Morehead City March 27, 2014
Tonya Batten, of Morehead City, with an upper-slot red drum that she landed in a Morehead-area creek after it struck a mud minnow under a float rig. Photo courtesy of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Tim, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are finding action with speckled trout in the creeks off Bogue Sound and the Neuse River, but it’s a catch-and-release fishery until the season opens in mid-June. Most of the specks are falling for live mud minnows on float rigs and MR17 MirrOlures at present.
Puppy drum are feeding in Core and Eastman Creeks around Morehead and also taking an interest in live mud minnows under floats.
Sea mullet and pufferfish have shown up at the west end of the island, and surf casters should be able to hook both in the coming weeks around Fort Macon. Some puppy and black drum are in the same areas, and all will take an interest in cut shrimp on bottom rigs.
Some gray trout and bluefish should be joining the bottom feeders around Fort Macon and moving into Beaufort Inlet and the turning basin in the coming weeks as well. Jigging lures like Stingsilvers will produce results on both in the turning basin and around the railroad tracks near Radio Island.
Tautog and sheepshead are feeding in deeper water around the port wall and other inshore structure, and both will fall for shrimp until anglers can get fiddler crabs and other baits on a more consistent basis.
Out in the ocean, anglers are connecting with good numbers of legal black sea bass around bottom structure from AR-330 on offshore (15-20+ miles). Bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits or small vertical jigs will attract plenty of attention from the bass.
Jennifer and Mike, from Oregon, with a red drum they hooked near a Carteret County dock while fishing with Capt. Chris Kimrey of Mount Maker Charters.
Anglers bouncing bucktails at nearshore and offshore structure should find some of the first gray trout and flounder action of the year in the coming weeks.
Bottom fishing at structure further off the beach (100’+ of water) is producing fast action with triggerfish, beeliners, larger sea bass, and plenty of other fish.
Not many boats have made it to the Gulf Stream of late, but wahoo, blackfin tuna, and other blue water predators should be available targets any time warmer water is pushed up on local hotspots like the Big Rock and the Rise.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with plenty of dogfish and puffers while surf fishing around Fort Macon, but the slimy winter algae is making it tough to keep a rig in the water at present. Scattered sea mullet are mixed in, and they’ll become more abundant as the water warms in the coming weeks. Shrimp will attract plenty of attention from all the bottom feeders. The mullet and puffers should also be moving inside the inlet as spring progresses, feeding in the turning basin and around the Coast Guard station.
Some black and red drum and a few speckled trout should also be looking for meals around Fort Macon and the area’s other rock jetties, but getting them to bite can be tough in the cold water. Shrimp on bottom rigs, soft plastics, and suspending plugs like MirrOlures can all be effective.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with puppy drum and a few large speckled trout while fishing docks and other inshore structure in the area. Live mud minnows on bottom or float rigs will get attention from both.
Off the beaches, anglers are hooking some legal black sea bass and big numbers of dogfish at bottom structure within a few miles of the shoreline.
Bottom fishing further offshore in 120-140’ has been producing big numbers of larger sea bass, triggerfish, beeliners, and more. There have also been some cobia in that depth range lately when anglers find water temperatures in the upper-60’s.
When water in the 60-62 degree range moves into the 60-80’ depths, anglers should see some of the first offshore flounder action of the year. Bouncing bucktails tipped with Gulp baits around structure in those depths is the way to connect with the flatfish.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Charters, reports that wind and weather have kept most boats at the dock lately, but several made it to the break last week and found decent catches of wahoo along with a few blackfin tuna. Ballyhoo paired with skirted lures like sea witches are fooling both fish.
Spring fishing should be coming around over the next few weeks, and anglers can look forward to better action with the wahoo and blackfins and hopefully the appearance of some yellowfin tuna at local blue water spots.
