Morehead City October 10, 2013
Rachel Jones, of Pittsboro, NC, with a 7.33 lb. triggerfish she caught while bottom fishing near the Big Rock. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the king mackerel action has finally heated up in the area, and many boats landed limit catches last week (with some fish to 45 lbs.). Most of the action has been at spots east of Lookout Shoals, but anglers are hooking a few on the west side as well. Live baits are top choices for the kings, but anglers are also hooking up while pulling dead cigar minnows.
Spanish mackerel are also on the feed, and anglers are hooking big numbers along the beachfront and around Cape Lookout. Most of the fish are falling for trolled Clarkspoons, but anglers are also finding plenty while casting metal jigs around surface activity.
Some larger spanish are looking for meals around nearshore structure like AR-315, and the big fish are more likely to hit small live baits than lures.
False albacore are joining in on the surface action along the beachfront and around Cape Lookout. Anglers can also cast metal jigs to schools breaking water or around working birds to hook up.
Flounder fishing has been excellent recently (with fish to 9 lbs. weighed in last week). Some of the largest fish have been coming from the port wall and around the high-rise bridges inshore, but anglers are also finding fish along the ICW, behind Shackleford, and at nearshore structure in the ocean. Live baits like finger mullet and mud minnows or Gulps and other soft baits will fool the flounder, and the action should hold up or get even better over the next few weeks.
Speckled trout are getting more active as summer fades to fall, and anglers hooked specks around the Atlantic Beach Bridge, in the Haystacks, Core Creek, and the North River marshes last week. Live shrimp are producing most of the larger specks, but a variety of artificials will also produce results. Some gray trout are feeding around the bridge as well, and they’re biting a variety of artificials and natural baits.
Anglers are finding plenty of action with red drum around the Haystacks, Core Creek, the Middle Marsh, and the North River marshes. Live shrimp and mud minnows, along with topwater plugs, soft plastics, and spinnerbaits, are fooling the reds.
Spot are showing up around Beaufort, and anglers are hooking them on live and artificial bloodworms.
Capt. Rob Koraly with a 30 lb. wahoo that struck an 11 oz. Blue Water Candy Roscoe Jig in 400′ of water off Beaufort Inlet while he was fishing with Capt. Bobby Freeman on the “Sunrise II” out of Atlantic Beach.
Offshore, anglers are still seeing some incredible wahoo action off Beaufort Inlet, with excellent fishing around the Big Rock and at spots to the south. Ballyhoo paired with dark-colored trolling lures are fooling most of the ‘hoos.
Offshore bottom fishermen are connecting with grouper, triggerfish, sea bass, amberjacks, and a variety of smaller bottom dwellers. The grouper bite has been best in the deep water out along the break recently.
Paul, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are on the feed, and anglers are hooking them from the beach, pier, and boats. Metal casting lures like Glass Minnows and Stingsilvers are fooling the fish from the beach, with Gotcha plugs more effective on the piers. Boaters are hooking up primarily while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and torpedo weights.
False albacore have also shown up in big numbers, and the same techniques are putting them in boats and on the beach.
Good numbers of red drum are feeding along the beachfront (slot fish mixed with larger ones). Cut mullet fished on the bottom is fooling the reds.
Surf and pier anglers are also picking up some flounder (though most are undersized) on live minnows and soft plastics.
Some pompano, sea mullet, spot, and croaker are rounding out the beach action, with bloodworms and shrimp fooling all four.
King mackerel have shown up in a big way on the east side of Cape Lookout, and live baiters are hooking plenty on menhaden. Some blackfin tuna and wahoo were feeding alongside the kings last week as well, and they fell for both live baits and traditional ballyhoo rigs.
The wahoo bite remains red-hot out at the usual Gulf Stream spots as well.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw Charters, reports that anglers are still seeing some excellent wahoo fishing off Morehead City, with big numbers (and fish to 60+ lbs.). Most are falling for ballyhoo rigged behind skirted lures like sea witches, and both top and deep lines are drawing strikes. Some blackfin and yellowfin tuna are feeding in the same areas and also falling for trolled ballyhoo.
Closer to shore, the spanish mackerel bite along the beachfront and around Cape Lookout has been excellent recently. Trolled Clarkspoons are fooling the majority of the spaniards.
