Added on Thursday, June 26, 2008  Gary Hurley

Morehead City June 26, 2008

Tim, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that the flounder bite is still going strong along the port wall. Anglers are landing flatfish at the wall (up to 5 lbs.), and Carolina-rigged mud minnows are producing most of the bites. Plenty of flounder are also coming from AR 315, and mud minnows are doing the trick there, too.

The Haystacks are holding good numbers of speckled trout and red drum. Anglers are also landing some nice fish near the Core Creek Bridge. Topwater plugs have been producing well early and late, and anglers are also catching the fish on Gulp baits and mud minnows under popping corks.

Sheepshead are feeding at the high rise bridge and along the port wall. Anglers can target them with live fiddler crabs or sea urchin baits.

The bridge is also holding some gray trout, and anglers are catching them at the railroad tracks, too. Green grubs, Stingsilvers, and Glass Minnow jigs will tempt the grays to bite.

There are still plenty of bluefish and spanish mackerel feeding along the beaches and around the inlets. Trolling Clarkspoons or Drone spoons will get their attention.

Kings are holding around the Big 10/Little 10. Most are still under 15 lbs. The king bite has also been good around the 14 Buoy, where boats are also picking up some dolphin. Live baits or dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo should get attention from the kings and dolphin.

Larger gaffer dolphin are feeding between the 90′ Drop and the Big Rock. The billfish bite is still good in the deeper water.

Bottom fishermen are catching grouper at structure around the Big 10/Little 10, the 210 and 240 rocks, and the 1700 Rock.

 

Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that pier anglers are catching good numbers of spot and whiting for this time of year. Bloodworms are the best baits, but some are falling for shrimp, too.

Boats are hooking good numbers of flounder at the port wall while dropping live mud minnows, peanut pogies, and finger mullet on Carolina rigs.

There are some very large speckled trout (up to 8 lbs.) feeding in deeper holes in the North and Neuse Rivers on the outgoing tides. The fish are scattered, but their size makes up for it. Live mud minnows and live shrimp on float rigs are the best baits.

The spanish mackerel bite is still excellent when the water on the beach is clean. The recent fronts have dirtied it and slowed the fishing, but the fish will be there and feeding when it clears.

Clarkspoons, squid rigs, and mackerel trees will produce bites for trollers, and anglers can also cast Gotcha plugs, Glass Minnows, or Stingsilvers.

There have been a few kings caught near the sea buoy, but the best action is still around the NW Places and Big 10/Little 10.

Anglers have also landed some small dolphin (2-8 lbs.) while trolling live and dead baits near the sea buoy.

The offshore dolphin bite is still good, but the average size of the fish has fallen a little in the past few weeks.

 

Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that the dolphin bite remains excellent. Boats are catching big numbers of the dolphin while trolling all over the area, but the most consistent bite lately has been in around 30 fathoms. A few sailfish are mixed in with the dolphin. Boats are also averaging 1-2 wahoo per trip as well.

Skirted ballyhoo are producing the lion’s share of the action, and color hasn’t seemed to matter much lately. Baits fished deep on the planer are producing most of the wahoo strikes.

 

Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that plug casters are catching some spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotchas.

Bottom fishermen are landing some spot on shrimp.