Hello folks, is it hot enough for ya?? Summer has really started to show and feel around eastern North Carolina. The good thing is it’s a good reason to get out on the water to cool off and do some fishing! Don’t forget your sunscreen and polarized sunglasses on those bright sunny days; they can be a life saver! Let’s talk fishing.
The Spanish mackerel have still been biting good to great on 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 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. (Hint): keep it to smaller lures when the weather gets hot!
My charters are starting to catch a few Flounder; 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. I’m starting to see a few Mullet and Menhaden around the creeks and small channels.
I’ve seen a few Cobia around the inlets and near shore reefs. Live bait fishing is the best bet for these great fighting fish. Fishing live baits on top as well as on the bottom will get you the best chance at catching a Cobia. I prefer bluefish, mullet and menhaden for bait; what ever is easier to get. To catch a Cobia you’ve got to put your time in, sometimes you catch one right away most of the time you don’t. That’s why they call it fishing!
We are seeing a few more Redfish around, most fish have been in the water way and around some of the inlets. As more live bait shows up, more Reds will come out of the ocean and in to the sounds. This is starting to happen, the fishing should pick up in the next few weeks. The Reds we are getting are hitting fresh cut, bait live and scented Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs in colors; drunk monkey and molting.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report. Get out on the water and take a kid fishing! Don’t forget to take Dad fishing soon; father’s day is just around the corner! Good fishing to ya!
Fishing gear used: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning reels 6035 and 6040 size. Rods: Ugly stick lite’s 7’ med and med hvy action. All Stars’ Coastal inshore series Trout/Redfish Special 7’ code# CC TR2-S Great inshore rod!! Line Ugly braid 20# and 30# www.allstarrods.com
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello from Southeast North Carolina, I hope everybody is having a good fishing season so far this year! I’ve had a good one so far myself; the new Ranger boat has been a real treat to fish this season! The fishing is picking up nicely as well. On that note let’s talk fishing!
The real winner for me lately has been the Spanish mackerel. My charters have done real good the last few trips, with catches of thirty or more Spanish in a half day. 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 and pink flash. I really like the pink flash series, these spoons have worked very well for my charters.
There has also been plenty of blue fish up and down the beach as well. We have also caught a hand full of chopper blues too. These choppers are running in the six to over fifth teen pound range. The choppers are biting big poppers and mid water stick baits. Color really does not seem to matter to those big blues, just a lot of action from the lure!
Bottom fishing just off the beach has produced some nice Black bass, grunts and small Grouper, of course on the lighter wind days! Jigs and squid are the trick, fishing the squid on simple two hook bottom rigs. Jig fishing using two to five once jigs in colors pink, green and red/white. We are fishing mostly hard and live bottom areas for the bottom fish.
The flounder bite is picking up some too; we are starting to see 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.
Red fish have been hit or miss for me lately, some days we get a few some days we don’t. This should change when more live bait shows up in the creeks and channels. What Reds we are getting are hitting fresh bait and scented Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs in colors; drunk monkey and molting.
Thanks so much for reading this report. If you get a chance check out some of Xtools new products at www.xtools.us Arnette has some great new sunglasses out this year for the guys and gals, check them out at www.arnette.com Lets go fishing, give me a call>>>!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello everybody, I hope spring is treating you good. The weather has really warmed up around here; we are getting more good weather fishing days. There has been a lot more days with lighter winds and sunny sky’s. This good weather has lead to good fishing trips. One thing that I have seen is a lot of fish that are early this year, showing up two to four weeks earlier than usual.
Fishing has changed a lot since my last report in a good way. The Bonita bit well this and last week, we caught them trolling and casting. Spanish mackerel have showed up this week as well. The lures that we’re trolling with and have worked well for us are; Clark spoons and Yo-Zuri crystal minnow deep divers. The YoZuri’s have worked the best on the Bonita’s and big Spanish mackerel.
A few King mackerel have also showed up this 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.
The Red fish, Flounder and Speckled trout are biting too. The trout bite is starting to slow down around Wrightsville but it is going strong in the river. Reds and Flounder are biting around docks and in the creeks. Most of the Reds and Flounder are hitting grubs and live bait. Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs are working well to get these fish, in colors good penny and molting. Blurps are scented grubs like many other scented grubs on the market, but they won’t dry out on your hook and they have great action!
There is lots of Blues around the inlet; they will bite just about any spoons or jigs. There are a few big ones around too, don’t forget use some good leader when your fishing for them. I have herd some talk about a few COBIA showing up around. Let’s not get to ahead of our self this season now, but “I’m keeping my eye out for them”.
Gear used: Pflueger Medalist spinning reels in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lite’s 7’ med action. Line: Ugly Braid fifth teen and twenty pound test. Keep your eyes out for Penn’s new jigging rods. I have used a few of them and they have a really good feel to them. Thanks for reading this report. Give me a call lets go fishing, School will be out soon, time to book that fishing trip!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello folks, I hope y’all are enjoying the warmer temps as much as I am! Summer is starting to show it self around eastern North Carolina. Lighter winds and warmer temps have been the story and that means good fishing! Finally three and four day windows of good temps and light winds. Enough about the weather lets talk fishing!
We have had some great Trout fishing lately, fishing south of Wrightsville beach. On good days we are catching over fifth teen trout with three to six flounder mixed in too. On Thursday 4-17, my charter caught sixteen trout and six flounder. That same day one of the trout was 27” and weighted six and a half pounds, a very nice spring trout. The trout was released alive and in good health.
We’ve been catching the trout on live shrimp and shrimp grubs. The rig we are using for the live shrimp is a float rig, fishing two to four feet deep. The shrimp grubs that seem to work the best are Saltwater Assassin (Shrimp Cocktails) in colors (Drunk monkey and Natural glow). We’ve also caught a few with a Kiwk rattling cork and a grub shrimp.
The Red fish bite has been “hit or miss” some days we go out and wack’em some days we don’t. Live bait, fresh shrimp and scented grubs have been the ticket. You just have got to find the Reds to catch them. Fish the live and cut bait on Carolina rigs. Saltwater Assassin (Blurps) in colors good penny and molting seem to work well for the scented grubs. Most of the reds are in the water way on docks and in creek mouths.
In the ocean on the nice days, the blues are biting well. Sometimes you get a few Bonita’s mixed in as well. Clark spoons in size’s one, two and three trolled behind number one planners are the trolling ticket. Casting and jigging spoons works well too around near shore artificial wrecks. Pink colored lures seem to work the best for my charters. It will not be long we will see some Spanish mackerel; I’m looking forward to that!
Gear used: Pflueger Medalist 6040 and 6035 spinning reels with 12 and 20 pound Ugly Braid line. Rods: Ugly stick lite’s in med action 7’.in length. Thanks for taking a look at this report! Get out on the water and take a kid fishing. Or better give me a call and I’ll take ya!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Good day to everyone. The weather is starting to finally get right; we are having more warm days than cooler ones. The forecast has warmer days for the rest of the week, a little cool today though! Wind wise a little better everyday, we’ve finally started to get out on the ocean and chase those Bonita’s around. Let’s talk about that.
Those high speed Bonita’s are showing up, good numbers should show up any day now. The Bluefish are mixed in with them too. We’re catching them by trolling and casting. The trolling rigs that we’re using are; a number one planner with thirty to forty feet of forty pound mono leader. Tied to the leader is a Clark spoon in size’s 0, 1 and 2, I like to use the gold and pink flash Clark spoons. Troll them about five to six knots.
If you would like to try casting or jigging for the Bonita’s, I use Maria jigs. They do have a price tag on them, but when the bite is tough these jigs will pay off! Maria’s that I have the best luck with are size’s seven and fourteen grams. The fourteens are easier to cast. Colors to use; green, blue and pink seem to work the best for me.
The Speckled trout have decided to bite from time to time the last few weeks. Most fish are coming out of creeks and channels around the waterway and inlets. Best bet for the trout so far has been grubs, working the grubs slow in holes and drop-offs. The grubs I like in the spring mouths are Saltwater Assassin sea shad in 4”. Colors silver mullet, chart diamond, and salt/pep shad. I like to use shrimp (Bang) scent in the spring too, this helps because there is not much bait in the water yet. I don’t use a lot of scents for Trout, but in the cool spring mouths it can really help.
Redfish are schooling good in the surf and the ICW, when we get a nice day we get out and get’em. They are pretty easy to catch; you just got to find them. That part can be a bit harder, trust me! A sunny, light wind day and good polarized sunglasses are the keys to catching these Reds. Grubs seen to be the easy go to bait for the Reds. Saltwater Assassin (Blurps) in pearl and molting colors work very well. You can use jigs heads, 1/4 and 3/8 for casting. Color of the jig heads is not a big deal red and black work just fine. Hold on tight, they fight great even in cool water!
We are catching a few Flounder as well. The flounder are biting while we are fishing for Reds and the Trout. Grubs work just fine to get these guys. Gear used: Reel Pflueger Infusion 7635SS and 7640ss, Rod: Ugly Stick Lite 7’0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Ugly Braid in 15 and 20 pound test. Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing! If you would like to go with me check out my web page www.captainjot.com and or give me a call 910-233-4139.
Capt. Jot Owens
Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
