Morehead City – August 27, 2015
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent spanish mackerel action around Cape Lookout, Beaufort Inlet, and the shoals off Fort Macon. Plenty of the spaniards have been falling for casting lures like diamond jigs and spec rigs, and anglers who don’t want to cast to fish are hooking big numbers while trolling Clarkspoons and squid rigs.
William Harrell with a 6.57 lb. flounder that struck a 2 oz. Spro buctkail tipped with a Gulp shrimp while he was fishing some nearshore structure off Beaufort Inlet. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Some larger spanish mackerel are still feeding around nearshore structure like AR-315 and biting live finger mullet, especially early in the day.
Plenty of bluefish (many 3-4 lbs.) are feeding in the same areas and biting the same baits as the spanish, and anglers are also hooking the blues on topwater plugs.
King mackerel are feeding in the shipping channel and at spots east of Lookout Shoals like the 1700 Rock and AR-285 (with several 40+ lb. fish last week). Anglers are hooking most of the larger fish on live baits like menhaden. Dead cigar minnows can also be effective on the kings. ‘
Flounder are still feeding around the port wall and in the creeks inshore and around nearshore structure like AR-315 in the ocean. Anglers are fooling the fish with live mud minows and finger mullet along with Gulp baits on jigheads and bucktails.
Laine Barefoot (age 13), of Louiseburg, NC, with a citation 7.2 lb. spanish mackerel that fell for a blue/white skirted ballyhoo near the Northwest Places. She was fishing with Capt. Ned McClung on the “Magic.”
Sheepshead are looking for meals around the port wall and bridge pilings in the area. Anglers are fooling decent numbers of the sheeps (and some to 8+ lbs.) while fishing live fiddler crabs and sea urchins near the structure.
Amberjacks are schooled up around structure like AR-330, where anglers can fool them on live baits or a variety of artificial lures.
Offshore, the wahoo bite seems to have kicked off, with good numbers of fish feeding around the Big Rock and north as well as to the south around the Swansboro Hole. A few dolphin are mixed in, and both fish are falling for ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures.
Bottom fishermen are still seeing excellent action at structure on both sides of the shoals. The 1700 Rock and Atlas Tanker to the east and 14 Buoy and 90’ Drop to the west have all be producing action with the bottomfish, including sea bass, triggerfish, grouper, snapper, and more. Squid, cut baits, and cigar minnows are the best bets for the bottom feeders.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that there’s been a good spanish mackerel bite lately around Willis Lumps and elsewhere just off the beaches. The best action has been early and late in the day, and anglers are hooking the spaniards on metal casting jigs and while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy baits.
Larger spanish and some snake king mackerel are taking an interest in live finger mullet and peanut menhaden around AR-315, 320, and 330.
False albacore have shown up not too far from the beaches and are chasing bait on the surface early and late in the day. Anglers are hooking some while trolling for spanish, but casting metal jigs to the schools on lighter tackle offers more exciting battles.
Amberjacks and barracuda are schooled up on the further AR’s like 285 and 330. Anglers can connect with both the hard-battlers on live baits or fast-moving artificial lures.
Anglers have found a semi-consistent wahoo bite between the Northwest Places, Big 10/Little 10, and the 14 Buoy lately, so they may not need to run all the way to the Gulf Stream to connect with a ‘hoo. Skirted ballyhoo are fooling most of the fish, and deep baits fished off planers have been the most effective.
Surf casters have seen some scattered red drum action along the Atlantic Beach shoreline, mostly on cut baits. Pompano, sea mullet, croaker, and other panfish are biting shrimp in the surf.
Inshore, sheepshead are still looking for meals around the local bridge pilings and other structure. They’ll pounce on live sea urchins and fiddler crabs fished close to their homes.
Anglers casting artificials in the creeks and marshes are hooking some speckled trout and red drum, but the bite hasn’t been on fire.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with some large amberjacks around structure east of Cape Lookout Shoals (some to 60 lbs.). Most of the jacks are biting live baits, but anglers can also tempt them to bite vertical jigs, topwater poppers, and other fast-moving artificials.
Flounder are still looking for meals at structure a bit closer to the beach. Anglers are hooking the flatfish while bouncing Gulp-tipped bucktail jigs along the bottom.
Hailey, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers have been catching some solid speckled trout from the pier while casting MirrOlures, soft plastic shrimp, and other artificials.
Flounder are feeding under the pier and biting live finger mullet.
Anglers working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier are connecting with bluefish and spanish mackerel.
