Morehead City May 7, 2009
Daniel Raeburn, of Morehead City, with a genuine red snapper caught while offshore bottom fishing around 20 miles off Beaufort Inlet. The red fell for a squid.
Tim, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that the inshore bite is turning on in the Haystacks and other marshes. Anglers are hooking up with red drum, speckled trout, and flounder while fishing a variety of lures, including Gulp baits, 27 and 17 MR Mirrolures, Johnson Spoons, Trigger X plastics, and live baits under popping corks. Aside from the Haystacks, the shallows of the Newport River and ICW near Core Creek are producing plenty of fish.
Gray trout have shown up around the railroad tracks, where anglers are hooking them on Stingsilvers. The fish should also be feeding beneath the Atlantic Beach causeway at night, and green grubs or Tsunami Glass minnows will produce action.
In the turning basin and nearby, bottom fishermen are finding action with hungry whiting, gray trout, and black drum. Spec rigs (especially the shrimp glow color) tipped with shrimp are producing most of the action. Some fishermen also found a good whiting bite around the Radio Island jetties on spec rigs tipped with squid.
Sheepshead are beginning to show up around the Fort Macon rocks, and they will soon be feeding around inshore structure throughout the area. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp have been producing bites from the sheeps at Fort Macon.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding in the inlet, around Fort Macon, and along both sides of Shackleford. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting diamond jigs and Gotcha plugs will attract attention from both fish.
Some flounder (including some keepers) are holding at AR-315, and anglers are also hooking up with some chopper bluefish (5+ lbs.) around the reef. Live baits are attracting interest from the flounder, and anglers are hooking up with the big blues by trolling Drone and Clark spoons and casting jigging spoons and Gotcha plugs.
King mackerel are on the move, and the bite’s been good around the 210 and 240 Rocks recently. Live baits are tough to come by right now, but anglers are hooking up while trolling cigar minnows, ballyhoo, and a variety of lures.
Bottom fishermen found a good bite at structure near the 14 Buoy last week, catching some grouper, big black sea bass, and beeliners. Squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits will produce action with the bottom feeders.
Gulf Stream trolling has been productive on days when the wind lets boats get out. The best bite last week was around the Rise, where boats reported hooking up with dolphin, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, and king mackerel. Good reports also came in from the Swansboro Hole. Ballyhoo trolled beneath skirted lures are producing most of the action with the blue water predators.
Curt Norville, from New Bern, NC, with a 26 lb. wahoo hooked in 74 degree water a few miles south of the Big Rock on a Braid Marauder.
Â
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers are hooking up with some chopper bluefish. Cut baits like mullet are producing the best results, and anglers are also hooking up with an occasional black drum or puppy drum.
Some red drum and a few keeper flounder have been reported by shore anglers fishing near the 101 Bridge.
Bottom fishing’s been good around the Coast Guard station and turning basin lately. Anglers are hooking up with whiting while fishing spec rigs and Uncle George bucktails tipped with shrimp.
Spanish mackerel have pushed into the inlet, and are feeding well behind Shackleford as well as on the oceanside. Trolled Clarkspoons and bird rigs will draw bites from the spanish, and anglers can also cast metal lures like Shore Lure Glass Minnows at the fish with success.
Boats found some schools of big red drum on the Lookout Shoals last week, and anglers hooked up with the fish while sight casting with bucktails and fly rods.
Bottom fishermen found good action with sea bass, beeliners, and triggerfish around the ledges offshore of the 14 Buoy last week.
Offshore, trollers found excellent dolphin fishing last week, with the best bite a bit south of the Big Rock.
Â
Dave Cohen, of Hyannis, MA, with a gag grouper he hooked on cut mackerel in 115' offshore of Atlantic Beach. He was fishing with Capt. Ken Mullen of Swell Rider Charters.
Ken, of Swell Rider Charters, reports that the bottom fishing was excellent last week.
Anglers found solid gag grouper around structure in 95-115′, with hammered diamond jigs and cut mackerel producing the most action. American red snapper and big sea bass are also feeding in the same areas, and they’re falling for the mackerel, jigs, and squid.
Offshore, plenty of big triggerfish have been feeding around structure in 165′, and the wrecks are loaded with amberjacks. Jigs have been producing the most action.
Trolling was also productive last week, with a good catch of gaffer dolphin coming from the Big Rock area.
Â
Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that anglers have found excellent blue water fishing in the vicinity of the Big Rock lately. Inshore near the break, the wahoo and dolphin bite has been steady, with most fish falling for ballyhoo under blue/white sea witches, JAGs, and Mini JAGS.
The billfish bite has been going off over the past week offshore of the Rock. Boats have tallied releases on spearfish along with white and blue marlin over the past week, and ballyhoo under blue/white lures have been the ticket for the bills as well.
Â
Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters are hooking a few bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotcha plugs.
Bottom fishermen are catching whiting on shrimp.
