Morehead City April 15, 2010
Tim "The Trout Man," of Chasin Tails Outdoors, with a pair of speckled trout he hooked on live mud minnows while fishing the Haystacks.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are finding some sizeable schools of red drum inshore around the Haystacks and the Middle Marsh. The schools aren’t feeding hard yet, but anglers should be able to entice some bites with live mud minnows or cut mullet and pogies. Spinnerbaits and soft baits like Gulp, D.O.A., Trigger-X, Deep Creek, and Z-Man grubs are producing most of the bites on artificials. As the water warms up, the reds should begin feeding more actively.
Bluefish have shown up in big numbers from Cape Lookout to Beaufort Inlet and are making their way inshore. Finger mullet and cut mullet are the best baits for the spring blues, but anglers can also catch good numbers of them on metal lures like Gotcha plugs and Stingsilvers.
False albacore are busting bait on the surface near Bogue Inlet and are headed towards the cape, and the same metal casting lures that anglers use for the blues will produce bites from the albacore.
Atlantic bonito should be right behind the false albacore, and anglers should look for them at nearshore structure like AR 315 and 320. Trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers and casting metal lures at the breaking schools of fish will put the bonito in the boat.
Whiting and gray trout are moving into the area, and anglers can find them around the Dead Tree Hole, in Beaufort Inlet, and in the Turning Basin. Spec rigs tipped with shrimp, bloodworms, and Fish Bites are top producers on the whiting and grays.
Anglers can also hook up with gray trout while working Stingsilvers and Crippled Herrings around the high rise bridges.
Spot should also be making a showing in the turning basin and around Beaufort very shortly, and anglers can hook them on bottom rigs baited with Fish Bites bloodworms, live bloodworms, and fresh shrimp.
Flounder are moving toward the beaches, and anglers will begin seeing them around the AR’s and the inlet over the next few weeks. Carolina-rigged mud minnows or bucktails tipped with soft baits will fool the flatties.
Surf and pier anglers are finding a mixed bag of bottom feeders like whiting, croakers, pufferfish, pigfish, spot, and sharks on bottom rigs baited with shrimp, squid, bloodworms, and cut baits.
Josh Fulcher, of Morehead City, with a false albacore he hooked on a swim bait just off Shackleford Banks.
Offshore, bottom fishermen are hooking up with sea bass, triggerfish, snappers, amberjacks, and groupers at structure in the 15-20 mile range. Bottom rigs baited with squid, cigar minnows, and sardines, as well as vertical jigs, are fooling all the fish.
Blue water trollers have been finding some action with blackfin tuna, wahoo, and a few yellowfin tuna and wahoo lately. Most of the action has been around the Big Rock and just north, and ballyhoo behind sea witches or Blue Water Candy Jag lures have been fooling most of the fish.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are catching some whiting and pufferfish in the surf and from the piers, with some action in the inlet and turning basin as well. Fresh shrimp will fool both bottom feeders.
Surf and pier anglers are also hooking some black drum on shrimp.
Red drum have scattered a bit from their large winter schools, but smaller groups of fish are feeding in the creeks and marshes inshore and along the beaches. Live baits and a variety of lures will fool the reds.
The warm water has been way offshore lately, so not many boats have made the run to blue water, but anglers have caught a few yellowfin tuna while trolling ballyhoo well offshore of the Big Rock.
Charlie, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that puppy drum and speckled trout are returning to their spring patterns inshore. Anglers are finding them all over the inshore creeks and bays, with especially solid numbers in Jarrett Bay, Salter’s Creek, and Turnagain Bay. Gulp and Trigger-X baits in electric chicken or other bright colors and MirrOlure MR17’s are fooling most of the fish.
Bluefish (most 2-3 lbs.) are feeding along the flat drop-offs in Core Sound.
Larger blues are chasing bait along Lookout Shoals. Trolling with broken-back Long A’s or other diving lures will get their attention.
Atlantic bonito are beginning to show along the shoals and should be making a full appearance over the next week. Soft plastic jerkbaits on jigheads will catch the bonitos’ eyes.
Marc Dufour, from Pittsboro, with a pair of fat triggerfish he hooked on squid while fishing with his family 40 miles south of Cape Lookout on the "Merry Marlin."
Shane, of Second to None Charters, reports that there are still some wahoo feeding along the break. Boats making the run to warmer water well offshore (300-400 fathoms) have been finding a few yellowfin tuna as well. The wahoo and yellowfins will take an interest in ballyhoo trolled under Blue Water Candy Jags and Witches. Lighter colors like blue/white are tops for the tuna, while purple/black, red/black, and other dark hues are more productive on the wahoo.
Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers have been catching some whiting and puffers recently, with the action improving later in the days and in the evenings.Â
Some small bluefish, sharks, and skates have also been coming over the rails.
