Morehead City July 14, 2011
Richard Broughton, of Morehead City, with a 5.5 lb. spanish mackerel that fell for a live bait at the Dead Tree Hole. Weighed in at Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that sheepshead fishing is still hot in the area around hard structure like the bridges, ICW docks, and the port wall. Sea urchins and fiddler crabs are among the sheeps’ favorite foods.
The bridges, port, docks, channels, and nearshore structure are producing plenty of flounder action for anglers dropping live baits, Gulps, squid strips, and bucktails tipped with the same.
The red drum bite is up-and-down. Anglers saw better numbers of reds last week, but then the fish seemed to disappear for a few days. The marshes and bays are the places to look for the reds. They’ll bite topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, Gulps, and gold spoons, but live and cut baits are even more effective.
Bottom fishing from the turning basin to the inlet is producing a mixed bag of spot, sea mullet, croaker, gray trout, and pigfish. Shrimp, squid, bloodworms and cut bait on two-hook or spec rigs are the way to go for the bottom feeders.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding in the inlet and along the beaches. Anglers are hooking them while casting small metal lures from piers and boats and while trolling Clarkspoons, squid rigs, and mackerel trees. Some larger spaniards are feeding around the Dead Tree Hole and the nearshore reefs, and small live baits or cigar minnows on dead bait rigs will tempt them to bite.
Pier and surf anglers are hooking some flounder on small live baits. Spot, sea mullet, croaker, pompano, and other bottom feeders are taking an interest in shrimp, sand fleas, and bloodworms on the bottom.
Some red and black drum are feeding around the Fort Macon rocks and biting shrimp, cut mullet, and live mud minnows.
Offshore, the dolphin bite is still on around the 14 Buoy and on out, with some fish scattered inshore to the NW Places and the Beaufort sea buoy. Some sailfish are feeding in the same areas, and both are biting small and medium ballyhoo behind sea witches.
Randell Mulchi, of Beaufort, NC, with a 9 lb., 1 oz. flounder he hooked on a live finger mullet at the Morehead port wall. Photo courtesy of Freeman's Bait and Tackle.
Bottom fishing has been excellent at spots 30-35 miles out lately, with grouper, triggerfish, sea bass, amberjacks, and more filling up the fish boxes. Cigar minnows, squid, and live and cut baits are tempting bites from the bottom feeders, and Barefoot and Blue Water Candy Roscoe jigs are also effective.
Cody, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the red drum bite’s been a bit slow lately, but anglers can likely find a few feeding in the Haystacks or Core Creek marshes. Live baits, spinnerbaits, and topwater plugs will attract attention from the reds.
Flounder fishing has been solid between the Atlantic Beach Bridge and the port wall. Both anchoring up and fishing the structure and drifting the channel edges in the area will produce action with the flounder, and live mud minnows or finger mullet will tempt them to bite.
Sheepshead are feeding around the AB Bridge pilings (with some 8+ lb. fish in the mix). Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are the way to go for the sheeps.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding inside and outside the inlet, and trolling Clark and Drone Spoons or squid rigs will draw bites from both. Some larger spaniards are chasing bait around nearshore structure, and they’re more apt to strike small live baits.
Offshore, boats are still finding some decent dolphin fishing from the 14 Buoy to the 90’ Drop. A few blackfin tuna and wahoo are mixed in, and all are falling for skirted ballyhoo.
Pete, of Energizer Charters, reports that the dolphin bite is still solid offshore of Beaufort Inlet (with decent numbers of gaffers still mixed in with the bailers). Good numbers of sailfish and some white marlin are feeding alongside the dolphin up and down the break.
Blackfin tuna are in the same areas, though east winds had the tuna bite a little slow last week. A few wahoo are still around as well. Skirted and naked ballyhoo are the way to go for the blue water predators.
Spanish mackerel trolling has been excellent along the beaches and in the inlets, and trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and cigar weights is the way to hook up with them.
Kevin Tedder with a 36 lb. king mackerel that fell for a live menhaden at some structure east of Cape Lookout Shoals.
Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that some pigfish and sea mullet are falling for bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
A few flounder are taking an interest in small live baits fished on the bottom.
Plug casters are connecting with bluefish while working Gotchas from the planks.
