Morehead City August 30, 2007
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that flounder fishing remains good in the deep water around the port wall, turning basin, AR 315, the high rise bridges, and Fort Macon. Some nice flounder are also coming from somewhat shallower water (around 10’) in the marshes. Carolina-rigged finger mullet and peanut pogies are the top flounder producers.
The red drum bite has picked up, especially around marsh grass and oyster bars. Live baiters can target the drum with live shrimp or mud minnows fished under popping corks, and they’ll also respond well to topwaters, Gulp baits, and spinnerbaits. Any marsh area holding good numbers of shrimp should also have some drum nearby.
Anglers are catching good numbers of sheepshead around the port wall, bridges, and pilings in the ICW, with some nice fish also feeding around oyster bars in the marshes. Fiddler crab and sea urchin baits are top choices for the sheepshead in the deeper water, and live shrimp will tempt them to bite in the marshes.
A few gray trout are holding in the turning basin and around the railroad tracks. Jigging Stingsilvers just off the bottom should produce strikes from the grays.
In the inlets and along the beaches, boats are finding some spanish mackerel, but the action seems best out in 50’ or deeper water. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers are the top spanish lures. Some days boats are loading up on the spaniards, and other days they are near impossible to find. Cloudy, cooler days seem to be hosting the best fishing.
Kings are feeding from the inlet and shipping channel on out to the Northwest Places, with bigger fish hunting for meals on the east side of the shoals. Live baits are top choices for the kings, but the smaller fish will also fall for dead cigar minnows.
Good numbers of sailfish are still feeding in area waters, and anglers could be surprised by a sail nearly anywhere they are king mackerel fishing.
There’s been a good wahoo bite lately between the 90’ Drop and the Big Rock. Medium ballyhoo under dark skirts are the top wahoo producers.
Bottom fishing has been somewhat slow in many of the traditional spots, but the bite has been hot around ledges in 200-300’ of water. Boats are landing big numbers of triggerfish, large sea bass, and grouper on the deep structure.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that a solid sailfish bite is taking place between the 90’ Drop and the Big Rock. Rigged ballyhoo paired with skirted lures are the hottest sailfish baits.
The Beaufort Inlet Shipping Channel is holding good numbers of big spanish mackerel and smaller kings. Boats should troll a zigzag pattern across the channel to locate the fish. Clarkspoons, Drone spoons, and dead cigar minnows will all produce mackerel strikes.
Inshore, the flounder fishing has been good along the port wall, in the Turning Basin, and at other deepwater spots where the fish can escape the heat. Carolina-rigged live baits are key to hooking up with the flounder.
Big red drum are feeding on the shoals on the west side of Pamlico Sound.
Pier anglers are capitalizing on one of the year’s first good spot runs. Bloodworms are tough to beat when fishing for the spots.
Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are landing some whiting and spot on shrimp.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs.
The water is in the upper 80’s.
Shane, of Fight-N-Lady Charters, reports that wahoo and sailfish are making up the bulk of the action right now. The bite has been best south of the Big Rock in the area between the Big Rock and Swansboro Hole in 28-40 fathoms.
Most of the wahoo are 20-35 lbs., with a few topping 50 lbs. Strangely, the wahoo are biting the surface baits as well or better than the deep planer lines.
Most days, anglers are seeing at least one sailfish, with a few white marlin thrown in.
Nearly all the action lately has come on medium ballyhoo trolled under Blue Water Candy Mini Jags in grape, purple/black, and pink/white colors.
