Added on Thursday, June 4, 2009  Fish Post

Morehead City June 4, 2009

Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are starting to find good numbers of flounder inshore. Good catches (some fish to 6.5 lbs.) have come in lately from the port wall and the marshes, and the fish should also be feeding under the bridges and around docks. Live mud minnows or bucktail/Gulp bait combinations will fool the flatties.

Flounder are also feeding off the beach around the AR’s, and several anglers caught their limit last week at AR-315.

Inshore, the best red drum bite lately seems to be on the backside of the Haystacks, especially on a high falling tide. Anglers are hooking the fish (most mid-slot size) on topwaters, Gulp baits, spinnerbaits, and gold spoons.

Sheepshead are feeding along the port wall and under the Beaufort bridge. There have been plenty of fiddler crabs available for anglers looking for sheepshead baits. Black drum are feeding in the same areas, and they will take an interest in fiddlers or dead shrimp.

The spanish mackerel and bluefish bite just off the inlet has been incredible over the last week. Anglers are hooking the fish while trolling between the inlet and AR-315. They’re also finding the fish while casting Stingsilvers and Clark Casters around schools of pogies just off the inlet.

Spanish trollers are picking up a few king mackerel around AR-315, 320, and 330. There have also been a number of kings caught around the NW Places.

The dolphin bite has been solid again this week, with the action starting a few miles inshore of the NW Places and continuing out to the break. Medium and small ballyhoo under Blue Water Candy Mylar Witches are drawing plenty of bites from the dolphin, and daisy chains have also been effective lately.

The blue marlin bite has been good lately, too, but most boats are keeping quiet about where since the Big Rock tournament is next week.

Offshore bottom fishermen have been finding good grouper, sea bass, and beeliner action 30-40 miles out. Bottom rigs with squid or other baits and vertical jigs like the Blue Water Candy Roscoe are both effective on the bottom feeders.

 

Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the dolphin bite is still excellent from the 14 Buoy offshore to the Big Rock, where boats are hooking up with good numbers of gaffer dolphin on trolled ballyhoo.

There are still good numbers of cobia around, and anglers are hooking them both while fishing dead baits on the bottom and sight-casting bucktails to cruising fish.

Surf and pier anglers are hooking plenty of bluefish and spanish mackerel while casting Gotcha plugs and Shore Lures. Cut baits are still drawing bites from some big chopper blues.

Surf anglers enjoyed solid action with some big pompano (1-2+ lbs.) last week around Fort Macon. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp or sand fleas are the most productive pompano baits.

Inshore, bottom fishermen are hooking some fat croakers and a few whiting on shrimp.

Good catches of flounder are coming from the turning basin, Shackleford, the North River, and near the Lookout jetty. Live mud minnows fished on Carolina rigs are producing most of the action with the flatties.

 

Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that the dolphin fishing remains excellent, and anglers are picking up more wahoo (a few to 70 lbs.) than they have the past few weeks. The action has been spread throughout the blue water in 23-40 fathoms, with the best bite lately in around 32 fathoms.

Ballyhoo rigged naked or under Blue Water Candy Witches and Mini-Jags are producing most of the action.

There’s been a solid blue marlin bite offshore of the Big Rock over the past week, with most boats out there seeing at least one fish.

 

Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are catching some smaller flounder along with good numbers of whiting and black drum. Shrimp are the top baits.

Pluggers are hooking up with bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotchas.