I hope everybody made through Hanna ok. I’m very glad it was not a major storm, and it looks likes Ike is going to the Gulf. Good for us in the Carolina; not so good for the Gulf. Our hopes and preys are with the Gulf States. Fishing was good until we stopped for the passing of Hanna. I’m sure it will pick right back up too!
The Spanish mackerel have still been biting good to great on most days, with some small keeper kings as well. Most of the Spanish are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in plan silver and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick. The colors that seem to be working are pink, green and blue in sizes seven & fourteen gram. The Spanish are eating very small bait fish, with this happening I have gone to smaller lures. This has helped greatly in the good numbers of Spanish we have caught.
The King mackerel have also showed up this last week, they are not real big but a lot of fun on light tackle! The kings are also biting the Yo-Zuri’s. The colors that are working the best have been Pink and Clown. We are trolling the crystal minnows two to three knots. The good thing about trolling this Yo-Zuri is you can use light tackle which makes it a lot of fun.
Sheephead are still biting good, we have caught some real nice Sheephead this year. We’ve had two fish over ten pounds, so much fun on light tackle. They are so good to eat as well! The best fishing lately for us has been around bridges, docks and bulk-heads. Fishing in water from six to fifth-teen feet for Sheephead seems to work the best for us. We fish mostly using small Carolina rigs, with forty pound mono leader and small but strong live bait hooks. Baits we are using; fiddler crabs and sand fleas have worked just fine. Give it a shot, it takes time but you’ll get one; Hold-on”!
The fishing should get better as the water clears up from Hanna’s hit and run. Get out there and do some fishing, fall fishing should be just around the corner. Thanks for reading this report, and good luck fishing. If you would like to go fishing give me call!
Fishing Gear we use:
Sheephead, King and Spanish mackerel: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy
Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Wrightsville Beach NC Fishing charters
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
I hope everybody is doing well and catching a few fish! I have got to say I’m glad Fay did not make it up here, but her power was felt up this way. We’ve had some very strong east winds the last couple of days, which has kept me out of the ocean and in the back water areas. Before the blow we did some good ocean fishing for Flounder and Gray trout.
Most of the flounder inshore are mixed in size, but the fish in the ocean are a little better in size. Live bait and grubs are the best bet. Carolina rigs for the live bait and heavy jig heads for the grubs. I prefer bright grubs; Saltwater Assassin’s sea shads in colors chart/diamond and silver mullet work real well.
Another new color from Assassin is “Chicken on a Chain” it looks like a Mud minnow. I think this will be a good color for Flounder on days you can’t find live bait. The body of the Chicken on a chain” is a glow body good for lower light days. Watch out when fishing in the ocean for the flounders; we’ve had some very nice fish eaten by Barracudas just under the boat.
How bout’ those Gray trout, the trout bite has really picked up the last couple of weeks. We are catching most of the Grays the same way we’ve been catching the Flounder; Carolinas rigs and live bait. My favorite live bait for Grays is finger mullet. If you would rather use lures, small jigging spoons and grubs will work just fine. I like to put a shot of scent on my grubs; “Bang’s” shrimp, crab, and Taxes tea are some of my favorites. The Flounder and Trout are holding on near shore live “hard” bottom, wrecks, and ledges.
My charters have had some great early Redfish morning bites. We are fishing mud flats and oyster flats in creeks and along the ICW. Multi fish hook-ups are not uncommon at all! Top water plugs like the Rapala skitter-walk have done very well. Rattle and popping corks with live mullets and little menhaden have been working great! The best rattlin’ corks for me have been the Saltwater Assassin’s “Kwik-cork” this is one of the loudest corks on the market they work!
There are some Bull Reds starting to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets. You never know when you might hook one of these big fish might bite. When we try to catch these Bulls, we use fresh cut or live menhaden. We use fish finder rigs with 11/0 and 12/0 circle hooks, keep your drag tight and the circle hooks will do there job.
Thanks so much for reading this report, if you would like a Fishing charter give me call or drop me a line. Good fishing to ya!
Fishing gear we use;
Bull Reds: Reels Pflueger Contender G15L, Rods Shakespeare Custom “USCB 1166 MH” Penn spinning reels 560L Live Liner with Penn Torque jigging rod 7’ 20 to 50 braids.
Redfish, Grays, and Flounder: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy.
Good Luck,
Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Wrightsville Beach NC charter fishing
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello Folks, is this summer going by fast for you? It sure is for me, they say time flies when you’re having fun. I guess I’m having a fun summer, fishing that is. Hey in other good news those gas prices have come down a little bit, they just need to keep coming down! Let’s talk some good fishing!
The last couple of weeks the fishing has been pretty good just off the beach. The Spanish Mackerel have been biting very good most days and the fish are a really nice grade. Some fish over six pounds, that’s a good pull on light tackle! Early morning seems to be the best bite, but some fish have stayed around all day on some days.
Most of the Spanish are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in plan silver and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick. The colors that seem to be working are pink, green and blue in sizes seven & fourteen gram. We have also caught a few very nice Spanish on the fly rod too.
We are starting to catch Flounder pretty good; we are seeing a few fish inshore as well on the near shore reefs and wrecks. Most of the flounder inshore are mixed in size, but the fish in the ocean are a little better in size. Live bait and grubs are the best bet. Carolina rigs for the live bait and heavy jig heads for the grubs. I prefer bright grubs; Saltwater Assassin’s sea shads in colors chart/diamond and silver mullet work real well. Watch out when fishing in the ocean for the flounders; we’ve had some very nice fish eaten by Barracudas just under the boat. It’s not a fun thing!!
I’m still seeing a few Tarpon around the inlets and off the shoals; the Tarpon should stay around till mid September. We fish for Tarpon on the bottom using, live and fresh dead baits like; spots, bluefish and Menhaden. We rig these baits on fish finder rigs, with three to five feet of 80 to 100 pound mono 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. We’ve caught some very nice bluefish while Tarpon fishing lately.
The Shark fishing is still going very strong most days. Very nice sharks in the forty to over two hundred pounds are mostly what we are seeing. We’ve been using light tackle and fly rods to catch these powerful sharks. When we use spinning reels we use; 300+ yards of thirty and forty pound Ugly braid super line and a good fast tipped rod. They are a lot of fun on spinning tackle!
Thanks so much for reading this report, if you would like a Fishing charter give me call or drop me a line. Good fishing to ya!
Fishing gear we use;
Tarpon and sharks Reels Pflueger Contender G15L, Rods Shakespeare Custom “USCB 1166 MH” Penn spinning reels 560L Live Liner with Penn Torque jigging rod 7’ 20 to 50 braids.
Spanish and Flounder: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy.
Good Luck,
Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Wrightsville Beach NC fishing Charters
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello Folks, I guess we can call this mid-summer fishing. All those mid-summer bites have started and some of the fish are starting to show that hot water temp bite. Early morning and late afternoon bite; for the Redfish and Trout are really showing lately. Let’s talk about that and a few other bites in this weeks fishing Report.
My charters have had some great early morning Redfish and Trout bites. We are fishing mud flats and oyster flats in creeks and along the ICW. Multi fish hook-ups are not uncommon at all! Top water plugs like the Rapala skitter-walk have done very well. Rattle and popping corks with live mullets and little menhaden have been working great! The best rattlin’ corks for me have been the Saltwater Assassin’s “Kwik-cork” this is one of the loudest corks on the market; “trust me; try some!”
Another hot weather favorite of mine is the great fighting and great eating Sheephead. If you just started fishing or you have for years, you will love the time and fight it takes to catch one of these fish. The best fishing lately for us has been around bridges, docks and bulk-heads. Fishing in water from six to fifth-teen feet for sheephead seems to work the best for us. We fish mostly using small Carolina rigs, with forty pound mono leader and small but strong live bait hooks. Baits we are using; fiddler crabs and sand fleas have worked just fine. Give it a shot, it takes time but you’ll get one; Hold-on”!
The Spanish mackerel are still picking good most days. Most of the Spanish are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in silver, gold and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick. There has been some bigger Spanish around the last couple of weeks; with some fish over five pounds. Always fun on the ultra light or fly rod!
We are still seeing some Tarpon around the inlets and shoals. Live and dead baits on the bottom have had the best luck for getting bites; fresh spots, menhaden and mullet work the best. Shark fishing will be good through the end of October. We’ve had some really nice lemon and black tip sharks already this year and a few on the fly-rod. We mostly are fishing around and just off the local inlets. There also has been some locally good flounder fishing; in the creeks and around the bigger inlets like Carolina and Masonboro inlets.
Thanks so much for reading this report, if you would like a Fishing charter give me call or drop me a line. Good fishing to ya!
Fishing gear we use;
Tarpon and sharks Reels Pflueger Contender G15L, Rods Shakespeare Custom “USCB 1166 MH” Penn spinning reels 560L Live Liner with Penn Torque jigging rod 7’ 20 to 50 braids.
Reds, Spanish and Sheephead: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy.
Good Luck,
Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Wrightsville Beach NC Charter fishing
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello, I hope everybody is doing well. I can’t complain; fishing has had some consistence for the most part. The gas prices have too, there just too high! We can’t change the gas prices by snapping our fingers, so let’s talk fishing and worry about the gas after the fishing trip!
The summer trend of local fishing is really starting to show. One of my favorites has rally started to show this last week; the always fun Tarpon! I have only Tarpon fished once; last week. We saw a few fish and had a strike, and a jump but no hook up “that’s Tarpon fishing for ya”. Always good to see them around the boat; gets my blood pressure up every time!
We fish for Tarpon on the bottom using, live and fresh dead baits like; spots, bluefish and Menhaden. Rigging these baits on fish finder rigs, with three to five feet of 80 to 100 pound mono 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 have also had a fair share of Tarpon on my kite rig with live baits like greenies and menhaden. Nothing like seeing a Tarpon hit kite baits!
When the Tarpon start to show up, the sharks are already here! I’m not talking about one to three footers; I’m talking about four to seven plus footers, running fifty to two hundred pounds; on light tackle and fly rods. Don’t knock it til you have tried it! It’s a lot of fun most of the sharks come right up to the boat and take the bait or fly. We catch Lemon, Dusky, and Black tips and a few Hammerheads from time to time as well.
Best baits for the near shore sharks are, fresh and live Menhaden. When we use bait to catch the sharks we use spinning reels, with 300+ yards of thirty and forty pound Ugly braid super line. Rigging the baits; eight feet of 80 pound mono leader; some will wind on to the reel. Connected to a fifty pound swivel, then to Two to three foot of #9 SS wire and a 8/0 or 9/0 off set J hook. If you prefer Fly fishing, I like Striped bass flies in Menhaden patterns with 4/0 and 5/0 hook sizes. We use ten to twelve weight set ups; have lots of extra flies with you!
The Redfish are still picking good, you just have got to get out there and find some fish that have not been fished too much. Live, fresh cut bait and scented grubs have been the ticket. Spanish mackerel are biting as well, casting and trolling are best bets for these speedsters. Don’t forget that great hot summer fish the Sheephead, the hotter the better for those Sheephead. One-armed bandits seem to be one of best baits for me. Fish them around docks and bridges.
Thanks so much for reading this report, get out there and try some of these tactics you’ll catch’em!
Fishing gear we use;
Tarpon: Reels Pflueger Contender G15L, Rods Shakespeare Custom “USCB 1166 MH”
Sharks: Same as Tarpon and Penn spinning reels 560L Live Liner with Penn Torque jigging rod 7’ 20 to 50 braid.
Reds, Spanish and Sheephead: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy.
Good Luck,
Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
