Morehead City April 9, 2009
Scott Edwards and Barry McClure with a 44 lb. wahoo caught on a ballyhoo underneath a pink Bluewater Candy Mini Jag while trolling the Gulf Stream. Weighed at Chasin Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the gray trout and whiting have moved into the inlet and turning basin. Anglers are hooking up with both while bouncing spec rigs (particularly the shrimp/glow color) off the bottom in around 50′. Tipping the rigs with shrimp produces more bites, and while there aren’t many fresh shrimp available right now, anglers should try to find the best quality frozen ones possible.
A few black drum (most 4-5 lbs.) are feeding along the base of the port wall, and they will take an interest in shrimp fished on bottom rigs.
Red drum are feeding along the beaches with a few coming from back in the marshes as well. Gulp baits in white, pink, new penny, and natural colors have been producing most of the action, and they should be fished very slowly for the best results. Not many have been hitting topwaters yet, but it shouldn’t be long before they are.
The trout bite off the Neuse River in areas like South River and Slocum Creek has been better lately than around Morehead, although some specks are coming from the North River and Broad and Gales Creeks as well. As with the reds, the best speck action lately has come on Gulps fished very slowly.
Bluefish are schooled up in big numbers at AR-315, AR-320, and in the inlet. Jigging small metal lures should produce plenty of strikes from the blues.
Good numbers of sea bass (with some keepers in the mix) and small flounder are feeding on the bottom at the AR’s, and they should take in interest in small jigs or squid fished on bottom rigs.
Commercial boats are finding excellent sea bass action in the 20-25 mile range, so the fish aren’t too far offshore right now.
King mackerel are schooled up thick in the same 20-25 mile areas, and they will take an interest in trolled cigar minnows, Drone spoons, or diving plugs.
When boats have been able to make it out to the bluewater, the wahoo bite has been decent, and a few yellowfin tuna are mixed in. Better yellowfin action has been taking place up the beach toward Hatteras. Ballyhoo beneath skirted trolling lures are the most productive baits for the tuna and ‘hoos.
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Cory Norville, Jared Grummert, Rick Jackson, and Mark Karoub, from New Bern, NC, with Jared's first wahoo, a 52 pounder that bit a ballyhoo under a pink sea witch inshore of the Swansboro Hole. Weighed at EJW Outdoors.
Ken, of Swell Rider Charters, reports that warm water has pushed in and improved the bottom fishing over the past few weeks. Spring usually brings the largest red groupers of the year, and it seems that they’re starting to bite well in 100’+, so it shouldn’t be long until the red grouper fishing is on fire. Squid and mackerel chunks on bottom rigs are attracting attention from the reds.
Sea bass fishing has also been excellent lately, particularly around the 210 and 240 Rocks. The bass have been running extra large and hitting 7.5 oz. hammered diamond jigs very well. Bottom rigs baited with squid will also produce action with the bass.
The warm water moving inshore has brought mackerel in from the break, and anglers should be able to find them anywhere they can find water in the upper-60’s. Light-lining or trolling cigar minnows will produce strikes from the kings.
Amberjacks are schooled up on nearly all the offshore wrecks in the area, and vertical jigging is producing fast action with these brawlers.
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Josh Spangler, of Charlotte, with an 8.18 lb. speckled trout he hooked in the surf at the Cape Lookout jetty at daybreak while fishing with his father. The big speck fell for an 808 MirrOlure.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking up with good numbers of whiting and gray trout while bouncing spec rigs tipped with shrimp off the bottom in the Turning Basin and the inlet.
Bottom fishing from the rocks at Fort Macon is producing action with puppy drum and black drum, mostly on shrimp.
Offshore, bottom fishermen are finding excellent action with sea bass around the Big 10/Little 10. Bottom rigs baited with squid are producing most of the action.
Gulf Stream trollers are hooking wahoo and some yellowfin tuna (most around 30 lbs.) with the best bite down south around the Swansboro Hole and the Rise. Skirted ballyhoo are drawing the strikes from the wahoo and tuna.
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Shane, of the Fight N Lady, reports that the winds have kept boats at the dock a lot lately, but the fishing’s been good when they can get out. The best action has been to the south in the high 300’s/low 400’s, where boats are finding wahoo (many 50-60 lb. fish), dolphin, and a few yellowfin and blackfin tuna.
Most of the bites have been right along the break in around 40 fathoms on skirted ballyhoo, and both planer and surface baits have been getting attention.
A few billfish have been reported a little further north.
