Added on Thursday, May 22, 2008  Gary Hurley

Morehead City May 22, 2008

Matt, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that speckled trout fishing has been excellent in the area over the past two weeks. Plenty of the fish have been in the 2-3 lb. class, and anglers weighed in trout as heavy as 9.5 lbs. recently. The action has been better around structure in deeper water than in the marshes. Live mud minnows and Gulp baitfish have been producing the best results with the specks.

Red drum action has been good near Swansboro, with lots of high slot and over-slot fish cruising the bays behind Hammock’s Beach. The reds feeding in the marshes around Morehead lately have been a slightly smaller class (most around 22″). Gulp baits, spinnerbaits, topwater plugs, and Fish Bites have all been drawing some attention from the reds, but live mud minnows or cut bait will out produce the artificials.

Flounder fishing has been good at nearshore structure like AR 315, AR 320, and live bottoms. Gulp-tipped bucktails and live mud minnows are getting the most flatfish strikes.

Some nice flounder are also feeding in the inlet and behind Shackleford Banks.

Sheepshead are feeding around the port wall and at the high rise bridges. These crustacean eaters will take an interest in sea urchins, fiddler crabs, or sand fleas.

Spanish mackerel have shown up on the beaches, and the action has been best between Beaufort and Bogue Inlets. Trolled Clarkspoons and mackerel trees are producing plenty of spanish and lots of bluefish (with some big Hatteras blues still mixed in).

Anglers have landed some cobia around the inlet and in the hook of Cape Lookout. Live baits are top choices for the cobia, but dead menhaden will also work well.

Surf anglers are landing bluefish, whiting, black and red drum, flounder, and a few pompano. Shrimp, mullet, and squid are the top baits in the breakers.

Offshore, the king bite has been good around the Big 10/Little 10. Most of the fish are smaller, but a few larger kings are moving in as well.

Bottom fishing has been solid around the 210 and 240 rocks and at other offshore structure. Grouper, snapper, and sea bass are making up most of the catches.

 

Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the chopper bluefish bite is still phenomenal in the surf. Bait soakers are hooking up with the big blues on cut bait. When the blues blitz the beach, anglers are casting metal spoons and topwater lures with success.

The cobia have shown up around Cape Lookout, and an 83 lb. fish was weighed in last week. Live and dead baits fished under balloons and on the bottom will draw interest from the cobia.

Surf anglers are experiencing a decent early run of pompano while fishing with sand fleas and shrimp.

Gray trout and whiting are feeding on the bottom in the turning basin and inlet, where anglers are hooking up with them while jigging spec rigs tipped with shrimp and bloodworms.

Spanish mackerel are feeding nearshore and in the inlet. Trolling Clarkspoons and bird/squid rigs or casting Gotcha plugs and Stingsilvers will attract the spanish.

Some red drum are feeding in the marshes of the Haystacks and North River. Anglers are landing smaller reds in the surf.

In the Gulf Stream, boats are landing good numbers of gaffer dolphin and wahoo along with a very few yellowfin tuna. Some blue marlin have also been appearing, too, just in time for area billfish tournaments.

 

Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that the gaffer dolphin fishing is red hot, with some boats limiting out in the morning hours. A decent number of wahoo are mixed in with the dolphin, and some blue marlin have been seen recently as well.

The blue water action has been good at the Big Rock, but the dolphin bite seems solid just about everywhere along the break. Blue Water Candy Mini-Jags in pink/white have been the top producers recently.

 

Bobby, of Sunrise Charters, reports that dolphin fishing has been excellent lately, with anglers landing dolphin (up to 30 lbs.) on spinning tackle and squid strips under skirts.

Bottom fishing has also been productive. Fishing around deepwater structure is producing snowy grouper, tilefish, red porgy, beeliners, triggerfish, red grouper, and other bottom feeders.

 

Ruth, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are landing lots of bluefish from the pier (both smaller blues and choppers up to 9-10 lbs.). Gotcha plugs and bottom rigs are drawing strikes from the blues.

Bottom fishermen are also landing black drum and some whiting and spot. Shrimp are responsible for most of the strikes from the bottom feeders.