Summer has really been showing its face around here lately and with the warm air comes more bait and more means more fish to catch!  I’ve seen a big change in water temps in the last few days, the waters around Wrightsville Beach are hanging around 78` inshore; it will not be long before we are swimming!  The warm water has really brought out the bait fish, which is always a good thing for fishing!

The Spanish mackerel and Bluefish are really starting showing just off the beaches from twenty feet to forty feet of water; you should have no problem catching them.  I’ve had the best luck with deeper spoons on number one planners, yes I’m seeing a few on the top line but the best has been deeper.  Clark-spoons in sizes 00 and 0 are doing the trick in colors silver, gold and pink flash.  The Spanish hitting the top baits are hitting Blue Water Candy’s Spanish Daisy chains in colors pink, blue and silver; the great thing about this rig is you can pull it off lighter tackle outfits.  I’m using thirty and forty pound clear Berkley Big Game mono for all my Spanish leaders.  Tip: keep your trolling and casting speed up; faster moving baits seem to get more bites, I troll around five knots or six mph.  There is still a few Bonita around too!

The Cobia should be here most any day and you know I’m always looking for them!  I look this time of year for Cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are also a good place to look too.  With the wind we’ve had lately it will be a little harder to see those brown logs in the stained water, but that does not mean they are not around and hungry. I like throwing big jigs, swim baits and live bait to the Cobia.  Color really does not seem to matter; but “go bright”!  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, blues and mullet as bait.  If you hook one of these beast, take your time fighting them, they don’t tire out easily; a green Cobia can really tear up a boat and/or you!

The Redfish have slowed a little bit over the last week due to the waters warming up so fast, but we are still catching them; going earlier in the morning seems to help the bite some.  Fishing top-water baits like MirrOlure’s Top Dog Jr or Top Pup also Sebile’s Ghost Walker are catching me some really nice Reds in shallow water.  When I’m fishing in deeper water for Reds like around docks, creek mouths and deeper grass lines; I’m casting Berkley Gulp products like the Ripple Mullet or the three inch Gulp shrimp.  The colors I prefer in the Ripple Mullet are rootbeer gold/chart tail, goby magic chart tail, new penny and pearl white; in the three inch shrimp new penny, sugar spice glow and natural colors.  Rig these baits on a red, black, brown or gray jig head with a thirty to forty pound mono or fluorocarbon leader.  I have had some good luck lately with spinner baits for the Redfish and the trick that seems to work for me is a Ripple Mullet in the color rootbeer gold/chart tail as the grub on the spinner bait.  Remember reel that spinner bait; just fast enough to keep it off the bottom.

Fishing Gear I use:

Reels: Reds, Blues, Mackerel Penn Battle spinning in sizes 2000, 3000 & 4000 sizes Penn Conquer 2000.  Cobia Fishing reels: Penn Battle 5000, 6000 & 7000, Penn Fathom 25N.  Line: Spiderwire Ultra-cast Cobia Line: 30 pound Berkley Big Game Mono.  Rods: Penn Legion Medium and Medium heavy. Cobia Rods: Ugly Stik Tiger Lite Jigging series in 50-100 class spinning and casting.  Leader material: Cobia;  Berkley Big Game mono & Fluorocarbon in eighty to one hundred pound.  Reds, Blues, Mackerel:  Stren Fluorocarbon leader material in Tannic and Gunsmoke tints; tannic for river and stained waters, gunsmoke for clear water applications.

If you would like to get real time and on the water reports, as well as free tackle giveaways each month; check out my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Capt-Jot-OwensJot-It-Down-Fishing-Charters-LLC/134340373310487

Thanks for reading this report, if you have any questions just let me know!

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
PENN Reels Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

I just can’t say it enough; this has been some great Southeast North Carolina weather this year and it has really helped the fishing department too!  I’m catching fish now that I usually don’t see until late April or May!  I hope this means a very good fishing season; hey it’s already been a pretty good one!  Here is the local area inshore waters report:

The Redfish and Black drum bite in the ICW and creeks just off the ICW has been good.  I’m starting to see a few smaller Reds 14” to 21” in some of the creeks on warmer days; a few over slot fish mixed in as well.  Most of the reds and black drum are hitting mud minnows and “fresh as you can get shrimp”.  I use two hook bottom rigs with 2, 1 & 1/0 bait holder hooks, with the fresh shrimp, when fishing for the black drum and reds.  If you would like to go the artificial root, I would recommend using scented grubs.  The best bait I’ve had luck with has been Berkley Gulp shrimp in colors pearl, natural, sugar spice glow and New Penny.  Jigs heads for the grubs in 1/8oz to 3/8 oz, colors red and black seem to be the trick. Work’em slow around docks and drop-offs on grass lines and oyster rocks.  The best tides have been falling or raising but fishing closer to the lower parts of the tides in the deeper areas and higher tides on the flats.

I’ve a good hand full of keeper Flounder inshore for the last two weeks; always a good thing to see this early in the season!  Most of the keepers have been sixteen to nineteen inches long.  The best bait I’ve had luck with lately has been Berkley Gulp three inch shrimp in colors; new penny, sugar spice glow and rootbeer gold/chart tail and five inch Jerkshad in pearl color.  I’m rigging these Gulps on ¼ and 3/8 ounce jig heads in colors red, brown (new penny) and gray with thirty or forty pound fluorocarbon leader.  I’m working drop-offs in channels, docks and deeper oyster rock edges for the Flounders.
 
Something that I love to do this time of year (late March to early June) is go up to lock & dam #1 and fish for Shad.  These fish are so much fun to catch; they run, jump and run some more.  Light tackle and fly fishing is the name of the game here!  I see so many people fishing for shad use to heavy of tackle.  Lighter tackle equals more bites and more fun!  All you need is a light rod and reel; I use a Pflueger Echelon combo loaded with six pound Berkley Nanofil line.  A two shad dart rig with Fifth teen or twenty pound mono or fluorocarbon leader; darts in colors pink and green; also some days Berkley Powerbait two inch grubs work great too.  If you have not ever tried it; you need too!  Also while your shad fishing you can put out a catfish line and sometimes catch a very nice Blue catfish using cut shad for bait.

False Albacore fishing has been good the days I can get out for them.  I’m finding the Albacore from five to twenty miles offshore.  There has been a few Bonita mixed in with them form time to time as well.  It should not be long before we are catching good numbers of Bonita around the area waters.  The #0 and #1 pink flash, silver and gold Clark spoon has caught most of our fish lately.  Trolling these spoons on #1 or #2 planner; with thirty to forty feet of forty pound Berkley big game mono as leader on the planners is the way to go.  On the bird rig for the surface fishing; I rig it with five to six feet of leader to the spoon.  Don’t forget to put a ball bearing swivel on the bird and planner; this will keep tangles from happing (well most of the time!)

When the Bonita and Albacore are on top feeding; cast Sea Rock and Sea striker jig-spoons.  The colors that seem to work the best are pink/purple, white, green and blue.  I use a forty pound Fluorocarbon leader; about fifth teen to twenty inches long.  I really like Stren’s tinted (gunsmoke) fluorocarbon leader material for clear water conditions.  A good light seven foot rod is very important for casting to these fish: the reason for this is the further you can cast equals more chance’s you will hook up.  When there are a lot of boats chasing the Bonita, they get wearer of boats.  If you can cast farther; you will catch more of these fish!

Fishing Gear we use:

Reels Penn Fierce and Battle spinning in sizes 2000, 3000 & 4000 sizes;  Abu Revo Inshore and Revo Winch low-profile bait casters.  Line: Spiderwire Ultra-cast and Berkley Nanofil in 8, 10 and 12 pound.  Rods: Fenwick HMG and Penn Legions.  Leader material:  Berkley Big Game mono & Fluorocarbon.  Stren Fluorocarbon leader material in Tannic and Gunsmoke tints; tannic for river and stained waters, gunsmoke for clear water applications.

If you would like to get real time and on the water reports check out my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Capt-Jot-OwensJot-It-Down-Fishing-Charters-LLC/134340373310487

Thanks for reading this report, if you have any questions just let me know!  If you would like to go fishing drop me a line; I’m booking now for this coming summer fishing season and don’t forget to take a kid fishing!

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
PENN Tackle Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
captainjot@captainjot.com
910-233-4139

It’s really amazing how fishing tackle has come so far in so little time; super small braided line, yet stronger than steel, fish finders that show you clear high-definition photo like image and fishing reels that come in a super small size yet produce huge drag powers.  These are just a few examples of what the fishing industry is coming out with these days and guess what; it’s only going to get better in time.  With that said, now you the angler has got to make the decision on how much you spend and what you get for your money on fishing tackle.  Let me introduce a reel that is a power house in a small and yet affordable package; it’s the Penn Fathom Star Drag series.

Here are some of the great features that the Penn Fathom has to offer:

• Full metal body and sideplates
• Lightweight aluminum spool
• Machine-cut marine grade bronze main gear with hardened stainless steel pinion.
• Live spindle with free floating spool
• Patented Versa-Drag  system with HT-100 washers
• 5+1 Shielded stainless steal bearing system
• Instant anti-reverse bearing with silent back up ratchet
• Line Capacity Rings
• Internally adjustable centrifugal braking system

The revolutionary Live Spindle design is the reason the new Fathom star Drag is the most castable reel in the market place. The improved configuration allows the spool to spin independently of the spindle and pinion gear, which significantly reduces friction experienced from the extreme acceleration of the spool when casting.  Other reels using a “fixed spindle” design slow the rotation of the spool and reduce casting distance.  Additionally the Live Spindle improves the retrieve of the reel because the spindle and pinion do not need to turn relative to each other during heavy loads unlike “fixed spindle” reels that result in a difficult retrieve and erratic drag.

Line Capacity Rings are another new feature of the Fathom Star Drag.  These rings eliminate the question of how much line you have left when casting or fighting a fish.  The three lines on the spool flange let you know when you have 1/3rd, 2/3rd or a full spool of line.  Also if you re-spool often these lines give you benchmarks for backing or topping your super lines with monofilament which will help eliminate wasted time and line.

I was one of a handful to test these reels in the design phase of this reel and I was impressed with the Fathom Star Drag form the beginning.  I looked forward to fishing them every chance I got, they are so smooth and you can cast them a country mile!  I as well as my customers caught some very nice fish on the Fathom Star Drag reels.  We caught a Tarpon on the FTH25N that weighted an est. eighty-five pounds as well as a lot of very nice Bull Redfish over thirty-five inches on the FTH12 reel.  I feel that these reels will be a good fit for the surf fisherman to the offshore jiggers and the live bait boat fishermen too; you can do so much with these reels due to there variety of features and sizes.

Please take a look at all the new fishing products from Penn at www.pennreels.com  If you have any questions about any Penn product please let me know, I’ll be happy to answer them.

Thanks for reading and good luck fishing,

Capt. Jot Owens
Penn Reels Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

What great weather for this winter so far; lets hope it stays this way right on to Spring time!  With this great weather has come some of best winter fishing I’ve seen around here in a very long time.  Even on the ‘not so nice days’ the fishing has been good and other days down right great; finally a milder winter for a change!  Cool mornings and warm afternoons are hard to beat in Southeast North Carolina in mid February!

The Redfishing lately has been pretty good most days when the wind is not howling and we’ve seen some nice schools of Reds.  Warmer, sunny and lower wind days can be the key to catching these inshore winter Redfish.  It’s not hard to catch them once you find’em, look for these Reds in creek with dark colored bottoms and oyster rocks never hurt.  Scented soft plastics like Berkley Gulp should do the trick to get these Reds to hit.  Patterns in Gulp like Shrimp in sizes 2” and 3” are my go too, colors that seem to work the best are pearl, molting and new penny; the new Fire tail colors work great too!  Try lighter jig heads like 1/16 and 1/8 when winter fishing; lighter jig heads help you to work the lure much slower and still look nature as possible.

Surf Reds have been hit or miss; I believe that a lot of the Reds are still up in the creeks due to all the mild weather this season.  I have caught a few good days of surf Reds when the weather is just right.  Casting Berkley Gulp Ripple mullets on 1/4oz and 3/8oz jig heads in colors Rootbeer gold and New penny’ don’t forget that fluorocarbon leader this time of year the water is super clear!

I’ve made quite a few trips to the Cape Fear River year; there are three different kinds of fish to chase in the Cape Fear, Catfish, Striped Bass and even a hand full of nice Redfish most all winter long.  Here is a few ways to put a CFR Striper on your line.  Try Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five and six inch size; in pearl & new penny colors.  Work these baits slowly and always rig them weed-less; there are many hangs in the Cape Fear River.  Try a Moaner swim bait hook with the Berkley Jerkshad; this is a great hook at a great price. www.moanerhooks.com  I use the weighted Stroker hook in 1/4oz 5/0.   Look for Stripers on drop-offs, dock pilings and reed-grass lines.

If you would like to give the Catfish a try, use baits like cut mullet, chicken livers and cut eel.  I use heavy Carolina rigs when I fish for catfish.  Try an Eagle claw L42 2/0 to 4/0 hook with fifty or eighty pound mono leader to make your carolina rig.  Look for the catfish on drop-offs from five to twenty feet of water.  We have seen some blue cats over thirty pounds caught in the river so try not to use to light of tackle; these are not always your ‘farm pond channel cats’!

Tackle run down: Penn Battle Spinning reels sizes 3000 & 4000 for the Redfish and Striped Bass.  Penn Legions in 6’6” & 7’ medium and med/hvy action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound; Berkley Big Game Fluorocarbon leader for my leaders.

There are always plenty of boat shows, fishing tackle shows and fishing schools going on most weekends through the winter.  Here are few I’ll be at this winter.

February 11th, 2012  Fishermans Post Wilmington Fishing School.  This school will be at the Coast Line Convention Center.  I’ll be there with other Fishing Pros and Guides speaking on many different topics of local fishing tips and techniques.  Check out all the topics and info www.fishermanspost.com

February 18th, 2012-Cape Fear Christian Sportsman Fish Fest. www.capefearsportsmen.org/fishfest  This is a great free event!  I’ll be speaking on two topics this year; Cape Fear River Striped Bass fishing and my very popular Working Hard Baits MirrOlures Etc. with success seminar. The class will be from 8am-4:15pm February 18, 2012 at Scotts Hill Baptist Church (185 Scotts Hill Loop Road, Wilmington, NC 28411).  A light breakfast and lunch catered by Middle of the Island will be provided

February 24th & 25th March  2nd, 3rd & 4th  Bass Pro Shops in Myrtle Beach, SC for there very popular 2012 Spring Fishing Classic.  There will be lots of good sales and promotions on many fishing products.  I’ll be there with other top Fishing Pros giving fishing seminars, helping you find the right fishing products and answering any fishing questions you may have.   

 If you have any questions about the tactics I use fishing the local waters please e-mail me or catch me on Face Book at:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Capt-Jot-OwensJot-It-Down-Fishing-Charters-LLC/134340373310487

Thanks for reading and good fishing to ya!

Capt. Jot Owens
Penn Fishing Tackle Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Well folks as soon as it gets colder; here comes some more mild weather, hey I’ll take it!  Two cold winters in a row, we need it and deserve it!  I have got to tell you not much has changed since my last report as what fish are biting and what they a hitting.  One thing that has changed is I’m starting to see some very nice size trout biting, with trophy trout coming in the boat on most of my trips.

This season has been a very good grub/jig season with hundreds of trout coming to the boat on grubs.  The two hot grubs this season for me has been the Berkley Gulp Fire tail 3” shrimp and Saltwater Assassin 4” sea shad pattern.  The colors that are catching the most and biggest trout in the fire tail shrimp are watermelon red fleck, pearl and new penny.  In the sea shads; chicken on a chain, salt&pepper silver with chart tail, sweet pea, cantaloupe, chart diamond and 10w40 with chart tail.  If you really just want to target bigger trout try a Berkley Gulp 6” Jerkshad or a Gulp 4” Shrimp pattern; you’ll need to work these baits a bit slower, but it might just put that five pound or bigger trout in the boat for you.

Live baits like Shrimp, mud minnows and small finger mullet have caught my charters some big numbers of keeper trout lately.  I rig these baits on float rigs in shallow waters of three to five feet and light Carolina rigs for deeper waters of six to over ten foot deep. Lively bait is very important to getting Speckled trout to eat your live bait, take care of your live bait.  The livelier the bait the more bites you will get; trust me!

There have still been lots of good by-catches while we are trout fishing; these include Tautogs, Sheephead, Flounder, Black drum and Red drum.  These by-catches are hitting the grubs and live shrimp we are using for the trout.  The great thing is they are all good eating!  My favorites are the Tautogs and Sheephead.  If your bait gets close to the bottom, you’ve got a good chance at picking up one of these guys.  One client last week put a four pound Tautog in the boat with a Berkley Gulp Fire tail shrimp; I just knew he had a nice trout on the line, but no it was a nice tog!

When the waters start to cool down the Cape Fear River Striped Bass start bite; these fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water.  Working drop offs on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures and Berkley Power Bait and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on you line.  Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only!

Large winter Redfish schools are one of my favorite fish to look for during winter mouths.  On calm, light wind days you can find these Reds on dark mud flats and oyster rocks.  Also you can find large schools around inlets and sand bars just off the local beaches.  When you find these schools approach very slow and quietly, for they spoke very easily.  Most of the time the winter school Reds will bite pretty easily, but one thing that will help is scented baits like Berkley Gulp!  I prefer Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet in colors Pearl/chart tail, New Penny and Rootbeer gold/chart tail; also the Berkley Gulp 5” and 6” Jerkshad work well too.  Sometimes you may need to work the bait a little slower during colder months, so try using a light jig head; this will allow you to work the bait slower.

If you have any questions about the tactics I use fishing the local waters please e-mail me or catch me on Face Book at:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Capt-Jot-OwensJot-It-Down-Fishing-Charters-LLC/134340373310487

Don’t forget my special rates will start January 1st2012 and will run to March 31st2012 save on great winter fishing trips for Redfish, Striped Bass, Speckled trout and Large Mouth Bass.  Winter fishing around this area can be great and it looks like we are going to have a milder winter; which means even better fishing this winter!

Fishing Gear I use:

Speckled trout, Striped Bass and Redfish: Reels Penn Battle 2000, 3000 & 4000 spinning reels.  Rods: Fenwick HMG GS 70ML and Penn Legion rods  Line: *new line I’m using and really enjoying for Trout fishing is NanoFil from Berkley, this line is for spinning reels and its very smooth casting line!  I prefer eight and ten pound for trout fishing.  Fluorocarbon leader material, Stren Tinted Fluorocarbon in tints Gunsmoke for clearer waters and Tannic for river or stained waters in twenty pound test.

Thanks for reading!  Don’t forget take a kid fishing and good fall fishing to you!

Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
Penn Reels Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Here it is Thanksgiving and we still have warm weather most days!  Finally after two very cold winters we’ve got the best fishing weather we could have for late November!  With all this nice weather the fishing has really been on fire; some of the best Speckled trout fishing I’ve seen in while around here and the Redfish as well as the Flounder bite has been good too!  I believe that we will see good Speckled trout fishing all the way to Christmas this year!

The Speckled trout has been the name of the game for the last two months and the trout continue to bite very well.  With most of my charters coming to the dock with there limit and some days with over seventy trout coming over the side of the boat.  It truly has been an unbelievable Speckled trout season and it looks like it will continue for the next three weeks or longer!

When the trout bite is on they are hitting just about any lure or live bait you throw at them, but there are a few colors/lures that are catching more keepers then other colors/lures.  This season has been a very good grub/jig season with hundreds of trout coming to the boat on grubs.  The two hot grubs this season for me has been the Berkley Gulp Fire tail 3” shrimp and Saltwater Assassin 4” sea shad pattern.  The colors that are catching the most and biggest trout in the fire tail shrimp are watermelon red fleck, pearl and new penny.  In the sea shads; chicken on a chain, salt&pepper silver with chart tail, sweet pea, cantaloupe, chart diamond and 10w40 with chart tail.

I prefer to rig all my grubs on red, gray or black jig heads in weights of 1/16oz, 1/8oz or 1/4oz; you really don’t need a much heavier jig, a slow sink will catch you more trout!  Remember trout typically hit lures that are sinking down or just above them.  Keeping this in mind; a slower sinking lure stays in the strike zone longer which gives the trout more time to hit you lure.  Another rule I stand by when Speckled trout is the fact that trout have very good eye sight and with this said I always use a high quality fluorocarbon leader for all my trout rigs.  I prefer Stren’s tinted fluorocarbon leader material in twenty pound test; with gunsmoke tint for clear waters and tannic for river or stained water applications.

My charters have caught a few nice trout on hard baits like MirrOlures and Sebile baits.  We’ve caught trout the 17MR and 18MR but some of the bigger ones are hitting the good old 52M&MR this season.  Another bait that has really picked up a few nice trout this season is the Stick Shadd by Sebile in sizes 90 and 114 with colors in white lady, hollow mullet and yellow pepper.  The colors for the MirrOlures that are having the most luck are; 17MR and 18MR’s in colors: 11, 26, 808, CFPR, CH, EC and BCH.  As far as the 52M & MR in colors: 11, 26, 51, 704, 808, CFPR, CH and HP.

If you would like to go with the live bait for your trout outing, try live mud minnows, small finger mullet or shrimp all of these baits will catch trout.  I rig all these different baits on float rigs in waters of three to six feet deep and a light Carolina rig for deeper waters of five to twenty feet deep.  Still here again even with live bait I always use fluorocarbon as leader; it will make a difference.

One cool thing that is always fun during trout season is all the ‘bonus fish’ that you will catch while Speckled trout fishing.  My charters have caught a good bunch of Redfish, Sheephead and Flounder in the last few weeks of fishing.  We even put an eight pound one ounce Flounder in the boat last week; what a pull that was on a light trout rod!  So you never know what might be on the end of your rod to you get it to the boat this time of year.

Fishing Gear I use:

Speckled trout, Flounder and Redfish: Reels Penn Battle 2000 & 3000 spinning reels.  Rods: Fenwick HMG GS 70ML & GS 70M-MF  Line: *new line I’m using and really enjoying for Trout fishing is NanoFil from Berkley, this line is for spinning reels and its very smooth casting line!  I prefer eight and ten pound for trout fishing.  Fluorocarbon leader material, Stren Tinted Fluorocarbon in tints Gunsmoke for clearer waters and Tannic for river or stained waters in twenty pound test.

*Are you on Facebook?  Check out my page Capt. Jot Owens/Jot It Down Fishing Charters LLC for lots of good info on local fishing, fishing tips, detailed live reports, photos and tackle giveaways; yes free stuff!  Just Fan (like) the page on I’ll have monthly random drawings of Fans for free tackle!

Thanks so much for reading this report!  I’m booking now and booking up fast for trophy Speckled trout trips for December.  Don’t forget take a kid fishing and good fall fishing to ya!

Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
Penn Reels Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Penn has taken inshore light tackle fishing to the next level with their new line of light tackle fishing rods.  Let me introduce the Penn Legion series.  The Legions have everything you need in a light tackle rod and nothing extra that you don’t need to get in your way on a rod.  These rods were designed, tested and still used today by light tackle anglers all over the world.  I was on the test team for these rods and from the first day I fished them, I really liked them!

There are 19 models in the Legion line and I’m sure you can find a rod or two that will match what ever kind of light tackle fishing you enjoy doing.  One thing I look for in rods today is a rod that is built well, balanced in your hands and its feels good to fish with; I look forward to casting my Legions everyday I use them.  I don’t have that feeling in the back of my head thinking, “I wish I had a different rod to use than this one”.  I have owed rods in the past that just did not do it for me, the Legion is far from those rods; it’s a pleasure to cast every time!

Here are some of the features that really make Legions great rods:

• 100% 30 ton Graphite blank for incredible strength
• Fuji Hardloy guides on all models
• Fuji Reel seats on all models
• Carbon scale; a unique twist of strands of carbon fiber that create a beautiful scale pattern on the rods.
• 19 Models with 16 spinning and 3 casting
• A soft yet durable rubber gimbal on the heavier models in casting and spinning.
• Cork handles on the lighter models and EVA on the heavier models
• Spinning models with lengths of 6’6”, 6’9”, 7’, 7’3”,7’6” and 8’  casting models are all 7’
• MSRP: $99.95 to $119.95

One personal story I have with a Penn Legion medium spinning seven foot rod, is a 54 pound cobia that decided to eat my bluefish jig this last June.  I was out on a beautiful afternoon with my wife just cruising outside of Rich’s Inlet NC; very close to Wrightsville Beach, NC.  I saw a school of menhaden and lots of bluefish working the school of menhaden just outside the inlet.  So I casted my jig in to the school of menhaden and something, much bigger than a bluefish picked up my jig.  After a twenty minute fight and a very tough time of gaffing; we got the 54 pound cobia in the boat.  And what do you know it was caught on a Penn Legion medium spinning rod with a Penn Battle 3000 spinning reel!  The Legion did great under the pressure of a 54 pound Cobia and the twenty minute fight and the Penn Battle spinning reels was just as smooth too after the fight!  That is one day I’ll never forget!

Check out the full line of Penn Legion rods at www.pennreels.com or your local tackle shop.  If you have any questions or comments on the Legions or any Penn products please let me know.

Thanks for reading,

Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
captainjot@yahoo.com

Finding the right, credible and qualified guide can be a little hard with all the info out there these days.  If you want a great guide, not just a good guide; take your time and do some homework.  It will payoff when you hit the water with your guide.  I’m not just talking; drag screaming, rod bent all day long fishing guide.  I’m talking a safe, patient and knowable fishing guide; that will show you a great day on the water.  It’s not always about catching fish all day long; it’s much more than that.

 Here are some guide lines and questions to ask guides about what they offer:

Is the guide credible and qualified for the fishing you want to do?  When I’ve talk to clients about what they like to see in a fishing guide, here are a few things that came up.  (Full time guide), people like to see this when looking for a guide.  Full time guides that are typically on the water daily know the fishing trends for that area well and can better plan a good day of fishing for the date you choose based on previous days/weeks experience.  If there is a specie or specie’s you would like to fish for let the guide know that.  If a client does not tell me what they want to fish for; I put them on the best bite we’ve had lately.  Have a open mind, if the guides tells you that the fish you want to chase is not biting good; let them know if you still want to try for that species or try what he/she recommends.

Does the guide have the gear you desire to fish with?  I mostly bring spinning tackle for my charters, but I have baitcasters and fly gear as well.  I always ask my clients if they would like to use baitcasters and/or fly gear before our trip.  If you would like to bring your own tackle, let the guide know that.  Most guides don’t mind, but let them know you are bringing your fishing gear and ask what they recommend you bring.  If you want to use fly gear ask what weight fly rods, lines, tippets and patterns that are working for what you will be fishing for.

What does the guide provide for your trip?  Do you need a fishing license or does the guide provide a license.  Here inNorth Carolinawe have blanket fishing license for the boat, which I have.  Any clients that fish on my boat are covered under my license.  Some guides chose not to get this license and there clients have got to get a fishing license.  Other things to ask if the guide provides; ice, drinks, food and sunscreen; if you don’t know; ask it won’t hurt.

What should you bring on the trip?  A few things I tell all my clients to bring is sunscreen, hat, camera, there food and drinks for the day.  Ask if there is a chance of rain, you may need to bring a rain jacket.  Don’t’ forget during cooler mouths; it’s always cooler on the water.  Dress in layers during the colder mouths, the wind can make it much cooler on the water.

Price; this can be a hard one to break down, what is the right price?  With a lot of people price usually the first consideration when hiring a guide, but be careful!  You get what you PAY FOR!!! Be weary of guides that charge considerably less than other local guides.  Running a credible guide service is costly for the guide. Fuel, insurance, tackle, ice etc etc….I could go on and on about expenses!  What I’m trying to say is, most guides will work harder and go further to find fish for you; that charge the average or a little more.

How many people can or should I bring on the fishing trip?  Every guide is different on the amount of people that can come on a trip.  It really depends on boat size, what kind of fishing you will be doing and what you want to get out of the trip.  Some people just want to go fishing and others want to go to learn more about fishing than actually catch fish.  Let your guide know if you are bringing kids fishing with you.  Here again talk with your guide; tell them what you want to do and ask how many people can come for a quality fishing trip.

Can I keep the fish I catch?  Most guides will allow you to keep your limit of the fish you catch.  There are a few things you need to remember, only keep the fish that you will use (eat).  If you don’t know if you will eat them all, let them (fish) go for another day of fishing.  There is nothing worst as a guide; we get back to the dock with a box full of fish and the customer does not want the fish.  Most guides will clean your catch or give you info where you can get them cleaned locally.

Does the guide guarantee that you will catch fish?  All guides have bad fishing days from time to time, its fishing not catching don’t forget this!  Some guides may guarantee fish, but the clients I’ve talked to with this experience say the better guides that they have fished with don’t guarantee fish.

Don’t forget to tip the mate/guide.  They have worked hard to show you a good day on the water.  Ten to twenty percent is average but you make that decision; remember it’s not always catching but it is always fishing!  I’ve said it and herd it a million times; “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work”!

I really hope this will help you find a credible fishing guide for your next outing.

Thanks for reading,

Capt. Jot Owens

Fall is really starting to show its face around Southeastern North Carolina these last few weeks.  Some warm days, some cool days and a few colder days with rain mixed in from time to time, but over all good fishing weather. The good part of this is no more hot days but lots of hot fishing to come!

October and November are great mouths for Speckled trout fishing and one of my favorite to fish for.  They are good to eat and a lot of fun to catch on light tackle.  It really does not matter if you like to fish artificial bait or live bait you can catch lots of Specks either way!  So far in the last two weeks I have picked up some very nice Speckled trout as well as good numbers of keeper size trout.  The gator trout (big ones) are starting to show up too and more will come with this cool weather we are having.

Here is how I have been catching the Speckled trout lately.  On the artificial side of things; MirrOlures and Sebile’s Stick Shadds are working very well for me this season so far.  I’ve caught trout the 17MR and 18MR but some of the bigger ones are hitting the good old 52M&MR this season.  Another bait that has really picked up a few nice trout this season is the Stick Shadd by Sebile in sizes 90 and 114 with colors in white lady, hollow mullet and yellow pepper.  The colors for the MirrOlures that are having the most luck are; 17MR and 18MR’s in colors: 11, 26, 808, CFPR, CH, EC and BCH.  As far as the 52M & MR in colors: 11, 26, 51, 704, 808, CFPR, CH and HP.

Soft baits are always a winner for trout fishing and you can catch good numbers of Speckled trout on grubs etc.  Berkley Ripple Mullets and Fire tail shrimp are two newer baits on the market and have been real good baits for Redfish but I’ve caught a few very nice trout on them lately.  The colors I’ve had the best luck with are Goby magic/chart tail, Root-beergold/chart tail and glow/chart tail in the Ripple mullets.  In the fire tail shrimp pattern colors of rootbeer gold, watermelon red fleck and new penny are working great.  Saltwater Assassin makes a very large selection of great trout grubs, give one of these colors in the sea shad pattern a try on your next trout outing; chicken on a chain, copperhead, S&P silver phantom/chart, chart/diamond, sweet pea, 10w40/limetail and greenback shiner.

I rig all of these grubs on high quality jig heads in colors red, gray and brown; in sizes 1/16, 1/8, ¼ and 3/8oz.  When I say high quality; I mean a jig head with a strong yet very sharp hook, a good jig head makes a big difference in how many fish you catch and don’t miss; trust me!  Check out jig heads by Sebile, Bluewater Candy and Saltwater Assassin; all of these companies make great high quality jig heads!

So you like to catch trout on live bait, well give live shrimp a try.  The trick to live shrimp is knowing when to stop feeding the trash fish like; pinfish, lizard fish, and small bluefish.  Using live shrimp can get expensive but you can catch some good numbers and size trout with live shrimp.  I rig live shrimp a two different ways; in shallow water two to six feet I use a float rig.  My float rigs consist of twenty pound Stren or Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon about twelve inches long and a number six treble hook for a live shrimp.  When I fish deeper waters (five foot plus) or with stronger currents I use a light carolina rig.  These rigs consist of a very small swivel, fourteen to twenty inches of fluorocarbon and a number one L42 Eagle claw hook.  The sinker for this rig needs to be light 1/16oz or 1/8oz split shot and 1/8oz or 1/4oz egg sinkers should do the trick.

I’m still seeing the Redfish around and a few Bull reds are still biting from time to time around the inlets.  There have been a few schools of Reds in the surf but due to very high winds and seas not much action there lately.  On some sunny days I’ve caught a good number of Reds along the ICW and oyster flats in local creeks north and south & North of Wrightsville Beach.  Live finger mullet and fresh cut bait will catch’em but, give a Berkley Gulp 3” new penny shrimp or a root-beergold/chart tail Ripple mullet a shot and I bet you’ll have no problem catching a few redfish.

In other fishing news, the weekend of October 22nd and 23rd was the Red Bone-Cape Fear Red*Trout Tournament Series.  This year again Adam Meyer and Liz Pitts of Charter Lakes Insurance Group fished with me.  Liz did very well again this year taking home Grand Champion Lady Angler General Division Champion and Most Speckled trout Champion.  Our team came in 1st over all in points, but the elusive keeper size Redfish was no where to be found; we got one as close at 171/2 inches (yes that hurt)!  So we could not bring home Grand Champion Angler for Liz; hey there’s always next year!  This is a tournament to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis; I look forward every year to fishing this tournament of a great cause.

Fishing gear I use:

Speckled trout and Redfish: Reels Penn Battle 2000 & 3000 spinning reels.  Rods: Fenwick HMG GS 70ML & GS 70M-MF  Line: *new line I’m using and really enjoying for Trout fishing is NanoFil from Berkley, this line is for spinning reels and its very smooth casting line!  I prefer eight and ten pound for trout fishing.  Fluorocarbon leader material, Stren Tinted Fluorocarbon in tints Gunsmoke for clearer waters and Tannic for river or stained waters in twenty pound test.

If you are in or around the Morehead City area come by for the Grand Opening of Dick’s Sporting Goods in Morehead City on November 12th.  I’ll be there with Berkley, Penn, Fenwick, Sebile and Spiderwire to help answer any questions you have about products or fishing.  If you come by, please stop and say hello.

Dick’s Sporting Goods
Crystal Coast Plaza
5130 Highway 70 West
Morehead City, NC 28557

*Are you on Facebook?  Check out my page Capt. Jot Owens/Jot It Down Fishing Charters LLC for lots of good info on local fishing, fishing tips, detailed live reports, photos and tackle giveaways; yes free stuff!  Just Fan (like) the page on I’ll have monthly random drawings of Fans for free tackle!

Thanks so much for reading this report!  I’m booking now and booking up fast for trophy Speckled trout trips November to mid December.  Don’t forget take a kid fishing and good fall fishing to ya!

Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
Penn Reels Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Penn Fishing tackle has been around for a long time and over the years has brought some of the best rods and reels to the world market.  If you are an avid fishermen, I’m sure you have noticed that Penn had been working hard on some new and exciting products lately!  Let me share one with you that is going to be Penn’s new hot, built well and affordable spinning reel.  I would like to introduce the Penn Battle spinning reel.

The Battle comes in seven sizes to cover almost all fishing scenarios; inshore, near shore and offshore.  As we all know braided fishing line (superline) has gotten very popular over the last few years.  Hey its great stuff, small in diameter and super strong; but its hard on tackle IE: gears and drag systems.  The Battle’s full metal body and side plate keep precise gear alignment under heavy loads.  And with Penn’s legendary HT 100 drag system; not only will this reel have a strong drag system it will last many hard fishing seasons.  All Battles come with braid ready spools, no backing needed for these spinning reels; you can put braid right on the spool with no worry of line slippage.

Cap and Stats:

BTL2000: Mono cap yds/lb: 260/4   210/6   140/8 Braid cap: 260/8   225/10   170/15 Bearings: 6+1 Max drag: 7 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 9.6oz

BTL3000 Mono cap yds/lb: 250/6   170/8   140/10 Braid cap: 275/10   205/15     170/20 Bearings: 6+1 Max drag: 10 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 11.6oz

BTL4000 Mono cap yds/lb: 280/8   230/10   170/12 Braid cap: 335/15   275/20   205/30 Bearings: 6+1 Max drag: 13 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 12.6oz

BTL5000 Mono cap yds/lb: 250/12   220/15   190/17 Braid cap: 405/20   305/30   250/40 Bearings: 6+1 Max drag: 20 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 20.3

BTL6000 Mono cap yds/lb: 320/15   280/17   220/20 Braid cap: 445/30   365/40   310/50 Bearings: 6+1 Max drag: 20 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 21.8oz

BTL7000 Mono cap yds/lb: 390/17   310/20   280/25 Braid cap: 505/40   430/50   360/65 Bearings: 6+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.3:1 Weight: 27.8oz

BTL8000 Mono cap yds/lb: 390/20   350/25   260/30 Braid cap: 550/50   450/65   390/80 Bearings: 6+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.3:1 Weight: 29.2oz

Key points to the Penn Battle Spinning Reel:

• Full metal body and sideplate keep precise gear alignment under heavy loads
• Superline Spool™ – No backing needed because of the rubber gasket keeps superline from slipping
• Machined and anodized aluminum spool
• HT-100™ drag washers provide smooth drag under heavy loads
• Stainless steel main shaft
• 6 sealed stainless steel ball bearings
• Infinite anti-reverse
• Techno-balanced™ rotor gives smooth retrieves
• Machined and anodized aluminum handle with soft touch knob

Let me tell you a little experience I had with a Penn Battle 2000 spinning reel.  I was on a Flounder charter trip this summer; we were fishing around Masonboro inlet, NC.  I was watching my client’s fish, baiting hooks and measuring Flounder when all of a sudden one of my customers starts screaming about all the line that was running off her 2000 Battle.  Now you have got to keep in mind we are anchored in twenty-five foot of water in a four knot current running away from the boat.  The “fish” was running hard and I felt it was probably a sting ray but it started to shake its head (rays don’t do this).  So I tightened the drag down and my client held on and reeled hard for over twenty minutes.  Finally a forty-one inch Bull Red Drum pop up; we netted, photo, tagged and released the giant.  After the fight picked up the 2000 Battle we had caught the nice Red on and checked the drag and smoothness of the reel; it was still like it just came out of the box.  Here is a photo of the Bull Red we caught that day.

As a full time fishing guide, outdoor writer, seminar speaker and on the Penn research & development test team; I’ve seen a few spinning reels.  Day in and day out, I fish with spinning reels.  When I look for a spinning reel, I look for the one that has a good price, but also is built well enough to last my through charter clients and tournament fishing.  Over the years of fishing, I’ve found that you get what you pay for in any fishing tackle, but how wants to pay “too much” for tackle (no one)!  You want a spinning reel that will stay smooth and have good smooth/strong drag season after season; right?  If this sounds like the reel you are looking for give the Penn Battle a try.  Check out all the great Penn Products at www.pennreels.com

If you have any questions about the Penn Battle or any Penn product, let me know and I’ll be happy to answer you questions.

Thanks for reading,

Capt. Jot Owens
Penn Reels Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139