Morehead City – July 16, 2015
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers continue to catch spanish mackerel while trolling behind Shackleford Banks, and the bite has turned back on in Beaufort Inlet and the shipping channel as well. Most of the fish are falling for Clarkspoons and squid rigs trolled behind planers, cigar weights, and birds.
Anglers are hooking some larger spanish and king mackerel around the shipping channel on live baits and dead cigar minnows. Plenty of flying fish have been around the sea buoy, so anglers shouldn’t be surprised to see a dolphin or two in the same areas.
There’s been a good cobia bite off Bogue Inlet over the past week, so anglers should keep a casting rod with a bucktail jig or pitch bait ready whenever fishing the ocean in case one of the cobes pops up.
Brian Johnson, Lee Baker, and Charles Barker, of Willow Springs, NC, with citation 9.26, 9.08, and 8.22 lb. sheepshead that bit live sea urchins near the Morehead port wall. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Anglers have reported good numbers of dolphin inshore of the 14 buoy, and there’s still a decent bite for boats running out to spots on the break like the Big Rock. Anglers also found some solid wahoo while trolling along the break last week along with some surprise summer yellowfin tuna. Ballyhoo paired with skirted lures are fooling the majority of the fish in the blue water.
Inshore, the sheepshead bite may be getting even better (with big numbers of fish to 8+ lbs. weighed in last week). The local bridges and Morehead port wall have been producing the most and largest fish, and anglers are hooking them on fiddler crabs and sea urchins fished tight to the structure.
Anglers are still catching some flounder inshore while drifting the channels in Bogue Sound and behind Shackleford Banks. Most are short or just over-legal and falling for live mud minnows and Gulp baits. Some larger flatfish should be looking for meals around the nearshore reefs in the ocean and inshore structure like the bridges and port wall. Anglers can tempt them to bite live baits or 2 oz. Spro bucktails tipped with Gulp baits.
Anglers fishing the marshes are reporting some big speckled trout biting topwater plugs. Some red drum are looking for meals in the same areas and biting topwaters and a variety of other baits and lures.
Some over-slot red drum have been working the surf zone around Cape Lookout and Shark Island recently. They’ve been a bit tough to fool recently, so smelly baits like cut mullet, live mud minnows, and Gulps are some of the best bets for anglers looking to connect with the reds.
Surf casters are hooking a summer panfish mix of spot, croaker, pompano, and more while baiting up with shrimp. Some bluefish, flounder, sheepshead, and red and black drum are also feeding in the surf and biting shrimp, finger mullet, and cut baits.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with some speckled trout and red drum in the local marshes like the Haystacks, Middle Marsh, Core Creek, and North River. Topwater plugs, soft plastics, and a variety of other lures and natural baits will fool the inshore predators.
Surf casters are hooking a summertime bottomfish variety including croaker, spot, sea mullet, pigfish, pompano, and more. A few red and black drum are mixed in. Shrimp and squid are producing the action with the bottom feeders.
Anglers are reporting some large spanish and school-sized king mackerel feeding in the Beaufort shipping channel. The best action has been from the third set of buoys out to the sea buoy, and anglers are reporting the best action while slow-trolling live baits. Dead cigar minnows can also be effective on both mackerel.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers continue to connect with slot and over-slot red drum while fishing the inshore waters near Beaufort and Morehead City. Live and cut baits will fool the reds.
Large sharks are feeding inshore and nearshore around the inlets, and anglers looking to battle one of the predators can tempt them to bite large cut and dead baits on wire leaders.
Thomas, of Danicn’ Outlaw Sportfishing, reports that the blue water fishing off Beaufort Inlet has improved lately, with some impressive hauls of dolphin hitting the fish box and docks. Wahoo (some big ones) have been mixed in, and anglers also saw a flurry of summertime yellowfin tuna activity last week. Ballyhoo trolled under skirted lures like sea witches are fooling most of the offshore pelagics.
Wade, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are catching some bluefish while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier.
Some healthy speckled trout were landed over the weekend by anglers casting Gulp baits from the planks.
Bottom fishermen are primarily connecting with croaker while baiting up with shrimp.
