Morehead City July 6, 2006
Shane, of Second to None Charters, reports plentiful dolphin in a variety of sizes from bailers to quality fish. They’re mostly on the backside of the Big Rock. Dragging a pink/blue or pink/white sea witch with a ballyhoo is a good strategy.
The billfishing is on fire in the gulf stream, with most boats reporting 8-15 shots each at various billfish over the weekend. One boat released 5 white marlin, a blue marlin, and a sailfish. Using small ballyhoo (either naked or with a skirt) is the way to get in on the billfish action.
King mackerel are thick past 15 miles out. They are eating virtually anything, but slow trolling live baits and pulling spoons are hard to beat.
The spanish mackerel are biting very well on the beach, and trolling a small spoon in clean water near the inlets is the way to catch them.
George, at Carolina Bait and Tackle, reports very good catches of flounder in the creeks, inlets, and the artificial reefs out in the ocean. Redfish are very active in the creeks on both live bait and artificials.
The surf has been decent with some very nice size pompano (but not very many of them).
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are biting well early in the mornings inside and just outside the inlets.
Kings are hot around the NW Places, with a few dolphin out there as well. Most of the dolphin action, however, has been closer to the gulf stream with the occasional wahoo mixed in.
Paul, at Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that flounder are biting well at AR315 and AR320. Most of the action is coming on mud minnows, finger mullet, and peanut shad.
Spanish and blues are still biting well on the beach, and they continue to be primarily hitting Clark spoon.
Small dolphin catches are coming from Big 10/Little 10, and they’re eating cigar minnows rigged with a sea witch or a Hank Brown rig.
Drum are biting well in the shallow marshes, such as the Haystacks. They’re hitting mud minnows and other live baits.
Helen, at Sportsman’s Pier, reports solid fishing, with croaker, pigfish, and spots biting shrimp and bloodworms on bottom rigs.
Sheepshead up to 5 lbs. are biting near the pilings. Barnacles and sand fleas are the best baits.
Plug casters are catching both spanish and bluefish. King mackerel fishermen caught several cobia this week, but all were undersize.
The water temperature is in the low 80’s.
