Morehead City August 31, 2006
Paul, at Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports solid spanish mackerel fishing in the inlet and along the beach at Shackleford Banks. Trolling small spoons or squid rigs will produce the best results on the spanish.
The high-rise bridge and turning basin are still producing gray trout and spots at night. The best technique is jigging a speck rig tipped with shrimp on the bottom.
And the big red drum are biting at night in the sound near Cedar Island.
Shane, at Second to None Charters, reports that bailer and gaffer dolphin are around the Big Rock. The fish are hanging around weed lines, and trolling Blue Water Candy Dolphin Weenies with strip baits is the way to get them to bite.
There are a few sailfish in the same area as the dolphin, and they’ll eat the same baits.
King mackerel (up to 25 lbs.) are on the east side of Cape Lookout Shoals. A ballyhoo with a red/black witch will get attention from the kings.
Spanish mackerel fishing on the beach is incredible. Afternoon trips are catching triple digit numbers of spanish by trolling small spoons.
Jimmy, at Carolina Bait and Tackle, reports that good flounder fishing continues in the area. Fish are being caught in the waterway, inlet, and nearshore reefs. Several flounder over the past week went over 5 pounds.
Some trout are being caught in the waterway, turning basin, and inlet.
The surf has been good for pompano using sand fleas or shrimp, preferably on the incoming tide.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are hanging around outside the inlets and along the beach. They’re hitting trolled spoons and plugs.
A good catch of king mackerel and dolphin was reported from around 7 miles off the beach.
Helen, at Sportsman’s Pier, reports that black drum and whiting are biting shrimp on bottom rigs. There have been several good runs of spots this week, but they’re coming very late at night.
Most of the flounder caught this week were undersized. The heavy rains seem to have put the big ones off the bite.
Large spanish mackerel (from 3-4 lbs.) are eating plugs, as are bluefish. It can be tough to get them to hit, however, because of the large amounts of bait in the water.
The water temperature at the pier is 85 degrees.
