Morehead City September 28, 2006
Paul, at Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the spots are showing up in the Turning Basin and around the Beaufort drawbridge. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with fresh shrimp or bloodworm for best action with the spots.
The Dead Tree Hole is holding concentrations of whiting, and they’ll readily hit a speck rig tipped with shrimp.
Gray trout are in Beaufort Inlet, and the shrimp-tipped speck rig will get their attention as well.
Spanish mackerel are hanging around Cape Lookout. As usual, trolling small spoons will produce large numbers of spanish, but the larger fish will come on slow-trolled live baits.
In the early mornings, false albacore are blitzing the beaches. Trolling small diving plugs or small spoons is a good strategy for these speedy gamefish. Anglers can also hook up by casting any type of small, shiny lure that can be retrieved quickly around breaking schools of fish.
King mackerel are scattered, and they have been few and far between for anglers over the past weeks.
Offshore, the wahoo bite has been good.
George, at Carolina Bait and Tackle, reports that the spots have shown up in good numbers in the waterway and Turning Basin.
The first report of good numbers of trout came in this week, with the action occurring around area bridges. The flounder have slowed down a little bit, but they should pick up with all the mullet moving in the creeks and waterway.
Redfish, both in-the-slot and over, are being caught in the creeks such as the Haystacks and around Cedar Island. Night fishing has been the most productive lately.
Spanish and bluefish are still biting well early in the mornings outside the inlets and along the beach. Kings are few and far between, but it is time for the fall beach bite once the water cleans up.
Gulf stream reports have been slow to come in, but there was a 62 pound wahoo weighed in this past week to get anglers fired up for the fall wahoo bite.
Shane, at Second to None Charters, reports hot wahoo action offshore. Trolling between the 450 and 550 lines has produced the best action, with fish averaging around 30 lbs. Troll Jag lures in blue crystal and red/white or skirted medium ballyhoo for best results. Nice kings and a few yellowfin tuna are mixed in with the wahoo, as well as the occasional sailfish.
Inshore, the evening red drum fishing is producing double digit numbers of slot-size drum. Gulp baits are the best choice for the drum.
Matt, at Chasin Tails Charters, reports that redfish are biting well in the marsh, and the high tide seems to be working the best. Watch for the birds working the shrimp and mullet along the marsh grass, and have a live shrimp or a Gulp shrimp on a 1/8 jig head ready to go. When the tide falls, hit the deep holes (even just a 4 foot hole). These fall reds are working very shallow water.
The Haystacks, North River, and Neuse are good places to try. There’s a lot of bait in these areas.
Along with the redfish, the trout bite is coming on strong. Live shrimp is working well, as are Gulp baits in the new penny color or the smelt pogy.
The flounder bite is a little slow, but some keepers are coming in the marsh mixed in with the redfish and trout.
Spanish are still along the beach. As with the blues, go with clark spoons and casting jigs early in the morning.
Some grays are starting to show. Try the bridges at night for the bigger fish.
Helen, at Sportsman’s Pier, reports that black drum, spots, and whiting are coming over the rails for anglers using both natural and Fishbites bloodworms. The action has slowed a bit in recent days due to rain and rough water, but it should be improving very soon.
There are 17-19” flounder that are finding live shrimp and mud minnows on Carolina rigs irresistible.
A mixture of spanish mackerel and bluefish are filling plug casters’ coolers.
No kings have bitten lately, but several false albacore have hit king rigs over the past week. None have been landed yet.
