Morehead City March 6, 2014
Chad Morgan, of Clayton, NC, with a 67 lb. amberjack that bit a topwater popper at some structure off Beaufort Inlet. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Tim, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that surf casters are connecting with some red and black drum while fishing the Fort Macon rock jetty. Cut mullet and shrimp and live mud minnows are fooling the drum. A few sheepshead are mixed in and falling for shrimp.
Some pufferfish and sea mullet should join in the surf action by month’s end.
More reds are schooled up around area inlets, and anglers can often find the fish by running boats along the beach on calm days. Soft plastics on heavy jigheads will fool the reds in the surf.
Some speckled trout have been feeding in the mainland creeks in the area, and anglers are hooking a few on live mud minnows pinned to float rigs. It’s a catch-and-release fishery, however, as the trout season is closed until June 15th.
Anglers should begin seeing sea mullet, pufferfish, gray trout, and other bottom feeders around nearshore structure and moving into Beaufort Inlet as March wears on. All will take an interest in spec rigs tipped with shrimp or other baits.
Black sea bass are feeding as close to shore as AR-315, but larger fish are a bit further out. The Atlas Tanker wreck east of Lookout Shoals has been producing good action with bass along with a few flounder in recent weeks. Baited bottom rigs or bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits are fooling the bass and flounder.
Meghann Bryant, of Mebane, NC, with a pair of 3 lb. tautog that bit shrimp at some nearshore structure in 40′ of water off Beaufort Inlet while she was fishing with her fiancee Clint.
More bass along with some triggerfish have been landed at offshore structure like the 210, 240, and 305 rocks lately.
Wahoo and blackfin tuna are still feeding along the break off Beaufort Inlet, and anglers can tempt both to bite skirted ballyhoo when the weather’s calm enough for a run offshore.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing some action with red and black drum along the Fort Macon jetty. Both are falling for cut shrimp.
Some pufferfish and sea mullet will be joining the action in the coming weeks, and they should also be moving into Beaufort Inlet and the turning basin.
The red drum fishing in the marshes and creeks should also turn on as winter fades to spring and the water temperatures climb.
Tautog are feeding at inshore and nearshore structure around Morehead, and anglers can fool the crustacean-lovers with shrimp and crab offerings pinned to small hooks.
Bottom structure further offshore is hosting big numbers of black sea bass, with the largest fish furthest out. Baited bottom rigs or small vertical jigs will attract plenty of attention from the bass.
Anglers able to make the run to blue water spots like the Big Rock should be able to troll up some wahoo and blackfin tuna while pulling skirted ballyhoo along temperature breaks and drop-offs.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that offshore bottom fishing should be excellent when it’s calm enough to make a 20+ mile ride. Targeting structure near warmer temperature breaks will produce fast action with black sea bass, triggerfish, vermillion snapper, and more. Squid and cut baits on double-hook rigs are tough for all the bottom feeders to turn down.
The sea bass will begin moving closer to shore as the water warms up over the coming weeks, and anglers should also have their first shots at ocean flounder for the year. The flatfish will first be feeding around structure in the 80-100’ depths, where anglers using appropriately-weighted bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits can tempt them to bite.
False albacore are feeding in the same range and will move a bit closer to shore as the water warms up over the coming month. Anglers can find the falsies by searching for working birds or fish breaking the surface and then casting small metal jigs or other flashy lures to tempt bites from the speedy tuna relatives.
Gray trout and some upper to over-slot drum should be feeding at nearshore structure like AR-315 by month’s end, and bucktails or metal jigs like Stingsilvers will fool both fish.
