Morehead City Winter 2009
Kenneth Lane, from Beaufort, NC, with a 34.04 lb. blackfin tuna. It fell for a live bait while Lane was fishing for kings south of Hatteras.
Tim, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that speckled trout are the main story on the Morehead inshore scene right now. Anglers are finding the specks around the Cape Lookout jetty, the Radio Island jetty, and in the surf along Shackleford Banks.
MirrOlures (especially the 808 and 26MR models), Gulps (white and new penny shrimp), and live mud minnows fished under floats or on Carolina rigs are producing most of the fish.
Some of the largest trout (7-8 lbs.) are biting at the Cape Lookout jetty at night, and they’re falling for black and purple MirrOlures.
Anglers casting from shore are hooking up with decent numbers of trout around the rocks at Fort Macon, too, and 808 and electric chicken 26MR MirrOlures have been producing there as well.
The trout bite should stay good for much of the winter as long as the water doesn’t get too cold.
In the surf along Atlantic Beach, anglers are picking up a few black drum on fresh shrimp, and trout and puppy drum on MirrOlures and Gulps.
Tautog are feeding along the port wall, at the Radio Island jetty, and at AR-315. Shellfish are the best baits for them, but some have been caught on live mud minnows as well.
Last winter about this time, anglers started catching some big kings (up to nearly 70 lbs.) at the Atlas Tanker and 1700 Rock east of Lookout Shoals. Live baits like pogies and bluefish are top choices for the kings, but they’ll fall for dead cigar minnows as well when live bait is tough to come by.
Further off the shoals, some big wahoo (including a 66 lb. fish caught last week) have been feeding around Chicken Rock, and they’re devouring the live baits anglers are pulling for kings. Anglers targeting the ‘hoos should use stouter gear than normal king mackerel tackle to reduce the number of lost fish.
Giant bluefin tuna have begun showing up in the area, with the best bite thus far on the east side of the shoals. The bluefins will be feeding around temperature breaks and bait concentrations in the area for weeks or months to come. Horse ballyhoo under large trolling lures are the standard fare for chasing the bluefins, and they’re especially effect when trolled deep behind planers.
Bottom fishermen have been hooking up with gag grouper, black sea bass, and triggerfish around the 210 and 240 Rocks. Cigar minnows and squid will get attention from the bottom feeders.
Matt Rast and Steve Brock with four out of a limit of 22" class speckled trout they caught on live shrimp beneath floats at the Cape Lookout Rock Jetty.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that bluefin tuna are beginning to make an appearance, although the bite can be spotty, with the fleet following up a good day with a few bad ones. The bite started on the east side of the shoals, but boats have hooked some fish south of Beaufort Inlet as well. Trolling horse ballyhoo behind large lures is the best way to attract attention from the bluefins when boats can locate feeding fish.
The gag grouper bite has been excellent close to the beaches lately, but anglers need to get their grouper fishing in before the first of the year, when the fishery will be closed until April.
Inshore, there are still some gray trout in the turning basin, and anglers can hook up with them by vertically jigging Stingsilvers or Shore Lure Glass Minnows.
Anglers are catching good numbers of tautog around the port wall and in front of the Marine Fisheries complex. One of the best ways to catch them is to smash up some fresh clams, use the meat as hook baits, and chum with the shattered shells, which seems to attract the ‘togs. Fiddler crabs also make good baits, but they are tough to come by at this time of year.
The speckled trout bite is red hot right now at the Cape Lookout and Radio Island jetties, with slightly larger fish at Lookout. Live baits like shrimp and mud minnows have been producing the most action at Lookout, and anglers are landing fish at Radio Island and elsewhere while casting MirrOlures and Gulps. The trout bite typically stays solid into January, and it can last longer if the water temperatures don’t drop too fast.
Some striped bass have already been rumored around Ocracoke, which bodes well for the fish to make it south to Lookout Shoals this winter.
Mike Turnage with a huge 11 lb. 4 oz. speckled trout he hooked on an electric chicken MR17 MirrOlure while casting to a drop-off near Cherry Point. He kept the fish in his livewell and released it after weighing it in at EJW Outdoors.
Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that the bluefin tuna are here and the boat landed several last week. Blue/white Blue Water Candy JAG heads over horse ballyhoo have produced the season’s first few fish for the crew, with deep planer baits drawing more bites.
The fish were feeding on the east side of the shoals last week, but they could show up anywhere in the area where there’s bait and a temperature gradient nearby.
Parker Brown, of Tarboro, NC, with his fisrt king mackerel. He caught the king in the Dead Tree Hole area while fishing with his grandad, Billy Hogshire. Weighed in at Freeman
Jonathan Wood, of Morehead City, with a false albacore caught while trolling for king mackerel at the 1700 Rock. The fish fell for a live pogy.
