Morehead City – August 4, 2016
Matt, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that large sheepshead are providing plenty of action for anglers fishing around docks, bridges, bulkheads, and other heavy structure. The high rise bridge and port wall seem to be holding the best number of fish, but any hard structure, even oyster beds, will hold sheepshead.
The inshore redfish bite is better than it has been in a long time, with anglers catching 20 or more fish per day. The Haystacks, Middle Marsh, Core Creek, and Newport River are all holding large numbers of fish. These summertime schools are still scattered and broken up into schools of 3-4 fish. Topwater baits are working better in the morning and evening when the fish can be found feeding on the surface. Cut bait, live bait, and artificials are working throughout the heat of the day when the reds are in deeper, cooler water.
There has been a great shark bite inshore behind Shackleford Banks for anglers looking to escape the recent winds offshore. Shark Island is living up to its name and is also holding large numbers of hungry sharks. Chumming with oily baits like bluefish and menhaden is the best way to bring the sharks within casting range where anglers are fooling them with live menhaden, bluefish, pinfish, and bucktails tipped with curly tail grubs.
Gulf Stream anglers are reporting great action with early season wahoo out past the break. There are some large fish in the mix, with plenty of 50+ lb. fish being brought to the scales. Mixed in with the wahoo are scattered mahi, blackfin tuna, and large numbers of sailfish. The Big Rock, The Rise, and Swansboro Hole are holding the majority of the fish, and anglers are catching them on medium and horse ballyhoo trolled near temperature breaks and weedlines.
Bill Collector captured 1st place in the 2016 NCDU Band the Billfish tournament. Bill Collector released 4 sailfish for the weekend and weighed a 29.7 lb. mahi to take home the crown for this years tournament.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that there has been a strong flounder bite inshore, with some large fish being brought to the scales. ICW docks and bridges are holding a mix of flounder and reds which can be caught on Carolina rigs baited with a live finger mullet or mud minnow.
Anglers are also having success fishing behind Shackleford Banks, in deep holes in area marshes, and offshore at areas like AR-315 and AR-285.
Anglers fishing the beach are reporting that the surf fishing has slowed recently due to the recent heat, but persistent anglers can still put together a nice mixed bag of fish. Double drop bottom rigs baited with fresh shrimp or Fishbites are tempting bites from sea mullet, croakers, bluefish, and the occasional flounder, and live and cut bait like pinfish, crab, mullet, and menhaden fished on fish finder rigs are tempting bites from the occasional red drum.
Capt. Mike Taylor and John Roberts with their two red drum that equaled out to 14.02 lbs., earning them a $5,800 top prize in Event #2 of the Carolina Redfish Series.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that anglers are finding solid action with inshore speckled trout and flounder. Most of the specs are 14-24” which gives anglers plenty of fish to take home. Live mullet on a Carolina rig fished under docks and bridges will provide plenty of action from both the trout and flounder, and they will also fool any reds that may be hanging around the same area.
Just off the beach anglers are still catching good numbers of small spanish while trolling #0-#1 Clarkspoons behind a #1 planer or 2-3 oz. trolling weight. Most of the smaller spanish are being caught just off the beach where they are schooled up in 15-30’ of water. Larger spanish are further offshore in 30-60’ of water. Live menhaden, threadfin herring, and cigar minnows fished on scaled down king mackerel rigs are fooling the majority of these citation-class spanish, but they can also be caught on diving plugs and dead bait rigs that can be trolled faster allowing anglers to cover more ground in order to find feeding fish.
Kellee Cronk with a flounder that weighed in at 6.9 lbs. The fish fell for a Gulp soft plastic bounced in 2 of water in the marsh around Atlantic Beach.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that the nearshore amberjack bite has been red hot, with plenty of fish schooled up at area wrecks and reefs. Offshore grade topwater poppers and live menhaden on large circle hooks are the go-to baits for these heavyweight fighters.
A little further offshore, anglers are catching large numbers of grouper while bottom fishing in areas in at least 70’ of water. A cigar minnow or Gulp shrimp on a 2-3 oz. bucktail is hard for any grouper to resist. There are also some beeliners, triggerfish, and black sea bass mixed in.
The inshore flounder bite has picked up, with some large 20”+ fish being caught. ICW docks and bridges are all popular spots to find fish, and anglers are also having success while fishing the turning basin and port wall.
Black drum are mixed in at the port wall and will take interest in live shrimp or soft plastic imitations.
Jimmy Hawley with a citation spanish mackerel hooked on a live menhaden while slow trolling a few miles off of Bogue Inlet. The fish was 29 and was caught while fishing with Capt. Walter Bateman of Coastal Carolina Guide Service.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Sportfishing Charters, reports that anglers are still finding scattered action with mahi inshore of the break. Most of these inshore dolphin are 2-5 lb. “chicken” mahi, so anglers looking to connect with something larger need to venture further offshore past the break.
There has been an excellent wahoo and blackfin tuna bite recently at the Big Rock and The Rise, but anywhere in between those spots that features good live bottom, temp breaks, weedlines, or rips should be holding a mixed bag of fish.
There have been yellowfin tuna caught on the other side of Cape Lookout, and with the forecasted cool weather moving in, anglers should keep an eye out for this fast moving pelagic species.
The billfish bite remains strong, with plenty of blue and white marlin releases over the past week. Anglers are also connecting with large numbers of sailfish in the Gulf Stream and inshore of the break.
Larry, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are still catching plenty of spanish and bluefish from the end of the pier on Gotcha plugs, and the best action has been just after sunrise.
Anglers soaking bait on the bottom have been catching a mixed bag of species, with sea mullet and croaker dominating the action, and a few pompano and flounder mixed in.
The water is 82 degrees.
