Morehead City – October 26, 2017
Matt, of Chasin Tails Outdoors, reports that fall fishing has cranked up with the arrival of the first cold front. The spot run continues to remain strong inshore. Anglers fishing with bloodworms and Fishbites have found plenty of action from Radio Island all the way to the Beaufort drawbridge. A few sea mullet have been landed as well, and the sea mullet numbers should improve in the coming weeks.
The speckled trout bite is heating back up. Anglers targeting the Core Creek, Haystacks, Bogue Sound, and North River areas have found the most action. A mix of live shrimp and mud minnows, as well as Z-Man soft plastics, have worked best.
Those looking for red drum have found fish holding in some of the same areas as the trout, as well as on docks along the waterway. Some fish have also started pushing in to the surf. A mix of plastics, live baits, and cut baits have worked well on the reds.
Flounder have been anywhere from the marsh out to the nearshore reefs. The port wall has held good numbers of fish, and anglers have been able to land limits of fish. Fishing with live finger mullet and mud minnows has been the best way to hook a flatfish.
Out in the surf zone, anglers have brought in good numbers of fish while bottom fishing. Spot, sea mullet, pigfish, redfish, black drum, and speckled trout have all been landed. For the reds and trout, soft plastics like Z-Man and Gulp have worked well. Fresh shrimp, sand fleas, and bloodworms have produced for everything else.
On the piers, anglers have found plenty of bluefish and spanish action when casting Gotcha plugs. The king bite has really heated up from the end of the pier as well. Double digit numbers of kings have been landed over the past few weeks.
Just off the beach, the king bite has been on fire. Anglers have had plenty of action on live baits as well as dead cigar minnows. Most fish have been landed between Oceanana Pier and Bogue Inlet Pier, but a decent number of fish have held just off Cape Lookout as well.
A few nice spanish are still hanging around, but the bite is fading. Those looking for false albacore have found plenty of action behind the shrimp boats. Casting metal jigs has been the best way to hook them.
Offshore, the wahoo bite remains steady. Many fish in the 60 lb. range have been landed on rigged ballyhoo. Anglers targeting areas south of the Big Rock have had the most success. A few sailfish and blackfin tuna have also been in the mix.
Those dropping to the bottom offshore have landed triggerfish, grouper, and snapper.
Timothy Still with a false albacore that was caught from the beach. The sight-casted albie hit a 1 oz. Stingsilver in the surf near Fort Macon.
Tanner, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the surf fishing action has picked up with the cooling temperatures. Red drum, speckled trout, bluefish, and false albacore have all been landed. Those targeting trout have had the best results on live shrimp, and plugging from the piers has been the ticket for hooking false albacore.
Those looking for speckled trout and red drum inshore have found plenty of action. Z-Man plastics and MirrOlures have both worked well. Anyone wanting to use live bait has had success with mud minnows and shrimp under float rigs.
Anglers looking for flounder have generated some bites near the port wall and area bridges. A few fish pushing the 5 lb. mark have been landed on live minnows.
Just off the beach, the flounder bite has been consistent on the artificial reefs. Jigging bucktails tipped with plastics has produced fish in the 16-20” range. A few gray trout have also been in the mix on the reefs.
False albacore and bluefish are schooled up tight just off the beach. Casting Stingsilvers to busting fish has been the best way to land them.
Offshore, the wahoo bite has been solid. Good numbers of quality fish are being landed on rigged ballyhoo. Blackfin tuna and sailfish have also been in the mix offshore.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that the king bite from the beach to the 10 mile mark has been solid. Drone spoons have worked for the school-sized fish, but live menhaden and bluefish have done best for the larger fish. Jigging around the artificial reefs has produced fair numbers of flounder. Using Breakday bucktails tipped with Z-Man plastics has worked best.
Those targeting speckled trout inshore have found fish in their typical fall deep water holes. Tossing a Trout Trick or a Vudu shrimp has been the best way to box limits of fish.
The flounder have also been feeding well inshore. Live minnows on Carolina rigs has been the ticket.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that inshore, the speckled trout bite has heated up. Anglers targeting the waterway with live shrimp under popping corks have done best.
Those looking for red drum have had better luck in the marsh. Casting popping corks with live mullet along grass lines has been the key to success.
Just off of Cape Lookout, the king bite has been consistent. Slow trolling live baits has worked best.
Those looking for some fly rod action have found plenty with the false albacore. Pink and green flies have been the key to getting bites.
Regina Basham with a 3.5 lb. trout caught using live shrimp in the ICW. She was fishing with Capt. Chris Kimrey of Mount Maker Charters.
Thomas, of Dancin’ Outlaw, reports that the 40 fathom range has produced a hot wahoo bite. Medium-sized ballyhoo have been the best way to tempt them to bite.
Those dropping to the bottom inside of the Big Rock have found a good triggerfish and beeliner bite.
Larry, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers jigging from the pier with Gotcha plugs have landed bluefish and false albacore.
Those fishing the bottom with cut bait and fresh shrimp have found keeper flounder and black drum.
