Morehead City – May 26, 2016
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that area cobia fishing has been excellent recently with some large fish up to 91 lbs. being weighed in. The majority of the action is concentrated around the Cape Lookout area, but anglers are connecting with fish anywhere from Beaufort Inlet to Barden Inlet. On cooler days, more fish are being taken while fishing live menhaden and small bluefish on the bottom and under balloons. Sight casters are reporting success while fishing near bait balls using bucktails and live eels.
Offshore flounder fishing has improved over the past few weeks with plenty of flatfish being caught even though most people are searching for cobia. Using 2 oz. Spro bucktails with 4” Gulp shrimp are fooling the majority of the fish, and the nearshore reefs like AR-315 and AR-330 are holding good numbers of fish as they move closer inshore.
Surf anglers are connecting with a mix of black drum, sea mullet, blow toads, skates, and small sharks. There are small flounder mixed in, and the flounder bite will only improve as the water warms. Fresh shrimp, mullet, crabs, and squid fished on bottom rigs will fool any of the bottom feeders.
Offshore past the break, anglers are finding consistent action with gaffer dolphin, wahoo, sailfish, and blackfin tuna. The majority of bluewater action is between the Big Rock and Swansboro Hole, but spots like the 14 Buoy and 90’ Drop are also holding some fish. Trolling naked ballyhoo will fool any of the pelagic species.
Art Reynolds, of Woodbridge, VA, caught this cobia around the Cape Lookout area while fishing with Capt. George Beckwith of Down East Charters.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that inshore anglers are connecting with large numbers of gray trout in the Turning Basin and near the Highway 70 Bridge. Live baits like shrimp, mullet, and mud minnows on Carolina rigs will draw savage strikes. Jigging metal lures like stingsilvers and diamond jigs will fool the trout when anglers don’t want to bother with live baits.
Sheepshead and black drum are being caught on fiddler crabs fished on Carolina rigs near the port walls and bridge pilings.
The red drum bite has slowed recently, but anglers are still connecting with some schooled up fish in the middle marshes and Haystacks.
Just off the beach in 20’ of water, anglers are connecting with large numbers of spanish mackerel, bluefish, and some scattered bonito. Trolling #00 or #1 Clarkspoons behind a 2 oz. trolling weight or #1 planer will fool all three species. Anglers looking to connect with some of the large citation-class spanish mackerel in the area should consider slow trolling small menhaden on scaled down king rigs near offshore structure.
Susan Upchurtch with an 11.8 lb. sheepshead she sight casted to in 50Â’ of water. She was fishing with Capt. Chris Kimrey, of Mount Maker Charters.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports than flounder are starting to school up on nearshore reefs. They can be caught using live and cut bait fished on Carolina rigs and on bucktails tipped with 4” Gulp shrimp in pearl white and new penny.
Amberjack are being caught in 60-70’ of water using a variety of baits. Anglers can target this opportunistic feeder by drifting live baits over high relief structure and by jigging vertical jigs like the 4 1/2 oz. Shimano Butterfly Flat Fall Jig.
Further offshore in 90’ of water, anglers are connecting with a mixed bag of bottom fish, including black sea bass, gag grouper, grunts, snappers, and beeliners. Cut bait, squid, and cigar minnows are reliable baits for all bottom fish.
Inshore, anglers are connecting with scattered puppy drum, particularly while fishing at night under lighted docks using soft plastics like Vudu shrimp and Gulp jerk shads. There are some small speckled trout mixed in with the reds, but most of the fish are too small to keep.
Ginger and Mark Zaremski with a 78 lb. cobia caught on dead bait at Cape Lookout in 30Â’ of water. They were fishing with Capt. Chris Kimrey of Mount Maker Charters.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that cobia are still in the area, and anglers are having success fishing both live and dead bait near Cape Lookout in 30-40’ of water. Menhaden and eels are preferred baits for the cobia, but anglers can also use bluefish and larger pinfish if the others cannot be located.
Large sheepshead are also feeding on offshore structure in 50’ of water. Anglers can fool them using chunks of crab fished on Carolina rigs, or by jigging metal lures like stingsilvers. Some large flounder are mixed in, and they will also take interest in the same lures as well as Gulp shrimp on a 2 oz. bucktail.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are being found just off the beaches with some large schools recently reported. Trolling Clarkspoons or other flashy metal lures behind a small teaser bird is a surefire way to pick up the larger spanish.
Addy, Mary, Grace, and Tommy McMillan with a 30 lb. cobia caught on a live menhaden at Cape Lookout while fishing with Capt. Chris Kimrey, of Mount Maker Charters.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Charters, reports that bluewater anglers are finding plenty of gaffer dolphin from the 14 Buoy out to the break. Mixed in with the mahi are some wahoo, blackfin tuna, and even the occasional sailfish. Trolling naked and skirted ballyhoo near weedlines and temperature breaks will fool all four of the deep water species.
Billfish action has been reported recently near the Big Rock and Swansboro Hole.
Karissa Moss and Jackson Diab, of Wilmington, with a mahi they caught while fishing with Capt. Brett Parrott, of Open Wide Fishing Adventures.
Larry, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with pigfish, sea mullet, black drum, and red drum while soaking shrimp on bottom rigs.
The water is 67 degrees.
