Added on Thursday, June 29, 2006  Gary Hurley

Morehead City June 29, 2006

Paul, at Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that guys are catching small dolphin (3 to 7 pound) about 1.5 miles off the beach. They’re being caught by trolling cigar minnows on king mackerel rigs. There have also been plenty of small kings (3 to 6 pounds) caught in this region.

Raymond Turner, of Wilson, landed a sailfish three miles off the beach fishing with cigar minnows.

Inside there have been lots of flounder caught, but they’ve mostly been small. They’re all over the inside waters. The best bite has been on live minnows and live shrimp.

And there’s been a good drum bite up in the marshes. Most anglers are tossing artificials.

Shane, of Second to None Charters, reports a windy week. Those who have made it offshore have been rewarded, however. King mackerel fishing is on fire around the 15 mile area, with fish eating drone spoons as well as live baits.

Closer to shore, the spanish mackerel have been biting well on trolled spoons.

Meat fishing has slowed somewhat in the gulf stream, but scattered dolphin and wahoo will still bite trolled ballyhoo and lures.

The upside to slower meat fishing is that the billfish are getting fired up.

George, at Carolina Bait and Tackle, reports good fishing happening in the inlets. A 9 pound class flounder was weighed in this week. This big flounder hit a cut bait fished on the bottom, but most of the flounder have been hitting live baits such as mullet or mud minnows.

The spanish are biting well in the mornings and late afternoons.

A few cobia are still being caught, along with some speckled trout.

In the surf, the main catch has been pompano, but there are some sea mullet and flounder to be caught as well.

Joe, at Joe’s Pro Bait and Tackle, reports that surf fishing is producing a mixed bag that includes bluefish, croakers, hogfish, flounder, and pompano.

Inside, the larger flounder have moved deep. Smaller flounder are scattered everywhere down the channels in the sound. And the nearshore reefs, ledges, and wrecks all have decent flounder on them.

Sheepshead fishing is excellent around the pilings on the Beaufort high rise bridge. Many fish up to 5 pounds are being caught. Some black drum are also being caught around the pilings.

Spanish mackerel has been very good at the Cape Lookout shoal.

Speckled trout are biting fairly well in the North River on live shrimp and a popping or clacker cork. These are 2 to 3 pound fish.

Red drum are still biting well in the marshes, in the creeks, and on the north side of the sound around the boat docks.

NW Places, Big Ten-Little Ten, 195 Rock, AR330, AR315, AR320, and the shad boat are all producing king mackerel in the small to medium size. These same areas are also producing dolphin. Finding flying fish will increases the odds of finding dolphin.

Offshore, the dolphin are moving in closer and closer. The 14 buoy out to the 90 foot drop has been very good. Some wahoo and yellowfins have been caught skipping baits under kites. And more sailfish are showing up.

Helen, at Sportsman’s Pier, reports decent bottom fishing with pigfish and spots biting shrimp and bloodworms.

Pluggers have encountered bluefish and some spanish mackerel in the mornings.

Live bait fishermen have caught a number of cobia, but they are mostly undersize.

The water temperature is 80 degrees.