Morehead City June 17, 2010
Milton Miller, of Pink Hill, NC, with a 6 lb. flounder he hooked on a live mud minnow at the Morehead port wall. Photo courtesy of Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the area’s cobia action is still going. Anglers saw fish around Cape Lookout, Beaufort Inlet, and the shipping channel last week. Spro bucktails will fool the fish when anglers spot them, and they can also hook up by anchoring and bottom fishing with dead pogies.
The flounder bite is still strong, both at nearshore structure like AR-315, 320, and 330 and inshore in the turning basin, marshes, and deep channels. Spro bucktails tipped with Gulp baits are fooling most of the fish in the ocean, and Carolina-rigged mud minnows are doing the job inshore.
Inshore, red drum are working the marshes between Swansboro and Morehead. Grass points, oyster bars, and mud flats are good areas to begin looking for the fish, and anglers are hooking them on topwater plugs and soft plastics from Gulp, Trigger-X, and Deep Creek.
Anglers are also picking up a few fish around the area’s rock jetties on cut mullet and finger mullet.
Gray trout are feeding around the bridges and the port wall, both day and night. Jigging metal lures like Stingsilvers off the bottom will provoke bites from the grays.
Sheepshead are holding around much of the same structure and docks along the ICW, where anglers can hook them on sea urchins, clams, and fiddler crabs.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still feeding along the beaches, and anglers are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons, mackerel trees, and bird rigs. They are also casting Gotcha plugs and Kastmasters around schools feeding on the surface.
The dolphin bite is still on fire offshore, with some of the best action around the Swansboro Hole, Rise, 90’ Drop, and 14 Buoy, and along weed lines further offshore.
Blue Water Candy Witches with ballyhoo are fooling most of the fish, and Dolphin Weenies and Squid Chains are also attracting attention. Dead cigar minnows will produce results on the ‘phins as well for anglers who prefer not to rig ballyhoo.
Amanda Jones, of Newport, NC, with a 42 lb. cobia that she hooked on a live pogy while sight-casting to bait balls just off Atlantic Beach.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still picking up some spanish mackerel and bluefish off the piers while casting Gotcha plugs, Shore lures, and other metal baits.
Drifting behind Shackleford with Carolina-rigged mud minnows or other live baits has been producing some solid flounder catches lately. Smaller numbers of larger flatfish are showing up along the port wall.
Sheepshead are feeding along the port wall and at ICW docks, where anglers can hook them on fiddler crabs or sea urchins.
The bridges and Morehead-area docks are producing some decent speckled trout action, both day and night, and anglers can hook the fish on live shrimp or mud minnows, as well as a variety of artificial lures.
Offshore, the dolphin bite is still on fire, but the fish seem to be getting a little smaller. An occasional wahoo is in the mix as well.
Shane, of Second to None Charters, reports that the dolphin bite is still incredible offshore of the area (with fish to 38 lbs. caught last week).
Good numbers of sailfish and white and blue marlin are mixed in. Most of the action has been in 100-200 fathoms up and down the break, and ballyhoo under Blue Water Candy Jags and Witches are fooling most of the fish.
Plenty of smaller dolphin are on the feed further inshore as well.
Thomas Evans with the "Amanda Gail" fishing team's winning 27.8 lb. king mackerel in the Tackle Box KMT. The fish fell for a live pogy offshore of the 240 Rock while he was fishing with David Lucas and Bill Walston.
Charley, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that the king mackerel and amberjack bite is on at structure on both the east and west sides of Lookout Shoals, with some of the best action last week out east. Anglers landed king mackerel to 38 lbs. and plenty of jacks last week while slow-trolling pogies along the wrecks, rocks, and ledges in the area.
Good numbers of gag grouper are feeding in the same areas, and they will take an interest in live or dead baits dropped to the bottom.
Inshore, the marshes are hosting excellent speckled trout action along with plenty of puppy drum. Peanut pogies, either whole or halved, fished on light jigheads will fool the specks and reds.
Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters are picking up plenty of spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotchas.
Bottom fishermen have seen a decent number of spot lately, with most falling for shrimp.
Royce, of Sheraton Pier, reports that the flounder bite was solid last week (with some fish in the 4-5 lb. range). Live baits on Carolina rigs are fooling the flatties.
Anglers also landed some fat pompano on Gotcha plugs and shrimp. Pigfish have also been taking an interest in the shrimp.
Plug casters are hooking good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish.
