Added on Thursday, April 24, 2008  Gary Hurley

Morehead City April 24, 2008

Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that whiting are feeding well throughout the area, particularly near the Coast Guard station, in the inlet, in the turning basin, and along the surf.

Out of the boats, the fish are falling for spec rigs tipped with shrimp or Fish Bites, and surf anglers are pinning the same baits to two-hook bottom rigs with success.

The gray trout bite has been off slightly, but anglers are still landing some nice grays on Stingsilvers and speck rigs tipped with shrimp. The turning basin and high rise bridge areas should produce some gray trout action.

Bluefish are also all over the place, and some large Hatteras blues (up to 9 lbs.) have been caught in the surf. Cut baits and spoons should generate plenty of interest from the blues.

Red drum are feeding in marsh areas like the Middle Marsh, Haystacks, and behind Tar Landing. Gulp baits, spinnerbaits, gold spoons, Fish Bites, and cut and live baits are all fooling the reds.

The warming water temperatures have the drum breaking from the larger schools they spent the winter in and becoming more and more aggressive as they chase bait around the marsh grass and oyster beds.

Flounder are beginning to move out of the smaller creeks inshore. Decent numbers of the flatfish are also starting to come from the nearshore reefs. Most of the keeper-sized flounder are falling for live mud minnows and Gulp baits fished on the bottom.

Speckled trout fishing has slowed down a bit as the fish disperse from their large wintering schools and begin to chase bait in the marshes. Anglers looking for the trout should still be able to find some fish, it just won’t be as easy as it was when they were schooled tightly in the creeks.

Atlantic bonito are feeding on nearshore structure. The best bite by far is taking place at first light and sunset, when the bonito start feeding on the surface. A Stingsilver or other heavy metal jig will draw bites from the bonito.

In the Gulf Stream, boats are landing some yellowfin and blackfin tuna around the Big Rock. The tuna action has been somewhat hit-or-miss, however.

 

Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are catching a few gray trout and good numbers of fat whiting in the turning basin. Spec rigs tipped with shrimp are producing the most action.

Puppy drum are feeding in the marshes, and topwater plugs and spinnerbaits should get their attention.

Speckled trout fishing has been a little slow recently, but anglers are still hooking up with a few specks around Hoop Pole Creek.

Surf anglers are landing whiting and good numbers of black drum on cut shrimp around Fort Macon and the Coast Guard Station. Most of the drum are in the 2-3 lb. range.

Out at AR 315 and other nearshore structure, anglers are catching some Atlantic bonito. Stingsilvers and diamond jigs will both draw bites from the bonito, which can be found chasing bait in the early morning and late evening hours near the structure.

Some healthy flounder and a decent number of sea bass are feeding on the bottom at the nearshore structure as well. Both will bite bucktails jigged vertically on the bottom.

Offshore, anglers have landed some big gag grouper recently at bottom structure near West Rock.

Gulf Stream boats are hooking up with some wahoo and a few yellowfin tuna around the Big Rock. Several white marlin have been reported as well.

 

Shane, of the Fight N Lady, reports that wahoo and yellowfin tuna are on the feed in the Gulf Stream. The action has been best between the Swansboro Hole and Big Rock lately, and seems to be changing locations all the time. The boats are getting bites in anywhere from 40-80 fathoms of water, and medium ballyhoo rigged beneath Blue Water Candy Mini Jags and Gaffer Candy lures have been the hot baits.

There have been a few blue marlin and some spearfish reported by MHC boats over the past few weeks, so a billfish hookup is a possibility when fishing the stream.

 

Bobby, of Sunrise Charters, reports that offshore bottom fishing is excellent right now. Anglers have been limiting out on snowy grouper, tilefish, and red porgies while deepwater bottom fishing along the break. Plenty of red grouper, big beeliners, and triggerfish are rounding out the catch.

Squid strips, cigar minnows, Boston mackerel, and false albacore chunks will all fool the bottom fish into striking.

 

Dave, of the Continental Shelf, reports that offshore water temperatures fell over the past week as a distinct Gulf Stream eddy passed the area. Boats that followed the eddy to the north had excellent wahoo catches, but the water was dirty and not too productive around the Big Rock last week. Ballyhoo rigged beneath skirted lures with some blue and black in them are producing most of the wahoo bites.

A temperature break in the 30 mile range is holding plenty of smaller king mackerel, enough that fishermen on the head boat are hooking up with some on bottom rigs. Boats targeting the kings have been boating limits on ballyhoo rigged under Pirate Plugs.

Bottom fishing has been good lately, with boats reporting gag grouper as close to shore as 20 miles and reds out on spots 30+ miles offshore. Cigar minnows, squid, and cut baits are top choices for the grouper. Anglers baiting up with smaller cut baits are landing good numbers of beeliners.

 

Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that the influx of freshwater from the recent storms has slowed the fishing down a bit, although a few days of calm weather should have things back to normal.

Plug casters are still managing to catch a few bluefish.

Whiting are also biting shrimp on bottom rigs at nighttime.