Morehead City – August 20, 2015
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are seeing a much better spanish mackerel bite in the area, with solid action for anglers fishing from the Dead Tree Hole to Cape Lookout. Most are falling for trolled Clarkspoons, daisy chains, and other flashy lures. Anglers are also finding some fish schooled up enough to cast metal lures like Shore Lure Glass minnows into with success. A few larger spanish are taking an interest in live baits and dead cigar minnows in the shipping channel and around the nearshore AR’s.
King mackerel reports are a bit thin at present, but anglers are seeing a few around the Beaufort shipping channel and some larger fish east of Cape Lookout. Some are falling for dead baits like cigar minnows, but live baits are the best bets for the bigger fish.
Jackson Riggan with a 5.62 lb. spanish mackerel that bit a live bait at a nearshore reef off Beaufort Inlet. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Some false albacore are also moving inshore around Cape Lookout, where anglers are hooking them on the same casting lures they use for the spanish.
A few schools of large bluefish are feeding in the same areas and biting casting lures along with topwater plugs.
Those making the run out to the Gulf Stream are connecting with some solid catches of wahoo along with a few tuna and dolphin. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are fooling the blue water predators.
Liam Calabria (age 7), of Raleigh, with a cobia that struck a live bait in Beaufort Inlet while he was fishing with his father on the “Navemail Empire.”
Offshore bottom fishing has been productive recently, with good numbers of black sea bass, snapper, grouper, and amberjacks. Squid and cigar minnows have been getting attention from the bottom feeders.
Flounder are still feeding around the port wall and bridges inshore (with fish to 7 lbs. weighed in last week). Most are falling for live finger mullet, mud minnows, and Gulp baits. Anglers are also still encountering solid numbers of keeper fish at nearshore structure like AR-315. Live baits and Gulp-tipped bucktail jigs are the way to go for the ocean fish.
Sheepshead are still looking for meals around the same structure as the flatfish, though not many anglers have been targeting them lately. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are the best bets for the sheeps, and anglers can expect the bite to get even better as the water begins to cool down a bit with the approach of fall.
Shawn Furr, of Clayton, NC, with an 18″ spanish mackerel that struck a piece of shrimp on a bluefish rig while he was surf fishing at Indian Beach.
Steven, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing some good flounder fishing around AR-315 and other structure within a few miles of the beaches. Live baits and larger bucktail jigs tipped with Gulps are fooling the flatfish in the ocean. Anglers are also hooking good numbers of flounder inshore around the port wall and other structure on live baits and Gulps.
Good numbers of gray trout (some to 20”) are feeding at the nearshore structure and inshore around the Atlantic Beach bridge. Anglers can tempt the grays to bite the same things as the flounder or jigging lures like Stingsilvers.
Sheepshead are feeding around the port wall, bridges, docks, and other structure inshore. The sheeps will bite live fiddler crabs fished tight to the pilings and vertical structure they call home.
Anglers are still finding action with some puppy drum in the local marshes, but it’s a hit-or-miss game. A variety of live baits and artificial lures will fool the reds when anglers can find them.
Spanish mackerel are feeding around the inlets and along the beachfront. They’ll fall for trolled Clarkspoons and other flashy lures. Some larger fish are looking for meals around Cape Lookout and at nearshore structure in the area. Live finger mullet are the way to go for the big fish, and the best bite is usually early and late in the day.
Some large king mackerel have been hooked nearshore recently (to 40+ lbs.). Some of the best action has been around the Dead Tree Hole, and anglers are hooking the bigger kings on live menhaden and bluefish.
Offshore trollers are reporting some solid wahoo action. A few blackfin tuna have been mixed in, and both fish are taking an interest in ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Bottom fishermen are reporting some excellent action (limits of a variety of species) around structure 20-30 miles offshore. Black sea bass, grunts, snappers, grouper, and more are falling for squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits dropped near their homes.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers had some exciting action casting flies to large blacktip and blacknose sharks last week near Cape Lookout. Large streamer flies fished on 10 weight and heavier tackle are the way to go for the tough fighters.
Bottom fishing around structure in the 30 mile range last week was excellent, with big catches of black sea bass (to nearly 4 lbs.), beeliners, grunts, triggerfish, porgies, and more. Cut squid wing has been too much for the bottom dwellers to turn down.
Gag grouper are feeding at many of the same spots and will pounce on menhaden or other live baits.
Michael, of Oceanana Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are connecting with some sea mullet, spot, and croaker while baiting up with shrimp.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are biting Gotcha plugs and other casting lures early in the day.
Anglers soaking live finger mullet under the pier are hooking some healthy flounder.
There’s also been a decent speckled trout bite at night for anglers working artificial lures.
