Morehead City September 29, 2005
Joe, at Joe’s Pro Bait and Tackle, reports that more resident speckled trout are showing up around the creek mouths and in the creeks. Look for spots where a bar or point forms an eddy or breaks the current. Some have been caught around the Atlantic Beach Bridge and up in the marshes. Core Creek is a good place to try, especially around the 101 Bridge and the oyster bars, docks, and feeder creeks.
A lot of specks are migrating down Core Sound and Core Creek due to the decreased salinity in the Neuse and Pamlico River system. This is thanks to the rain supplied by the hurricane.
There are lots of reports of large speckled trout being caught from Oregon Inlet to Virginia Beach. Many of these fish will migrate down the beaches to the Cape Lookout rock jetty as the water gets colder up there.
Fair numbers of red drum are up in the marshes. There are some good-sized red and black drum around the AB bridge just on the Morehead side of the wood channel bumpers.
Flounder fishing has been fairly good. The flounder are still in deep water around manmade and natural structure. This will change as the water cools and the mullet begin their annual migration south down the shorelines.
Trolling for spanish and blues has been very slow.
King mackerel fishing has not been very good due to the dirty water from the hurricane.
The wahoo bite is hot past the 14 buoy around the 90 foot drop. A good number of dolphin were caught in the same area.
The vermillion snapper bite is red hot, and fair numbers of grouper, triggerfish, and black bass have been caught.
Mike, at Carolina Bait and Tackle, reports that the surf has seen catches of spots, pompano, sea mullet, and blues. The blues and spots, however, have been the biggest action recently.
Inshore, the flounder bite has done well, with a handful of 4-6 pound class fish weighed in. They’re coming from the inlet, turning basin, and the port wall. The speckled trout are also starting to improve. They’re biting early in the morning off of live shrimp and artificials.
The wahoo are plentiful recently, with several catches coming from the east side of Cape Lookout. The kings are around, but the bite hasn’t been great and the sizes have been a little small since the storm.
Jaz, at Sportsman’s Pier, reports that spots have been biting. It’s not the big run, but there have been fair numbers caught.
The leader board saw some changes, with a 5 lb. 3 oz. drum and a 7 lb. 13 oz. sheepshead.
Saturday there was a good pompano bite, with several caught around the 1 pound range.
Otherwise, it’s been a few blues, and some spanish, sea mullet, and croakers.
Ken, at Triple “S” Pier, reports that spots are biting. They’re not the yellow bellies, but people are catching good numbers. The other hot action has been lots of puppy drum in the surf (95% of them are 15″).
They have also seen some black drum (up to 5 lbs.) and some pompano (up to 1.5 lbs.). You can also find some croakers, sea mullet, and flounder. Lately there’s been something unusual. Some ladyfish have been hooked during the day this past week.
Marty, at Freeman’s Bait and Tackle, reports that some catches of gray trout have come in recently from the turning basin. They came on speck rigs, with the smallest at 14″ and most around 18″.
Guys also found some big spanish (6-8 lbs.) this past week at AR 315 using live bait.
Nothing much to report on flounder, except a few fish being caught here and there.
Offshore, there have been some yellowfins and gaffer dolphin past the 90′ Drop. The best offshore action seems to be wahoo fishing, with a good number coming from the south around the Swansboro Hole.
