Morehead City August 27, 2009
Cameron Atkins, of Wilmington, with a 50" red drum he hooked in the Neuse River while fishing with his father and Capt. George Beckwith of Down East Guide Service. The anglers released another citation red and three tarpon as well.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the king mackerel bite is still solid at the wrecks and rocks east of Cape Lookout Shoals. Anglers live-baiting in the area are catching plenty of kings (up to 15-20 lbs.)
King fishing’s also been good west of the shoals at the Barge Wreck, AR-315 and 320, the Lookout Jetty, and in the shipping channel and around the Beaufort sea buoy (where some larger fish to 30 lbs. have been caught recently). Live baits like pogies are the top producers for the larger kings.
Around the 14 Buoy, trollers have found some action with wahoo, sailfish, and dolphin lately. The dolphin are holding around weed lines and any other floating objects in the area. Rigged ballyhoo will draw bites from the dolphin, wahoo, and sails.
Bottom fishing at the ledges and other structure around the 14 Buoy has been producing action with sea bass, triggerfish, and a few groupers. Cigar minnows and squid will attract attention from the bottom feeders.
The spanish mackerel bite is still excellent along the beaches and at the AR’s (with good numbers of fish in the 4-5 lb. class). Live baits will produce better results with the big spanish, but anglers are picking up a few of the large fish while trolling spoons as well.
Flounder are still feeding strong at the AR’s, around the Cape Lookout jetty, and in the shipping channel in the ocean. Carolina-rigged live baits or bucktails tipped with Gulp have been producing most of the action with the ocean flounder.
Plenty of flounder are also coming from the inshore waters (including a 13 lb. fish weighed in last week). The Atlantic Beach Bridge, Beaufort Bridge, port wall, and areas behind Shackleford have been hotspots for the inshore flounder lately, and live baits on Carolina rigs are drawing most of the bites.
Sheepshead are feeding around the port wall, bridge and dock pilings, and other structure in the area, and fiddler crabs or sea urchins will tempt the sheeps to bite (with urchins producing larger fish). Some black drum are mixed in with the sheepshead.
Anglers are still picking up some gray trout around the railroad tracks on live baits and jigging lures.
Whiting are beginning to move into the turning basin as well, and anglers put together some good catches last week on spec rigs tipped with shrimp.
Jarod Jernigan (age 12), of Concord, NC, with his first sheepshead, a 7.5 pounder he hooked on shrimp underneath the Atlantic Beach Bridge.
The area marshes are giving up good numbers of red drum, with particularly good fishing around the Haystacks and Newport River lately. Live baits, topwater plugs, and soft plastics will fool the reds. Anglers are also finding some solid drum action while fishing live baits around docks off the ICW.
The big red drum bite is turning on in the Pamlico Sound and Neuse River, and it should only get better as summer progresses into fall.
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Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are hooking some big flounder inshore around the docks (including a 10 lb. flatfish last week). Live baits on Carolina rigs and Gulps on jigs have been drawing bites from the flounder.
Gray trout and whiting are feeding in the turning basin. Anglers are hooking both fish on spec rigs tipped with shrimp.
The sheepshead bite has been on lately around the port wall and bridge and dock pilings in the area. Most anglers are hooking the fish on fiddler crabs and sea urchins.
Surf and pier anglers had some decent action last week despite the huge swells, landing pigfish, spot, croaker, and whiting.
Jeremy Jeffers and Brandon Faucette, from Goldsboro, NC, with 18" and 28" flounder they hooked in the turning basin aboard the "Wet Chemistry." The larger flounder weighed 9.75 lbs. at EJW Outdoors.
Charles, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that the citation-class big red drum bite is on in the Pamlico Sound and the Neuse River, and anglers will see some incredible fishing for the big reds in September and October this year. Fishing large chunk baits around drop-offs, lumps, and other depth changes in the estuaries will draw bites from the big reds.
The puppy drum bite is also excellent right now, and anglers are hooking the pups while casting soft plastics and topwater plugs around marshes in the Neuse, Pamlico, and Core Sound.
King mackerel fishing east of the Lookout Shoals is on fire as well. Anglers can find action with the kings while slow-trolling live baits around wrecks and other structure on the far side of the cape.
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Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that anglers are finding some excellent action in the blue water right now, hooking sailfish, wahoo, and blue marlin. The bite’s been best from the Swansboro Hole to the 650 Line lately, with most of the action in 100-125 fathoms.
Ballyhoo rigged under Blue Water Candy Witches and Mini-Jags are producing most of the action with the blue water predators.
Spanish mackerel fishing is hot and heavy along the beaches and in the shipping channel, and anglers are also picking up some kings in the same areas.
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Tori, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters have found some action with bluefish and spanish mackerel lately.
Bottom fishermen are decking some flounder, although many have been small.
