Morehead – August 7, 2014
Beecher and Joel Smith and Phillip Moye, of Goldsboro, NC, with a bull dolphin that struck a ballyhoo while they were trolling offshore of Beaufort Inlet.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are still seeing some good spanish mackerel fishing when they can get out between rainstorms. Trolling Clarkspoons around the Beaufort Inlet shipping channel, Atlantic Beach, and Cape Lookout has been producing most of the action.
Larger spaniards are feeding around AR-315 and other nearshore structure, where anglers can fool them with light-lined finger mullet.
Anglers have also landed some king mackerel in the shipping channel and just offshore recently (to 40+ lbs.). Live baits and dead cigar minnows are fooling the kings.
Sharks are feeding nearshore and inside around Radio Island. They’ll pounce on large dead or cut baits.
Offshore, there’s still some dolphin action for boats fishing from the 14 Buoy to the Big Rock, but most are smaller bailers these days. Fortunately, the wahoo bite is getting cranked up, and some boats returned with limit catches last week. Both the dolphin and ‘hoos are falling for ballyhoo and skirted lures like sea witches.
Bottom fishermen are reporting plenty of action with grouper, amberjacks, black sea bass, triggerfish, and more. The best bite has been around structure in the 30 mile range lately, and anglers are hooking up while dropping squid, cigar minnows, mackerel, menhaden, and more.
Banks (age 7) and Scott Gurganus with a red drum that struck a live bait in a Beaufort-area marsh while they were fishing with Capt. Chris Kimrey of Mount Maker Charters.
Inshore, anglers are still connecting with some speckled trout in the marshes, but the bite’s been better off the Neuse River than locally lately.
Plenty of red drum are feeding in the local marshes, and anglers are hooking the reds and specks on live baits, topwater plugs, soft plastics, and more.
Sheepshead are feeding around the port wall, bridge and dock pilings, and other inshore structure around Morehead. They’ll take an interest in live fiddler crabs and sea urchins fished tight to the structure.
Flounder are feeding in many of the same areas as the sheeps, along with the inshore channels, marshes, and at nearshore structure in the ocean. Anglers can fool the flatfish with live mud minnows and finger mullet, or by pinning Gulp baits to jigheads and bucktails to hook up.
Paul, of Freemans Bait and Tackle, reports that not too many people have been on the water due to all the recent rain, but some fish are still biting when anglers make it out. Speckled trout and red drum are feeding in the Haystacks and other local marshes, and anglers are reporting some solid action while working Gulp baits on light jigheads.
Zach Rouse, of Winterville, NC, with a wahoo that bit a skirted ballyhoo while he was trolling near the Rise.
Spanish mackerel fishing remains decent when boats get out of the inlet, but the bite seems to have moved a bit further offshore, likely due to runoff coming out of the inlets. Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers or cigar weights is the way to connect with the spaniards.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen are hooking plenty of pinfish and small sharks, but croaker, spot, sea mullet, flounder, and other desirable species are mixed in. Most of the bottom feeders are biting shrimp, bloodworms, squid, and mullet.
Carly, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking some flounder from the pier on live baits fished on the bottom.
Some croaker are biting shrimp and bloodworms on double-drop rigs.
