Morehead City – May 12, 2016
Matt, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that surf anglers are connecting with sea mullet, black drum, pigfish, croakers, gray trout, blow toads, and even some pompano just past the breakers. The best action has been at night for anglers soaking bits of shrimp and Fishbites on bottom rigs.
Inshore, gray trout, sea mullet, and blow toads have been caught from the Turning Basin out to Beaufort Inlet. Bottom fishing with spec rigs baited with shrimp or squid has been producing plenty of bites. The grays can also be targeted using metal jigs like Stingsilvers and diamond jigs bounced just off of the bottom.
Area marshes and creeks like The Haystacks and Middle Marsh are holding small schools of drum. The larger schools of fish seen in the winter have broken up, and this makes it easier for anglers to find fish now that they are spread out more. The majority of the schools contain 5-15 low to mid-slot fish that are taking heavy interest in topwater poppers.
Speckled trout are still being caught by persistent anglers, especially nighttime anglers fishing near the high-rise bridge.
False albacore and bonito are feeding at nearshore structure such as AR-315 and AR-320. There are also plenty of bluefish and large spanish mackerel mixed in with them. Trolling #0 Clarkspoons behind a #1 planer or 2-3 oz. trolling weight is the most effective way to target all four species when fish cannot be spotted feeding on the surface.
Offshore flounder fishing has been excellent recently, with many large fish being caught around nearshore structure like AR-315, AR-320, and AR-330. Spro Bucktails tipped with a white Gulp shrimp will tempt bites from the flatties.
Drake, Brock and Greg Marquart, from Falkland, with three cobia they caught while fishing at Cape Lookout. Two of the fish were 45 lbs., and one was 27 lbs.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that there has been consistent action with gray trout in the turning basin, with plenty of other bottom fish mixed in. Anglers are also reporting catching sheepshead near port walls. Fiddler crabs fished on a Carolina rig with a short 4-6” leader will fool both sheepshead and any black drum that may be hanging around heavy structure like bridge pilings and large rocks.
Bluewater anglers are catching good numbers of blackfin, yellowfin, and wahoo just past the break in water at least 120’ deep. Large mahi are being caught a little closer to shore, with anglers finding them as close as the Northwest Places and Big 10/Little 10. Trolling ballyhoo near rips, temp breaks, and floating debris is the best way to put plenty of fish in the boat. There was also a report of one boat catching an early season sailfish.
Clint McCoy, of Mill Creek, with an American red snapper he caught and released in 125 of water. The fish fell for a live pogie near Cape Lookout.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that flounder are being caught both inshore and offshore, with the biggest fish and most consistent action coming from offshore. Inshore the flounder are being caught near the inlets on live mud minnows and Gulp shrimp on bucktails. Offshore, artificial reefs AR-315 and AR-320 are holding plenty of large flounder and even some over-slot red drum. With the water temperature rising, anglers should look for more fish to move both to nearshore reefs and their normal inshore areas.
Inshore, the redfish action is heating up with bait moving into area marshes and bays. Anglers are connecting with schooled up reds underneath ICW docks and in creeks on the mainland side of the sound. Topwater poppers will get the attention of feeding fish in the shallows, but anglers targeting fish in deeper water are using soft plastics like DOA C.A.L. Jerk Shad and Stinky Fingers PaddleTail on jigheads to tempt bites from the reds. Cut bait can also be used on finicky fish.
Just offshore, large schools of bonito, bluefish, and spanish mackerel are feeding on glass minnows, and anglers can target them using any metal jigs that resemble the silver baitfish.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that cobia are starting to make their way inshore. Anglers are connecting with them within the 5 mile range, but the large wave of fish has not made its way inshore yet. Anglers that see cruising fish can sight cast to them using 2 oz. bucktails with 8” chartreuse curly tail grubs. When the fish can’t be sight casted to, floating a live menhaden or pinfish under a balloon will get the attention of a cobia that might swim by unnoticed.
Offshore bottom fishing has been excellent recently, with more fish moving closer to the beach. Anglers are connecting with large black sea bass, beeliners, triggerfish, and gag grouper in 60-80’ using bucktails and Carolina rigs tipped with squid and Gulp shrimp.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw, reports large numbers of mahi have been caught recently with most days being double digit days for local anglers. The wahoo bite has been excellent recently, and both species can be caught trolling naked ballyhoo, or ballyhoo skirted with lures like the Blue Water Candy Instigator.
Blackfin and yellowfin tuna are mixed in with the wahoo and mahi, and they can be caught with the same lures.
Larry, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with large numbers of bluefish while working Gotcha plugs near the end of the pier. The first spanish mackerel was caught over the weekend, so anglers can only look forward to more of them coming over the rails as the water warms.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with black drum, sea mullet, croakers, and blow toads while soaking shrimp on bottom rigs.
The water is 60 degrees.
