Morehead City – July 30, 2015
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the spanish mackerel bite has improved a bit, but is still a bit slower than anglers were seeing a few weeks back. Most are spread out along the beachfront, so trolling has been more productive than casting recently, with Clarkspoons paired with planers and trolling weights producing most of the action.
A few large spanish mackerel are falling for live and dead baits around the nearshore AR’s.
Amberjacks are feeding around AR-285 and AR-330 and will bite live baits and, at times, topwater plugs.
Anglers are still seeing some king mackerel in the shipping channel, but the bite’s been a bit better on the east side of Lookout Shoals lately. Live baits have been fooling most of the kings, but anglers are also fooling some on dead cigar minnows. A few early wahoo have been mixed in with the east side kings and biting live baits.
Further offshore, the dolphin bite has been a bit slower recently, but it’s likely due to scattered grass instead of thick weedlines lately. Anglers have been encountering the ‘phins from the NW Places and Big 10/Little 10 out to the 90’ Drop, so anglers needn’t run all the way to the break to begin looking.
Along with the east side fish, decent numbers of wahoo were landed around the Big Rock and to the north last week. A few sailfish have been around as well. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are the best bets for the dolphin, wahoo, and sails.
Inshore, anglers continue to hook good numbers of flounder around deep structure like the port and local bridges. Live mud minnows and finger mullet are fooling most of the flatfish.
There’s also been a decent flounder bite in the ICW along the channel edges and dock pilings for anglers casting live and Gulp baits.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around the same structure as the flounder (with fish to 10 lbs. weighed in last week). Live sea urchins and fiddler crabs fished on the bottom and dangling near the vertical structure will fool the sheeps.
Nicholas Gibson and Wayne Hardee, of Greenville, NC, with a 69 lb. wahoo they landed while trolling off Beaufort Inlet near the Big Rock. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that there was some excellent spanish mackerel action over the weekend, with most of the fish feeding in around 20’ of water right off the beaches (and many to 20”+). Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and inline sinkers are fooling the majority of the spaniards.
Flounder fishermen saw decent action around nearshore structure like AR-315, 320, and 330 last week, with most of the fish falling for bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits. There are also some flounder biting inshore, but most are on the small side.
Anglers fishing the local marshes saw a decent speckled trout and puppy drum bite last week, fooling the fish with gold spoons, Z-Man soft plastics, and live finger mullet.
Surf casters are still primarily seeing a summertime assortment of spot, croaker, sea mullet, sharks, skates, and other bottom feeders while baiting up with shrimp and cut baits. A 3 lb. pompano was landed in the surf this week, however, so there are a few solid fish feeding in the suds.
Offshore anglers are reporting some dolphin and king mackerel, but the bite’s slowed down a bit.
Dennis Rogers with a spanish mackerel he hooked on a casting jig while fishing near Cape Lookout with Capt. Chris Kimrey of Mount Maker Charters.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers are hooking some solid flounder while fishing inshore structure like the Morehead port wall. Live baits like finger mullet are fooling most of the flatfish.
Spanish mackerel are schooled up around Cape Lookout and along the beaches and biting casting lures like Stingsilvers.
Anglers live-baiting at spots east of Lookout Shoals are hooking some larger spanish and king mackerel.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some better fishing in the Gulf Stream at present, with good numbers of billfish showing up. Anglers have released sailfish and white and blue marlin over the past week while putting wahoo, blackfin tuna, and dolphin into the fish box. Ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures are fooling all the blue water predators.
Katrina, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the pier when the water’s clean.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with some spot, croaker, and pompano on shrimp.
