Morehead City – June 19, 2014
J.T. Coley and Tom Deloache with a pair of sheepshead they hooked near a local bridge on live fiddler crabs and sea urchins. Photo courtesy of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the cobia bite is still going, though it continues to slow down as the water warms up. Like previous weeks, most of the fish are coming from inshore spots in Bogue Sound and behind Shackleford Banks for anglers fishing live and dead baits on the bottom. A few have even been caught as far back as the Haystacks.
Sight-casters continue to see a few cobes around sea turtles in the ocean, but the conditions have to be right in order to spot them.
Flounder fishing at nearshore structure like AR-315, 320, 300, and 285 has been excellent recently, with most of the fish falling for 2 oz. bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits.
Spanish mackerel action remains solid in the inlets and along the beachfront, particularly on calm days with clean water in the area. Trolled Clarkspoons are accounting for most of the spaniards, but anglers are also hooking up while casting metal jigs around the inlets at higher tides.
Bottom fishermen are hooking good numbers of sea bass, grouper, grunts, triggerfish, and more around structure in the 35 mile range. Most are falling for squid, cigar minnows, and menhaden on bottom rigs.
Amberjacks are schooled up at structure to within the 10 mile range, and anglers can tempt them to bite live baits, vertical jigs, and sometimes topwater poppers.
Blue water trollers hooked big numbers of billfish last week in the Big Rock tournament, both on trolling plugs and ballyhoo rigs. There are still plenty of dolphin feeding in the Stream, and they’ll bite artificials or ballyhoo as well. A few of the ‘phins have pushed in to the 20 mile range, but the best action is still around the Rise and Big Rock.
Matthew Sadler with a cobia that struck a fly on 10 wt. tackle on the east side of Cape Lookout shoals.
The flounder bite has been good inshore as well, with anglers hooking flatfish while drifting the channels and fishing around structure like docks and bridges. Live mud minnows and Gulp baits are fooling the flatfish inshore.
Sheepshead fishing is taking off, and anglers hooked solid numbers (with some 8-10 lb. fish) around the area bridges and docks, with a few feeding along the port wall. Live fiddler crabs and sea urchins are fooling the sheeps.
Speckled trout season is open, and anglers reported good catches while working topwater plugs in the local rivers and creeks last week.
Red drum are still feeding in the marshes, and anglers who find the fish have been hooking solid numbers recently. Most are falling for topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and cut and live baits.
Cody, of Freemans Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still hooking decent numbers of cobia along the Crystal Coast, with most coming from inshore spots like deeper holes behind Shackleford. Live and dead menhaden have been fooling most of the fish recently.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around the high-rise bridges and other structure in the area (with some fish 7+ lbs.). Live sea urchins have been the best bet for the bigger sheeps lately.
Flounder fishing has been productive both inshore and offshore recently. Inside the inlets, anglers are hooking good numbers (and over half keepers) while drifting the channels with live mud minnows.
The flatfish are also looking for meals around ocean structure like AR-320, where live baits and bucktail jigs will get their attention.
Spanish mackerel action seems to have gotten better in the past week, and anglers hooked big numbers while pulling Clarkspoons and planers along the beachfront last week. Some larger spaniards are showing up around nearshore structure, and they will take an interest in live menhaden on scaled-down king mackerel rigs. Clean water and lower light conditions are producing the best action with the spaniards.
Offshore, the billfish action was excellent over the past week, with big numbers of blue and white marlin releases in the Big Rock tournament. The dolphin bite remains good as well, with the best action from the 90’ Drop out to the Big Rock and Rise.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers are still connecting with big numbers of spanish mackerel while casting metal jigs to fish feeding on the surface around Cape Lookout and Beaufort Inlet.
There are still some cobia cruising in the same areas, and anglers are hooking them while sight-casting bucktail jigs to fish they spot on the surface.
Amberjacks are schooling up around bottom structure from 10 miles on offshore. They’ll bite live menhaden, vertical jigs, and even topwater plugs when they’re feeding actively.
Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters are hooking good numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish while working Gotchas.
Bottom fishermen have been connecting with sea mullet, pigfish, and other panfish, primarily on shrimp.
