Morehead City August 15, 2013
Carson Shield and Tim Rudder, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, with flounder, gray trout, black sea bass, and a stout spanish mackerel they hooked while working nearshore artificial reefs off Beaufort Inlet with Gulp-tipped bucktails and live baits.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of spanish mackerel while trolling around Beaufort Inlet and along the beachfront with Clarkspoons and daisy chain rigs. Some schools have been feeding around the inlet in large enough numbers for anglers to cast metal jigs with success as well.
Anglers are also finding action with some big (5-7+ lb.) spaniards while fishing live baits and dead cigar minnows around nearshore structure like AR-315 and AR-285. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in with the spaniards.
King mackerel are making a good showing at some of the same nearshore structure and out to spots like the NW Places and the Atlas Tanker, and the bite will only get better as summer fades into fall. Live menhaden and dead cigar minnows are both fooling the kings.
The nearshore flounder bite has turned on at the AR’s and other structure within a few miles of the beaches, with most of the fish falling for Gulp baits pinned to 2 oz. bucktails.
The flounder bite has also been solid inshore around bridge and dock pilings, the port wall, and other structure. Live baits or Gulps will fool the flatfish inshore.
Gray trout are feeding in the same spots as the flounder and biting bucktails and metal jigs.
Sheepshead (with some 10+ lb. fish weighed in lately) are also looking for meals at the port, near bridges and docks, and around oysters in the marshes. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are getting attention from the sheeps.
Red drum are still feeding in the marshes around Core Creek, the Haystacks, and Carrot Island. Soft plastics, topwater plugs, and live baits under popping corks are the way to go for the reds.
Surf casters are hooking a mixed bag of sea mullet, pompano, red and black drum, bluefish, and more. Shrimp, cut mullet, squid, bloodworms, and sand fleas are all getting attention off the beaches.
Offshore, anglers are hooking plenty of bailer dolphin, but the fish have been scattered all over the area’s offshore spots and can be tough to find day-to-day.
Wahoo have been making up the majority of the offshore action and are moving a bit closer in, especially on the east side of the shoals. Most are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures, but anglers fishing the east side are hooking a few on live baits as well.
Some sailfish have also been around, and boats have released fish as close as two miles offshore recently. They’re still feeding in the Gulf Stream as well.
Thomas Moore and Erin Roberts, of Apex, NC, with a pair of 30 lb. class dolphin that bit naked ballyhoo near the Big Rock while they were fishing out of Atlantic Beach on the “Make It Work.”
Bottom fishermen continue to hook plenty of grouper, sea bass, triggerfish, and more at offshore ledges and wrecks. Most of the bottom feeders are biting squid, mackerel, and cigar minnows.
Cody, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the summer wahoo bite is still going, with anglers reporting fish from the 90’ Drop to the Big Rock. Ballyhoo paired with dark skirted lures like Iland Jrs. and Blue Water Candy Mini JAGs are fooling most of the ‘hoos.
Anglers are reporting king mackerel action at a variety of spots in the area, with the NW Places, the shipping channel, and the sea buoy producing the most consistent bite in recent days. Both live baits and dead cigar minnows have been tempting bites from the kings.
Large spanish mackerel are feeding at nearshore structure like the AR’s, and both live and dead baits are tempting bites from the big spaniards (many 5+ lbs.).
Anglers are catching big numbers of smaller spanish while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and trolling weights along the beachfront.
Flounder are looking for meals at much of the same structure as the big spanish, where anglers can work 2 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp baits along the bottom to hook up.
There’s also a good flounder bite all over the inshore waters, with Hoop Pole Creek producing some large fish over the past week. Live finger mullet and mud minnows are fooling the flatfish inshore.
Red drum are feeding in the marshes of Core Creek and the Haystacks and falling for a variety of baits and lures.
Surf fishing is producing a mixed bag of bluefish, puppy and black drum, pompano, and more. Shrimp, bloodworms, and sand fleas have been getting the job done in the surf.
Pier anglers have seen a decent spanish mackerel and bluefish bite while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures lately, with the best fishing late in the day as temperatures fall a bit.
Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some bluefish on casting lures.
Spot are taking an interest in shrimp and bloodworms on bottom rigs.
And some flounder are falling for small live baits under the pier.
