June, one of the better fishing months in Southeast NC; lighter winds (hopefully), warm days and so many kinds of fish to target. Precipitation anybody’s guess, some June’s super dry; some Junes are monsoon! Here are some of the fish I like to target during June around Southeast NC.
Redfish are in their summer trend by June and the trick to summer Reds is to find the fish that have not been pressured too much. For this I like to use search type lures. Top water lures and rattling corks (popping) in the shallow waters earlier mornings and afternoons will produce Redfish. I prefer MirrOlure Top dog Jr or Top Pup’s with a great ‘walk the dog action with sound,’ fishing these along marsh grass edges with oyster rocks. Working grubs like Berkley Gulp or Powerbait Bonga Shrimp *See here https://alnk.to/d3Cc7VS later in the day will also produce Reds for you, fishing deeper holes and docks (fishing deeper with the sun high). Slow rolling swimbaits like a Berkley Powerbait CullShad in 5” size. *See here: https://alnk.to/44Vxvaq rigged on Eagle Claw L11118G-6/0 swimbait hooks in two to five feet of water has produced some nice Reds. Keep in mind just because you find the Redfish, does not always mean they will bite. Hey someone could have pressured those same fish the day before or just before you got there. Covering area will help you find the biting or less pressured fish.
Everybody loves to catch a Flounder; they are really getting their act together by June. Keep in mind you can fish for Flounder, but the season is closed in NC; you must release all flounder. Check with NCDMF for current set Flounder season (at the time of this report the 2024 season is closed). You can find Flounder just about anywhere when June rolls in. In southeast NC, I look for bigger Flounder around deeper channel drop-offs; in waters of five to fifth-teen feet plus deep. The local inlets and cuts; south Topsail, Rich’s, Mason’s, Masonboro, Carolina Beach and snow’s cut are always a good place to find some bigger size Flounders. Last but certainly not least, are the artificial reefs, ledges, and hard/live bottoms from one to ten miles off the beach, these areas always hold very nice Flounder in June.
Once you have found some Flounder you need to know how to catch’em. If you want to go the artificial root, try bigger baits; this will greatly help you catch bigger size Flounder. I prefer Berkley Gulp five- and six-inch Jerkshad in colors pearl white, chart pepper neon and Fire tiger. *See here https://alnk.to/6mPofv6 Also, I am really liking all the new Crome series Gulp baits. Rigging both the jerkshad and grass pig lures on 3/4oz to 1oz jig heads or Berkley Fusion bucktails in 1oz or 1.5oz for ocean fishing. Another great Flounder lure is the Berkley Gulp four-inch shrimp pattern; this bait is great for cast up and down inshore drop-offs in creek channels. I rig these baits on jig heads in sizes 1/4oz to 3/8oz for inshore, in colors red, gray, and white. Leaders; inshore thirty- or forty-pound, ocean fishing forty- or fifty-pound Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader. *See Leaders here https://alnk.to/5jkYCU5 Keep your eyes peeled, there are a few tagged flounder out there. Some even have $100 Red tags!! 😉
If you would like to go with live bait for the Flounders, try mud minnows, small mullets, or small menhaden as live bait. Rig these live baits on Carolina rigs with an Eagle Claw L42 #1 or 1/0 hooks, eight to fourteen inches of thirty-to-forty-pound fluorocarbon as leader. I prefer egg sinkers as my weight, the secret to how much weight you use is ‘as much as you need to stay on the bottom but as least as you can get away with.’ You need to be on the bottom for Flounder but going lighter will always get you more bites!
One fish that is always on my hot weather list is the Sheephead. The Sheephead are 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 or knocker rig with forty- or fifty-pound fluorocarbon leader and a small live bait J hook (sharp/strong). Also, I have had good luck rigging up a carolina Treat jig with a fiddler crab. 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-six-pound range!
The Spanish mackerel fishing can be pretty good in June, the bigger fish start to show this month. 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 like (Big Nic Spanish Candy lures) or using fly gear in weights seven to nine can make for a great challenge on light tackle. Look for Spanish 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 Spanish mackerel and even small king mackerel. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash or regular silver spoons in sizes #00, #0 and #1; 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 Spanish from time to time.
Last but never least; Cobia fishing is in full swing by early June and should be good until late June. So far this year it has been hit or miss for me, with four nice ones to the boat: 51, 59, 37, and a 41 pounder. I look for Cobia around inlets, shoals, and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are also a good place to look too. With the water being clear most of the time in June it should easier to see those brown logs swimming in the water. I like to throw big jigs, swim baits and live baits to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter, but (go bright); Berkley Fusion Bucktails in 1.5oz to 2oz, but I always add a Berkley Gulp 5-inch grub. When I am 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, spots, and mullet as bait. You can chum if you like, but the sharks and Rays will come in numbers!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III https://alnk.to/aWDe16H Slammer IV https://alnk.to/4MAHGzf or Authority https://alnk.to/fSgjdIK series spinning reels 2500, 3000 & 3500 sizes for the Redfish, Spanish, sheephead and Flounder. Cobia: PENN Slammer IV or Authority 5500 & 6500 spinning reels or PENN 15LW, 20LW, 25NLD Fathom casting reels. https://alnk.to/gKQ67P2 Rods PENN Battalion II or the Fenwick HMG Inshore series; 7’ medium and med/heavy for the Redfish, sheephead and Flounder. Cobia Rods: PENN Rampage https://alnk.to/4BFWHOm or Carnage III Jigging https://alnk.to/eOLTB9w series 50 to 100 class casting and spinning. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen, twenty (ocean flounder) pound braid and Berkley Pro Spec Chrome mono in twenty and thirty pound for the Cobia; it is great line! Leader material Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon 30 to 40 pound for inshore and 80-pound Cobia fishing. Tackle storage Plano Z-series or Guide series tackle bags with Plano EDGE stowaway boxes.
Stay cool and enjoy your summer fishing! Thanks for reading!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on June 6th, 2024
Southeast NC fishing in May, when the fishing really gets cranked up! Many different species of fish start to show up and it is 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 a little 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 month 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 spoons (Big Nic Spanish Candy lures) in sizes 1/2oz up to the new 1.5oz (Capt. Jot edition) on high-speed spinning reels really gets the bites! I have really become a fan of casting a high-speed low-profile bait-caster reels when casting to Bonito and Spanish. I use a PENN Fathom high-speed 300 reel. See here in this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=pl&ti=8129&pw=363697&mi=20821&pt=3&pri=2258 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. 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! *We have already seen a good number of small King mackerel mixed in this year. Check your fish carefully for undersize Kings!!
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. I prefer inshore water temps of 70 degrees or higher for the shallow water bite to start. 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 new Berkley Powerbait CullShad in 5” in colors Cold beer, silver flash and Dark night (stained waters) fishing shallow waters of one to five foot. See here in this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=pl&ti=8125&pw=363697&mi=20825&pt=3&pri=10753 I rig the CullShad on Eagle Claw 1/8oz & 1/4oz 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 on the ICW or along creek mouths when the tide is moving, in five to ten feet of water.
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 am casting live bait to Cobia, I use a TroKar TK5 AP 8/0 or 9/0 bait saver series circle hook with at least three feet of sixty-pound Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader. When I am 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 (And yes, the Tarpon will be early again this season)! 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 am doing is just off the beach (wrecks/ledges) and around the inlets. I have caught Flounder on both live and artificial baits in May, what I have seen is more keeper size fish on artificial baits. Mud minnows or smaller finger mullet on light Carolina rigs with #1 L42 Eagle Claw hooks will catch the numbers of Flounder. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five- & six-inch sizes are my goto for Flounder fishing. I am really liking the new Key Lime chrome and Purple Chrome colors. See here in this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=pl&ti=8125&pw=363697&mi=20825&pt=3&pri=10774 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 Berkley Fusion Jig heads, great hooks with the best lure keeper I’ve have seen for all types pf soft plastic lures. Also, Berkley Fusion bucktails with a five-inch Gulp grub or four-inch shrimp 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 series Spinning reels 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000 sizes. Slammer IV & Authority spinning reels in the High-Speed series 2500 or Fathom 300 high-speed low-profile bait-casters for Bonito & Spanish mackerel casting. Rods: Fenwick HMG Inshore series rods 7’ Medium class 8-to-17-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 outside and good fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
Posted in Fishing Reports on May 1st, 2024
March is a month of watching the weather forecast and like the weather the fishing can be the same too. So far pretty warm weather, but in March that can change quickly!! Same with the fishing; One day slow fishing the next they are jumping in the boat! Here are the species I like to target during March around Southeast NC area waters.
In March the Redfish finally start to move around a little more than they have all winter. Not that they do not move around in the winter; they just start to show up in place’s they like during warmer times of the year. This is the time of the year you need to get out and find where the Redfish are going and are showing up. In the cooler months I have seen crustacean patterns work better for Redfish; since these baits are a little easier to catch, than say baits like fish patterns. A good handful of our local shrimp has wintered over because of the mild winter weather, also some of the little baitfish stayed too. All of this will make for a better March fishing scenario for sure!
On warmer days the crustaceans and baitfish will move a little more; these are the days you need to be looking for Redfish in March. Working scented baits like Berkley Gulp in patterns two- and three-inch shrimp will get the Redfish to bite. These baits do not have paddle tails so you need to work them very slow, which is still very important because the water still be cool in March. Find those banks where the sun can warm up shallows just a little more than other places. Look for dark bottom banks and places with less current these are the areas where the water will be warmer and the Redfish will be more likely to be feeding. Remember to keep your eyes peeled in the shallow water areas for Reds, March can be a very good sight fishing month; just make sure you work the baits a little slower with a fluorocarbon leader (twenty pound) for those clear spring waters.
March can be another mouth when Cape Fear River Striped Bass fishing will pick up. The Striper size is very mixed during early spring. In March the Stripers will start to move in to shallower waters, I look for the Stripers in three to eight feet of water during early spring. This is when you need to also shallow up your presentation, go lighter with you tackle. I prefer Berkley PowerBait five-inch Cullshad, Gulp jerkshad in six inch and Berkley Powerbait grass pig lures in five inch; I use colors pearl & chart pepper neon (Gulp), Crazy chrome Violet and Swamp gas “new penny”. Using swimbait hooks size 6/0 or 7/0 in ¼ or 3/8 ounce should put a Striper on the end of your line. I prefer Trokar TK 170 swimbait hooks. You can also cast mid-water crank baits that dive three to eight feet, do not let the lure drag the bottom to much or you will lose your lure to a stump or log! Look for Cape Fear River Stripers around mud-flat edges, bulk-heads, creeks, and shallow reed-grass edges on sunny warmer days. CFR Stripers are closed to keep; catch and release only.
Do not count out a nice Speckled trout during the month of March! But what is a trout going to hit in March? 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 fish, but if it is cold so work them SLOW! The patterns I prefer are the 17MR, 18MR, 52M and 52MR. Colors; MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go too colors in clearer area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP AND Capt. Jot Custom color #1, #2 & #3 (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop). Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes. Best depths to use these lures; 17MR use these lures in two to six feet of water. 18MR, 52M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth-teen plus feet of water.
There is another kind of fishing I like to try in March but there is no saltwater involved. I like to hit the upper Northeast Cape Fear River and Sutton Lake the do a little Large-mouth bass fishing. If you want to try something different try some bass fishing, they are a lot of fun to catch on lighter tackle. Most of the time I use heavy sink worms from Berkley Powerbait MaxScent in colors black, cinnamon purple, purple and green pumpkin candy red. I rig these sinko style worms with a 6/0 Eagle Claw wide bend worm hook with no weight. Work these worms very slowly off banks and stump beds. If you like to fly fish, try slow sinking small minnow patterns along the grass flats in Sutton Lake on cloudy or foggy days.
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III, Clash II or the new Authority Spinning reels sizes 2500, 3000, 3500 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.
If you are interested in purchasing any PENN or Berkley products, save yourself 10% on any orders with these fishing friends Pro Codes:
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Thanks for reading, Happy Spring, stay warm or cool and good fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on March 1st, 2024
Can you believe its already December?? November just flashed by!! 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 are actually having a fall this year! We have had a few cool/cold days (Like this last week) 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 (suspending). 18MR, 51M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth teen plus feet of water with current (sinking). 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/jig (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, Sangria & Scooby. The new chrome series of Gulp baits have really caught my eye. I have only used them a little bit by so far good results.
Keep your eyes peeled for the new Saltwater Berkley PowerBait series I worked on this project, and I am really excited about these lures! There are eight new shapes in this series and a new saltwater scent: different from the regular PowerBait scent. I am really liking the Bonga Shad, Bonga Shrimp and Bonga Stick of this series! These baits are in stores now!
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 (when their legal to use), 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-pound 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 and New Authority Spinning reels in sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 & 3500. Low profile PENN Fathom 200 size, if that is your game! Fishing for 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 4th, 2023
