Morehead City/Atlantic Beach – April 2023
Damion, of Chasin’ Tails, reports that anglers are having a lot of success sight-casting at schools of red drum back on flats in the marshes. On the higher tides, look for these fish to move into the marsh grasses to feed. Deeper holes around oyster beds are another good place to find a group of reds, and there are also good numbers of red drum out on the east side of Shark Island.
Speckled trout fishing has picked up. These fish have finally started moving out of their wintering areas and are feeding more actively in the creeks and around ledges.
Runs out to the Cape Lookout jetty are producing decent sheepshead and black drum action. Both these species are also being found around deeper hard structures inside the inlets.
Some of the local ARs are seeing bluefish and schools of gray trout moving in.
Offshore runs have mostly been to target the strong bottom fishing action, with catches of vermilion snapper and black sea bass.
There hasn’t been much for trolling efforts, with rough weather not allowing anglers to make the run. Once these windows open up, expect to see some wahoo and blackfin tuna.
Joe, of Carolina Traditions Guide Co., reports that the nearshore bottoms are still loaded with nice black sea bass, and the deeper water structures also include vermilion snapper.
The surface-feeding nearshore species are just about ready to move into the region. Anglers running offshore have been seeing schools of false albacore and Atlantic bonito further out. These schools will be moving closer to the beaches as water temperatures continue to warm.
Bluefish are still moving in, with some of the bigger bluefish showing up after the early smaller (1-3 lb.) class of fish.
There are plenty of black drum and sheepshead staged up around the jetty and on hard structures around the inlet for anglers fishing bottom-rigged shellfish.
Good-sized whiting and pufferfish are also moving into the deeper areas from the Port out to the inlet.
Backwater anglers are looking for the red drum to start moving out onto the larger flats as they transition to spring patterns, and speckled trout are also starting to move about in their winter spots back in the creeks.
Daniel, of On Deck Fishing Charters, reports that the deeper, structured areas from the inlet back into the ICW are holding sheepshead and black drum for anglers fishing crabs or shrimp.
Red drum are mixed in around the deeper structure, as well as back on flats towards the marshes.
The inlet and Port area are seeing sea mullet and scattered gray trout.
Joseph Barbour (age 12), from New Hill, NC, with a tautog caught on a piece of shrimp while fishing near Cape Lookout.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that red drum have been biting well in the shallow areas behind Cape Lookout and back towards the mainland rivers. Most of these fish are still traveling in larger groups as they await more bait to move through the area.
Speckled trout action is getting better, as anglers are starting to find these fish moving into some of the deeper holes.
Black drum and sheepshead have been dependable fishing targets. The deeper hard structures that cover the area are great target spots for bottom fishing with shrimp or crabs.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that red drum and speckled trout numbers have been picking up, with some of these fish moving back inshore from the ocean. These fish, and the winter inshore holdovers, will be moving around the marsh banks and shell or hard structures. Targeting trout has been best with Vudu shrimp or your favorite soft plastic.
Red drum are also hitting artificials, as well as cut bait or mud minnows.
Sea mullet, pufferfish, and gray trout will be moving into the Port area over the coming weeks. Any variety of Fishbites strips on hi-low bottom rigs, smaller bucktails, or soft plastics will pull strikes.
Off the beach, bottom fishing has remained strong. The 60-80’+ bottoms are holding keeper black sea bass, grunts, and porgies. There are some keeper sea bass on the less pressured structures closer in, but this effort requires picking through smaller fish.
Offshore anglers are finding wahoo and blackfin tuna action picking up out at the break while trolling ballyhoo under their favorite skirts.
Byron, of Going Bogue Outdoors, reports that black sea bass action is going strong, with most catches being larger fish. If fishing deeper structure, anglers are also finding vermilion snapper in the mix.
Offshore trolling action is getting ready to really pick up, with anglers finding some nice blackfin tuna and wahoo while fishing down south. Some eddies are pushing good water into depths as shallow as 120’, with water temperatures as high as 77 degrees being seen.
Cody, of Reel Time Charters, reports that anglers catching good conditions to do some trolling offshore are finding a few wahoo alongside good numbers of blackfin tuna. Look for more of these two species to show up in the coming weeks as weather patterns stabilize moving into spring.
Bottom fishing is another strong choice when finding favorable weather conditions to run offshore. There have been plenty of large black sea bass, vermilion snapper, and scattered triggerfish.
Parker Weeks, of Clayton, NC, with a jumbo gray trout caught on a 1.5 oz. Breakday jig. He was fishing out of Beaufort Inlet with Capt. Justin Ragsdale of Breakday Charters.
Aaron, of Oceanana Pier, reports that sea mullet action has been picking up. This bottom fishing action is also joined by the occasional red and black drum. Anglers are having the most success with shrimp or shrimp-flavored Fishbites bait strips.
Even a couple early season flounder releases have taken place.
During these mild weather spells, the ocean temperatures getting up over the 58-degree mark have brought some bluefish around the pier.
On the higher tides, anglers have started spotting some schools of false albacore. In the coming weeks, anglers with the opportunity to cast at these schools can entice strikes with 1/2-3/4 oz. Beach Bum and similar metal jigs.
