Morehead City – May 29, 2014
Steve Bartholomew with the 43 lb. winning dolphin in the NC Offshore Challenge, hooked in the Gulf Stream off Beaufort Inlet while he was fishing with Capt. Mike Webb on the “Pelagic.”
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are still picking up some cobia on most recent days, but the action isn’t as hot as it was a few weeks ago. Most are falling for live and dead baits on the bottom in the inlets or behind Shackleford, as the weather hasn’t permitted boats to do much sight-casting in recent days. Menhaden and eels have been producing fish for the bottom anglers, and chumming will increase boats’ odds of success. Bucktail jigs, eel imitations, and live baits are the way to go for sight-casters.
Spanish mackerel are around in good numbers, and anglers should be able to put together some solid catches while trolling Clarkspoons or diving lures just off the beachfront. Plenty of bluefish are feeding in the same areas and will pounce on the same lures.
Flounder fishing is heating up on the nearshore reefs and other structure, and some anglers were able to put limits together while bouncing 2 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp baits last week.
David Holden with a 71 lb. cobia he hooked at Cape Lookout. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Bottom fishing further offshore has been producing plenty of action with black sea bass, grouper, triggerfish, amberjacks, and more. The best action’s been 35+ miles off the beaches, but there have also been some solid reports from the Atlas Tanker recently. Squid, cigar minnows, mackerel, and menhaden are all solid baits for the bottom dwellers, and anglers have also been hooking up on vertical jigs.
The dolphin bite remains strong when boats have the weather to get out to the break, with the best reports coming from the Big Rock area recently. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are fooling the ‘phins and also a few wahoo feeding in the same areas. The billfish bite is heating up as well, and anglers have released sailfish and white and blue marlin while trolling the blue water recently.
Inshore, anglers are starting to see some improved flounder action (with some fish to 6 lbs. last week). Live mud minnows and Gulp baits are the way to go for the flatfish inside the inlets.
The red drum bite is also turning on, with most of the fish feeding in the local marshes. Anglers are hooking them on soft plastics, spinnerbaits, topwater plugs, and live and cut baits.
Sea mullet action inshore has slowed somewhat, but anglers can still connect with a few mullet along with gray trout, pigfish, and other bottom feeders while dropping shrimp-tipped spec rigs in the turning basin and inlet.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf and pier bottom fishermen are finding a summer mixed bag of sea mullet, spot, pompano, pigfish, and more while baiting up with shrimp and bloodworms.
Toby Grantham, of Knightdale, NC, with a pending state record 46 lb. African pompano that bit a vertical jig offshore of Beaufort Inlet while he was fishing with Capt. Dave Tilley on the headboat “Continental Shelf.”
There’s been good spanish mackerel action on the piers and for boaters trolling just off the beachfront lately, with plenty of bluefish mixed in. They’re biting Gotcha plugs off the piers and Clarkspoons behind the boats.
Anglers are also landing a fair number of cobia, with bait-fishing around the inlets and inshore outproducing sight-casting in recent days.
The offshore fleet is still finding some solid dolphin action along the edge of the Gulf Stream, and skirted ballyhoo are fooling most of the fish.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw, reports that the dolphin action has been excellent lately for boats trolling the blue water in 30-150 fathoms. A few wahoo and some scattered yellowfin tuna are mixed in, and all are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted lures like sea witches.
Blue marlin and sailfish are feeding in the same areas and have also been falling for skirted ballyhoo.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers are hooking up with cobia (averaging around 40 lbs.) while sight-casting bucktail jigs and live baits to fish they spot cruising on the surface just off the beachfront.
Spanish mackerel are feeding in the same areas, and anglers put together some limit catches last week while casting metal jigs to schools chasing bait on the surface.
Lucian, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters have been hooking good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotchas recently.
Bottom fishermen released an over-slot drum last week and are hooking a mixed bag of other fish.
