Morehead City August 9, 2012
Christy Williams, of Raleigh, with a 5.63 lb. flounder she hooked near the Morehead port wall on a live bait. Weighed in at Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are connecting with plenty of flounder while drifting the channels in the ICW and behind Shackleford. Live mud minnows are producing most of the flatfish action. Larger flounder are holding near hard structure like the port wall and Atlantic Beach Bridge.
The flounder action also remains strong at the AR’s and other nearshore structure. Live baits will work in the ocean, but 2 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulps are a better choice.
Sharks have shown up in the area, and anglers are hooking some big ones inside the hook at Cape Lookout. It shouldn’t take the big predators too long to find a menhaden bait accompanied by plenty of chum.
Some puppy drum are feeding in the local marshes (with lots of small 14-16” fish and some slot-sized). Anglers are hooking them on topwater plugs, Gulps, and live and cut baits.
A few speckled trout are coming from the Haystacks and Core Creek, where topwater plugs, Gulps, and live mud minnows have been tempting them.
Sheepshead are still feeding around hard structure like the port wall and bridge and dock pilings, where they have a hard time turning down fiddler crabs and sea urchins fished close to their homes.
Spanish mackerel are feeding from the inlet out to the AR’s, and most anglers are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers. A few larger fish are falling for dead cigar minnows and live baits, and anglers are also hooking up while casting metal lures to fish feeding on the surface.
King mackerel are finally starting to make a showing in the area, especially to the east of Cape Lookout Shoals. The Atlas Tanker and AR-285 have produced decent king action lately, and anglers are hooking them while trolling live baits and dead cigar minnows.
Sailfish are in many of the same areas, and they’ll take an interest in king rigs or ballyhoo trolled behind sea witch skirts.
Some wahoo and dolphin are mixed in on the east side, and offshore trollers are still catching both from the 14 Buoy on out to the Big Rock.
Bottom fishing remains solid at live bottoms and ledges in the 30-40 mile range. Grouper, sea bass, amberjacks, grunts, triggerfish, and more are feeding around the structure, and they will respond well to cigar minnows, sardines, and squid.
Eron Gervie, of Salter Path, NC, with a stringer of flounder he hooked at the Ft. Macon jetty. Photo courtesy of Freeman's Bait and Tackle.
Marty, of Freeman’s Tackle, reports that there’s still a good spanish mackerel bite off the area, with particularly solid action along Cape Lookout Shoals. Most of the fish are falling for trolled Clarkspoons, but anglers are picking up the largest spaniards while trolling live and dead baits king mackerel style.
Flounder fishing has been solid inshore in the channels and around hard structure like the port wall and bridge pilings. Live baits are producing most of the action with the flatfish, but anglers are also hooking up on Gulps and other soft plastics.
The large red drum have moved into the Pamlico Sound, and anglers are catching decent numbers already while fishing out of Cedar Island. Fishing large cut baits on the bottom near depth changes is the ticket to hookups with the big reds, and nighttime often offers the best bite.
King mackerel are starting to show up on the east side of the shoals around spots like the 1700 Rock and Chicken Rock. Live baits are top choices for the largest kings, but anglers should also be able to find plenty of action trolling dead cigar minnows.
Offshore, there’s been a fairly solid wahoo bite for August, and anglers are still picking away at the dolphin. Both are responding to ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Charlie, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that the large red drum bite is on in the Pamlico Sound and around the mouth of the Neuse River, and anglers are catching decent numbers at night while fishing out of Cedar Island. Chumming with cut menhaden and then fishing large chunks as hook baits is producing most of the action with the big reds, and the action will only continue to improve through September. Oyster rocks and other bottom irregularities in around 20’ of water have proven the most productive areas lately.
Some tarpon are in the same areas and vulnerable to the same tactics.
There are still plenty of puppy drum, speckled trout, and flounder feeding in the marshes and along the shorelines in the area, and the angling for them has been best in the morning hours. Soft plastics are producing action with all three inshore predators.
Dolly, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are picking up some sea mullet, croaker, and small sharks while bottom fishing with shrimp from the pier.
