Added on Thursday, July 2, 2009  Fish Post

Morehead City July 2, 2009

Tim, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are catching some good numbers of gray trout at night on the Morehead side of the Atlantic Beach Bridge. Live shrimp, green grubs, Tsunami Glass Minnows, and Gulp baits are all drawing bites from the grays.

On the Atlantic Beach side, the speckled trout bite has been good at night as well, and most anglers are hooking up with the specks on live shrimp beneath lighted floats.

The flounder along the port wall are getting larger (with several in the 4-5 lb. range caught last week). Live finger mullet and mud minnows on Carolina rigs are producing most of the flatfish action.

Sheepshead are feeding along the port wall and beneath the bridges as well, and sea urchins or fiddler crab baits will strike their fancy.

Some more gray trout have been feeding around the railroad tracks in the deeper water, and most anglers are bouncing Stingsilvers or spec rigs off the bottom to hook them.

Red drum, speckled trout, and some flounder are still on the feed in the Haystacks and around the docks past the Core Creek 101 Bridge. Live shrimp or mud minnows and Gulp baits fished on the bottom or float-rigged are producing action with all three. Topwater plugs have also been attracting attention from the reds and specks in the early morning hours.

Surf fishermen are hooking bluefish and spanish mackerel while casting metal lures from the Fort Macon rocks. Anglers bottom fishing with shrimp and cut baits or live finger mullet are scoring bites from red and black drum.

Spanish mackerel are still feeding strong in the inlet and along the beaches on out to AR-315. Trolled Clarkspoons are producing plenty of action with the Spaniards, and anglers are hooking larger fish (5-6 lb. range) while free-lining live baits around the AR’s.

Good numbers of flounder are still coming from the AR’s, and finger mullet or mud minnows on Carolina rigs will entice them to bite.

Snake and schoolie king mackerel are feeding all over the area, from the AR’s out to the Northwest Places. Cigar minnows or trolled spoons will fool the kings. Some larger fish (to 30 lbs.) have been reported from the Big 10/Little 10.

Dolphin are spread out through the area as well, with good reports coming from the Trawler Buoy, Northwest Places, Big 10/Little 10, and 14 Buoy. The average size has been best around the 14 Buoy (where most of the fish are gaffers). Dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo under skirts are producing most of the dolphin.

Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are still hooking plenty of dolphin and a few wahoo, with the best bite in the early mornings. Small ballyhoo are outperforming the mediums right now as the dolphin just seem to be biting the medium size in half and missing the hook.

 

Marty, of Freemans Bait and Tackle, reports that there have been lots of dolphin in the area lately, with good reports coming from as close in as the Dead Tree Hole. Cigar minnows on Hank Brown rigs have been producing most of the fish.

King mackerel (mostly snakes) are feeding in the shipping channel and nearby, and most are falling to the lures that anglers are trolling for spanish or the Hank Brown/cigar minnow combinations.

There are still plenty of spanish mackerel feeding up and down the beaches, and boaters are hooking them on Clarkspoons and squid rigs.

Surprising numbers of speckled trout are coming from the surf right now, and anglers caught good numbers while live-lining greenies for spanish mackerel from the piers last week.

The flounder bite has been excellent in the Haystacks and the Newport River Marshes recently, with a lot of red drum (many over slot size) mixed in as well. Live mud minnows are producing most of the action.

Anglers are catching more reds and some trout at night around lighted docks in the area.

Sheepshead fishing has still been solid around the bridges and private docks. Fiddler crabs and sea urchins are producing the lion’s share of the sheeps.

 

Charley, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that the puppy drum, speckled trout, and flounder bite is on in the marshes of the Neuse River and Core Sound. A wide variety of lures will fool the specks, reds, and flounder.

Tarpon are moving into the Neuse River around Brant Island. Anglers can hook up with the tarpon on cut and dead baits fished on the bottom like mullet, pogies, croakers, and spots.

King mackerel are invading the inlets and beaches from Beaufort to Ocracoke Inlets, along with nearshore wrecks and other structure in the area. Slow-trolling or anchoring up and fishing with live pogies is the way to hook up with the kings. As the month wears on, the chances of seeing a sailfish while king mackerel fishing will improve as well.

 

Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that the Gulf Stream bite has slowed a bit, but there’s been solid meatfish action inshore of the break. Spots 10-30 miles off the inlet like the 210 and 240 Rocks, West Rock, the Papoose, and the Naeco are all producing action with dolphin and a few wahoo (to 30-ish lbs.). Ballyhoo under Blue Water Candy Mini Jags and Witches are producing most of the action.

Inshore half day fishing has been producing quick limits of spanish mackerel while trolling Clarkspoons.

 

Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers casting Gotcha plugs from the pier are hooking a few spanish mackerel and bluefish.

Bottom fishermen are finding action with some small flounder.