Morehead City June 3, 2010
Larry Moody, of Newport, NC, with a 13.5 lb. chopper bluefish that he hooked off Oceana Pier on a Gotcha plug.
Tim, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that gray trout are making an appearance around the Atlantic Beach Bridge and other inshore structure, but anglers are only allowed to keep one due to new regulations. Casting green grubs around the bridge at night is the best way to hook up with the grays.
Flounder are beginning to feed well along the port wall (with fish up to 5 lbs. weighed in last week). Live mud minnows are producing most of the fish, but when anglers can get finger mullet, they’re working even better.
Bottom fishing with shrimp or spec rigs tipped with shrimp and squid near the port wall and turning basin has been producing a mixed bag of whiting, spot, croaker, pigfish, gray trout, and more.
The red drum bite is on in the Haystacks, Core Creek, and its tributaries. Live mud minnows are still producing most of the fish, but anglers can also hook up on topwater plugs like Zara Spooks and Rapala Skitterwalks when the fish are feeding shallow.
Anglers caught some fat speckled trout (4-5 lbs.) last week near the ferry terminal at Cedar Island. Live shrimp fished under floats were responsible for most of the action.
A few cobia are still around Cape Lookout.
Flounder are beginning to feed heavily around nearshore structure like AR-315, 320, and 330. Spro bucktails tipped with 4” Gulp baits are producing the lion’s share of the offshore flatties.
Large spanish mackerel (4+ lbs.) are beginning to show up around the same structure, and anglers can hook them on small, free-lined live baits while they’re bottom fishing.
Boats found some solid king mackerel action around the 240 rock last week, with a few fish around the NW Places and Big 10/Little 10 as well. Live pogies are producing most of the action with the kings.
Bottom fishing in the same areas has been producing some excellent catches of black sea bass lately, mostly for anglers baiting up with cut squid wings. Some gag grouper are in the vicinity as well, primarily around the 210 and 240 Rocks. Cigar minnows, sardines, and northern mackerel are attracting attention from the gags.
Offshore, the dolphin bite remains hot between the 14 Buoy and the 90’ Drop (with fish to 40 lbs.). Rigged ballyhoo are fooling most of the ‘phins. A few sailfish and other blue water predators are mixed in a bit further offshore, toward the Rise and Big Rock.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the dolphin bite is still excellent from the 14 Buoy on out to the break, and the fish should be moving even closer to the beaches as the hard offshore temperature edge seems to have dissipated and warm water is now stretching all the way inshore. Anglers also landed some wahoo (including a 65 pounder) last week while trolling at the break. Rigged ballyhoo under brightly-colored skirts are ideal baits for the dolphin, but they’ll also take an interest in cigar minnows or live baits.
Closer to the beaches, the spanish mackerel bite between shore and the nearshore reefs is still going strong, and anglers are hooking up with the fish while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures from boats and casting Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs from the piers.
Some flounder are feeding around AR-315 and other nearshore structure, and anglers are hooking them on live baits. A few large (5-6 lbs.) gray trout were also landed by anglers that were flounder fishing at AR-315 this past week.
Some cobia are still feeding around Cape Lookout, the inlets, and the beachfront, but they’re becoming a bit scarcer. Dead-baiting on the bottom in the inlets has been producing more fish than sight-casting recently.
The schools of pogies that the cobia were following have moved to the east side, so anglers looking for the cobes will likely do better there. Bucktails tipped with soft plastics are the way to go for the cobia around the bait balls.
Surf anglers are starting to catch some larger pompano (to 2 lbs.), along with a mix of other bottomfish. Shrimp are producing most of the action.
Inshore, the flounder bite has gotten much better in the turning basin (where anglers landed flatfish to nearly 8 lbs. last week). Most of the fish are falling for mud minnows and other live baits on Carolina rigs.
Dutch Sensenich with a 64 lb. cobia that fell for a bucktail cast into a pod of pogies off Atlantic Beach.
Shane, of Second to None Charters, reports that the dolphin bite is still hot and the fish have moved in shallower. The best action recently has been in around 17-20 fathoms, and anglers are hooking the fish while trolling ballyhoo under blue/white, pink/white, and other-colored Blue Water Candy lures.
The blue marlin bite is fairly solid offshore of the Big Rock in 100-200 fathoms. Larger ballyhoo and skirted lures will appeal to the marlin.
Morehead boats landed a few yellowfin tuna last week, almost all to the far north of the area.
Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers have landed big numbers of chopper bluefish (to 13 lbs.) recently on Gotcha plugs and cut baits.
A few cobia have also been falling for the Gotcha plugs lately.
The spanish mackerel bite has slowed a bit, but anglers are still picking some up.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with some whiting on shrimp (to 3 lbs.).
Royce, of Sheraton Pier, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of flounder on live mud minnows and cut baits.
Bottom fishing with shrimp is producing some action with spot, pigfish, and some black drum.
Plug casters are hooking up with decent numbers of spanish mackerel.
Chopper bluefish (to 18 lbs.) have been the big story of the week, with anglers landing big numbers while fishing large cut baits on wire leaders.
