Morehead City September 11, 2008
William Adams and Scott Ellington, from Burlington, NC, with a 27.5 lb. wahoo caught 12 miles off Beaufort Inlet on a dead cigar minnow under a King Duster while they were fishing aboard an 18' Grady White. Weighed in at Chasin Tails Outdoors.
Tim, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are still hooking flounder along the port wall, near Shackleford, around the railroad tracks, underneath the Atlantic Beach Bridge, and off the beach at AR-315. Live finger mullet or mud minnows fished on Carolina rigs are producing most of the flatfish action.
Schools of red drum and some speckled trout are feeding in the Haystacks and other marshes, and the topwater bite has been good lately early in the mornings. When the fish don’t want to hit on top, a Gulp bait or a live shrimp fished beneath a float should get their attention.
Anglers are also catching some specks at night beneath the Atlantic Beach Bridge on float-rigged live shrimp.
Gray trout are feeding under the bridge as well and around the turning basin and railroad tracks. A green grub, Stingsilver, or Tsunami Glass Minnow will draw strikes from the grays.
Sheepshead are looking for meals along the structure of the port wall, railroad tracks, and Fort Macon rock jetty, and a fiddler crab or sea urchin bait should fool them into biting.
The old drum fishery is getting good in the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound, and anglers are releasing good numbers of the citation-class fish (40+”) while fishing large cut baits near drop-offs.
AR-315 and other nearshore structure are holding some large spanish and small king mackerel. Live finger mullet and peanut pogies free-lined or slow-trolled near the structure should tempt them to bite, with the best action early in the day.
Barry McClure, of Morehead City, landed this 20 lb. African pompano in 120' of water 30 miles off Beaufort Inlet. The fish fell for a dead cigar minnow while he was fishing with Capt. Scotty Edwards, Amy Mitchell, and Drew Getman.
Larger kings (up to 30+ lbs.) are feeding at spots like the 1700 Rock and Atlas Tanker on the east side of the shoals, and larger live baits are the ticket to action with them.
Bottom fishing has been productive at structure on the east side, too, with boats hooking up with gag grouper, triggerfish, and some sea bass. West of the shoals, the Big 10/Little 10, 210 Rocks, and 240 Rocks are producing some solid bottom action. Squid and cigar minnows will attract plenty of attention on the bottom.Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the spanish mackerel bite was still good when boats could find clean water in Tropical Storm Hanna’s wake. Trolling Clarkspoons, squid rigs, mackerel trees, and bird rigs are effective ways to target the spanish.
Boats are finding some big king mackerel feeding at structure east of the shoals. Large pogies or other live baits are the ticket to hookups with the biggest kings. Some large wahoo are feeding on the east side, too, at spots like the Atlas Tanker and 1700 Rock, and they will also take an interest in live baits.
Boats trolling offshore are hooking up with some gaffer dolphin and more wahoo.
Inshore, good numbers of gray trout are showing up in the turning basin, and Shore Lure Glass Minnow jigs will draw strikes from them.
A few whiting and spot are also feeding in the turning basin, and they’ll take spec rigs tipped with shrimp or simple bottom rigs.
Anglers are starting to catch plenty of big, citation-worthy red drum in the Neuse River. Large cut baits (from mullet or pogies) will get their attention.
Anglers are hooking up with some slot-sized reds at the sound side docks on the island between the bridge and the Coast Guard station.
Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that not many boats have made it offshore lately, but several weeks ago the blue water fishing was looking up, with more big dolphin showing up than boats had seen over the summer.
Good numbers of wahoo were around, too, along with some sailfish, and trolled ballyhoo were attracting attention from all the Gulf Stream predators.
The fish are out there; boats just need to get weather and crews to go target them.
Deborah, of Oceanana Pier, reports that before the storm anglers were hooking up with bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotcha plugs.
Bottom fishermen were also catching some whiting on shrimp and flounder on small live baits.
