Morehead City – October 9, 2014
Ryan Hardee, Brian Hudson, and Ricky Moore, of Ayden, NC, with a 95 lb. wahoo that bit a live bait while they were king mackerel fishing east of Cape Lookout Shoals. Weighed in at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors.
Matt, of Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, reports that the king mackerel bite in the area has heated up over the past week, with good numbers of fish (many 20-30+ lbs.) coming from Beaufort Inlet, the Dead Tree Hole, and around Cape Lookout. Live baits along with dead cigar minnows are fooling the fish.
Spanish mackerel action hasn’t lagged behind, with most boats putting together limits with relative ease. The beachfront at Shackleford and Atlantic Beach has been producing some of the best action, and anglers are hooking the fish both while trolling Clarkspoons and other lures and casting metal jigs at schools of fish feeding on the surface. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in and biting the same offerings.
False albacore are also chasing bait nearshore, with the best action lately on cloudy days. The same small metal jigs that anglers cast for spanish mackerel will fool the albacore.
Inshore, the spot bite has turned on around Beaufort, with the best action late in the day and evening hours. Natural and artificial bloodworms and shrimp are producing most of the spot.
Speckled trout fishing is turning on for fall, and anglers are hooking plenty up Core Creek and around the Neuse River along with increasing numbers in the Haystacks and around Radio Island. Live shrimp and mud minnows are producing many of the fish, but anglers are also hooking up on a variety of artificials like topwater plugs, suspending lures, and soft plastic baits.
Gray trout are feeding around the Atlantic Beach Bridge and railroad tracks, especially in the evening hours. Jigging lures like Stingsilvers will tempt bites from the grays.
Flounder are feeding along the port wall and around other inshore structure, where anglers are hooking them on Gulps and live baits. There’s also still a solid bite at the nearshore reefs in the ocean, where Gulp-tipped bucktail jigs are anglers’ best bets.
Rick Haug and Tommy McGhee with a pair of well over-slot red drum they hooked on topwater plugs while fishing off Cape Lookout with Capt. Chris Kimrey of Mount Maker Charters.
Red drum are feeding in the marshes, and high tides have had them tailing in flooded grass flats recently. Anglers can tempt the reds with soft plastics, topwater plugs, and a variety of other artificials.
Offshore anglers are reporting plenty of action with wahoo around the Big Rock and Swansboro Hole right now. A few dolphin are still mixed in, and both are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted lures like sea witches.
Bottom fishing offshore has been productive as well, with the best action around structure in the 30 mile range. Grouper, triggerfish, amberjacks, sea bass, and more are feeding around the structure and biting squid, cigar minnows, cut baits, and more.
Cody, of Freeman’s Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent spot action around the Beaufort drawbridge and Duke Marine lab right now. Most are falling for natural and artificial bloodworms.
Surf and pier anglers are also catching solid numbers of spot, along with sea mullet, small bluefish, and more. Shrimp and bloodworms on bottom rigs are fooling all the panfish and have also been appealing to some black drum lately
Big numbers of just-undersized flounder are also feeding in the surf zone and pouncing on white Gulp baits.
Spanish mackerel action has been on fire just off the beachfront and inlets (with fish to 6 lbs.). Anglers are hooking most of the spaniards while trolling lures like Clarkspoons, but casting metal jigs to fish feeding on top allows anglers to target them on lighter tackle. Small live baits fished on light wire leaders are the best bets for the biggest spaniards.
False albacore are chasing bait in the same areas and will pounce on the casting jigs as well as flies for anglers fishing the long rod.
Some solid king mackerel action was reported around the Dead Tree Hole last week, and anglers have also been seeing some cobia in the area. Live menhaden are the best bets for both species, but anglers can also hook up on dead baits like cigar minnows.
More kings are feeding around Cape Lookout, and anglers have also reported wahoo at some nearshore spots off the cape this week.
The wahoo action remains strong offshore, with the best bite reported around the Rise this week. Skirted ballyhoo are producing most of the wahoo bites.
Macy Wojciechowski (age 8) and Patrick Harrell (age 14) with flounder that bit live finger mullet near AR-315.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with king mackerel and amberjacks while live-baiting at spots within 15 miles of shore. Menhaden are producing most of the action.
Bluefish, spanish mackerel, and false albacore are feeding a bit closer to land and taking an interest in small metal casting jigs that anglers are working.
Some large red drum have been feeding around Cape Lookout, and anglers landed several while working big topwater plugs last week.
Lindsay, of Oceanana Pier, reports that anglers are hooking plenty of bluefish and a few spanish mackerel while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Big numbers of pinfish are making bottom fishing for anything else problematic.
