Morehead City – July 10, 2014
Vaughan Ford with a king mackerel that bit a live bait east of Cape Lookout Shoals.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are still seeing some excellent flounder action around the nearshore wrecks and AR’s. Most of the flatfish are falling for 2 oz. bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits and live mud minnows on Carolina rigs.
Flounder fishing is solid inshore as well, with anglers finding fish in the channels in Bogue Sound and behind Shackleford and at inshore structure like the port wall and bridge pilings. Gulps and live baits are fooling the flatfish inside as well.
Sheepshead are looking for meals at the same structure inshore and biting live fiddler crabs and sea urchins.
Red drum are feeding in the marshes and creeks, and anglers have had some excellent luck with the reds lately. Live baits or a wide variety of artificials will attract their attention.
Speckled trout action has been solid in Core Creek and other areas of brackish water recently. Anglers are fooling the specks on live baits suspended under floats, topwater plugs, and soft plastics.
Spanish mackerel have shown back up since last week’s storm muddied the water, and anglers caught decent numbers while trolling around Cape Lookout this week. They should be feeding wherever anglers can find clean water within a few miles of shore, and they will bite trolled Clarkspoons and squid rigs.
Some king mackerel were starting to show up before the storm, and will likely be feeding in the shipping channel, around the sea buoy, and at structure within 15 miles of the beaches in the coming week.
Jordan Delatch and Marc Bankoski, of Goldsboro with a pair of 22 lb. dolphin they hooked on ballyhoo near the 14 Buoy. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers have just started to connect with spanish mackerel again after Hurricane Arthur stirred up the water. The best bite recently has been for anglers trolling Clarkspoons around Cape Lookout.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen are still connecting with a mixed bag of sea mullet, pigfish, spot, and other panfish, and the action seems to have improved since the storm. Shrimp and bloodworms are fooling the bottom feeders.
Red drum and speckled trout are feeding in the creeks and backwaters inshore, and anglers are hooking both on topwater plugs early and late in the day. Gulps and live baits are fooling the fish when the sun’s high.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that the inshore and nearshore fishing took a bit of a hit from Hurricane Arthur, but the water is cleaning and fishing improving more and more with each tide cycle. Anglers can expect spanish mackerel and flounder action around the nearshore reefs to kick back into gear in the coming weeks.
Bottom fishing around structure in the 80-90’ depths is still solid. Anglers dropping live menhaden to structure are connecting with gag grouper and plenty of amberjacks. Squid and cut baits fished on smaller hooks are producing black sea bass, triggerfish, and plenty of other smaller bottom dwellers.
Neal O’Neal and Brian Fischer with a 92 lb. wahoo that struck a large ballyhoo behind a #16 planer near the Big Rock while they were trolling on the “Pillpusher” out of Salter Path.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Sportfishing, reports that anglers are still connecting with good numbers of dolphin (and most are gaffers) in the wake of Hurricane Arthur. Ballyhoo paired with skirted lures like sea witches are fooling most of the fish.
Hailey, of Oceanana Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet and spot on double-drop rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
Some bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier.
