Morehead City/Atlantic Beach – September 2023
Hunter, of Chasin’ Tails, reports that inshore anglers have been staying on a pretty good red drum bite. Fish in smaller schools are back on the marsh flats, though the hot water temperatures have them a bit sluggish. Cut bait has produced better, allowing the fish to slowly move up and follow the scent.
An above average speckled trout bite continues this summer, including quite a few citation-class fish in the mix. If you can get out early, topwater plugs have worked well when cast up against grassy banks. With the sun up, tactics and spots quickly change to deeper holes and baits fished down in the water column.
Flounder have been mixed in everywhere, with deeper structures (such as bridges) or marsh flats being the two top target areas. When the keeper season opens, live finger mullet would be the best bait choice for landing one of these flatfish.
Big red drum action is a little slower and scattered. Bait fishing has been more productive so far, with the popping cork crowd only finding mixed success.
Surf anglers have been catching a mixed bag of the smaller species (croaker, sea mullet, and pinfish), sharks, and scattered pompano.
Those targeting the beach near Fort Macon have also landed some spanish.
Nearshore runs are catching spanish mackerel, but the bite has been a little sporadic.
The first false albacore have come from anglers fishing around the Cape, and king mackerel have started pushing in close to the beaches.
Anglers making the run offshore have had some billfish success and are loading up on meat while bottom fishing the deeper structures.
Todd Dini, of Swansboro, caught this 30 lb. king mackerel using live mullet. He was fishing 10 miles out of Beaufort Inlet.
Joe, of Carolina Traditions Guide Co., reports that nearshore anglers have seen some larger spanish starting to show up while fishing live baits over the nearshore reefs.
A few schools of larger bluefish (to 6 lbs.) are being caught while sight-casting out around the Cape, and false albacore are being seen.
Inshore anglers are finding some speckled trout while fishing topwater plugs early.
Flounder are being found all throughout the area.
The puppy drum action has been really good, with the reds keyed in on all the finger mullet in the area. Both popping cork rigs with live bait or cut baits on longer (24”) Carolina rigs are great for enticing strikes.
Anglers fishing around hard structures in the ICW and sound are catching black drum.
Daniel, of On Deck Fishing Charters, reports that the red drum have been responding well to topwater plugs and popping corks rigged with live shrimp.
The inshore mixed bag is also including speckled trout, black drum, and flounder. All three species are getting a bit more active now that the shrimp have moved inside.
Nearshore runs are seeing some nice spanish mackerel blitzes as they feed on silversides. Schools of false albacore are mixed in in this sight casting bite.
Flounder and gray trout are staged up around the nearshore structures, and they’re hitting bucktail jigs or Carolina-rigged live mullet.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that inshore trips are seeing some decent numbers of speckled trout mixed in with the typical catches of black drum, red drum, and sheepshead. Anglers can have success targeting docks off the ICW, creeks, and the coastal rivers, and live bait is the best option for all species.
Nearshore, there are good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish around for anglers sight casting jigs at the surface-feeding schools. If the bite is deeper or the fish are being stubborn, spoons fished behind a #1 planer can trigger a strike.
Some larger spanish mackerel and king mackerel are being caught with live bait around the inlet and over nearshore ARs or live bottoms.
Further off the beach (75-100’ range), the bottom fishing remains strong, with catches of gags, scamps, hind grouper, porgies, grunts, and amberjack.
In the same range, scattered dolphin (medium-sized) are being found along with sailfish and wahoo.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that red drum are being found all along the ICW and back into the marshes. Anglers have found live bait, both finger mullet and pogies, to provide the best strikes.
Speckled trout are mixed in, though numbers are pretty spotty with this hot water. Live bait or Vudu shrimp are great bait choices for the trout.
Flounder action has been really good both inshore and nearshore. Anglers can have success bouncing Breakday bucktails with 4” Gulp shrimp trailers around structure.
Nearshore anglers are catching some nice-sized spanish mackerel over the ARs with live bait.
King mackerel are mixed in along the beach, though the best action is being found in the 60’+ depth areas while fishing live bluefish or menhaden.
Schools of false albacore are beginning to show up on the east side of Lookout.
Kane Averette, of Hillsborough, NC, hooked this 30 lb. african pompano on a vertical jig. He was fishing with Capt. Clint McCoy, of Reel McCoy Sportfishing.
Byron, of Going Bogue Outdoors, reports that the trolling bite has been consistent, with the wahoo bite really starting to improve.
Blackfin tuna and mahi are also on the menu, but the sharks have been relentless.
On the bottom, the grouper bite has been great when calm conditions and the right tides come together.
Triggerfish and some of the other smaller species have slacked off a little in the warm water, but that will flip and start to improve as things cool down.
Cody, of Reel Time Charters, reports that the wahoo bite continues to stay strong and should only pick up as conditions start to cool down.
Blackfin tuna action has picked back up, with better numbers of fish feeding out on the break.
The sailfish bite has been steady.
Arnold, of Oceanana Pier, reports that despite all the hot water conditions, anglers are having success sight-casting to schools of spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Bottom fishing efforts are producing a mixed bag of croakers, spots, and bluefish, and anglers have seen some tarpon rolling when out on the planks early.
