Morehead City July 25, 2013
Kevin Aman, of Newport, NC, with a 5.78 lb. flounder that bit a live bait near the Morehead port wall. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that spanish mackerel fishing is getting back on track in the area. Anglers are hooking the spaniards while trolling Clarkspoons, daisy chains, and other flashy lures around the inlets and beachfront and behind Shackleford Banks. Cleaner water is also enabling some anglers to hook up while casting small metal jigs at fish feeding on the surface.
Some larger spaniards are feeding at nearshore structure like the AR’s, where they’ll bite small live baits or dead cigar minnows.
King mackerel are making an appearance around the NW Places, shipping channel, and around the AR’s, and most anglers are hooking up while pulling cigar minnows on dead bait rigs.
Sheepshead fishing inshore remains hot, with most of the fish coming from the bridges, port wall, and ICW docks. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are fooling the sheeps (some to 8 lbs.).
Flounder fishing is improving (both in numbers and average size). Small fish are spread out in the ICW, but most of the larger fish are feeding around structure like the Atlantic Beach Bridge. Live and Gulp baits are fooling most of the flatfish.
The red drum bite is getting better as well, with good reports coming from the marshes of Core Creek, Carrot Island, Middle Marsh, and the Haystacks.
Matt Williams with a 27.5″ red drum he hooked on a gold spoon while fishing near Swansboro with Dwayne Smith.
Topwater plugs are fooling good numbers of the reds, and anglers are also finding plenty of action on live baits under popping corks. Gulp baits and spinnerbaits are producing as well.
Surf casters are finding a mixed bag around Fort Macon, including sheepshead, red and black drum, sea mullet, bluefish, and more. Shrimp, squid, and cut baits are top choices off the sand.
Offshore, anglers are finding action with dolphin from the 90’ Drop out to the Big Rock and down to the Swansboro Hole. Cigar minnows and pork rind strips fished on dead bait rigs and Pirate Plugs are tempting bites from the dolphin.
Bottom fishermen are finding plenty of action at structure in the 30-35 mile range. Grouper, triggerfish, sea bass, grunts, and amberjacks are all feeding in the same spots, and they’re taking an interest in cigar minnows, northern mackerel, squid, menhaden, and more. Barefoot Decoy jigs tipped with the above baits have been very productive recently as well.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that there’s been an excellent sheepshead bite around the area bridges this past week. Fiddler crabs, sea urchins, and live shrimp are all attracting attention from the sheeps.
Surf casters are hooking big numbers of small flounder on mud minnows. Those baiting up with bloodworms are hooking an assortment of bottomfish including spot, croaker, sea mullet, pigfish, and more.
Michelle Gottlieb, of Raleigh, and Laura Medlin, of Dunn, NC, with a speckled trout, a flounder, and a pair of slot red drum that bit peanut menhaden in a Morehead-area marsh.
Large sharks are also feeding along the beachfront, and they will bite dead and cut baits for anglers looking for a serious battle.
There’s been good speckled trout and puppy drum action in the Middle Marsh, Haystacks, and Core and Adams Creeks. Both live baits and artificials (like spinnerbaits) have been effective recently.
Spanish mackerel fishing is beginning to turn back on. Anglers are hooking a few from the piers while working Gotcha plugs, and they’re also connecting with some fish while trolling in boats.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Charters, reports that there’s still a decent dolphin bite offshore of Morehead. Anglers also saw some wahoo action last weekend.
The billfish bite has been decent, with white marlin and sailfish making up most of the action. Naked and skirted ballyhoo are getting attention from all the blue water predators.
Caroline, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some spot, sea mullet, drum, and flounder while baiting bottom rigs with shrimp, bloodworms, and cut and live baits.
A few bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs.
