Morehead City May 13, 2010
Charles Murray, from Climax, NC, with a 32 lb. gag grouper and some healthy red grouper he hooked while deep-jigging at the northeast corner of the Big Rock. Weighed in at Anchorage Marina in Atlantic Beach.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that spanish mackerel have arrived at AR-315 and 320, and anglers can hook up with them while trolling Clark and Drone spoons and Yo-Zuri Deep Divers. Some Atlantic bonito are still feeding in the same areas around first light, and they’ll fall for small metal casting jigs like Stingsilvers, Kastmasters, and Crippled Herrings.
The cobia bite around Cape Lookout has been incredible lately. Anglers are hooking the fish around bait balls of pogies between Barden’s Inlet and the cape. Spro bucktails (2-4 oz.) are the best casting lures. Boats can also set up at the inlet and fish dead pogies on the bottom to attract bites from the cobes.
Chopper bluefish are feeding on the bait balls as well, and they will fall for bucktails or Stingsilvers.
Flounder fishing in the ocean has been hot around live bottoms and AR-330 recently, and most of the fish are falling for bucktails tipped with Gulp baits or Deep Creek flounder strips.
More flounder are moving into the inlet and turning basin, and live mud minnows are the top baits inshore.
Red drum are on the feed in the marshes like the Haystacks, Middle Marsh, and Core Creek. Gulp, Redfish Magic, Deep Creek, and Trigger-X soft plastics and Strike Pro Hunchback hardbaits are fooling them.
Whiting are feeding around the Dead Tree Hole and from the inlet to the turning basin. Spec rigs tipped with shrimp or bloodworms will get their attention.
A few gray trout are mixed in with the whiting.
Pier and surf anglers are hooking up with good numbers of bluefish on Gotcha plugs and other metal lures on cut mullet, pogies, and finger mullet. Spanish mackerel should be feeding along the beaches soon as well.
Bottom fishing along the beaches is producing whiting, puffers, and black drum. Shrimp and squid will fool both.
Offshore, dolphin are beginning to show up around the Big Rock, and some wahoo are still mixed in. Ballyhoo under Blue Water Candy skirts will fool both.
Offshore bottom fishing has been solid in the 30-50 mile range, with anglers hooking up with grouper, snapper, and amberjacks on cigar minnows, sardines, Boston mackerel, and squid.
Capt. Marty Moore, of Topwater Charters, with a 94 lb. cobia he hooked while sight-casting bucktails to cruising fish at Cape Lookout. Weighed in at Chasin Tails Outdoors.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the cobia bite around Cape Lookout has been incredible lately. Anglers are catching most of the fish sight-casting and fishing around bait balls along the beaches, but they’re starting to fall for dead baits fished on the bottom near the inlets, too. Pogy heads have been producing well on the bottom, and anglers are hooking most of the sight-casting fish on bucktails tipped with large curlytails.
Spanish mackerel have shown up as well (with one 7 pounder reported this past week), and anglers are hooking them along the beaches and at the AR’s.
Gray trout are feeding in the inlet, with the best fishing lately around the Coast Guard station. Spec rigs tipped with shrimp and metal jigs like Shore Lures are fooling most of the grays.
The red drum bite has been on back in the marshes, and they’ve started to take an interest in topwater plugs with the warming water.
Charlie, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that the cobia action is on at Cape Lookout. Anglers are catching big numbers while sight casting to cruising fish and working bait balls. Large black and white Hogy soft plastics are tough for the cobia to resist.
King mackerel are beginning to show up at the wrecks and rocks east of Cape Lookout, and the bite will only get hotter as spring wears on. Slow-trolling live pogies is the best way to hook up with the kings.
Dennis Hale, from Pinetops, NC, with a 7.90 lb. black drum he hooked from the Sheraton Pier in Atlantic Beach on a shrimp-baited bottom rig.
Pete, of Energizer Sportfishing, reports that the cobia action is hot and heavy around Cape Lookout. Casting bucktails to bait balls near the Cape has been producing plenty of bites, with the majority coming as the lures sink beneath the bait.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are feeding at the nearshore reefs and will fall for trolled Clarkspoons and other trolling and casting lures.
The offshore bite in the area is about to break open, as dolphin are just beginning to show up for the summer and there’ve been some billfish in the mix lately as well.
Shane, of Second to None Charters, reports that the Gulf Stream action off the area is getting hot. Dolphin have shown up in force, with good numbers of gaffers in the mix. The best action’s been between the Swansboro Hole and the Rise lately in 55-65 fathoms. Some wahoo are still mixed in.
Blue marlin are feeding offshore of the area, with most of the action coming in 150-200 fathoms. Some white marlin and sailfish were reported last week as well.
Ballyhoo rigged beneath Blue Water Candy Jags and Witches are producing most of the fish, and blue/white and pink/white continue to be the most productive colors.
Alice, of Oceanana pier, reports that plug casters are hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel from the pier.
Bottom fishing with shrimp has been producing some whiting and a few gray trout.
Royce, of Sheraton Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are decking some big whiting and black drum (to over 5 lbs.). Shrimp are fooling both.
The spanish mackerel and bluefish bite will turn on with some southwest wind, and anglers can hook both fish on Gotcha plugs.
