Morehead City – June 11, 2015
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are still connecting with cobia off Beaufort Inlet and Cape Lookout, but the action isn’t quite as hot as it was a few weeks ago. Both sight fishing around menhaden “bait balls” and bottom fishing in the inlets has been productive over the past week. Bucktail jigs in pink and white colors have been fooling most of the casting fish, with live menhaden getting the job done on the bottom. Live eels have also been productive.
Flounder fishing at the nearshore AR’s has been good as well, with AR-315, 320, 330, and 382 all producing fish last week. It may take anglers some searching to find where the fish are holding on the structure, however. Bouncing 2 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp baits off the bottom is the best bet for the flatfish in the ocean.
Haylee Dunn, of Burlington, NC, with a false albacore that she hooked while trolling a Clarkspoon off Cape Lookout with her father Harold.
Anglers are also hooking a few behind Shackleford Banks and elsewhere inshore, but the best flounder action’s been in the ocean recently. Live mud minnows are drawing the bites inshore.
Sheepshead fishing is getting better, and anglers are connecting with the fish around the port wall and local bridge pilings. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are fooling most of the sheepshead.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still feeding around the inlets and along the beachfront, and anglers are catching decent numbers on Clarkspoons and squid rigs while trolling. Casting metal jigs around the inlets is also producing some fish.
Zach Thompson, of Henderson, NC, with a dolphin that struck a ballyhoo under a blue/white Ilander while he was trolling near the Big Rock on the “Reel Motivation.”
The red drum action inshore has been up-and-down, but anglers are hooking some in the backwaters of the sounds and river systems in the area. Topwater plugs and Gulp baits are fooling most of the reds.
Surf and pier anglers are hooking some chopper bluefish (to 10+ lbs.) on baits and casting lures like Gotcha plugs.
Some red and black drum are falling for shrimp and mullet fished on the bottom in the surf zone.
Lisa Lopp with a spanish mackerel that bit a Clarkspoon behind a trolling weight while she was trolling in 17′ of water off Cape Lookout.
Offshore, trollers have seen some solid action with meatfish and billfish over the past week. Good catches of dolphin are still rewarding most boats, and some wahoo and blackfin tuna are mixed in. All are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
There’s also been a good billfish bite for boats trolling further offshore with larger rigged baits or artificial trolling plugs.
Cody, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers have seen the fishing slow down a bit over the past week, but they are finding plenty of action on the local waters.
Cobia are still the big news, and anglers continue to catch decent numbers while fishing around menhaden schools within a few miles of shore and while soaking bottom baits near the inlets. Some have also been looking for meals at nearshore and offshore structure, with several fish landed at AR-330 last week. Live menhaden or eels and artificial lures like bucktail jigs and large soft plastics are fooling the cobia.
Anglers have also seen good numbers of false albacore and amberjack around some of the same structure.
Spanish mackerel fishing has slowed a bit, but anglers are finding decent numbers along with some bluefish within a few miles of the beaches. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and torpedo weights are fooling most of the spanish.
The flounder bite has also been slightly slower in recent days, but anglers had been finding big numbers at nearshore structure like the AR’s, so the bite could turn on at any time. Bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits are some of the best bets for anglers looking for the nearshore flatfish.
Sheepshead fishing has been good inshore, with good catches coming from the Atlantic Beach bridge and the port wall. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are putting the sheeps in the boat.
Surf casters are primarily catching smaller sharks, but some black drum and sea mullet have been mixed in. Fresh shrimp will fool both.
Anglers are hooking some fat croaker while bottom fishing in the turning basin.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that cobia are becoming a bit more scarce, but anglers are still managing to find a decent number. They’re still feeding around menhaden schools near the beaches and looking for meals at offshore bottom structure. Live menhaden and bucktail jigs will attract attention from the cobia.
Amberjacks and gag grouper are also looking for meals at bottom structure in 70-90’ of water. Both have a hard time passing up a live menhaden fished near the bottom. Plenty of black sea bass, grunts, and other bottom feeders are in the same areas and will pounce on squid or cut baits.
Katrina, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers have been catching plenty of spanish mackerel and some bluefish (including a few to 10+ lbs.) while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier.
Some pompano and spot are falling for shrimp on bottom rigs.
Anglers are also hooking some flounder on live baits fished under the pier.
