Southeast NC in May, when fishing really gets cranked up! Many different species of fish start to show and it’s when I feel like summer fishing is really getting started. Spring has been pretty good fishing so far, now if we can just get the weather to cooperate more!!
As the weather stabilizes and the temps go up in May I see more days where I can get out in the ocean. I love to look for those high speed, good eating and so much fun to catch Atlantic bonito in earlier May and Spanish mackerel all May long. These fish are a lot of fun to see busting the surface of the water and even more fun to see on the end of your line! Casting small spoons (Big Nic Spanish Candy lures) in sizes 1/2oz and 3/4oz on high-speed spinning reels really gets the bites! You can also use fly gear in weights seven to nine, this can make for a great challenge on fly tackle. Look for these fish to be hanging around near shore artificial reefs, ledges and inlets. Trolling Clark spoons or small deep driver lures can be the key to success some days for the bonito, Spanish mackerel and even king mackerel. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash or regular silver spoons in sizes #0, #1 and #2; the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat. You might come over a few false albacore and bluefish mixed in with the bonito and Spanish from time to time; sometimes too many bluefish are mixed in!
Redfish and May go hand and hand, this month is a favorite for casting artificial lures to Reds. Redfish really start to settle down in their summer spots by early/mid-May. Casting Berkley Gulp shrimp in three-inch size or new Gulp paddle-shad on light jig heads is my go-to lures for May redfish. My go to colors are pearl white, sugar spice glow, new penny, sangria and black/gold. Another Redfish lure I like is the Berkley Powerbait Grass pig for fishing shallow waters of one to three foot. I rig the Grass pig lures on TroKar 1/8oz swimbait hooks. Catching redfish on top water lures is so much fun; casting plugs like MirrOlure’s top pup or top dog jr. You can also cast popping or rattling corks in these shallow areas with a Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp on a 1/16oz jig head which will catch the Redfish in shallow waters. If you would rather go the bait route; try some fresh cut or live Mullet or Menhaden on a light Carolina rig. Using Eagle Claw L42 1/0 hooks to make up a Carolina rig. Try fishing fresh cut bait around docks in the ICW or along creek mouths when the tide is moving.
By mid-May the cobia start to show up around southeast NC; one of my favorites! I forecast that the cobia will be here early this season. I look for cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are all good places to look. When the water is clear it will be easier to see those brown logs in the water. I throw big jigs like (Berkley Fusion 19 bucktails) or live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter, but go bright; I always put a Gulp five-inch grub on the bucktail for Cobia. If I’m casting live bait to Cobia, I use a TroKar TK5 AP 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook with at least three feet of sixty-pound Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader. When I’m not sight casting for Cobia we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. I float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live menhaden, pinfish or mullet as bait. Sometimes a great bonus fish when fishing for Cobia that would be a nice bull Redfish or later in the season a Tarpon! You can chum if you like, but the sharks and rays will come and they will come in numbers!
With the warmer weather the Flounder will finally start showing up in better numbers, there are still a lot of smaller ones inshore, but the bigger ones will really start showing up in May! Most of the Flounder fishing I’m doing is just off the beach (wrecks/ledges) and around the inlets. I’ve caught Flounder on both live and artificial baits in May, what I have seen is more numbers on live bait, but more keepers on artificial baits. Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs with #one L42 Eagle Claw hooks will catch the numbers of Flounder. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five- & six-inch sizes, also four-inch Gulp Shrimp will get the most keeper size Flounder bites I have found. I rig these Gulp baits on 1/4oz, 3/8oz (inshore) and 1/2oz, 3/4oz & 1oz (ocean) jig heads with longer hook shanks in jig head colors red, white or gray. I really like the new Berkley Fusion Jig heads, great hooks with the best lure keeper I’ve have seen! Also, Berkley Fusion bucktails with a five-inch Gulp grab is a killer rig for ocean flounder as well; I use a 1.5-ounce bucktail for this. *Keep in mind NC has a keeper Flounder season, know the dates before you keep’em!
Tackle run down: Reels New PENN Slammer IV series & Battle III DX series Spinning reels 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000 sizes. Slammer IV High Speed 2500 for Bonito & Spanish mackerel casting. Rods: Fenwick HMG Inshore series rods 7’ Medium class 8-to-15-pound test rods for Redfish, Inshore flounder, Bonito etc. Ocean Flounder 7’ Med/Hvy class 12-to-25-pound test. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound braid. Cobia Reels PENN Fathom II 20LW casting, Slammer IV or SpinFisher VI spinning 5500 or 6500 spinning reels, with a PENN Rampage or Carnage III Jigging rods 50-to-100-pound class. Tackle Bags/storage I prefer the Plano Guide series (3700) size and Z-series (3600 or 3700) size tackle bags with Plano EDGE tackle trays inside.
Thanks for reading, Get out side and good fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on May 4th, 2022
North Carolina springs can be anything but predictable, sometimes that is about the same for spring fishing around these parts as well. So far, we’ve had a pretty good winter temperature wise (especially later winter); I think we are about two (+/-) weeks ahead on spring temps and fishing. Fishing wise here is what I look to target during April around Southeast NC area waters.
The Atlantic Bonito (good eating) and False Albacore (don’t recommend eating but fun to catch) have already shown up just offshore of Wrightsville, Carolina and Topsail beaches in the one-to-ten-mile range. Trolling Clark spoons on planners or small deep driver lures can be the key to success some days for the Bonito and False Albacore. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash spoon in sizes #0 and #1; the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat. A bird rig on top with a Clark spoon about five to six feet behind it or a small daisy chain (squids) in colors blue, silver or pink have worked very well for me on top too.
Look for birds working or marking bait on you fish finder is the way to find these feeding fish. When the fish are not on top, I’ve caught some nice Blues and a few Bonito by casting a spoon out and letting it sink down before reeling it in. I’ve found that sometimes these fish are deeper and you can get them by getting down to deeper depths. If the fish are jumping and busting on top, try casting Big Nic Spanish candy lures in 1/2oz to 1zo sizes in colors pink, blue, green or Capt. Jot Custom color (blue/pink) I use a thirty-pound fluorocarbon leader at two to three foot long when casting these lures (no swivel).
Another fish that really starts to show up around the inshore creeks and inlets of Southeast North Carolina is the good’ole Bluefish and during April you can catch some bigger Bluefish too; like ten pounds plus big! These blues will hit Berkley Gulp six-inch jerkshads and Berkley Havoc grass pig lures in bright colors, I rig both of these lures on TroKar 1/4oz swim bait hooks. Hard baits like big poppers and MirrOlure Top Dog’s work well too for the big Blues. Don’t forget the steal leaders for these fish or they will get a free lure form you every time! Try light single strand wire in sizes #2, #3 or #4 will keep your lure on the end of your line and not in a bluefish’s pocket! I catch Blues in the one-to-fifteen-pound range during April, (some years there are more than others and sometimes only a few show up).
There is one fish that a lot of anglers over look in April and that is the Black Drum. What I love about these fish is you can catch them in good numbers this time of year and there great to eat! On top of all that they are also easy to catch; use a light Carolina rig with an Eagle claw L42 #1 size hook. I make my own rigs with thirty-pound fluorocarbon leader material. I prefer as fresh as I can get shrimp for black drum fishing. Fish these rigs around docks, oyster rocks and inlets for Black Drum; you might even get a Redfish mixed in as well. If you catch one, it’s a good idea to stay a little longer; these fish are typically in groups.
Cape Fear River Striped Bass can bite very well into April, but the fish move around a lot more during April, you’ll find them at one spot one day and the next day they have moved on. In April the Stripers will start to move in to shallower waters, I look for the Stripers in three to ten feet of water in the early spring. This is when you need to also shallow up your presentation, go lighter with you tackle. I prefer Berkley Powerbait grass pig lures; I use colors green back and swamp gas. Rigging the grass pig lures on TroKar TK170 swim bait hooks should put a Striper on the end of your line. Look for Cape Fear River Stripers around mud-flat edges, bulk-heads and shallow reed-grass edges on sunny warmer days. Remember Cape Fear River Striped Bass are Catch & Release fishing only.
Also, in the Cape Fear River I really enjoy heading to Lock & Dam #1 or #2 on the Cape Fear River during April to catch large American shad on light tackle and Fly tackle. Casting shad darts in bright colors and shad flies is the way to catch these shad. I use a double shad dart rig; this makes it easier to cast the light darts and sometimes you get two shad at the same time! The shad run in the one to a few over four pounds; super fun on fly and light tackle setups “poor man’s Tarpon”!
Tackle run down: PENN Clash II, Clash II 3000 HS (high speed Bonito) & Battle III DX Spinning reels (1000 & 2000 shad fishing), 2500 & 3000 sizes. Rods: Fenwick HMG Inshore 7’ medium/light (shad) and medium action. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in (six-pound shad fishing) ten- and fifteen-pound other species. Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material for all my leaders. Tackle storage Plano Z-series & Guide series tackle bags with Plano EDGE Stowaway boxes.
Thanks for reading and good spring fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on April 1st, 2022
February in Southeast NC can be one of the tougher months to get out and fish, the weather windows are much smaller and the temp can be downright cold some days. And yes, it’s been a pretty cold January but it’s not all doom and gloom! Fishing can be great during February especially when we have mild runs of weather. Here are some of the species I target around Southeast NC during February.
Cape Fear River Striped Bass are one of my favorites for winter fishing in our area. I look for the Stripers on drop offs, around pilings and creek mouths. Working baits like Berkley Gulp five- or six-inch jerkshads and Berkley Powerbait grass pigs in five inch should get you a bite or two from a Striped Bass. I prefer white and chart pepper neon for the jerkshad and swamp gas and chartreuse silver flake in the grass pig. I rig my jerkshad and grass pigs on swimbait 7/0 TroKar TK-170 hooks, in 1/4oz or 3/8oz weight. Mid water crank baits work too, try lures that dive from three to eight feet deep for best results, Rapala X-raps work well. If the Stripers are sitting shallow a MirrOlure 17MR can get a bite or two as well. If the crank bait starts to hit the bottom let it float up a bit or trust me, you’ll lose it to structure! Water temps are cold this time of year in the river, I prefer anything above 44 degrees but have caught them as low as 39*. Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass fishery is a closed fishery and is catch & release only; you must release all Striped Bass. Keep your eyes out for tagged Stripers there are a lot of tagged fish out there; $$$.
There is one fish that can be caught very easily during the winter months; if you find them! The Redfish bite can be some of the best of the year for catching numbers of fish; the deal breaker for this fishery is you have got to have good weather, calm seas and bright sunny skies for the ocean schools. I find the winter ocean Reds around the inlets, sand bars, up and down the beaches in the surf line. I use Berkley Gulp swimming mullet in colors pearl white; also, the Berkley Gulp three- & four-inch Shrimp work well too both rigged on 3/8oz jig heads. A MirrOlure Catch 2000Jr or 2000 lures work well for winter Redfish in the ocean as well.
On warmer light wind days, you can also find some nice schools of Reds in shallow water flats and oyster rocks. The Reds will sun on these dark colored bottom areas for a little extra warm up; this is also where you’ll see some bait fish doing the same thing (warming up). Work these baits slowly in front of the Redfish schools; not right through the school, all this will do is spook the Reds and will make it very hard to catch them. If the Reds are hungry, they break away from the school and eat your bait!
There is one fish that a lot of anglers over look during the winter months, the Black Drum. What I love about these fish is you can catch them in good numbers this time of year and there pretty darn good to eat! On top of all that they can be fairly easy to catch; all you need is a little fresh (as you can get) shrimp. I use a light Carolina rig with an Eagle claw L42 #1 hook. Light meaning using as light as you can get away with sinker wise to not spook the drum. Fish around docks, oyster rocks and inlets for these Black Drum; often you’ll catch Redfish and Sheepshead (smaller) mixed in as well.
What a rollercoaster of weather this winter so far, like most winters in Southeast NC. You can find a good winter Speckled trout bite, but it takes the right weather pattern for good results. Here are some ways I like to target Speckled trout into later winter months. A lure that always comes to mind for winter Speckled trout is the MirrOlure in the 52M, 52MR and TT series. MirrOlure color codes I prefer are: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP AND Capt. Jot Custom color #1 & #3 (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop). Most any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes (a lot easier than spelling them all out here). As far as colors go, I try to use light colors in clearer waters and darker colors in stained/river or dirty waters.
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 3” shrimp, fire tail shrimp, Berkley Powerbait Pro Twitchtail minnow or a Cash Out a try. Rig the Gulp shrimp or twitchtail on lighter jig heads, here too for the trout so you can work them just a bit slower due to the cooler water temps. Don’t rule out a nice Gray trout 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 they don’t have too swimming against the current.
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX & Clash II Spinning reels sizes 2500 & 3000 for the Redfish, Speckled trout and Striped Bass. Fenwick HMG Inshore 7’ medium rods 8-to-15-pound class and line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten or fifteen; Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader for leaders; 20 pound for trout and 30 for all other species. Tackle Bags and Organization, I prefer the new Plano Z-series and Guide Series tackle bags. I use Plano Edge Stowaway boxes for organization of my tackle in these tackle bags.
Thanks for reading, stay warm or cool and good fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on February 1st, 2022
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 definitely a pick your fishing day kind of month for the best possible bite chances. I’ll 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 and this could setup a good winter season start but watch that forecast closely; winter could show up any day!
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. 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 three- or four-inch shrimp in colors sugar spice glow, scooby and sangria for the flats 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 a Eagle Claw #4 Bait holder hook if you prefer to use bait. I only use cut bait for the inshore Reds not the ocean fish. Don’t rule out a Black drum or sheepshead while using fresh cut shrimp during the winter months. Typically, if you find one Black drum there are others around, I’d stick around a little while if you catch one.
During January you can find some of the big Speckled trout, you’re 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’ll 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. Don’t 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 and North East Cape Fear 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 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. Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only.
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX & Slammer IV 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. 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 January 3rd, 2022
Where has this year gone??? December really; Christmas just around the corner! But hey, there is still good fishing to do around Southeast, NC! So far this fall the temps have been pretty fair in my opinion. We’ve had a few cool/cold days 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’ve found is that most days Specks will bite, but what are they hitting 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.
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 are Berkley Gulp’s 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 new this year the sangria color. 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 also really like the Berkley Powerbait Pro Twitchtail minnow in three-inch size; colors Chartreuse Ice, Pink Ice and pearl white. I rig all of my trout grubs 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.
Don’t 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 number one 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.
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! Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX & Slammer IV Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 for the Redfish, Speckled trout and Striped Bass Rods: Fenwick Inshore HMG 7’& 7’6” med/light (Speckled Trout) and medium action; 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 November 29th, 2021
