Added on Thursday, July 3, 2008  Gary Hurley

Morehead City July 3, 2008

Tim, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that red drum, speckled trout, and flounder fishing are still good in the Haystacks. Most anglers are hooking up with the fish on Gulp baits or on mud minnows beneath popping corks. Topwater plugs are fooling some trout and drum as well.

The specks and drum are also feeding around the Core Creek Bridge and at the marshes in the North River.

Gray trout along with a few speckled trout and flounder are feeding beneath the Atlantic Beach Bridge. Anglers are hooking the specks and flounder on mud minnows and the grays on green grubs and glass minnow jigs.

The port wall, railroad tracks, and AR-315 are all producing some good flounder fishing, too. Carolina-rigged finger mullet or mud minnows are producing the most action with the flounder.

Sheepshead are holding near the port wall, the pilings of the bridges, and the railroad tracks. Fiddler crabs or sea urchin baits fished close to the structure should prove tempting to them.

Some big spanish mackerel are feeding around AR-315. Anglers are having the most luck with the large spanish on small live baits. Smaller spanish and blues are still feeding along the beaches and near the inlet, where Clarkspoons should produce results.

Some kings are feeding at AR-320 and 330, with 330 a little bit hotter. The king bite has been even better around the Big 10/Little10 and the 14 Buoy, with dolphin also showing up at the 14. Live pogies and live or dead cigar minnows will attract attention from the kings and dolphin.

On the east side of the shoals, Chicken Rock and the Atlas Tanker have been holding dolphin and kings as well.

Bottom fishermen are scoring with gag grouper and sea bass around the Big 10/Little 10 and the 210 and 240 Rocks. There have also been some gags and triggerfish around the 1700 Rock on the east side.

Out in the blue water, anglers are hooking up with good numbers of dolphin still and a few sailfish.

 

Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking up with a mixed bag of small spots, some croakers, pigfish, a few flounder, and other species. The main areas have been in the turning basin, the backwater channels, and off the piers. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp should attract their attention.

Boats are finding good numbers of flounder drifting behind Shackleford Banks with Carolina-rigged live baits.

Bluefish and spanish mackerel are still feeding in the inlet and along the beachfront. Boats are hooking up with both species while trolling Clarkspoons and squid rigs. Surf anglers are casting Shore Lure Glass Minnows with success, and Gotcha plugs are producing results from the piers.

Anglers are still seeing some dolphin as close in as the sea buoy, but the fish are becoming more scattered and smaller. Boats targeting the ‘phins should try searching near the Northwest Places and the Big 10/Little 10 while trolling cigar minnows and ballyhoo, but they won’t be putting together the huge catches they were a few weeks ago.

 

Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that the fishing has slowed down a bit, but boats are still finding good numbers of dolphin. The bite has been inconsistent, happening in 20 fathoms one day and 100 the next, and the action has been spread out along the break instead of in a single hotspot.

The dolphin’s average size has fallen a bit, too, but there are still some solid gaffers in the mix.

The good blue water news is that boats are releasing some white marlin and sailfish, with most boats averaging around one white per trip. Ballyhoo under pink/white Jags and Witches are fooling the dolphin and the billfish. A few wahoo are still around as well.

 

Susan, of Oceanana Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are catching a few spot and whiting on shrimp. The water is dirty and rough right now, and the action should improve once the wind dies and the water clears.