Photo courtesy ODEN'S DOCK Big dolphin are giving anglers a lot of thrills on charter boats at the Crystal Coast.

With temperatures soaring and typical summer weather patterns descending upon North Carolina, many anglers plan trips to Tar Heel beaches and charter offshore boats.

Right now the best prospects out of Morehead City, Atlantic Beach and Beaufort are for dolphin. Or at least that’s what Capt. Rick Baldwin of the Mattie G II said as his recent trips have produced lots of mahi-mahi, including some citation-size fish.

“Numbers of dolphin are still really good,” said Baldwin, who docks his 46-foot Carolina Custom sportsfisherman at the Big Rock Landing at the Morehead City Waterfront.

“We’ve caught some big ones, too,” said Baldwin (252-269-0809, http://morehead-city-charter-fishing.com or www.mattiegfishing.com). He said during his trips last week, anglers landed a 44 1/2-pound mahi and “lots of 30-pound fish...”

“They have been thick,” he said.

King mackerel also have started to come nearer the shore and he’s been picking up a few of them. Kings are running from 20 to 45 pounds and are being caught with trolled threadfin herring and spoons.

Almost all the charter boats at the Crystal Coast are having good luck with dolphins now.
 
A typical “six-pack” half-day trip costs about $100 per person with a 10-percent tip thrown in for the mate, which makes for a good time and some really great fish fillets “on the barbie” later.