Morehead City May 28, 2009
Fred Doe, of Emerald Isle's Lady Doe Fishing Team, and Martha K. Eaves, from Boone, NC, with a 38 lb. cobie they hooked on a dead pogy fished on the bottom of Beaufort Inlet. Weighed in at Chasin Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that anglers are finding some flounder around the turning basin, the inlets, and around docks along the channels. Live peanut pogies, mud minnows, or 4″ Gulp shrimp will attract attention from the flatfish.
Larger flounder (18-20″) are feeding at the artificial reefs, and anglers caught good numbers last week on live peanut pogies and bucktails with Gulp trailers.
A few whiting and gray trout are still feeding around the turning basin, the Coast Guard station, and the nearby channels. Anglers can hook up with the bottom feeders by bouncing Stingsilvers or spec rigs tipped with shrimp off the bottom.
More gray trout are feeding around the railroad trestle and the bridges, especially at night, and anglers are finding action with them on Gulps, Stingsilvers, and live pogies.
A few speckled trout are still coming from the Haystacks and other marshes, but most of the fish have moved into the rivers.
The red drum bite in the Haystacks and other marshes has been decent lately. Anglers are catching most of their fish on Gulp baits and spinnerbaits, but the reds should begin taking an interest in topwater plugs soon.
Spanish mackerel and plenty of bluefish are still feeding in the inlets and along the beaches, and anglers can hook them by trolling Clarkspoons or diving plugs or by casting Gotchas, Stingsilvers, or other metal lures to breaking schools of fish. A few of the giant Hatteras bluefish are still in the mix, but most seem to have moved on from the area.
The cobia bite has slowed down, but anglers are still catching a few while dead baiting in the inlets.
The king mackerel bite has been a bit off, although boats hooked some schoolie kings last week around the nearshore artificial reefs.
Dolphin have begun to move inshore of the Gulf Stream, and anglers caught excellent numbers of gaffers last week between the 14 Buoy and the 90′ Drop. Ledges in the same area produced some big sea bass, as well as a few grouper and snapper, for boats dropping baits to the bottom.
Even more ‘phins are feeding out in the Stream, and boats making the long run are coming back with full boxes. Some wahoo and a few billfish are mixed in with the dolphin in the deeper water. Skirted ballyhoo will fool the dolphin, wahoo, and bills.
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Lacey Brockway, of Snow Hill, NC, with a 3.75 lb. spanish mackerel (the largest landed on Oceanana Pier this year) that fell for a Gotcha plug.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the spanish mackerel are still feeding around the inlets, along the beaches, and around nearshore structure like the artificial reefs. Trolling Clarkspoons or other lures is a good way to put the spanish in the boat.
Anglers trolling for the spanish were pleasantly surprised by some late season Atlantic bonito last week around AR-315.
Decent catches of flounder have been coming from the bottom around AR-315 and AR-320. Live baits on Carolina rigs are fooling the flounder.
The king bite has been slow lately, but a few snakes have also been reported from the nearshore AR’s.
Cobia fishing slowed down a bit last week with all the wind and boat traffic, but anglers still weighed in a few fish (most 40-60 lbs.) that fell for dead baits near the inlets.
The dolphin bite has been incredible lately, with big catches reported from the 90′ Drop on out and the fish moving closer to shore every day. One boat even caught a 20 lb. dolphin at AR-315.
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Brad Hutchens, from Apex, NC, with a red grouper he hooked on a butterfly jig 40 miles offshore of Beaufort Inlet. He was fishing aboard the "PikPocket."
Shane, of Fight N Lady, reports that the dolphin fishing has been unbelievable over the past few weeks. Limit catches are common, and most of the fish have been solid gaffers.
The action’s been starting in around 17 fathoms in just about any direction from the inlet, with the bite good all the way out to the break. The ‘phins have been so voracious just about any lure on top of a ballyhoo has been fooling them.
Along the break, some wahoo and billfish (sailfish along with blue and white marlin) have been mixed in with the big numbers of dolphin.
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Ken, of Swell Rider Charters, reports that the gaffer dolphin fishing has been incredible lately. Limit catches were easy to find (with fish ranging 8-35+ lbs.), and medium ballyhoo under Fish Finder custom sea witches produced the bulk of the action.
The dolphin bite was best in 17-23 fathoms last week, with 77-78 degree water producing the most action. Some sailfish seem to have moved inshore along with the dolphin, and boats reported a few releases well inshore of the Stream last week.
Bottom fishing at ledges in 100’ around 25 miles off Beaufort inlet produced decent numbers of keeper gag grouper and American red snapper. Squid and cut mackerel both produced results on the bottomfish.
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Willis, of Oceanana Pier, reports that bottom fishing has produced a solid mixed bag of fish over the past week. Black drum, whiting, sheepshead, croakers, hogfish, and more fell for the bottom rigs last week. Shrimp produced the most action, but anglers also caught some fish on cut squid and mullet.
Some spanish mackerel and bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs.
