Dolphin still jumping lures off Morehead

Dolphin are providing a lot of action for offshore boats at the Crystal Coast and warm water has moved them closer to shore.

Dolphin continue to provide the bulk of the offshore action for charter boats based at Morehead City, Atlantic Beach and Beaufort.

“Right now the gaffer dolphin bite is holding up pretty good,” said Bill Dillon of Harkers Island and captain of the Beagle, one of the longest sportsfishermen (a 62-footer) based at the Crystal Coast. “We’re also getting some small ones mixed in.”

Dillon said he took a six-pack (six anglers) tour out recently and they had six gaffers within an hour.

“We’d have done better but the whole crowd got (sea) sick and we had to come back in,” Dillon said. “(Dolphin) were biting so good we could have loaded the boat.”

Strangely enough, one benefit of the slow economy is less boats competing for fish offshore.

“We’ve been fishing right at the (Big) Rock and there’s a big difference in the number of boats out there any given day,” Dillon said. “I’d say (fishing trips) are down 40 percent.”

The Beagle’s anglers also are picking up some wahoo, king mackerel and a few stray tuna, along with sailfish, which heats up during July and August up and down the N.C. coast at every venue.

“But the water’s gotten so warm, we aren’t having to run far out to get into sailfish,” Dillon said.

The Beagle docks at SeaWater Marina at Atlantic Beach. Anglers may call 252-670-1080 or 252-670-1080, or for more information, visit Dillon’s web page at www.beaglecharters.com.

About Craig Holt 1382 Articles
Craig Holt of Snow Camp has been an outdoor writer for almost 40 years, working for several newspapers, then serving as managing editor for North Carolina Sportsman and South Carolina Sportsman before becoming a full-time free-lancer in 2009.

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