Morehead City – July 31, 2014
Staci Edwards, from Washington, NC, with a citation 10 lb. sheepshead that bit a live crab near Harkers Island. Weighed in at the Harkers Island Fishing Center.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are still hooking plenty of sheepshead around the port wall and bridge and dock pilings in the area. Good numbers of black drum are mixed in, and both are taking an interest in live fiddler crabs and sea urchins fished tight to the structure.
Flounder are feeding in many of the same areas, and anglers are also connecting with some flatfish while drifting the inshore channels and looking for drum in the marshes. The bite has also been strong at the nearshore AR’s and other structure. Live mud minnows and finger mullet along with Gulp baits on bucktails and jigheads are fooling the flatfish.
Speckled trout are feeding in brackish areas like Core Creek and the Neuse River, and anglers are hooking some solid fish on topwater plugs right now.
Anglers are still finding plenty of red drum action in the marshes while casting topwater lures, soft plastics, live baits, and a variety of other offerings.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been hot over the past week, with many larger fish (to 6+ lbs.) falling for live baits around the AR’s and other nearshore structure.
Trollers are finding plenty of spanish action as well, with the Atlantic Beach shoreline and Beaufort Inlet producing the best fishing lately. Trolled Clarkspoons and daisy chains are fooling the majority of the mackerel.
King mackerel have finally shown up, and anglers have caught several large fish (30+ lbs.) within a few miles of shore recently. The AR’s and Beaufort shipping channel are good places to look for the kings, and anglers can tempt them to bite live baits like menhaden or cigar minnows pinned to dead bait rigs.
McKenna Fulcher, of Morehead City, with a 5.75 lb. flounder that struck a live mud minnow in a local marsh. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Offshore, anglers are still seeing plenty of dophin, but the hot water has them widely scattered. A few wahoo have also been in the mix. Anglers are reporting the best bite out around the Big Rock, but inshore spots like the NW Places and Big 10/Little 10 have also been producing some fish. The billfish bite remains strong, with boats releasing solid numbers of blue and white marlin along with some sailfish.
Bottom fishermen are finding plenty of action around structure in the 30 mile range. Grouper, amberjacks, sea bass, beeliners, triggerfish, and more are all feeding around ledges and live bottoms in those areas. Anglers are hooking them on menhaden, cigar minnows, mackerel, squid, and other baits, along with vertical jigs.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are hooking a summertime mix of bottomfish in the local surf, with sea mullet, croaker, spot, pompano and plenty of pinfish and small sharks. They’re biting shrimp and bloodworms.
Inshore, there’s been a good red drum bite in the marshes, and anglers are also seeing some solid speckled trout action in the same areas. Topwater plugs have been effective on both recently, but a wide variety of baits and lures will also tempt them to bite.
Spanish mackerel are feeding around Beaufort Inlet and along the beachfront, and anglers have been catching some large ones at nearshore structure like AR-315. The bigger spanish are biting live finger mullet and menhaden on light wire leaders, and anglers have also released a few sailfish in the same areas lately.
Plenty of smaller spanish are falling for Clarkspoons that boaters are trolling along the beachfront.
Laura Barbour with a red cornetfish that she hooked while bottom fishing east of Cape Lookout shoals.
Offshore, bottom fishermen are reporting some excellent action with triggerfish, snapper, and grouper around structure in the 100’ depths. Cigar minnows, sardines, and squid are fooling the bottom feeders.
Blue water trollers are still finding scattered dolphin action from the 10 mile area to the break, with skirted ballyhoo fooling most of the fish. There’s also been good billfish action offshore of the Big Rock recently, with boats releasing blue and white marlin and sailfish.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers are starting to see some stout king mackerel (to 40+ lbs.) feeding around nearshore structure like the AR’s, and they’re fooling them on live menhaden and other baits.
Some large spanish mackerel are feeding in the same areas and falling for smaller live baits.
Bottom fishing around structure in 70’ and deeper is producing action with gag grouper, amberjacks, and a variety of smaller fish. The gags and jacks are biting live menhaden, with squid and cut baits fooling the other bottom feeders.
Carly, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers hooked a few spanish mackerel and bluefish while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs last week.
Bottom fishermen are hooking a mixed bag of small fish on shrimp and bloodworms.
