Morehead City May 12, 2011
Joshua and Grayson Lamb, from Greensboro, NC, with a pair of slot red drum they hooked on live mud minnows under Marsh Works popping corks while fishing with Capt. Matt and Ray Lamb of Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the cobia bite is turning on around Beaufort Inlet, on the Cape Lookout Shoals, and east of Cape Lookout. Anglers are hooking up while fishing dead menhaden on the bottom near the inlets, sight-casting to cruising fish, and while working bait balls just off the beaches. Bucktails with soft plastic trailers and rigged eels are some of the best baits for the sight-casters.
Flounder fishing is improving around nearshore structure like the Lookout Jetty and AR-315, 320, and 330. Spro bucktails tipped with Gulp baits or Uncle Josh flounder strips are the most productive baits for the oceanic flatties.
Spanish mackerel are turning up in the same places as the flounder, with a few caught in the inlet last week as well. Trolling Clarkspoons or casting metal jigs to feeding fish will fool the spaniards.
Atlantic bonito have also shown up on the nearshore wrecks. Anglers are hooking them at first light on 1/2 oz. Jigfish lures, and then transitioning to trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers to hook up later in the day.
Bluefish are all over the inlet and nearshore waters and will respond to the same lures as the spanish and bonito.
Inshore, gray trout and sea mullet are still feeding in the turning basin and providing plenty of action for anglers fishing spec rigs tipped with shrimp.
Anglers are finding some red drum in the marshes near Morehead, but they’ve been scattered and not around in big numbers. The action should improve over the next few weeks on the reds. Some large citation-class reds are around Shackleford Banks and Shark Island, and most are falling for bucktail/soft plastic combos that anglers are sight-casting for them.
Pier anglers have had some excellent bluefish action along with a few spanish mackerel while working Gotchas from the Atlantic Beach planks.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen are connecting with some chopper bluefish on finger mullet and cut baits. Those baiting up with shrimp and bloodworms are landing sea mullet, puffers, pigfish, and black drum.
Offshore, charter boats have seen some solid catches of blackfin tuna over the past week, along with some wahoo (to 60 lbs. recently). Some dolphin are beginning to show up, and a few yellowfin tuna are still around as well. The best blue water action has still been around the Big Rock, and ballyhoo under sea witches are producing the lion’s share of the action.
Capt. Rennie Clark, Jr., of Tournament Trail, Charters and Dr. George Brinson, of Wilmington, with a 46" red drum that crushed a Deep Creek spinnerbait in 2' of water in a marsh near Morehead City.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that cobia season is getting underway, and anglers caught several fat cobes around Cape Lookout and Beaufort Inlet last week. Both bottom fishing with dead baits and sight-casting bucktails and other lures will produce action with the cobia.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been solid for anglers trolling in boats and working Gotcha plugs from the pier over the past week, and anglers are catching big numbers of bluefish in between the spaniards.
Surf anglers are connecting with some fat pompano and a few sea mullet while baiting up with shrimp.
Offshore, boats are seeing some solid action with gaffer and smaller dolphin and a few wahoo in the mix. Most are falling for trolled ballyhoo in the area around the Big Rock.
Pete, of Energizer Charters, reports that the dolphin fishing is turning on strong, with some boats limiting out. Some blackfin tuna and wahoo are mixed in, and a few boats are getting some shots at white marlin and other billfish. Rigged ballyhoo under skirted trolling lures are the way to go for the blue water fish.
Cobia are showing up around Cape Lookout, and there’s been fairly solid action casting bucktails and other lures to fish that anglers are seeing around bait balls just off the beaches.
Some large black drum (60-70 lbs.) are feeding on the east side of Cape Lookout and also falling for sight-cast lures.
Boats trolling small spoons along the beaches are connecting with plenty of spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Pat Renfro with an 82 lb. cobia (one of seven) that fell for a sight-cast bucktail while he was fishing near Cape Lookout with Wayne Register, Capt. Mike Webb, and Capt. George Beckwith of Down East Guide Service.
J.R., of Oceanana Pier, reports that bluefish and spanish mackerel are providing the most action for pier anglers right now, and most are falling for Gotcha plugs that anglers are working from the planks.
Some blues are also falling for baited bottom rigs.
Royce, of Sheraton Pier, reports that plug casters are catching plenty of bluefish (some choppers to 10 lbs.) and increasing numbers of spanish mackerel.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with some black drum, sea mullet, and pompano (many in the 2 lb. class) while baiting up with fresh shrimp.
