Morehead City/Atlantic Beach – November 2022
Damion, of Chasin’ Tails, reports that inshore speckled trout fishing is heating up. Anglers are starting to find some specks at the typical fall holes, and one more cold front should really get them moving in and schooling up.
Red drum action has been good, with fish scattered all throughout the area. Grass lines have been a great area to target on the higher tides, whereas low tide successes tend to come from holes near docks and other hard structures.
Some nice black drum are being caught with fresh dead shrimp in creeks off Core Sound.
Nearshore anglers have been in the midst of the fall spanish mackerel run, and there are a lot of false albacore schooled up in the Hook area for anglers looking for sight-casting action. Bluefish are plentiful along the beachfronts as well.
Surf anglers have been having a lot of success while bottom fishing, with mostly catches of spots and sea mullet.
King mackerel action has been good, and most of the larger fish are coming from the east side of Cape Lookout. Anglers have also found action in some of the other typical areas, such as the NW Places.
Quite a few very large wahoo (to 90 lbs.) are being caught by king anglers fishing on the east side. This time of year you can see wahoo move in to feed on all the live bait staged over rocks and live bottoms on the east side.
Macy Noble Hoyt (age 13) caught this redfish with finger mullet on a Carolina rig in the Pine Knoll Shores area.
Joe, of Carolina Traditions Guide Co., reports that king mackerel fishing has been pretty good, with anglers finding action fishing over structured areas in 60-80’ that are seeing less boating traffic. There are also some nice-sized kings over on the east side (and a couple large bonus wahoo).
A few cobia are being caught as they migrate back through the area. Anglers should keep their eyes on the water at the chance of finding one cruising not far off the beaches.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel action has been really good in areas from 30-60’, and false albacore have made a strong showing. The northernly wind patterns have really helped keep the water at ease and made it easier to stay on these surface-feeding schools.
There are schools of upper-slot and some over-slot red drum off the beaches. A heavier (1.5 oz.) jig head tipped with a 5-6” soft plastic works great when sight casting to these reds.
Inshore anglers are starting to see the speckled trout trickle in. Though this early action is spotty, the quality of fish is looking great. Anglers will find oysters beds with faster current being productive areas to start their efforts.
Slot-sized red drum are still moving around inshore. There is a bunch of small menhaden and shrimp schools back in the sounds, and anglers can use the feeding birds to help them locate these baits where reds will also surely be.
Some quality gray trout are starting to show up in holes both inside and out around rocks or on nearshore structure. Mixed in with them are sea mullet and pufferfish.
Daniel, of On Deck Fishing Charters, reports that inshore anglers have been finding some good black drum and speckled trout action while fishing creek mouths and areas around oyster beds. Live shrimp rigged under a cork is a deadly setup for targeting both species.
Nearshore action has been great, with schools of bluefish, spanish mackerel, and false albacore just loaded outside the inlet and along the beachfronts. Trolling Clarkspoons will produce when the fish are pushed down and not feeding, but casting jigs at the surface-feeding frenzies is the preferred tactic.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that both speckled trout and red drum have been hitting soft plastics well, with Vudu shrimp and lightly weighted jerk shads having success. Target these fish in their typical fall-time holes, focusing on the areas with a little current.
Fishing live shrimp around hard structures has been producing sheepshead and black drum.
Nearshore, expect to see a mix of bluefish, false albacore, and the last straggling schools of spanish mackerel. Sight casting metal jigs, Albie Snax, and Epoxy Head flies at these busting fish is providing great strikes.
King mackerel action has been picking up for anglers trolling out over the nearshore structures.
Bottom fishing remains strong in the 120’ range, with catches of triggerfish, vermilion snapper, and grouper.
Now is a good time to catch gag grouper in shallower waters (between 60-80’). The grouper will prefer a live menhaden or pinfish, where the other bottom species are easily willed into striking cut squid or anchovies.
Offshore runs are being rewarded with some good wahoo action. Mixed in are some good-sized blackfin tuna and sailfish.
Wyatt Zigas hooked this albacore on a 2 oz. Beach Bum lure. He was fishing 10 miles offshore of Atlantic Beach with Capt. Lee Winkleman of Top Gun Fishing.
Byron, of Going Bogue Outdoors, reports that fall is a great time to find gag grouper in close. If you are losing sight of land on the way out, there is a chance you have run too far, and this is especially true when east of the shoals.
Bottom fishing in the 100-120’ range has been producing excellent action on triggerfish, vermilion snapper, and mixed sizes of sea bass.
Wahoo fishing is in full swing, and anglers running out are returning with a really nice class of fish. The largest of wahoo are being hooked by avid king mackerel anglers running closer to the beach. A live bait fished with only 8 lbs. of drag to allow a screaming run has been the setup producing some of these big fish.
Bri, of Oceanana Pier, reports that there a bunch of bluefish (to 2 lbs.) and good-sized spanish mackerel (to 3 lbs.) being caught in the early mornings.
Schools of false albacore are being seen but have been less inclined to move within casting range.
Bottom fishing has been pretty productive, with anglers catching a mixed bag of spot, pufferfish, black drum, and sea mullet.
Anglers out in the evening have been catching some flounder, red drum, speckled trout, and sea mullet.
