Morehead City May 31, 2012
John Tedder, Lacan Depas, Jimmy Popper, and Neil Roselli with dolphin they hooked on skirted ballyhoo while trolling off Morehead City in 600' of water while they were fishing with Capt. John C. Cruise on the "Pelagic Hunter."
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the cobia fishing seemed to improve a bit last weekend. Most of the fish that anglers have been landing have been falling for dead menhaden fished on the bottom, and chumming will increase anglers’ odds of hooking up.
Huge numbers of chopper bluefish are feeding in the area right now. Anglers have been hooking them while cobia fishing and from the surf on cut baits and finger mullet.
Surf casters are also catching some pompano on shrimp and sand fleas, and the flounder bite has improved from the beaches as well.
Sheepshead are on the move, and anglers caught good numbers while fishing from the beach around the Fort Macon jetty (including a 9.5 lb. fish) last week. Live fiddler crabs have been the most productive baits.
The sheepshead bite has also gotten started inshore, and anglers are catching solid numbers around structure like dock and bridge pilings and the Morehead port wall. Fiddler crabs and sea urchins are tempting the sheeps to bite.
Flounder fishing is improving by the week inshore, and anglers are finding action with the flatfish around the port, bridges, docks, and other inshore structure. Live mud minnows and Gulp baits are attracting attention from the flounder.
The weather hasn’t been too friendly lately, but the flounder bite should also be on at the nearshore artificial reefs, where a 2 oz. bucktail tipped with a Gulp bait will get the job done.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding around the inlets and along the beachfront, with the spanish bite best in a bit deeper water recently (20-30’). Trolling Clarkspoons is the way to tempt bites from the spaniards, and those behind planers have been much more productive than spoons on the surface recently.
The dolphin bite is still going strong offshore, with good catches reported from the 14 Buoy, 90’ Drop, Rise, and Big Rock over the past week. Trolling skirted ballyhoo is the way to connect with the dolphin.
Bottom fishermen are finding action with grouper, beeliners, and triggerfish, and they are eagerly awaiting the opening of black sea bass season on June 1.
Marty, of Freeman’s Tackle, reports that offshore trollers are still finding excellent dolphin fishing from the 90’ Drop on offshore. Ballyhoo rigged under skirted trolling lures are fooling most of the dolphin.
Cobia fishing took a turn for the better last weekend, with anglers bottom-fishing in Beaufort and Barden’s Inlets catching a decent number of fish. Dead menhaden seem to be the most productive baits.
Chopper bluefish have invaded the area and are biting a variety of baits and lures in the inlets and along the beachfront.
Spanish mackerel action has slowed down a bit, but anglers are still catching some while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures just off the inlets and beaches.
David and Nicky Dick and Matt and Jamie Bullins with chopper bluefish that bit dead menhaden on bottom rigs near Cape Lookout. Photo courtesy of Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Surf casters have been connecting with some healthy sea mullet and pompano on sand fleas. The bite’s been on early, with most of the action coming just after daybreak.
Inshore, bottom fishing is producing big numbers of pigfish and gray trout with a few sea mullet still in the mix. Spec rigs or bottom rigs baited with shrimp will get attention from all three.
The speckled trout bite has picked up inside, with anglers reporting decent action in the inshore creeks (and reasonable numbers of 18-21” fish). Live shrimp are top choices for the trout, but anglers are also hooking up while casting Gulp Jerkshads and other artificials.
Charlie, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that there are still cobia feeding around Cape Lookout, and anglers are hooking up with them while bottom fishing with menhaden and other baits.
Large schools of chopper bluefish are feeding along Lookout Shoals, and sight-casting topwater plugs to them is providing some thrilling surface strikes and tough battles on light tackle.
Amberjacks are feeding on structure from the 50’ range on out. Live baits like menhaden will produce near instant hookups with hard-fighting fish.
Inshore, puppy drum and speckled trout are feeding in the marshes, where soft plastic baits and suspending hard lures will get their attention. Topwater plugs can also be productive in the early mornings.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Charters, reports that the gaffer dolphin bite remains excellent in the blue water off Beaufort Inlet, and boats had solid catches while trolling from 20-150 fathoms last week. There’s also been a solid blue marlin bite over the past week, with Morehead boats tallying good numbers of releases and seeing many more fish. Both the dolphin and marlin are taking an interest in ballyhoo under sea witches and other skirts, with blue/white the top color.
Kaitlyn Lindsay (age 14), of Richlands, NC, with a dolphin that struck a skirted ballyhoo off Beaufort Inlet while she was fishing with her grandparents.
Pete, of Energizer Sportfishing, reports that the blue marlin bite has been the big story lately for Morehead-area offshore anglers, with most boats making the run out to around 100 fathoms seeing or hooking marlin last week.
The gaffer dolphin bite remains steady, too, although the winds lately have made the seagrass scattered and fishing tougher. Once the weeds forms back up into defined patches and lines, the dolphin bite should be back to excellent. Ballyhoo and sea witch-style skirts are fooling most of the marlin and dolphin.
Joyce, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are catching some bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Bottom fishermen have been connecting with some black drum while baiting up with shrimp.
