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Fishing Report: Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Forecast-October 2022

October is the month when ‘Fall’ fishing really gets in full swing around Southeast, North Carolina! So many great fishing opportunities during October; Big Redfish, Gator Specked trout, High Speed Spanish Mackerel and False Albacore.  As the waters cool down from the fall air the Redfish really get active, and this is the time to catch some good numbers in shallow water. The mullets will be in full run by early October and the Redfish take full advantage of this! Casting top-water lures along marsh grass banks and oyster rocks in creeks and along the ICW will sure to put a Redfish on your line. Try these top-water lures; MirrOlures Top-pup or Top dog Jr. Remember work these lures with good side to side action (walking the dog) for a sure strike bite action! Also, you can cast live finger mullets on rattling or popping corks for these shallow water Redfish as well.

The bigger Reds start to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets during September, they usually run until later October. You never know when you might hook one of these hard fighting fish. When I fish for bigger Reds, I use fresh cut or live menhaden or mullet. I use carolina rigs with 8/0 or 9/0 TroKar AP TK5 circle hooks and eighty-pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hooks so they will do their job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull Reds, is don’t use to light of tackle for these bigger Reds. If you fight them to long, there is a chance you can tire them out too much and kill them. Try a med/heavy rod and a reel with at least thirty-pound mono or braid, this will help you get the fish in quicker; with a better chance of a good release. Check to see if the Red has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Big Reds out there.

Speckled trout are not too hard to catch but knowing what lures to use and when can really make a difference in how many you catch. I prefer to use grubs and hard baits in deeper waters (six to twenty feet) like MirrOlure 52m & 52MR’s or 18MR series. The grubs I prefer are Berkley Gulp 3” shrimp, the 3” Ripple mullet and Berkley Powerbait Pro Twitch Tail minnows. When I’m targeting Speckled trout in shallower waters (two to six feet) I prefer lures like the MirrOlure 17MR and 22MR (catch 2000 jr): on very calm mornings try a MirrOlure She pup top or Top pup top water lures. It’s so exhilarating to see a big fall Trout hit a top-water lure! If you would rather use live bait, try live mud minnows or live shrimp; rig the live bait on a light Carolina rig for deeper water or a float rig for shallow waters. Another important tip for Trout fishing I can give you. I always use Fluorocarbon leaders for trout fishing. Trout have great eyesight and the waters in southeast NC can get pretty clear in the Fall. I prefer Berkley Pro Spec twenty-pound test Fluorocarbon.

Spanish mackerel and False Albacore fishing can be great during October. The Spanish and False Albacore run the biggest all year during the fall. You can cast or troll for them and the fly fishing can be great as well. The Spanish and False Albacore will be around the inlets and near shore artificial reefs. Look for jumping/busting fish and diving birds; that is where you will find the Spanish and False Albacore. Casting small spoons or jigs (Big Nic’s Spanish Candy) on light spinning tackle will put some fish in the boat for you. If you would rather troll, give a Blue Water Candy Daisy Chain a try on top and a #1 planner down deep with a Clark spoon. If you would like to give fly fishing a try, use a six to nine weight set up with floating line with a small minnow pattern fly or epoxy minnow pattern work best.

Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX, Slammer IV or the new Authority series Spinning reels in sizes 2000, 2500, & 3000 sizes for the Redfish, Speckled trout, Spanish and False Albacore. Bull Reds PENN Fathom II 20LW casting reels or Slammer IV 5500 or 6500 size spinning reels. Rods Fenwick HMG Inshore 7’ medium and med/heavy for the Redfish, Spanish and Albacore. Med/light 7’ or 7’6” for the Speckled trout. Bull Reds PENN Carnage III Jigging class rods in 50 to 100 class. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound. Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material in twenty pound. Bull Redfish line Thirty-pound Berkley Pro-Spec Chrome mono (I Like the bright orange line). Tackle storage I use Plano Guide series 3700 tackle bag for Lures and Plano Z-Series 3600 tackle bag for terminal tackle with EDGE boxes inside.

Thanks for reading, have a great Fall and good fishing to you!

Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

 

Posted in Fishing Reports on September 30th, 2022

Fishing Report: Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Forecast & Info-August 2022

August fishing in southeast NC can be pretty good but a few things to keep in mind. Most August’s we have to watch the water temps, they can get pretty high during August. Also, we sometimes get very heavy rain/thunderstorms which can dirty up the waters quickly and this dirty water can last a few hours to a few days. Here are my warm waters and stained waters August fishing tactics.

Flounder can be a tougher species to catch in dirty water, but keep in mind they still have to eat too! Working live or artificial lures slower so the flounder have time to see and react to the target (bait). Live bait is good for catching higher numbers of Flounder, but no always as many keepers’ size flounder with live bait. Mud minnows and small finger mullet will be the best live baits for Flounder in August. Small menhaden work too but die very easy in the warm waters of August.

Rigging the live bait on carolina rigs with Eagle Claw L42 sizes 1 or 1/0 hooks is a good choice of rigs for Flounder. If you prefer to use artificial baits which I do prefer and I see bigger size flounders more often on artificial lures. Scented and unscented grubs work well in clear or stained waters. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five and six inch and colors of new penny, pearl white, fire tiger and chart pepper neon are all good too. Darker colors like new penny and fire tiger (bright but not bright?) in heavy stained/dirty waters work better to get more bites. Also try Berkley’s Powerbait Grass Pig lure in colors, chartreuse, crazy chrome violet and swamp gas (new penny). I rig these lures on jig heads in 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz weights in colors red, gray or white.

Look for the bigger flounder around deeper water docks with good current, bait fish and lots of structure inshore. The inlets, offshore reef and ledges are all good places to find hot weather flounder. What do all these places have in common; deeper water, current and structure. Don’t forget look for the clearest water possible and when fishing very stained/dirty water slow down your presentation of the bait. *Keeper North Carolina Flounder season for 2022 at the time of this report is September 1st to September 30th. Any Flounder caught outside of these dates must be released.

One fish that is always on my hot weather and stained waters list is the Sheephead. The Sheephead is a good challenge to catch and they fight hard, but they are also good to eat! All you need is some fiddler crabs or sand fleas for bait. A medium/heavy action spinning or casting rod with Spiderwire twenty- or thirty-pound braid for line will help you bring in that big Sheephead in. Tie on a short carolina rig with forty- or fifty-pound fluorocarbon leader and a small live bait J hook (sharp/strong)! Another rig I’ve been having success with is a NC treat jig rig for Sheephead fishing. Drop that fiddler crab down beside a piling on the carolina rig and when you feel that little bump; set the hook and hold on! PS: they are great eating in the two-to-eight-pound range in my opinion.

North Carolina is not really known highly for Tarpon fishing but I do see them pushing just off the southeast inlets and the lower Cape Fear River from time to time. If you want a good challenge, give Carolina Tarpon fishing a try this August. The best times are very early morning or late afternoon and into the night. I fish for Tarpon on the bottom or free lining, using live and fresh dead baits like; spots, mullet and menhaden. I rig these baits on fish finder rigs, with one to three feet of 80-to-100-pound fluorocarbon leaders. Circle hooks are the best bet for good hook ups and landings for Tarpon in hook sizes 7/0 to 9/0 depending what hook series you like. I prefer TroKar AP TK5 9/0 circle hooks, super sharp and super strong! It’s not easy to catch a NC Tarpon, but I promise if you do or even just jump one off its still really cool to see!

I also enjoy shark fishing later in the summer (late July to early September). Sharks on light tackle are always a good pull and boy the kids love to catch’em! Sharks don’t really seem to care if the water is dirty either. I drift live and fresh dead bluefish, Spanish mackerel, mullet or menhaden in twenty to forty feet of water offshore. I rig these baits with a 7/0 to 9/0 TroKar circle hook TK5 with one foot of ninety pound plus wire and six to eight feet of eighty-pound mono leader. You can free line the bait and /or put a small egg sinker on to keep the bait close to the bottom. You’ll know when you get a bite! Most sharks are in the ten-to-one-hundred-pound range.

Last but certainly not lest is Bull Redfish (big Red Drum). The Bull Reds will start showing up in good numbers around inlets and hard/live bottoms just off the beach to about ten miles out in early August. Live or fresh dead bait is the key to catching these brutes. Most fish will be twenty-eight to over forty inches in length, very fun to catch size! It’s not hard to rig for the Bull reds; short carolina rigs with a 7/0 to 9/0 TroKar circle hook will do the trick. Live or fresh cut Menhaden or mullet as bait. Remember if your catching larger Drum, please use heavier tackle; these Drum will work so hard when the water is hot and it is easy to kill them using to light of tackle (fighting them to long). *Please take the time to revive Red drum especially bigger fish during warmer water months; it may take upwards of fifteen minutes to do so.

Tackle run down: PENN Slammer IV & (New series) Authority spinning reels 2500, 3000, 3500 sizes for the Sheephead and Flounder. Tarpon/Sharks/Bull Drum PENN Slammer IV & Authority 5500 & 6500 and PENN 20 Fathom II LW casting reels. Rods Fenwick HMG Inshore spinning 7’ medium and med/heavy for the Sheephead and Flounder. Tarpon/Shark/Bull Drum Rods: PENN Carnage III 40 to 80 Boat series. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound and Berkley Pro Spec Chrome mono in thirty pound for the Tarpon/sharks. Tackle Storage I prefer Plano Guide and Z-series tackle bags with EDGE Boxes inside.

Have a good August, stay cool & dry and thanks for reading!

Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Posted in Fishing Reports on August 1st, 2022

Fishing Report: Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Forecast & Info-June 2022

June, one of the better fishing months in Southeast NC; lighter winds (hopefully), warm days and so many different kinds of fish to target. Precipitation anybody’s guess, some June’s super dry; some June’s monsoon! Here are some of the fish I like to target during June around Southeast NC.

Redfish are in their summer trend by June and the trick to summer Reds is to go early before the sun is high and hot in the sky. Top water lures and rattling corks (popping) in the shallow waters earlier mornings and afternoons will produce Redfish. I prefer MirrOlure Top dog Jr and Top Pup’s with a great ‘walk the dog action’, fishing these along marsh grass edges with oyster rocks. Working grubs like Berkley Gulp later in the day will also produce Reds for you, fishing deeper holes and docks. Slow rolling swimbaits like a Berkley Powerbait Champ swimmer or Grass pigs rigged on TroKar 7/0 1/4oz swimbait hooks in two to five feet of water has produced some nice Reds when the water heats up. Sometimes it can be just like colder mouths, slow down your presentation a little when the water gets hot. Give the Redfish a little more time to catch up with your bait when the water temp is over eighty degrees.

Everybody loves to catch a Flounder; they are really getting their act together by June. Keep in mind you can fish for Flounder but the season is closed in NC; you must release all flounder. Check with NCDMF for current set Flounder season. You can find Flounder just about anywhere when June rolls in. In southeast NC, I look for bigger Flounder around deeper channel drop-offs; in waters of five to fifth-teen feet plus deep. The local inlets and cuts; south Topsail, Rich’s, Mason’s, Masonboro, Carolina Beach and snow’s cut are always a good place to find some bigger size Flounders. Last but certainly not least, are the artificial reefs, ledges and hard/live bottoms from one to ten miles off the beach, these areas always hold very nice Flounder in June.

Once you have found some Flounder you need to know how to catch’em. If you want to go the artificial root, try bigger baits; this will greatly help you catch bigger size Flounder. I prefer Berkley Gulp five- and six-inch Jerkshad in colors pearl white, chart pepper neon and Fire tiger. Also, Berkley Powerbait Grass pig lures in colors Chartreuse silver fleck, green back or crazy chrome violet. Rigging both the jerkshad and grass pig lures on 3/4oz to 1oz jig heads or Berkley Fusion bucktails in 1oz or 1.5oz for ocean fishing. Another great Flounder lure is the Berkley Gulp four-inch shrimp pattern; this bait is great for cast up and down inshore drop-offs in creek channels. I rig these baits on jig heads in sizes 1/4oz to 3/8oz for inshore; in colors red, gray and white. Leaders; inshore thirty or forty pound and ocean fishing forty- or fifty-pound Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader.

If you would like to go with live bait for the Flounders, try mud minnows, small mullets or small menhaden as live bait. Rig these live baits on Carolina rigs with an Eagle Claw L42 #1 or 1/0 hooks, eight to fourteen inches of thirty-to-forty-pound fluorocarbon as leader. I prefer egg sinkers as my weight, the secret to how much weight you use is ‘as much as you need to stay on the bottom but as least as you can get away with.’ You need to be on the bottom for Flounder but going lighter will always get you more bites!

One fish that is always on my hot weather list is the Sheephead. The Sheephead is a good challenge to catch and they fight hard, but they are also good to eat! All you need is some fiddler crabs or sand fleas for bait. A medium/heavy action spinning or casting rod with Spiderwire twenty- or thirty-pound braid for line will help you bring in that big Sheephead in. Tie on a short carolina rig with forty- or fifty-pound fluorocarbon leader and a small live bait J hook (sharp/strong). Also, I’ve had good luck rigging up a carolina Treat jig with a fiddler crab. Drop that fiddler crab down beside a piling on the carolina rig and when you feel that little bump; set the hook and hold on! PS: they are great eating in the two-to-six-pound range!

The Spanish mackerel fishing can be pretty good in June. These fish are a lot of fun to see busting the surface of the water and even more fun to see on the end of your line! Casting small spoons (Big Nic Spanish Candy lures) or using fly gear in weights seven to nine can make for a great challenge on this light tackle. Look for Spanish to be hanging around near shore artificial reefs, ledges and inlets. Trolling Clark spoons or small deep driver lures can be the key to success some days for the Spanish mackerel and even king mackerel. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash or regular silver spoons in sizes #00, #0 and #1; the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat. You might come over a few false albacore and bluefish mixed in with the Spanish from time to time.

Last but never least; Cobia fishing is in full swing by early June and should be good until early July; so far this year it’s been hit or miss for me. I look for Cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are also a good place to look too. With the water being clear most of the time in June it should easier to see those brown logs swimming in the water. I like to throw big jigs, swim baits and live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter, but (go bright); Berkley Fusion Bucktails in 1.5oz to 2oz, but I always add a Berkley Gulp 5-inch grub. When I’m not sight casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. I float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live menhaden, spots and mullet as bait. You can chum if you like, but the sharks and Rays will come in numbers!

Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX series or the Slammer IV series spinning reels 2500, 3000 & 3500 sizes for the Redfish, Spanish, sheephead and Flounder. Cobia: PENN Spinfisher VI or Slammer IV 5500 & 6500 spinning reels or PENN 20LW, 25LW, 25NLD Fathom casting reels. Rods PENN Battalion II or the Fenwick HMG Inshore series; 7’ medium and med/heavy for the Redfish, sheephead and Flounder. Cobia Rods: PENN Rampage or Carnage III Jigging series 50 to 100 class casting and spinning. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen, twenty (ocean flounder) pound braid and Berkley Pro Spec Chrome mono in twenty and thirty pound for the Cobia; it is great line! Leader material Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon 30 to 40 pound for inshore and 80-pound Cobia fishing. Tackle storage Plano Z-series or Guide series tackle bags with Plano EDGE stowaway boxes.

Stay cool and enjoy your summer fishing! Thanks for reading!

Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Posted in Fishing Reports on June 3rd, 2022

Fishing Report: Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Forecast-May 2022

 

Southeast NC in May, when fishing really gets cranked up! Many different species of fish start to show and it’s when I feel like summer fishing is really getting started. Spring has been pretty good fishing so far, now if we can just get the weather to cooperate more!!

As the weather stabilizes and the temps go up in May I see more days where I can get out in the ocean. I love to look for those high speed, good eating and so much fun to catch Atlantic bonito in earlier May and Spanish mackerel all May long. These fish are a lot of fun to see busting the surface of the water and even more fun to see on the end of your line! Casting small spoons (Big Nic Spanish Candy lures) in sizes 1/2oz and 3/4oz on high-speed spinning reels really gets the bites! You can also use fly gear in weights seven to nine, this can make for a great challenge on fly tackle. Look for these fish to be hanging around near shore artificial reefs, ledges and inlets. Trolling Clark spoons or small deep driver lures can be the key to success some days for the bonito, Spanish mackerel and even king mackerel. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash or regular silver spoons in sizes #0, #1 and #2; the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat. You might come over a few false albacore and bluefish mixed in with the bonito and Spanish from time to time; sometimes too many bluefish are mixed in!

Redfish and May go hand and hand, this month is a favorite for casting artificial lures to Reds. Redfish really start to settle down in their summer spots by early/mid-May. Casting Berkley Gulp shrimp in three-inch size or new Gulp paddle-shad on light jig heads is my go-to lures for May redfish. My go to colors are pearl white, sugar spice glow, new penny, sangria and black/gold. Another Redfish lure I like is the Berkley Powerbait Grass pig for fishing shallow waters of one to three foot. I rig the Grass pig lures on TroKar 1/8oz swimbait hooks. Catching redfish on top water lures is so much fun; casting plugs like MirrOlure’s top pup or top dog jr. You can also cast popping or rattling corks in these shallow areas with a Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp on a 1/16oz jig head which will catch the Redfish in shallow waters. If you would rather go the bait route; try some fresh cut or live Mullet or Menhaden on a light Carolina rig. Using Eagle Claw L42 1/0 hooks to make up a Carolina rig. Try fishing fresh cut bait around docks in the ICW or along creek mouths when the tide is moving.

By mid-May the cobia start to show up around southeast NC; one of my favorites! I forecast that the cobia will be here early this season. I look for cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are all good places to look. When the water is clear it will be easier to see those brown logs in the water. I throw big jigs like (Berkley Fusion 19 bucktails) or live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter, but go bright; I always put a Gulp five-inch grub on the bucktail for Cobia. If I’m casting live bait to Cobia, I use a TroKar TK5 AP 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook with at least three feet of sixty-pound Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader. When I’m not sight casting for Cobia we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. I float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live menhaden, pinfish or mullet as bait. Sometimes a great bonus fish when fishing for Cobia that would be a nice bull Redfish or later in the season a Tarpon! You can chum if you like, but the sharks and rays will come and they will come in numbers!

With the warmer weather the Flounder will finally start showing up in better numbers, there are still a lot of smaller ones inshore, but the bigger ones will really start showing up in May! Most of the Flounder fishing I’m doing is just off the beach (wrecks/ledges) and around the inlets. I’ve caught Flounder on both live and artificial baits in May, what I have seen is more numbers on live bait, but more keepers on artificial baits. Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs with #one L42 Eagle Claw hooks will catch the numbers of Flounder. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five- & six-inch sizes, also four-inch Gulp Shrimp will get the most keeper size Flounder bites I have found. I rig these Gulp baits on 1/4oz, 3/8oz (inshore) and 1/2oz, 3/4oz & 1oz (ocean) jig heads with longer hook shanks in jig head colors red, white or gray. I really like the new Berkley Fusion Jig heads, great hooks with the best lure keeper I’ve have seen! Also, Berkley Fusion bucktails with a five-inch Gulp grab is a killer rig for ocean flounder as well; I use a 1.5-ounce bucktail for this. *Keep in mind NC has a keeper Flounder season, know the dates before you keep’em!

Tackle run down: Reels New PENN Slammer IV series & Battle III DX series Spinning reels 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000 sizes. Slammer IV High Speed 2500 for Bonito & Spanish mackerel casting. Rods: Fenwick HMG Inshore series rods 7’ Medium class 8-to-15-pound test rods for Redfish, Inshore flounder, Bonito etc. Ocean Flounder 7’ Med/Hvy class 12-to-25-pound test. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound braid. Cobia Reels PENN Fathom II 20LW casting, Slammer IV or SpinFisher VI spinning 5500 or 6500 spinning reels, with a PENN Rampage or Carnage III Jigging rods 50-to-100-pound class. Tackle Bags/storage I prefer the Plano Guide series (3700) size and Z-series (3600 or 3700) size tackle bags with Plano EDGE tackle trays inside.

Thanks for reading, Get out side and good fishing to you!

Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

 

Posted in Fishing Reports on May 4th, 2022

Fishing Report: Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Forecast-April 2022

 

North Carolina springs can be anything but predictable, sometimes that is about the same for spring fishing around these parts as well.  So far, we’ve had a pretty good winter temperature wise (especially later winter); I think we are about two (+/-) weeks ahead on spring temps and fishing.  Fishing wise here is what I look to target during April around Southeast NC area waters.

The Atlantic Bonito (good eating) and False Albacore (don’t recommend eating but fun to catch) have already shown up just offshore of Wrightsville, Carolina and Topsail beaches in the one-to-ten-mile range.  Trolling Clark spoons on planners or small deep driver lures can be the key to success some days for the Bonito and False Albacore.  When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash spoon in sizes #0 and #1; the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat.  A bird rig on top with a Clark spoon about five to six feet behind it or a small daisy chain (squids) in colors blue, silver or pink have worked very well for me on top too.

Look for birds working or marking bait on you fish finder is the way to find these feeding fish.  When the fish are not on top, I’ve caught some nice Blues and a few Bonito by casting a spoon out and letting it sink down before reeling it in.  I’ve found that sometimes these fish are deeper and you can get them by getting down to deeper depths.  If the fish are jumping and busting on top, try casting Big Nic Spanish candy lures in 1/2oz to 1zo sizes in colors pink, blue, green or Capt. Jot Custom color (blue/pink) I use a thirty-pound fluorocarbon leader at two to three foot long when casting these lures (no swivel).

Another fish that really starts to show up around the inshore creeks and inlets of Southeast North Carolina is the good’ole Bluefish and during April you can catch some bigger Bluefish too; like ten pounds plus big!  These blues will hit Berkley Gulp six-inch jerkshads and Berkley Havoc grass pig lures in bright colors, I rig both of these lures on TroKar 1/4oz swim bait hooks.  Hard baits like big poppers and MirrOlure Top Dog’s work well too for the big Blues.  Don’t forget the steal leaders for these fish or they will get a free lure form you every time!  Try light single strand wire in sizes #2, #3 or #4 will keep your lure on the end of your line and not in a bluefish’s pocket!  I catch Blues in the one-to-fifteen-pound range during April, (some years there are more than others and sometimes only a few show up).

There is one fish that a lot of anglers over look in April and that is the Black Drum.  What I love about these fish is you can catch them in good numbers this time of year and there great to eat!  On top of all that they are also easy to catch; use a light Carolina rig with an Eagle claw L42 #1 size hook.  I make my own rigs with thirty-pound fluorocarbon leader material.  I prefer as fresh as I can get shrimp for black drum fishing.  Fish these rigs around docks, oyster rocks and inlets for Black Drum; you might even get a Redfish mixed in as well. If you catch one, it’s a good idea to stay a little longer; these fish are typically in groups.

Cape Fear River Striped Bass can bite very well into April, but the fish move around a lot more during April, you’ll find them at one spot one day and the next day they have moved on.  In April the Stripers will start to move in to shallower waters, I look for the Stripers in three to ten feet of water in the early spring.  This is when you need to also shallow up your presentation, go lighter with you tackle.  I prefer Berkley Powerbait grass pig lures; I use colors green back and swamp gas.  Rigging the grass pig lures on TroKar TK170 swim bait hooks should put a Striper on the end of your line.  Look for Cape Fear River Stripers around mud-flat edges, bulk-heads and shallow reed-grass edges on sunny warmer days.  Remember Cape Fear River Striped Bass are Catch & Release fishing only.

Also, in the Cape Fear River I really enjoy heading to Lock & Dam #1 or #2 on the Cape Fear River during April to catch large American shad on light tackle and Fly tackle.  Casting shad darts in bright colors and shad flies is the way to catch these shad.  I use a double shad dart rig; this makes it easier to cast the light darts and sometimes you get two shad at the same time!  The shad run in the one to a few over four pounds; super fun on fly and light tackle setups “poor man’s Tarpon”!

Tackle run down: PENN Clash II, Clash II 3000 HS (high speed Bonito) & Battle III DX Spinning reels (1000 & 2000 shad fishing), 2500 & 3000 sizes.  Rods: Fenwick HMG Inshore 7’ medium/light (shad) and medium action.  Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in (six-pound shad fishing) ten- and fifteen-pound other species.  Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material for all my leaders. Tackle storage Plano Z-series & Guide series tackle bags with Plano EDGE Stowaway boxes.

Thanks for reading and good spring fishing to you!

Capt. Jot Owens

www.captainjot.com

910-233-4139

 

Posted in Fishing Reports on April 1st, 2022