Morehead City June 9, 2011
Jenny Gustafson, of Cedar Point, NC, with a 41 lb. cobia that she hooked while casting a Spro bucktail with an 8" curlytail trailer to bait balls off Cape Lookout.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that most of the cobia have moved on, but a few were landed around buoys and bait balls just off the area last week, so it still pays to have a rod rigged with a bucktail ready to go in case anglers spot one.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been solid up and down the beaches and around the nearshore reefs recently. Most are falling for trolled Clarkspoons and squid rigs, but they’re starting to school up. Anglers may be able to hook some while casting small metal lures around fish feeding on the surface. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in with the spaniards.
Some snake king mackerel have been caught around the Dead Tree Hole and nearshore reefs, and cigar minnows on dead bait rigs are getting their attention.
Flounder fishing at nearshore structure like AR-315 and 320 gets better by the day. Using 2-3 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp baits or Uncle Josh flounder strips is producing most of the fish in the ocean. Inshore, anglers are connecting with flatfish around the bridges, the port wall, ICW docks, and along the channel edges. Live mud minnows are producing most of the action inshore.
Gray trout are feeding around the railroad tracks and the high-rise bridges at night. Stingsilvers or green grubs will tempt them to bite.
Sheepshead are feeding around hard inshore structure like the port wall and bridges and docks (with some to 10 lbs. weighed in last week). Fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and sea urchins are all effective on the sheeps.
Red drum are feeding in the marshes off the Newport River and Core Creek, and they’re falling for topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, and scented soft plastics. It has been tough to get them to bite artificials at times lately, but cut mullet or live mud minnows will usually produce when the imitations don’t.
Pier anglers are connecting with plenty of bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotcha plugs and Pole-Kat lures.
Sea mullet, pigfish, pompano, drum, and sharks and skates are falling for baited bottom rigs from the piers and beaches.
Offshore, dolphin fishing is still good from the 14 Buoy offshore to the 90’ Drop, Big Rock, and Rise, with a few wahoo and sailfish mixed in. A few have moved inshore as far as the NW Places. Ballyhoo under sea witches are the way to go for the ‘phins.
Blue and white marlin are also showing up in the blue water.
Bottom fishermen are finding success with grouper around ledges in the 30 mile range. Squid, cigar minnows, Boston mackerel, and Blue Water Candy Roscoe jigs are producing action with the grouper.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that fishermen are connecting with some pigfish, croaker, spot, and other assorted bottom feeders in the surf and deeper water inshore. Shrimp on bottom or spec rigs will tempt them to bite.
Flounder fishing has been good around the high rise bridges and the edges of the ICW channel, with some fish still coming from the Lookout rock jetty. Live mud minnows are the way to go for the flatfish.
Sheepshead fishing has turned on around the bridges and the port wall (with several citation 8+ pounders weighed in last week). Most of the sheeps are falling for fiddler crabs and sea urchin baits.
King mackerel have been a bit scarce lately, but there’s plenty of bait in the shipping channel and there should be a few big fish around the bait.
Amberjacks have moved in to structure like the Atlas Tanker, and they will readily pounce on live baits or vertical jigs.
Travis Wilkey, of Cary, NC, with a 25 lb. red grouper he hooked while bottom fishing at a ledge off Morehead City. Weighed in at Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Spanish mackerel fishing remains excellent for boats trolling Clarkspoons and other small lures just off the inlet and beaches.
Dolphin fishing remains solid, but the fish are spreading out, with a few reported as far inshore as the NW Places last week. Some sailfish are mixed in with the ‘phins out around the break.
Pete, of Energizer Charters, reports that the dolphin bite is still solid offshore, with some fish moving into the 20 mile range out of Beaufort Inlet.
More dolphin are feeding out on the break, and there’s been a decent blue and white marlin bite lately as well.
King mackerel have been scarce lately, but there are some feeding around bait concentrations 15-20 miles out. When boats can find the kings, they’re hungry, so Drone spoons and live and dead baits will get the job done.
Spanish mackerel fishing along the beach remains strong, and good numbers of spinner sharks are feeding just offshore for anglers looking for a battle.
Charlie, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that puppy drum fishing on the oceanside flats of Core Sound will be excellent in the coming days. Anglers can tempt the fish to bite topwater plugs, soft plastics, and a variety of other baits and lures.
Speckled trout fishing in the bays and rivers will be turning on as well, and suspending hard baits or soft plastics will tempt bites from the specks.
Live-baiting around the wrecks and rocks east of Lookout Shoals should produce action with king mackerel, cobia, dolphin, amberjacks, and more as the water continues to heat up.
Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are hooking up with some bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the planks.
More bluefish, spot, and croaker are falling for baited bottom rigs.
