Morehead City July 18, 2013
Lucas Young and Stephen Kennedy, from Kentucky, with a 9.10 lb. sheepshead and a 5.12 lb. flounder that fell for a sea urchin and a mud minnow under the Atlantic Beach bridge. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the water is clearing up and anglers are starting to catch spanish mackerel again, with the best action around Cape Lookout and along the beachfront recently. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in, and both are falling for trolled spoons and other flashy lures.
Sheepshead fishing seems to be getting even better (with solid numbers of 8+ lb. citation fish weighed in), and some anglers are filling coolers with the striped fish. The sheeps are feeding around the port wall, bridge and dock pilings, and other hard inshore structure. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins have been the best baits.
Flounder fishing is still a bit slower than typical for July, but anglers are catching some keepers at a variety of spots in the area, including Fort Macon, the port wall, and creeks and channels behind the barrier islands.
Live mud minnows, Gulp baits, and Uncle Josh pork strips have been fooling the flatfish.
There’s also a decent bite on the wrecks and ledges nearshore, where 2 oz. bucktails tipped with Gulp baits are getting the job done.
Red drum action has been hot-and-cold, with some great catches and some long, slow days. The fish are feeding in the marshes of Middle Marsh, the Haystacks, the North River, and Core Creek. Topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, Gulps, and live baits fished under popping corks are all fooling the reds.
Austin Matthews and Chandler Turlington with a pair of cobia that bit menhaden at some bottom structure off Morehead City while they were fishing abaord the “Merry Marlin.”
Some speckled trout are feeding in the lower Neuse River and around Cedar Island. Anglers are hooking them on topwater plugs in the early morning hours.
Bottom fishing in the inlet and turning basin is producing a mixed bag of sea mullet, pigfish, gray trout, sharks, sea bass, and more. Shrimp and squid on double drop rigs are producing most of the action.
A few cobia are still in the area and taking an interest in bucktail jigs and dead baits on the bottom.
Surf casters are finding action with red drum, black drum, and flounder around Fort Macon. There’s also a mixed bag of panfish like sea mullet, pigfish, pompano, croaker, bluefish, and more. Shrimp, squid, cut baits, and finger mullet have been effective in the breakers.
Offshore trollers are still catching good numbers (and good-sized) dolphin, along with a few wahoo. Sailfish and some marlin are also in the mix, and all are taking an interest in naked and skirted ballyhoo.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with grouper, triggerfish, amberjacks, sea bass, and more around offshore bottom structure both east and west of the shoals (though the east side has been a bit better lately). Vertical jigs and a variety of natural baits are fooling the bottom feeders.
Cody, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still combatting dirty water in the area, and therefore the best spanish mackerel action has been over around Cape Lookout. Trolling Clarkspoons and other lures is the best bet to put the spaniards in the boat.
Patrick Shore, of Wilmington, and Matthew Spivey, of Garner, NC, with a pair of gaffer dolphin they hooked on ballyhoo/sea witch combos while trolling the Gulf Stream off Beaufort Inlet.
Offshore trollers are catching tuna, dolphin, and wahoo, and there’s still a decent billfish bite taking place as well.
Surf casters are finding a mixed bag of black and red drum, flounder, sea mullet, pompano, bluefish, and more around Fort Macon. Shrimp, cut baits, and live baits are all effective in the suds.
Bottom fishing in the turning basin is producing some action with pigfish, sea mullet, gray trout, and other species, and squid and shrimp seem to be the best baits.
Flounder are feeding around the port wall, bridges, and other structure inshore, and anglers have also been finding some keepers while drifting behind Shackleford Banks. Live mud minnows and Gulp baits are fooling the flatfish.
Anglers are hooking red drum in the Haystacks and other marshes while working topwater plugs and Gulp baits.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Charters, reports that there’s still a decent dolphin bite in the blue water off Beaufort Inlet. Anglers are seeing some solid gaffers along with a few wahoo feeding around local spots like the Big Rock. Some sailfish and white marlin are in the mix as well, so there’s a reasonable chance of a billfish encounter along with the gamefish right now. Ballyhoo paired with skirts like sea witches are fooling all the blue water predators.
Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are catching bluefish and a few king mackerel (including one near-citation) while working Gotcha plugs from the planks. The spanish bite has been a bit slow, but with kings around the pier, it should get fired back up soon.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with some black drum and smaller flounder on shrimp.
