Morehead City July 28, 2011
Griffin and Gary McCullar with a gaffer dolphin that fell for a skirted ballyhoo at the Big Rock while they were fishing with Capt. Jerry Powell of RockNRoll Charters out of the Morehead City waterfront.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the spanish mackerel fishing has been solid in and around Beaufort Inlet recently. Trolling Clarkspoons, mackerel tree rigs, and squid rigs has been fooling the spaniards, and anglers are also hooking up while casting small metal jigs to the feeding fish. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in with the spanish.
The flounder bite is still on inshore (with good numbers of 5+ lb. fish), and anglers are finding the larger flatfish around the port wall, the bridges, and the docks. Solid numbers of smaller fish are rewarding anglers drifting the ICW channel. Anglers are also hooking flounder at AR-315 when the wind lets them get out there. Live finger mullet, mud minnows, and bucktail/Gulp bait combinations are fooling the majority of the flounder.
Sheepshead are still feeding around the same structure as the larger flatfish, and anglers are catching good numbers on fiddler crabs and sea urchins.
Sea mullet, spot, croaker, bluefish, gray trout, pigfish, and other bottom feeders are feeding in the inlet and turning basin and taking an interest in bottom rigs and spec rigs baited with shrimp or Fish Bites.
King mackerel are turning up in better numbers, and anglers are finding them at the AR’s, in the shipping channel, and around the Dead Tree Hole. Most are on the smaller side, but some smokers have been mixed in. Most anglers are connecting with the kings while pulling dead cigar minnows, but live baits will attract attention from the bigger fish.
Bottom fishermen have been finding plenty of action while dropping baits to ledges in the 30-40 mile range. Grouper, beeliners, triggerfish, black sea bass, and amberjacks are making up most of the catch. Anglers are tempting them to bite cigar minnows, sardines, mackerel, squid, and Decoy and Roscoe jigs.
Offshore, the dolphin bite has been solid around the 14 Buoy, 90’ Drop, NW Places, and Big 10/Little 10, and anglers have seen some ‘phins as close in as the sea buoy. Decent numbers of sailfish are feeding in the same areas, and both are taking an interest in small and medium ballyhoo.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that bottom fishing in the turning basin is producing some action with spot, croaker, and other panfish. Bottom and spec rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms will get attention from all the panfish.
Flounder are feeding in the turning basin, too, but that bite has slowed down a bit.
Spanish mackerel are feeding on the surface in the very early mornings in the turning basin and behind Shackleford. Boats are hooking up with them while trolling Clarkspoons and other small, flashy lures.
Hunter Faithful, from New Bern, NC, with an 8.23 lb. sheepshead that fell for a live sea urchin at the Morehead port wall. Weighed in at Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Charlie, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that the speckled trout fishing is still solid around Point of Marsh, Caison’s Island, and the sloughs around Cedar Island. Gulp baits and Billy Bay Halo Shrimp under popping corks are producing most of the specks, but anglers are also hooking a few on topwater plugs.
Some puppy drum are mixed in with the trout around Point of Marsh and Shell and Old House Islands, and smelly cut baits like menhaden have been producing the best results with the pups lately.
A few citation-class “old” drum are showing up around Brant Island and the lumps and oyster rocks nearby. More will be hot on their heels, and large cut baits fished on the bottom are the way to hook up with the big reds.
Tarpon are on the feed in the sounds and rivers, and anglers who find the “silver kings” can tempt them to bite large cut and dead baits as well.
Spanish mackerel are feeding strong in the Pamlico Sound, and trolling small Drone spoons will put plenty of them in the boat.
