Morehead City June 11, 2009
Annabel Morris, from Morehead City, with a 6 lb. puppy drum she landed on ultralight gear with a cut mullet bait. She was fishing with her uncle Tom Turner.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that boats are hooking some blue marlin to the north, but with the Big Rock this week, they’re being quiet about where.
The dolphin have pushed inshore of the Gulf Stream, and while the bite’s not as hot as it was two weeks ago, boats are hooking decent numbers of gaffers around the 14 Buoy, 90′ Drop, and on out to the Swansboro Hole. A few blackfin tuna, wahoo, and sailfish have been mixed in with the dolphin.
King mackerel are feeding around the Northwest Places and the Big10/Little 10. Some smaller fish are mixed with the spanish mackerel at the nearshore AR’s as well. Trolling Hank Brown or Blue Water Candy rigs with dead cigar minnows or dragging Drone spoons will both produce action with the kings.
Bottom fishermen are finding action with grouper at ledges and other structure around 25 miles off Beaufort Inlet. Plenty of snapper, sea bass, triggerfish, and other bottom dwellers are mixed in. Cigar minnows and Boston mackerel will produce strikes around the bottom structure. Anglers can also work Roscoe Jigs or heavy bucktails tipped with cigar minnows around the structure.
Amberjacks are schooling up at most of the AR’s and other high-relief structure.
There are still plenty of spanish mackerel on the feed nearshore, and most boats are hooking them while trolling around AR-315, AR-320, and the inlets and beaches. Clarkspoons, bird and squid rigs, and mackerel trees will all produce on the troll, and anglers can also cast Gotcha plugs or Stingsilvers to breaking fish or balls of bait with success.
Anglers are hooking plenty of flounder around AR-315 and AR-320 as well, mostly on Carolina-rigged mud minnows or 2 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp baits.
Flounder are also feeding inshore around the port wall and railroad trestle, along the beachfronts, and near the Cape Lookout rock jetty. Mud minnows or Gulp on Carolina rigs will produce inshore.
Bottom fishermen are hooking a mixed bag of whiting, croakers, pigfish, gray trout, and other species while dropping bottom and spec rigs with shrimp, squid, or bloodworms. The action’s been best in the turning basin.
Some big sheepshead (7-8 lbs.) are beginning to come from the port wall, and most are falling for fiddler crabs or sea urchin baits.
The speckled trout and red drum bite in the Haystacks has been excellent lately, and anglers are hooking the fish on topwater plugs, Gulps, spinnerbaits, cut mullet, and live shrimp and mud minnows. The backside of the Haystacks has been the best lately.
Reds are also feeding under docks in the ICW, and anglers are catching good numbers on cut mullet and live baits.
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Angler Mike Lewis, from Morehead City, fought this sailfish to a clean release after it fell for a ballyhoo under a blue/white sea witch at the Big 10/Little 10.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are catching decent numbers of flounder in the Newport River and around the AR’s just off the beaches. Live baits are producing most of the action.
Speckled trout are feeding well in the Haystacks and other marshes, with decent numbers of reds mixed in. Live shrimp and mud minnows are producing the bulk of the action.
The sheepshead bite has been excellent lately around the bridges and the port wall. Fiddler crabs are producing plenty of bites from the sheeps, but anglers are catching the largest fish on sea urchins.
Surf casters have caught good numbers of pompano and some whiting over the past week (with many of the pompano over 2 lbs.). The bite’s been best around Fort Macon, and fresh shrimp baits are producing the most results.
More whiting are coming from boats fishing the drop-offs in the shipping channel outside Beaufort Inlet.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding well along the beaches and out to the AR’s. Most boaters are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons, but anglers can also cast Shore Lures, small Stingsilvers, or other metal lures to breaking fish with success.
Spadefish have begun to school up on the AR’s. Anglers are hooking them on small pieces of shrimp while bottom fishing, but targeting them by chumming and baiting up with jelly balls is the most productive strategy.
Offshore, boats are hooking good numbers of dolphin inside the 14 Buoy while trolling ballyhoo. Further out towards the Stream, there are more dolphin with a few yellowfin tuna and wahoo mixed in.
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Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that the Gulf Stream is still giving up big numbers of dolphin to anglers trolling ballyhoo under blue/white and pink/white Blue Water Candy Mini-JAGS and Witches. The action’s been spread out from the Big Rock south to the Swansboro Hole and inshore in 15-40 fathoms.
Some wahoo are mixed in with the dolphin.
Boats are also tallying good numbers of blue marlin releases, a great sign for the Big Rock tournament this week.
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Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters are finding action with spanish mackerel and bluefish in the early mornings, with Gotcha plugs doing the damage.
Bottom fishermen are decking whiting, pigfish, and small flounder on cut shrimp.
