Morehead City October 27, 2011
David Pearce, of New Bern, NC, with a 34 lb. gag grouper he hooked on a ledge offshore of Ocracoke. Weighed in at Chasin' Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that fall fishing is in full swing and getting better by the day.
The speckled trout bite has turned on, with anglers reporting big numbers of fish all around the area (but few big “gator” trout so far). The marshes of the Haystacks, Core Creek, Carrot Island, Hoop Pole Creek, and the Radio Island and Cape Lookout rock jetties have all been producing consistent action with the specks lately. Live shrimp are producing the best results, but anglers are also catching good numbers on a variety of soft plastics and suspending hard baits.
Gray trout are feeding from the inlet back to the turning basin, and anglers are catching plenty on metal jigs and spec rigs tipped with shrimp and Fish Bites.
Spot are still moving through the area, and anglers still have a chance to catch some in the turning basin and around theBeaufortBridge. Sea mullet should move into the area after the spot leave, and anglers can hook both on bottom and spec rigs tipped with shrimp and natural and artificial bloodworms.
Flounder are still feeding along the port wall, around the inlet, and at the nearshore reefs. Good numbers have also been turning up in the surf zone. Live mud minnows and Gulp baits on Carolina rigs or bucktail/Gulp combos are fooling most of the flatfish.
Red drum action is still hit-and-miss, but anglers reported some decent numbers from theCarrotIslandand Haystacks marshes, as well as some at the Lookout jetty and in the surf zone. Live baits and Gulps will tempt bites from the reds.
Sheepshead are still feeding at hard inshore structure like the port wall, and anglers are also putting together some nice catches on live fiddler crabs and sea urchins.
Bluefish are feeding in the inlet, and they will strike nearly anything anglers can cast.
False albacore are feeding around Cape Lookout and just off the beaches, though the schools can be everywhere one day and tough to find the next. Small metal casting jigs will tempt bites from the speedy nearshore tunas when anglers find the schools.
Offshore, the king mackerel bite is improving, with the best reports coming from the Barge Wreck, NW Places, and the Atlas Tanker. Live baits are producing most of the fish, but anglers are also hooking up on cigar minnows on dead bait rigs.
Wahoo action is still solid from the NW Places out to the Big Rock, with a few sailfish mixed in. Ballyhoo under dark-colored skirted lures are the ticket to hooking up with the ‘hoos.
Ledges and other bottom structure 30-40 miles offshore have been producing solid action with grouper, snapper, grunts, triggerfish, and other bottom feeders. Squid, sardines, cigar minnows, and mackerel have been the most productive baits, and anglers are also hooking up on vertical jigs like the Blue Water Candy Roscoe.
Marty, of Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are finding fast action with speckled trout all over the area’s marshes. Surprisingly, soft plastic baits and MirrOlures seem to be producing better results with the specks than live shrimp right now.
Gray trout and some sea mullet are feeding in Beaufort Inlet, and anglers can target both with spec rigs tipped with shrimp or Fish Bites baits.
The spot action has slowed down a bit, but anglers will likely see some more runs of the tasty panfish before it gets too cold.
Surf anglers are picking up a variety of species, but the most consistent action lately has been with bluefish (some to 4 lbs. mixed in with the smaller fish). Finger mullet, cut baits, and a variety of casting lures will tempt bites from the blues.
Offshore, a decent king mackerel bite has finally developed on the west side of Lookout Shoals, with good reports coming from the Barge Wreck and Trawler Buoy recently (including good numbers of 20-30+ lb. fish). Live menhaden and dead cigar minnows will both attract attention from the kings.
The wahoo action is still hot around the Big Rock and other Gulf Stream spots in the region. Most of the fish are falling for ballyhoo rigged under skirted trolling lures.
Alan Norman with a 35 lb. yellowfin tuna (part of an offshore slam) that bit a ballyhoo under a Sea With while he was trolling with Mike Sasser, Mike Ward, and Trey Goodson on the "Black Flag."
Charlie, of Old Core Sound Guide Service, reports that false albacore are feeding on schools of glass minnows around Lookout Shoals, and anglers are hooking plenty on Clouser Minnow flies and soft plastic baits on jigheads.
Some large red drum are also feeding on glass minnows east of the shoals, and like the albacore, anglers can look for working birds to find the schools feeding on the surface. Large bucktails with soft plastic trailers will tempt bites from the big reds.
King mackerel have been feeding on both sides of the shoals, with good action at the Summerlin, Dead Tree Hole, Barge Wreck, Trawler Buoy, Beaufort shipping channel, and around the rock jetty. Live baits are the way to tempt bites from the kings.
Inshore, the speckled trout action is good and getting better in the marshes (with plenty of smaller fish and some solid keepers mixed in). The specks are also beginning to show up at the Lookout jetty, but they aren’t in huge numbers yet. MirrOlures and Fin-S style soft plastics have been responsible for most of the trout action.
Diane, of Oceanana Pier, reports that bottom fishermen have been decking some pompano, black drum, spot, and more over the past week. Shrimp and bloodworms are producing most of the action.
Some flounder have been biting live baits fished under the pier.
Plug casters are connecting with some solid bluefish while working Gotchas from the planks.
