Morehead City July 8, 2010
Wood Parker with a 24" red drum he hooked on a white 3" Gulp shrimp while fishing a creek near Morehead City with Capt. Lee Willis of Redfish Action Charters.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that there’s been a solid king mackerel bite around Beaufort Inlet, the shipping channel, AR-315 and 320, and the NW Places. Most of the fish are falling for cigar minnows and spanish sardines on Blue Water Candy dead bait rigs.
The spanish mackerel action has been hot in the early mornings along the beaches and at the AR’s, the inlet, and Cape Lookout. Clarkspoons, squid rigs, mackerel trees, Yo-Zuri Deep Divers, and Gotcha plugs are all producing results on the spaniards.
Flounder are still on the feed at the nearshore AR’s and live bottoms, with more keeper fish this year than last summer. Spro 2 oz. bucktails tipped with 4” Gulp baits are producing the lion’s share of the action with the ocean flatfish.
The flatfishing’s also been hot inshore around the inlet, Shackleford, ICW docks, the high-rise bridges, and the port wall. Live mud minnows and shrimp are attracting plenty of attention from the flatties, and anglers are also hooking up with the new Gulp 4” Mud Minnow/Croaker baits on Carolina rigs.
The red drum bite has been hit-or-miss lately as the fish are one the move and spread out in the marshes from Bogue Inlet to Morehead. The hot water (marsh temps in the mid-90’s) has the fish reluctant to stay in one spot. Topwater plugs, Gulp baits, and spinnerbaits are all fooling the reds when anglers can find them.
Fishing live and cut baits around area docks is also a solid way to hook up with the reds.
Anglers are finding excellent sheepshead fishing around the port wall, ICW docks, and high-rise bridges. Sand fleas, fiddler crabs, clams, and sea urchins will all fool the sheeps, with the larger fish showing a preference for urchins.
The spanish mackerel fishing has been solid from the piers and beaches lately. Anglers are hooking the spaniards on Gotcha plugs and other heavy metal casting lures.
Flounder fishing’s also been hot from the piers and in the surf on live mud minnows and shrimp.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with whiting, spot, croaker, pigfish, and sharks on shrimp, bloodworms, squid, and cut baits.
Offshore, the dolphin fishing’s still hot, but the fish have gotten a bit smaller. The best action lately has been around weed lines in 60-150 fathoms. Ballyhoo behind sea witches are fooling most of the ‘phins, and also a few wahoo and billfish in the same areas.
Offshore bottom fishing’s been hot at the ledges and live bottoms, where anglers are catching sea bass, triggerfish, grouper, and more. Squid, spanish sardines, and cigar minnows are fooling the bottom feeders.
Ray and Holton Clifton, from Greenville, NC, with four 8 lb. sheepshead they hooked on sea urchins at some inshore structure near Morehead City. Photo courtesy of Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still finding a decent dolphin bite around the 14 Buoy and north of it. Some wahoo are mixed in. Ballyhoo under skirted trolling lures will fool both fish.
Bottom fishing offshore in around 120’ has been effective on some big triggerfish and groupers lately. The triggers are falling for squid while the grouper are more likely to strike a cigar minnow.
King mackerel are feeding in the shipping channel, where anglers are hooking them on both live and dead baits.
Spanish mackerel are mixed in and feeding along the beaches. Trolled Clarkspoons and other lures will tempt them to bite.
Inshore, the speckled trout bite has been turning on around the high-rise bridges, particularly at night. Live shrimp are fooling most of the specks.
The flounder bite is still solid both inshore and at nearshore structure. The flatties will fall for live baits on Carolina rigs.
Pete, of Energizer Charters, reports that hot water has slowed the dolphin bite down a bit, but it’ll come around when a push of cooler water makes its way toward the area. Boats are finding some bailer dolphin well inshore of the Stream, but the gaffer bite is a bit off.
Anglers are finding some billfish action, however. Sailfish are feeding well inshore of the Stream as well, and there’s been a decent blue marlin bite in 120-150 fathoms offshore. Skirted ballyhoo will fool the marlin and sails.
Bottom fishing in 16-20 fathoms is producing plenty of triggerfish and black sea bass on squid and cut baits.
Trolling around nearshore structure and bait concentrations has been producing plenty of spanish and a few king mackerel. Trolled spoons behind planers are fooling the fish, though live-baiters will likely have even better luck with the kings.
Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters are catching a few bluefish and spanish mackerel on Gotchas.
Some flounder are coming over the rails for anglers using small live baits.
Royce, of Sheraton Pier, reports that anglers are catching some healthy flounder on live mud minnows and shrimp.
Whiting and some spot are falling for shrimp and bloodworms on bottom rigs.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the pier, with the red-head models most productive.
