January is the kind of month that I watch the weather forecast very closely. Weather changes much quicker during the winter around our area and can be a big influence on the fishing. I look for warmer, lighter wind and mostly sunny days, even better if we get a few of these kinds of days in a row. January is a pick your fishing day kind of month for the best possible bite chances. I will tell you though, you can have epic fishing days during January, they are just harder to come by because of the weather. January is starting out mild, but we just came off a very cold trend. I’m betting this warm up will really help the fishing for January.
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. You can also 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; also, a high-quality pair of polarized sunglasses will help big time seeing the schools of Reds. I really like Smith optics with ChromaPop, try a pair; you will see the difference. Most of the time the winter school Reds will bite easily, but one thing that will help is scented baits like Berkley Gulp. I prefer Berkley Gulp three- or four-inch shrimp in colors sugar spice glow, scooby and sangria for the flats/shallow water Reds. When I am targeting the inlet and ocean bar Reds, I like to cast five- and six-inch Berkley Gulp jerkshad in colors pearl white and Chart pepper neon. Sometimes you may need to work the bait a little slower during colder months, so try using a lighter jig head; this will allow you to work the bait slower. Jig head weight; Inshore Reds 1/16oz to 1/4oz, ocean Reds 1/4oz to 3/8oz.
You can also use as fresh as you can get cut shrimp or mullet on a light Carolina rig with an Eagle Claw L042 #1 or #2 hook if you prefer to use bait. I only use cut bait for the inshore Reds not the ocean fish. Do not rule out a Black drum while using fresh cut shrimp during the winter months. Typically, if you find one Black drum there are others around, I would stick around a little while if you catch one.
During January you can find some of the big Speckled trout, you are not going to find big numbers, unless they are smaller fish; but the big ones will bite when it gets colder! Work your lures slower and know that you will fish for hours, but the payoff can be great! Try to have patients when winter fishing.
A lure that always seems to help me find more winter Speckled trout is the MirrOlure in the 51M and 52M or MR. Fishing lighter colors due the clear water we sometimes get during the winters here. Working MirrOlures slowly in deeper water breaks and drop offs can produces some very nice trout. If the water gets a bit dirty due to winds or rain/ice/snow, give Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp, shrimp, and five-inch Jerkshad a try. Another winter lure I like Berkley Pro Twitchtail’s on lighter jig (weight 1/16oz) heads; here again work them just a bit slower due to the colder water temps.
Do not rule out a nice Gray trout (weakfish) mixed in during the winter while Speckled trout fishing. Look for the bigger trout to be sitting close to the current, but just off and out of it. Remember these fish are not going to burn calories so they don’t have to be swimming against the
current. Remember with clear cold water it’s very important to use a high-quality fluorocarbon leader material, it will make a difference; trust me!
Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historical downtown Wilmington runs the Cape Fear, Northeast Cape Fear and Brunswick Rivers. During the winter months usually starting in December the local population of Striped Bass start to bite in the rivers. 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, docks and creek months is where you can find the Stripers. I prefer using swim bait lures like Berkley five-inch PowerBait Grass pig or Berkley Gulp Jerkshad rigged on weighted TroKar TK170 swim-bait hooks. Colors that I prefer are pearl white, swamp gas (grass pig) and chart pepper neon. Mid-water diving crank-baits work too but, be careful around pilings to not get hang-ups and lose your lures, it’s very easy to do in the Cape Fear with all the timber on the bottom. You can catch these Stripers on any tide, as long as it’s moving. Do not forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only.
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX, Slammer IV or Authority (New) series spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 & 3500 for the Redfish, Speckled trout and Striped Bass. Rods: Fenwick HMG Inshore in seven foot; med/light (Speckled trout) and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound braid. Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader material, twenty-pound trout fishing, thirty- or forty-pound Redfish and Striped Bass. Tackle Storage I prefer, Plano Guide Series Tackle Bags with Plano EDGE Boxes.
Have a Happy New Year, good fishing to you and thank you for reading!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on December 28th, 2022
Where did November Go?!?! December really; Christmas is just around the corner! But hey, there is still good fishing to do around Southeast, NC! So far this fall the temps have been fair in my opinion. We have had a few cool/cold days (Like today) but then we have runs of mild weather. This typically keeps the bite going, Fingers crossed for good weather!
In December I catch some of the biggest Speckled trout all year, but you need to know which lures work better for bigger trout. Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big trout in the boat for me and for many other anglers over the years. One key point to trout I have found is that most days Specks will bite, but what are they eating that day? This is when you need to know where to start; what lures to try? The series I prefer are the 17MR & 22MR (Catch 2000jr) suspending, 18MR, 51M and 52MR sinking baits.
Colors; MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go to colors around Southeast NC area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, 706, CFPR, CH, EC, HP and Capt. Jot Custom color #1 (Pink back/white belly), #2 (purple back/pink belly) and #3 (Blue back/pink belly) colors in 17MR, #1 in 22MR & 52MR (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop) Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes or at MirrOlure.com. Fishing Depths to use these lures; 17MR & 22MR use these lures in two to six feet of water. 18MR, 51M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth-teen plus feet of water with current. If your lure is hitting the bottom go to a shallower running lure (suspending type).
If you have ever done any trout fishing at all you know that the grub (soft plastic) lures work very well for Speckled trout. Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me lately are Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp and five-inch Jerkshad. Gulp comes in many colors, but here is a few that I like for trout in (shrimp pattern); sugar spice glow, pearl white and newer colors Sangria & Scooby. The Sangria color has quickly become my new “goto” Gulp Trout color. I have been crushing the trout this fall on this new color! Berkley Gulp’s jerkshad in pink shine, pearl white and chart pepper neon work well too.
I rig all my trout soft plastic lures on 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1/4oz jigs heads in colors red, gray, or white and I always use a fluorocarbon leader when trout fishing. I prefer Berkley Pro Spec twenty pound in clear, thirty pound if the blues show up in numbers.
Do not count out live bait if you enjoy fishing with it. Try live smaller mullets, mud minnows and live shrimp. In shallow waters of two to six feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook. In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small #1 or #2 Eagle claw L42 offset circle hook. Just wait until you feel that trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook, remember trout have very soft mouths fast hooks sets but with light power work best.
In December another fish I really like to hunt for on sunny, warmer, and light wind days is schooling Redfish. I find these schools on oyster rocks/flats, sand bars in the surf and shallow flats just off the ICW. In December the Reds are not hard to catch when you find them, but sometimes finding them can be a challenge. My go to bait for the winter Redfish are scented grub like the Berkley Gulp jerkshad or shrimp; Redfish love these things. Rig grubs with thirty fluorocarbon and a darker colored jig heads like red or gray should get the redfish to bite for you. Sometimes a light Carolina rig with a small piece of cut shrimp; for those stubborn fall/winter Redfish may help get a bite.
Just a little inland in Southeast, NC runs the Cape Fear River and in the Cape Fear there is one of my favorite winter fisheries, the Striped Bass. These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs and grass lines on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures like Berkley Power Bait Grass pig lures and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad. These lures should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on your line. I rig these lures on swimbait hooks for weedless fishing, (lots of hangs in the river). I use TroKar TK170 and TK178 swimbait hooks, super sharp! Do not forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX, Slammer IV & the New Authority Spinning reels in sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 & 3500 for the Redfish, Speckled trout and Striped Bass Rods: Fenwick Inshore HMG 7’& 7’6” med/light (Speckled Trout) and medium action (Redfish & Striped Bass); line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight- or ten-pound test for Speckled trout fishing and ten and fifth-teen pound for Reds/Stripers.
Thanks for reading, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and good winter fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on December 1st, 2022
So far, a pretty mild Fall, a few cooler days but overall mild. We really need some cool air to get the fall fishing really going. Especially the local Speckled trout bite, I have had a handful of nice trout during October but not the numbers I like to see. November is going to be special this year for local trout fishing, you better be ready; it is going to be good I believe.
In early to mid-November, I look for Speckled trout in the creeks and channels just off the ICW; anywhere water is moving with tide flow and bait. Speckled trout like current; weather its hard current in a main channel or light current up a creek. You need current flow to catch trout; rising and falling tide can be good for trout do not let the tide keep you from going trout fishing! Marsh grass lines, oyster rocks that run into a channel and drop-offs in channels are all good places to find Speckled trout in November. Almost any grass lines with oysters will hold some trout. Look for places where there is a slight current break and those trout will be close by. Later in November all the above places will still hold trout and the inlets will start to hold more trout as the month goes on.
One key point to trout fishing I have found is that most days Specks will bite, but what are they hitting that day? I have found that in November hard baits work well. This is when you need to know where to start; what lures to try? One of my favorites is the good’ole MirrOlure; it has been around a long time, and it is still catching lots of big trout. The series I prefer are the 17MR & 22MR (Catch 2000jr) suspending, 18MR, 51M and 52MR sinking baits. Colors; MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go too colors around Southeast NC area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704,706, CFPR, CH, EC, HP and Capt. Jot Custom color #1, #2 and #3 color in 17MR, #1 in 22MR & 52MR. Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes or at MirrOlure.com. Fishing Depths to use these lures; 17MR & 22MR use these lures in two to six feet of water. 18MR, 51M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth-teen plus feet of water with current. If your lure is hitting the bottom go to a shallower running lure.
If you have ever done any trout fishing at all you know that grub (soft plastic) lures work very well for Speckled trout too! Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp pattern is one of my go-to lures. I prefer colors sugar spice glow, pearl white, chartreuse and I really like the new sangria color. I also really like the Berkley Powerbait Pro Twitchtail minnow in three-inch colors Chartreuse Ice, Pink Ice and pearl white. I rig all my trout grubs on 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1/4oz jigs heads in colors red or gray; I prefer Berkley Fusion jig heads.
Do not count out live bait if you enjoy fishing with it. Try live smaller mullets, mud minnows and live shrimp. In shallow waters of two to five feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook (#6). In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small number two J-hook Eagle claw L42. Just wait until you feel that trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook, remember trout have very soft mouths fast hooks sets but with light power work best!
Here is one of my best tips I can give you for Speckled trout fishing around the Southeast NC area in November. The water gets clear, sometimes very clear around here in November. I always use Fluorocarbon leaders for Speckled trout fishing; for artificial as well as live bait fishing! You will catch more trout using fluorocarbon leader; trust me! I use Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material in twenty- and thirty-pound test. Give it a try; you will be happy you did!
The bigger Reds (Bulls) start to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets during September and run until later November; this year has been a good early fall Bull Red bite. 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 and mullet. I use fish finder rigs with a TroKar TK5 AP 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook and eighty-pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Do not forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do their job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull Reds, is do not 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 Redfish has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Big Reds out there.
If you like to catch Bluefish and False Albacore there are just about as many as you like around during November. Fishing around and just outside of the inlets you should be able to find them. Casting metal jigging spoons like BigNic Spanish Candy’s or diamond jigs is a no brainer for getting some Bluefish. Just look for the birds working and cast in that area. Watch those Blues teeth they do bite hard!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX, Slammer IV or Authority Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 for the Speckled trout. Rods Fenwick HMG Inshore series rods in 7’ & 7’6” med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound braid. Bull Reds PENN Fathom II 20LW and PENN Carnage III Jigging Rods 30 to 80 class with 30-pound Pro Spec chrome mono. Tackle Storage system I prefer is the Plano Guide series in 3700 and 3700XL Tackle Bags with Plano EDGE stowaway Boxes inside.
*Keep your eyes on my FaceBook page for I will be releasing the two dates of my inshore fishing schools later this month. I will have one school day on a March Saturday and one on an April Saturday. This school is limited to 32 anglers each date and it will sell out within two days of release date.
Thanks for reading, good luck fishing and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on November 4th, 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
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
