Morehead City September 3, 2009
John Lewis, of Wilmington, with a citation red drum he hooked on a chunk of mullet in the Pamlico Sound at night while fishing with Capt. Charles Brown of Old Core Sound Guide Service.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the few boats making it out to the Gulf Stream lately have found some action with wahoo and sailfish around the Swansboro Hole. Trolling ballyhoo rigged beneath skirted lures is fooling most of the fish.
Anglers bottom fishing around ledges and other structure in the 15-20 mile range are hooking up with some gag grouper, sea bass, snapper, and other bottom dwellers. Squid and cigar minnows are producing most of the action with the bottom feeders.
The wrecks, rocks, and other structure east of Cape Lookout are producing action with king mackerel for anglers slow-trolling live pogies and other baits. Good numbers of kings are also coming from the shipping channel, and a few have been hooked inside the inlet recently. Not many big, tournament-class kings have been landed lately, but anglers are hooking decent numbers in the 15-20 lb. range.
Spanish mackerel are feeding in the inlet and along the beaches to either side, and trolling Clarkspoons or casting metal jigs and other lures around bait balls is producing plenty of action with them.
Larger spanish (4+ lbs.) are feeding around Cape Lookout and AR-315 and AR-320. Small live pogies or mullet slow-trolled, drifted, or light-lined are attracting attention from the larger spaniards.
The flounder bite is still solid at the AR’s, nearshore ledges, and other structure. Live baits on Carolina rigs or 1-2 oz. bucktails tipped with 4” Gulp shrimp or pogies are attracting attention from the flatfish.
The flounder bite remains good inshore as well (with good numbers of fish in the 4-5 lb. range). The port wall, Atlantic Beach and Beaufort bridges, private docks, and the area behind Shackleford are all giving up good numbers of the flatties. Live finger mullet on Carolina rigs have been producing most of the action.
Sheepshead are holding around much of the same structure as the flounder (and anglers weighed in a few 8+ lb. citation fish this past week). Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins fished tight to the structure are producing most of the action with the sheeps.
Alex Ng, from Atlantic Beach, with a 13.66 lb. flounder that fell for a live pogy at a secret flounder spot inshore near Morehead City. Weighed in at Chasin Tails Outdoors.
The red drum bite has been somewhat hit or miss lately, with some anglers reporting good numbers of fish and others struggling for bites. The most consistent fishing has been around the Haystacks lately, and live finger mullet and shrimp or artificial lures like Gulp baits, topwater plugs, and spinnerbaits are fooling the reds.
The speckled trout bite is still decent around the Atlantic Beach Bridge at night. Live shrimp under floats are producing most of the action, and anglers are also hooking some gray trout, ladyfish, and reds while fishing for the specks.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the puppy drum bite has been solid inshore around the marshes and at Lookout Shoals between the cape and Shark Island. Live baits and lures like Gulps and topwater plugs are fooling the reds.
Flounder are still feeding around deep structure inshore like the port wall and the bridge pilings. Live baits on Carolina rigs are fooling most of the flounders.
The spanish mackerel bite has slowed down a bit, but anglers are still picking up a few in the inlet while trolling Clarkspoons and squid rigs.
Dr. Bill Berry, of Raleigh, NC with a 25 lb. amberjack he hooked on a super deep Clouser Minnow fly while fishing some structure east of Cape Lookout Shoals with Capt. Danny Adams of Old Yeller Guide Service out of Atlantic Beach.
Gray trout are feeding in Beaufort Inlet and the channels nearby (many undersized, but some solid keepers in the mix as well). Bouncing spec rigs tipped with shrimp or metal jigs like Shore Lures and Stingsilvers off the bottom is producing action with the grays.
Sheepshead are feeding around hard structure inshore like the port wall and bridge pilings, and live fiddler crabs or sea urchins will tempt them to bite.
Anglers have been reporting scattered speckled trout action in the North River. With the cooler weather and north winds forecast for the coming week, the bite should turn on. Live shrimp are the best baits for the specks.
Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that anglers are still finding solid spanish mackerel fishing along the beachfront and in the inlet channel. Trolling Clarkspoons is fooling most of the spaniards.
The king mackerel bite’s been a bit tough lately, but anglers are finding plenty of action with grunts, sea bass, triggerfish, and other bottom dwellers while bottom bouncing in the 10-20 mile range. Squid and cut baits will fool the bottom feeders.
Some dolphin have been feeding around the 30 mile buoy out of Bogue Inlet. Trolled ballyhoo will fool the ‘phins.
Further offshore, there’s been excellent wahoo and sailfish action in the blue water around the Swansboro Hole. Ballyhoo rigged under Blue Water Candy Witches and Mini-Jags are drawing bite from the sails and wahoo.
Willis, of Oceanana Pier reports that the heavy surf lately has slowed down the bottom fishing. Anglers are picking up some pinfish on shrimp.
