Morehead City – June 4, 2015
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are still hooking plenty of cobia off Beaufort Inlet and Cape Lookout (with fish to 88 lbs. weighed in recently). Anglers are still finding them cruising on the surface and shadowing menhaden “bait balls” within a few miles of the shoreline, and hooking the cobes while bottom fishing near the inlets as well. Bucktail jigs and live and artificial eels are fooling most of the fish that anglers spot, and live and dead menhaden have been producing bites for the bottom bouncers.
Spanish mackerel action remains strong, with anglers hooking solid numbers of fish while trolling Clarkspoons and mackerel tree or squid rigs off the inlets and along the beachfront. Some fish are falling for metal casting lures around Beaufort Inlet as well.
Mate Aaron Patrick and Karissa Moss with a dolphin that struck a ballyhoo under a blue/white sea witch while they were fishing with Capt. Corbett Johnson of Reelax Fishing Charters.
Flounder are feeding at nearshore structure in the area like AR-315, 320, and 285 (and some anglers are landing limit catches). Bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits are fooling most of the flounder in the ocean.
Anglers are also connecting with fish in the channels behind Shackleford Banks and around inshore structure like the port wall. Live mud minnows and Gulp baits are fooling the flatfish inshore.
Sheepshead are also feeding around the port wall and structure like bridge pilings (no monsters but plenty of fish to 4 lbs.). Live fiddler crabs are fooling the sheeps.
Offshore, trollers found a slightly slower bite last weekend, but the fishing seems to be improving again. Anglers are connecting with gaffer dolphin from the 90’ Drop out to the Big Rock and other spots along the break. Some wahoo and blackfin tuna are feeding in the same areas, and all three are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Brennan Adams (age 5), from Morehead City, with a pair of keeper flounder he hooked near one of the local AR’s. Photo courtesy of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Bottom fishing offshore is producing plenty of action with grouper, sea bass, triggerfish, snapper, and more. The best action has been around 35 miles out, and most of the fish are falling for squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits.
Amberjacks are feeding at structure closer to land and pouncing on live baits and jigs.
Cody, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are hooking large bluefish (to 10+ lbs.) while working lures from the end of Oceanana Pier, primarily on Gotcha plugs.
Trollers working off Beaufort Inlet and Cape Lookout are connecting with smaller bluefish and plenty of spanish mackerel while pulling Clarkspoons.
Flounder fishing has been improving at nearshore structure like AR-315 and 330 (with a few fish to 5 lbs.). Anglers can hook up with the flatfish while bouncing bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits off the bottom.
Some cobia were also reported at the AR’s last week, and anglers continue to hook decent numbers near the beaches as well. Several cobes have also been caught inshore, so deeper holes in Bogue Sound could be good places to look as well.
Sheepshead are feeding around bridge pilings and other structure inshore (some to 8 lbs.). The sheeps are falling for live fiddler crabs dangled near the pilings.
Offshore, the dolphin bite has slowed down a bit, as the fish seem to have spread out. Anglers found dolphin in as shallow as 75’ last week, but the best bet is still spots along the break like the Big Rock. A few wahoo and tuna are mixed in with the ‘phins, and anglers are hooking all three on skirted ballyhoo.
There’s also been surprisingly good blue marlin action offshore of the break, with anglers pulling rigged baits and skirted plugs seeing and hooking solid numbers of fish.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers are still connecting with good numbers of cobia while sight-casting to cruising fish and working lures around menhaden schools just off the inlets and beachfront. Bucktail jigs with soft plastic trailers are fooling most of the cobes.
Some large red drum are feeding in the same areas and also biting the bucktails.
Further offshore, amberjacks and grouper are feeding around bottom structure in 80’ of water and deeper. The jacks will bite live baits and vertical jigs, and anglers can fool the grouper with the same. They can also use dead menhaden, cigar minnows, and cut baits.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Charters, reports that there’s still some good dolphin action for anglers trolling ballyhoo around offshore spots like the Big Rock. Some wahoo have been mixed in, and both are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Steve, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with quite a few large “Hatteras” bluefish (some 10+ lbs.) while working Gotcha plugs from the end of the pier.
A few spanish mackerel and smaller bluefish are mixed in with the bigger blues and biting the plugs.
Bottom fishermen are landing some pigfish and small sharks.
