few bottom dwellers to report in the muddy water, a few croakers, mullet, sand perch, pigfish and small sharks.
Bogue Inlet Pier had a slow week as well with many of the regulars staying home. Mostly scattered croakers and spots, few Spanish, bluefish and blue crabs. Last Monday (July 25), there were some nice sheepshead being caught in the still dingy water.
Seaview Pier reports both red and black drum, a few Spanish and blues, and some more released tarpon. It’s been a good tarpon year.
Surf City Pier reports one king last Tuesday (July 26), blues, mullet pompano and both drummers.
Jolly Roger Pier reports some clear water with flounder, pins and skates, along with Spanish early and late in the day.
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Offshore…WOW, bumpy the last couple of weeks and HOT there too.
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As for the Emerald Isle turtle update, there are now at least 28 nests here as I write this report. Several nests have hatched out already.
Sure sounds like a busy year for 2022 turtles here in Emerald Isle.
BOGUS NOTES
1) Check me out at www.Facebook.com/Dr.Bogus.
2) Log onto my website at www.ncoif.com. It’s now better than ever.
3) I’m located at 118 Conch Ct. in “Sea Dunes,” just off Coast Guard Road., Emerald Isle, NC 28594. Mailing address is P.O. Box 5225, Emerald Isle, NC 28594. Don’t forget a gift certificate for your favorite angler for fishing lessons or my totally Bogus Fishing Report subscription. Please stop by at any time and say “Hi” (252-354-4905).
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