Morehead City October 26, 2006
Matt, at Chasin Tails Charters, reports that the redfish are still feeding strong in the marshes and the Haystacks. You can also get on a big school out along the beach, but you got to hunt for them. Try fishing oyster points or just keep a look out for the fish tailing. Live shrimp or Berkley Gulps are the baits of choice.
Both speckled trout and gray trout have been biting well, and like the reds they are hitting live shrimp or Gulps. Most of the specks are still up in the marshes. The grays are starting to bite well in the inlet back to the turning basin.
The flounder are off and on, with mostly small fish being caught even when it’s on. It seems like live bait is getting the keepers.
Some spanish are still around, but they are leaving fast. Most of them are being caught around Cape Lookout on clarks and squid rigs.
George, at Carolina Bait and Tackle, reports that redfish and speckled trout are biting in the marshes and Haystacks. You can also target trout by hitting the bridges.
Spots are biting in the inlet and around the Beaufort drawbridge.
AR-315 has been a good spot for flounder and gray trout. Try using live mullet or jigging.
The Summerland Reef has been the hotspot for kings and spanish. The reef also saw a few wahoo being caught, with at least one weighing more than 50 pounds.
Paul, at Freeman’s Bait Tackle, reports that excellent surf fishing continues along Bogue Banks. Bluefish, spanish mackerel, flounder, whiting, and red and black drum are all available to anglers fishing Crystal Coast beaches right now.
Around AR-285, also known as the Summerland Reef, huge spanish mackerel (from 6 to 9 pounds) and teenager kings are abundant. The best strategy for hooking up with these speedy fish is slow trolling live menhaden or small bluefish, but frozen cigar minnows will also get bites.
In Beaufort Inlet and on out to the nearshore reefs, bluefish are everywhere. They will take a variety of baits. Trolling spoons, casting stingsilvers or Gotcha plugs, and bottom fishing with cut bait are all good strategies to hook up with some blues.
Bouncing a speck rig tipped with cut shrimp in the inlet will draw bites from gray trout. The trout feed best late in the day and during the evening.
Good numbers of spots are holding around the Beaufort drawbridge, and, per usual, bloodworms are their preferred baits.
Shane, at Second to None Charters, reports that there’s good wahoo action north of the Big Rock around the Swansboro Hole. Most of the wahoo are being caught on jag lures and medium ballyhoo with dark skirts.
The inshore rocks are holding lots of kings, most of them teenagers. Cigar minnows, either under a sea witch or on a Hank Brown rig, have been productive on the kings.
Inside the Cape, you can find false albacore, big spanish mackerel, and bluefish (3 to 5 pounds) annihilating trolled spoons.
They have been running night time red drum charters on the side, and anglers are catching 10 to 15 drum a night. Gulp! baits have been most effective on the over-the-slot drum, which are averaging between 28 and 30 inches.
Helen, at Sportsman’s Pier, reports that the spot run is hit or miss. The water temperature has risen in the past week, delaying the spots’ big arrival. The good news is that anglers waiting for the spots have plenty to keep them busy, such as black drum (up to 4 pounds), pompano (up to 2 pounds), croaker, and whiting. They’re all biting shrimp pinned to bottom rigs.
Plug casters are having good luck with both bluefish and some spanish mackerel.
Smaller flounder are showing interest in live mud minnows on Carolina rigs, but most aren’t keepers.
