Morehead City May 30, 2013
Nick Nichols and Capt. Casey Fiorini, of Salter Parth, NC, with five cobia they hooked on live menhaden while casting to bait balls off Beaufort Inlet.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the cobia fishing over the past few weeks has been excellent, with both big numbers and big fish (some to 70-90+ lbs.). Anglers are hooking the cobes both while bottom fishing with menhaden and by casting bucktails with large soft plastic trailers and live eels to fish they spot on the surface. The action has been spread out from Bogue Inlet to Cape Lookout and on out to nearshore structure like AR-315.
False albacore and, surprisingly, still some Atlantic bonito have been feeding around AR-315 in the early morning hours, and several blackfin tuna have been caught in the same area as well. Casting metal jigging lures and trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers are both producing action with the three tuna relatives.
Spanish mackerel action is improving along the beachfront and behind Shackleford Banks. Most of the spanish are falling for Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and squid and bird rigs pulled on top.
Flounder are moving into nearshore structure, with a good bite reported at AR-330 last week and likely action at 315 and 320 as well. Bouncing 2 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp baits off the bottom is the best way to connect with the flatfish in the ocean.
There’s also been a decent flounder bite around the inlet for anglers using live mud minnows.
Sea mullet, pigfish, croaker, gray trout, and other bottom feeders are looking for meals in the inlet and turning basin. Anglers can hook all of them on spec rigs tipped with bits of shrimp.
Sheepshead have shown up around inshore structure like the port wall, bridges, and docks (with fish to 10+ lbs. weighed in already). Live fiddler crabs are producing most of the action on the sheeps.
Black drum, red drum, and sheepshead are all feeding around the rocks and Fort Macon, and they’re taking an interest in shrimp and cut mullet.
Matthew Spivey, of Garner, NC, with a bull dolphin that bit a sea witch/ballyhoo combo off Beaufort Inlet while he was fishing with Patrick Shore.
Bluefish and a few spanish mackerel are hitting Gotcha plugs worked from the pier.
Offshore, trollers are still connecting with plenty of dolphin, and the wahoo bite turned on last week as well. There’s been action from the Swansboro Hole to north of the Big Rock. A few yellowfin tuna are in the same areas, and all the blue water gamefish are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Bottom fishermen are reporting solid action at offshore structure, with the 14 Buoy and 90’ Drop areas as some of the most productive lately. Grouper, triggerfish, black sea bass (which open to harvest June 1), and other smaller bottom dwellers are holding around the structure and will bite cigar minnows, squid, and a variety of other baits or jigging lures.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the cobia bite is still going strong with big numbers falling for bucktail jigs and live baits that anglers are casting to cruising fish and menhaden pods. Bottom fishing around the inlets with menhaden or cut baits is also tempting some bites from the cobes.
Offshore trollers are still connecting with plenty of dolphin along with good numbers of wahoo last weekend. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are producing most of the action, and the Big Rock and all the other local Gulf Stream spots have been producing lately.
Back on the beach, surf casters are seeing the pompano action start to dwindle a bit, but plenty of black drum are still in the area and taking an interest in shrimp and sand fleas.
Bluefish are feeding along the beachfront, and the spanish mackerel bite has picked up quite a bit. Both will take an interest in trolled Clarkspoons and diving plugs or metal jigs cast to fish feeding on the surface.
Inshore, the speckled trout bite has been solid (with some larger fish) in the creeks and marshes. Soft plastics and suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s are tempting bites from the specks.
Will, of Oceanana Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are catching plenty of pigfish on shrimp.
