Added on Thursday, June 22, 2006  Gary Hurley

Morehead City June 22, 2006

Matt, of Chasin Tails Charters, reports that the flounder bite is really good this season. Large mud minnows and peanut shad are working the best.

Try fishing the drop-offs and around docks and the bridges. There are also flounder biting off the beach at the ARs.

Speckled trout are also biting well. They’re in the marshes and in the area rivers. The bigger live baits are getting the larger fish.

The drum bite is still good if you can find them. Finding them has been the key. Once you locate the redfish, you can put just about anything in front of them and they will be on it.

Spanish, blues, and snake kings are along the beaches.

There are even some small dolphin being caught in the mix. Cigars and live bait have been the key for success.

Joe, of Joe’s Pro Bait and Tackle, reports that the cobia bite is slowing as they migrate north. The best way to target them now is sight fishing.

The flounder are scattered everywhere, with tons of short flounder being caught. The smaller flounder have moved in in numbers this past week. However, drifting down the channels and out the inlet will produce some keepers up to 18 inches. If you want to catch some even bigger flounder, anchor around man-made structure.

There was a report of a tarpon hooked in the corner of the port by Portside Marina.

The spanish mackerel have been feast or famine. When you find them, limits are no problem. For large spanish, look for them to be scattered around the Cape Lookout shoal.

Again this week, red drum are still biting well in the marshes, in the creeks, and on the north side of the sound around the boat docks.

The king mackerel bite is good in the mid-range areas, but not many kings have been in the nearshore areas yet.

Offshore, lots of billfish were caught over the past week. The dolphin bite also continues to be strong. The 14 Buoy out to the Big Rock and north of the Big Rock is still the place to be. Some wahoo and tuna are being caught as well.

Mike, at Carolina Bait and Tackle, reports the cobia bite is still going strong in the Cape Lookout area using fresh dead menhaden.

The turning basin has been full of trout, croakers, bluefish, and the occasional flounder.

The water has cleaned up, and this is making for good spanish and bluefish catches.

The surf fishermen are catching sea mullet, pompano, croakers, and a few flounder.

Shane, at Second To None Charters, reports that lately it’s been billfish galore in the area. Almost all the boats are spotting some mix of white marlin, blue marlin, and sailfish. The action has been over the break on the backside of the Big Rock.

The dolphin bite is also still strong. The sizes have been ranging from little bailers to gaffer size. Hit the area from the 14 Buoy out to the 90’ Drop. Go with medium ballyhoo on pink & blue sea witches. Then troll them at about 6 knots.

Larry, at Sportsman’s Pier, reports a busy bottom bite including pompano, gray trout, and spots. Shrimp are the best bet for the trout and pompano; bloodworms are best for the spots.

Pluggers are catching blues and spanish.

Cobia are biting at the end of the pier but most are undersized. There have been no king mackerel reported. The recent water temperature at the pier is 76 degrees.