Morehead City – March 22, 2018
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that while there haven’t been too many anglers on the water over the last week, the fish have still been coming in. Despite a cold winter and bad freeze, speckled trout are hanging on, with most of the catches coming from the backs of the creeks and a few from the surf around Cape Lookout. Almost all of the trout have been caught on warmer days, with a few even coming to the surface for topwater lures.
Red drum are biting around the Cape Lookout shoals and rock jetty, though anglers have also been finding them in area creeks and marshes. The water has been clear and cold, so the fish are schooling up in good numbers and are easy to see.
Bluefish should be showing up along the beaches. Just before the last cold front, they were biting at the reefs off Cape Lookout. Gray trout have been mixed in, so expect the bite to get stronger when the bluefish activity increases.
False albacore are also holding just offshore in big schools, so the action should be good in another week or so.
Bull reds are along the Cape Lookout shoals, and if you can find them, make sure to stay off the schools. They love to dive at the first sign of pressure and can be hard to catch.
Surf anglers are finding a few reds and speckled trout here and there, specifically near the Radio Island beach access. Before long, blues and sea mullet will start finding their way into the mix.
Offshore has been slow due to terrible weather conditions. If you can make it out, wahoo and blackfin tuna are biting, and plenty of nice sea bass can be found on the bottom in the 15-20 mile range off the east side of Cape Lookout. Snappers and triggers can be found in the 30-40 mile range.
Aaron Cooke, of Winston-Salem, with a 19″ speckled trout caught near Atlantic Beach using a Gulp soft plastic.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait & Tackle, reports that drum are being found in Spooners and other area creeks. Anglers are mostly sight fishing with artificial baits, with Gulp being the most successful because of the scent. Z-Man with Pro-Cure is also working, as are Fishbites. Really, any lead jig and soft plastic combo will pull in fish.
Trout are around but skittish, with trout anglers only pulling in one or two a day. The good news is that all the ones appearing to have made it through the fish kill have been big.
Atlantic bonito will be moving through nearshore water soon, and while the window to catch them will be very small, anglers are excited to get their shot. Big blues will also be showing up near Cape Lookout on the shoals, along with plenty of false albacore and drum.
Offshore, blackfin tuna and wahoo are the main event, but the weather has been atrocious and made trips outside a real chore. Once the wind dies down and the water temperature rises a few more degrees, expect fishing of all types to start getting very productive.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that fishing has been slow due mostly to the weather. Despite the weather, there have been a few nice specks inside, mostly found at the backs of creeks using Z-Man baits and MirrOlures.
When the weather allows, the jetties have been holding both red and black drum, though the fishing has been inconsistent.
It’s time for the old drum to start showing up around the Cape Lookout shoals, but good weather is imperative to be able to go looking for them.
Flounder should start biting in the ocean soon. Gulp-tipped bucktails will be the ticket inside of 90’ of water, and plenty of sea bass, blues, and the occasional slot red will be biting in the same areas as well.
Dave, of Cape Lookout Charters, reports that sheepshead are biting off area bridges. Sand fleas are the ticket. Expect to find a few puppy drum around the same areas.
Off the beach, big red drum are being pulled in with 2-3 oz. bucktails, though you can find the reds just about anywhere right now.
Trout fishing has been a little harder due to the hard eastern winds, but a western wind makes landing the specks a little easier.
D’Anthony Winslow, of Morehead City, with a 53 lb. gag grouper caught bottom fishing a ledge out of Beaufort Inlet with cigar minnows.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that flounder will be stacking up in 60’+ of water as they move toward the beach. Bucktails with plastic trailers will be best for attracting the flatties.
When the water temperature hits 60 degrees, expect to see bonito start moving into the area. Your best chance of landing them will be to chase breaking fish with casting jigs and other imitations along tidelines and high relief structure (such as the local ARs). You’d be hard pressed not to find a fish with a Yo-Zuri Deep Diver in pink trolled along these locations.
As long as water temperatures stay consistently in the high 50s, sea mullet and weakfish will start moving more confidently into deeper sound waters like the Morehead City port area. Expect to find the bigger weakfish hanging around structure. High-low rigs or spec rigs tipped with a bit of shrimp or Fishbites will do a good job fooling the fish, but you can’t beat jigging spoons and plastics when looking for quality catches.
Snapper blues love similar water temperatures, and with any luck we’ll see the choppers crash the beaches just like last spring.
Tom, of Dancin’ Outlaw, reports that despite a slow month due to weather, citation wahoo (50+ lbs.) are coming in. There has been a decent blackfin bite as well. The tuna are hitting Sea Witches and have been found in the 40 fathom range.
Overall, stay patient. The season is coming, and offshore fishing is shaping up to be fantastic this year.
Larry, of the Oceanana Pier, reports that fishing has been slow in the first week that the pier has been open. Skates and little sharks have made up the majority of the catch, but puffers are starting to make an appearance and will become more abundant in the coming weeks.
Sea mullet should also start to move in soon.
