Morehead City July 21, 2011
Jason Harris, from Hillsborough, NC, caught this 7.13 lb. flounder at the Morehead port wall on a live mud minnow. Weighed in at Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the sheepshead bite remains solid around inshore structure like the port wall, high-rise bridges, and docks. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins dangled tight to the structure are top choices for the sheeps.
Flounder are feeding on the bottom in the same areas. They also can be found along the ICW channel edges and the sloughs behind Shackleford. Live finger mullet, mud minnows, and Gulp baits on Carolina rigs or jigheads will get the job done on the flatfish.
Red drum are still few and far between, but there have been a handful of schools working through the area marshes. The Core Creek bays, Haystacks, and Newport River marshes are some of the best places to hunt for them. Topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, Gulps, and live and cut baits will tempt bites from the reds when anglers can locate them.
The spanish mackerel bite is on fire in Beaufort Inlet and just outside. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting small JigFish and Crippled Herring lures around working birds and fish feeding on the surface is the way to box up the spaniards.
A few larger spanish mackerel are feeding at the nearshore AR’s, with better numbers on the east side of the shoals. Small live finger mullet or menhaden are more effective on the larger fish than artificials. Some dolphin have been at the same east side structure, and they have a hard time turning down live baits as well.
King mackerel are a bit scarce, but anglers are connecting with some snake kings at the AR’s, in the shipping channel, and around the Dead Tree Hole. Live menhaden or dead cigar minnows will get their attention.
The dolphin bite is still decent from the 14 Buoy on offshore, and good numbers of sailfish and a few wahoo have been mixed in recently. Rigged ballyhoo will tempt bites from all three.
Cody, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the area’s flounder bite is still good. Anglers are catching the fish around inshore structure and channel edges on small live baits, and they can also be found at nearshore reefs and live bottoms on live baits and Gulp-tipped bucktails.
Sheepshead are on the feed around the port wall, bridges, and other inshore structure. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are the top baits for the sheeps.
Bottom fishing from the turning basin to the inlet is producing some action with spot, sea mullet, and croaker. Shrimp on double-hook rigs or spec rigs will also tempt them to bite.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen are connecting with sea mullet, spot, croaker, bluefish, and some pompano. Shrimp, bloodworms, and sand fleas are all proving effective.
Spanish mackerel are on the feed around Beaufort Inlet and along the beachfront, and trolling Clarkspoons or squid rigs near breaking fish and working birds will put them in the boat.
Some larger spanish are chasing bait at nearshore structure, and small live baits are the way to tempt them to bite.
King mackerel fishing is a bit slow, but anglers are encountering some kings from the shipping channel out to the Northwest Places. Live menhaden and dead cigar minnows will fool the larger mackerel.
Offshore, dolphin are feeding from the 14 Buoy on out, with some sailfish and wahoo alongside them. All will take an interest in skirted or naked ballyhoo.
Daniel Griffee, of Morehead City, wity an upper-slot red drum that bit a popping cork rig in the marsh near Morehead City.
Charlie, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that tarpon have moved into the Pamlico Sound, and decent numbers of fish are feeding around Cedar Island. Large cut baits like croaker, spot, and mullet are the way to tempt bites from the tarpon.
Large red drum are moving into the sound, with most of the fish still out to the east. The same techniques anglers use for tarpon are ideal for the big reds.
Fishing the sloughs between Cedar Island and the east beaches is producing plenty of action with speckled trout (many up to 20”). Gulp and Billy Bay soft plastics, Corky Lures, and MR17 and Catch 2000 MirrOlures will all produce action with the specks.
Sea mullet, pompano, and some puppy drum are feeding in the surf off the east beaches, and sand fleas will tempt bites from all three.
Pete, of Energizer Charters, reports that the dolphin fishing is up and down right now, with some excellent days (gaffers to 40 lbs. are still in the area) and some slower days. Some wahoo, blackfin tuna, and good numbers of sailfish and white marlin are mixed in with the ‘phins, and they’ll strike skirted or naked ballyhoo.
Closer to the beaches, the spanish mackerel fishing is excellent right now, and pulling Clarkspoons behind trolling weights and planers is the way to put them in the boat.
Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters are hooking up with spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotchas from the planks.
Bottom fishermen are catching good numbers of flounder (with most keepers) on live mud minnows.
Some croaker are falling for shrimp on bottom rigs.
Royce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers saw some good spanish mackerel (some to 4 lbs.) and bluefish runs last week. Gotcha plugs and silver Hopkins spoons are fooling both.
Live shrimp and finger mullet fished on the bottom are producing action with some flounder and puppy drum.
