Morehead City – May 21, 2015
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are seeing good spanish mackerel action now that the water has calmed down from last week’s tropical storm. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in with the spaniards, and both are falling for trolled Clarkspoons and metal casting jigs.
Mike Moss with a gag grouper that struck a live bait in 75′ of water off Beaufort Inlet while he was fishing with Capt. Chris Kimrey of Mount Maker Charters.
Cobia have shown up around Beaufort Inlet and Cape Lookout. Anglers are hooking the cobes while sight-casting and bottom fishing with live and dead baits.
Gulf Stream trollers found excellent dolphin action over the weekend, along with a few wahoo, tuna, and billfish. The Big Rock has been producing consistent fishing for all the blue water predators, and skirted ballyhoo are tempting them to bite.
Anglers are starting to see better numbers of flounder around nearshore structure in the ocean, the port wall, and other likely inshore haunts. The flatfish will bite live baits like mud minnows or bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing some action with pigfish, sea mullet, black drum, and other bottom feeders in the Atlantic Beach surf. Most of the surf fish are falling for shrimp and cut baits.
Anglers are also hooking some bluefish from the beach and while working metal lures from the piers.
Spanish mackerel have shown up in solid numbers, and anglers are hooking big numbers while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and cigar weights near the inlets and just off the beachfront.
Anglers have seen some solid numbers of cobia over the past week off Cape Lookout, Beaufort Inlet, and Atlantic Beach. They’re hooking up with the cobes both while soaking bait around the inlets and casting bucktail jigs, eels, and other baits to fish cruising on top or around bait pods.
Offshore, the spring dolphin run is in full swing, and boats are decking big numbers of gaffer ‘phins while trolling around the Big Rock and other local blue water hotspots. Ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are fooling most of the ‘phins.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that bottom fishing has been excellent lately, with solid number of gag grouper feeding around structure in as little as 70’ of water. Live baits are the best bets for the grouper. Plenty of black sea bass and other smaller bottomfish are in the same areas and falling for squid and cut baits.
Frank Brady, of Bluefiield, VA, with a dolphin he hooked while trolling near the Big Rock.
Flounder are looking for meals around structure a bit closer to shore, and anglers are connecting with the flatfish while working bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp baits along the bottom.
Cobia have shown up from Bogue Inlet to Lookout Shoals, and anglers are connecting with them while sight-casting lures to cruising fish and bottom fishing near the inlets.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are feeding along the beachfront and biting casting jigs along with flashy trolling lures like Clarkspoons.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that cobia have arrived, and anglers can hook them either by bait-fishing near the inlets or sight-casting to fish they spot on the surface or around menhaden “bait balls.” Live and dead menhaden are the best baits for the bottom, and anglers are hooking the fish on top on bucktail jigs along with live and imitation eels.
Flounder are feeding at nearshore structure in the ocean and inshore around areas like the port wall. Anglers can fool the flatfish with bucktail jigs tipped with soft plastics or live mud minnows and peanut menhaden.
A few Atlantic bonito are still feeding around the artificial reefs in the early morning hours. Anglers can tempt them to bite metal casting lures or troll small spoons and diving plugs to hook up.
Offshore, bottom fishermen are connecting with grouper, triggerfish, sea bass, grunts, porgies, and more. Squid, cigar minnows, and live baits are producing on the bottom, and anglers are having the best luck at structure in 20+ fathoms.
Gulf Stream trolling is producing plenty of action with dolphin and wahoo, along with a few tuna and billfish. The best bite has been from the Rise to the Big Rock, and ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures are fooling the fish.
Larry, of Oceanana Pier, reports that there’s been some solid action with bluefish and spanish mackerel for anglers working Gotcha plugs from the pier recently.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with sea mullet and gray trout on shrimp.
