Finally school is out (well for most) and summer fishing is getting good! The warmer weather and lighter winds are really helping me get on the water a lot; I love that! There has been plenty Spanish mackerel and Bluefish around the Flounder bite has started to show this week too! Here my report/forecast for June>>>
The Spanish Mackerel are biting good most days, but the best bite has been earlier in the morning when the sun is lower in the sky; also the fish have been a little deeper in thirty to fifty feet of water for the last few weeks. When you mark big balls of bait with your fish finder this is usually where you’ll find the most Spanish biting. Clark-spoons in sizes 00 and 0 are doing the trick in colors silver, gold and pink flash behind number one planners. The Spanish hitting on top are hitting Blue Water Candy’s Spanish Daisy chains in colors pink, blue and silver; the great thing about this rig is you can pull it off lighter tackle outfits. Another lure that is working well for the Spanish when I’m casting to them is Hogy Epoxy casting jigs, these little casting jigs are just the right weight and size to get those fast moving Spanish to bite! The colors that I like to use are purple, pink and blue; I prefer the two smallest sizes of the Hogy jig. All so the hook that comes on these lures is great, finally a good hook on a lure right out of the package!
I love to catch Cobia; here are the ways I target the big brown beasts. This time of year I look for Cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are also a good place to look too. I throw big jigs, swim baits and live bait to the Cobia when I see them. Color really does not seem to matter, brighter the better; Blue Water Candy makes some very nice Cobia jigs, check them out at our local tackle shops! Tip your Cobia Jig with a six inch curly tail grub or six inch Jerkshad or four inch shrimp from Berkley Gulp; this will help get that Cobia to eat that jig! When I’m 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, blues and mullet as bait.
The warmer weather has really brought out the Flounder and they are finally showing up in better numbers, there are still a lot of smaller ones inshore, but the bigger ones are showing every day! Most of the Flounder fishing I’m doing is just off the beach and around the inlets. I’ve caught Flounder on both live and artificial baits lately, 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 are catching the numbers of Flounder. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five & six inch sizes are getting the most keeper Flounder. I’m rigging these Jerkshad on 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz jig heads with longer hook shanks in red or gray color.
The bigger Reds are starting to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets. 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 7/0 or 8/0 circle hooks and eighty pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do there 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 to 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.
Fishing Gear I use:
Reels: Reds, Blues and Flounder: PENN Battle & Conflict spinning in sizes 2500, 3000 & 4000. Cobia fishing reels: PENN Battle 5000, 6000 & 7000, PENN Fathom 20LW (Great Cobia and Tarpon reel). Line: Reds, Blues and Flounder: Spiderwire Ultra-cast 15# Cobia Line: 30# Berkley Big Game Mono. Rods: PENN Regiment Medium and Medium heavy 6’6” & 7’. Cobia Rods: PENN Rampage Jigging 50 to 100 class( great rod at a great price)!. Leader material: Cobia; Berkley Big Game mono & Fluorocarbon in eighty to one hundred pound. Reds, Blues, Flounder: Berkley Pro-Spec Fluorocarbon leader
material.
I would like to really give a thank you to Betts Cast Nets; Betts is my newest Sponsor/Partner for 2014. Betts has been making quality cast nets for a very long time, I use Betts nets to make a living and they have not let me down! Betts nets a quality net at a very fair price. Keep your eye on my Facebook page for I’ll be giving a how to seminar in the Wilmington area on using cast net inshore and near shore very soon! I’ll go over which nets to use for which bait, net care and how to cast your cast net.
If you would like to get real time and on the water reports, as well as free tackle giveaways each month; check out my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Capt-Jot-OwensJot-It-Down-Fishing-Charters-LLC/134340373310487\
Thanks for reading this report, if you have any questions just let me know!
Good Fishing to you,
Captain Jot Owens
PENN Reels Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on May 23rd, 2014
I hope everyone is enjoying some of this warmer weather lately and now if the wind would just lay down a little bit, we can go fishing even more! It will not be long before its ninety degrees and no wind at all. I’m just ready for some stable weather patterns for awhile! Here is my April Fishing Report/Forecast for the area inshore and near shore waters.
The Redfish and Black drum bite in the ICW, creeks and channels just off the ICW has been fair to good; should get even better with the warm temps! I’m starting to see a few smaller Reds 14” to 21” in some of the creeks on warmer days; a few over slot fish mixed in as well. Most of the reds and black drum are hitting mud minnows and “fresh as you can get shrimp”. I use two hook bottom rigs with 2, 1 & 1/0 bait holder hooks, with the fresh shrimp or mud minnows, when fishing for the black drum and reds. If you would like to go the artificial root, I would recommend using scented grubs. The best luck baits have been Berkley Gulp two and three inch shrimp in colors Pearl, Molting and New Penny. Jigs heads for these Gulps in 1/16 to 1/4 oz, colors red and black seem to be the trick. Work’em slow around docks, drop-offs on grass lines and oyster rocks. The best tides have been falling or raising but fishing closer to the lower times of the tides.
Something that I love to do this time of year (late March to early May) is go up to lock & dam #1 and fish for Shad. These fish are so much fun to catch; they run, jump and run some more. Light tackle and fly fishing is the name of the game here! I see so many people fishing for shad that use to heavy of tackle. Lighter tackle equals more bites and more fun! All you need is a light rod and reel; I use a PENN Battle 1000 or Conflict 1000 loaded with six pound Berkley Fireline crystal braid or Nanofil. A two shad dart rig with Fifth teen or twenty pound mono or fluorocarbon leader; darts in colors pink, purple or green. On our last trip we caught well over 100 shad. If you have not ever tried it; you need too it’s a blast! Also while your shad fishing you can put out a catfish line and sometimes catch a very nice Blue catfish, some are over thirty pounds.
I’ve made quite a few trips to the Cape Fear River lately; there are three different kinds of fish to chase in the Cape Fear, Catfish, Striped Bass and even a hand full of nice Redfish most all winter long. Here is a few ways to put a CFR Striper on your line. Try Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five and six inch size; in pearl & new penny colors and Berkley Havoc Grass Pigs. Work these baits slowly and always rig them weed-less; there are many hangs in the Cape Fear River. Try a Moaner swim bait hook with the Berkley Havoc or Gulp six inch jerkshad; this is a great hook at a great price. www.moanerhooks.com I use the weighted Stroker hook in 1/4oz 5/0. Look for Stripers on drop-offs, dock pilings and reed-grass lines. The Cape Fear River Striped Bass fishing is a closed fishery; all Stripers must be released.
False Albacore fishing has been good the days I can get out for them. I’m finding the Albacore from five to twenty miles offshore. There has been a few Bonita mixed in with them form time to time as well. Weather has been the name of this game lately (not much to go on)! It should not be long before we are catching good numbers of Bonita around the area waters. The #0 and #1 pink flash, silver and gold Clark spoon has caught most of our fish lately. Trolling these spoons on #1 or #2 planner; with thirty to forty feet of forty pound Berkley big game mono as leader on the planners is the way to go. On the bird rig for the surface fishing; I rig it with five to six feet of leader to the spoon. Don’t forget to put a ball bearing swivel on the bird and planner; this will keep tangles from happing (well most of the time!)
When the Bonita and Albacore are on top feeding; I cast the new Hogy 2.5” 3/8oz Epoxy jigs or Sea striker jig-spoons. The colors that seem to work the best are pink, green and blue. I use a forty pound Fluorocarbon leader; about fifth teen to twenty inches long. I prefer Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material for clear water conditions; “this stuff really works”! A light weight seven foot rod and a PENN Battle 3000 or Conflict 2500 loaded with ten to fifth teen pound braid is important for casting to these fast fish. The reason for this is the further you can cast equals more chance’s you will hook up. When there are a lot of boats chasing the Bonita, they get wearer of boats. If you can cast farther; you will catch more of these fish! I’m sure it will not be long and the bluefish will be mixing in with these fish in good numbers too!
On some of the windier days when it’s been hard to get out on the coast to fish we’ve been doing a little bit of fresh water fishing. The largemouth Bass have been biting well most days out at Sutton Lake. Most trips we are catching nine to over fifth teen bass a day. The size of the Bass are running one to over five pounds, most fish are two to three pounds range. The Bass are hitting Bass Assassin rubber worms and Berkley Power bait Heavy sink worms in colors black, black & red and watermelon. Rigging the worms Carolina style seems to work the best.
Fishing Gear we use:
Reels PENN Conflict and Battle spinning in sizes 1000, 2000, 250 0& 3000 sizes.
Line: Spiderwire Ultra-cast and Berkley Fireline braid in6, 8, 10 and 15 pound. Rods: PENN Legion and Regiment 6’6” and 7’ Med action Leader material: Berkley Big Game mono & Pro Spec Fluorocarbon.
Thanks for reading this report, if you have any questions just let me know! If you would like to go fishing drop me a line; I’m booking Shad trips now!!!
Good fishing to ya!
Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
PENN Reels Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on April 4th, 2014
This winter has been one of the most up and down I’ve even seen around Southeast NC; really 67` one day and snow the next day??? The fishing overall even with this weather has been pretty good most days. I’ve said once, I have said it 100 times; you really have to pick your fishing days during the winter months here in Southeast NC!
The Redfishing lately has been pretty good most days when the wind is not howling and we’ve seen some nice schools of Reds. Warmer, sunny and lower wind days can be the key to catching these inshore winter Redfish. It’s not hard to catch them once you find’em, look for these Reds in creeks with dark colored bottoms and oyster rocks never hurt. Scented soft plastics like Berkley Gulp should do the trick to get these Reds to hit. Patterns in Gulp like Shrimp in sizes 2” and 3” are my go too; I’m keeping the baits smaller. Colors that seem to work the best are pearl, molting and new penny; the new Fire tail colors work great too!
Try lighter jig heads like 1/16oz and 1/8oz when winter fishing; lighter jig heads help you to work the lure much slower and will still look nature. On warmer light wind days you can also find some nice schools of Reds in shallow water oyster flats and 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!
Surf Reds have been hit or miss; I believe that a lot of the Reds are still up in the creeks due to all the up and down weather this season. I have caught a few good days of surf Reds when the weather is just right. Casting Berkley Gulp Ripple mullets on 1/4oz and 3/8oz jig heads in colors Rootbeer gold and New penny’ don’t forget that fluorocarbon leader this time of year the water is super clear most days!
I’ve made quite a few trips to the Cape Fear River year; there are three different kinds of fish to chase in the Cape Fear, Catfish, Striped Bass and even a hand full of nice Redfish most all winter long. Here is a few ways to put a CFR Striper on your line. Try Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five and six inch size; in pearl & new penny colors and Berkley Havoc Grass Pigs. Work these baits slowly and always rig them weed-less; there are many hangs in the Cape Fear River. Try a Moaner swim bait hook with the Berkley Jerkshad; this is a great hook at a great price. www.moanerhooks.com I use the weighted Stroker hook in 1/4oz 5/0. Look for Stripers on drop-offs, dock pilings and reed-grass lines. The Cape Fear River Striped Bass fishing is a closed fishery; all Stripers must be released.
If you would like to give the Catfish a try, use baits like cut mullet, chicken livers and cut eel. I use heavy Carolina rigs when I fish for catfish. Try an Eagle claw L42 2/0 to 4/0 hook with fifty or eighty pound mono leader to make your carolina rig. Look for the catfish on drop-offs from five to twenty feet of water. We have seen some blue cats over thirty pounds caught in the river so try not to use to light of tackle; these are not always your ‘farm pond channel cats’!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle & Conflict Spinning reels sizes 2500, 3000 & 4000 for the Redfish and Striped Bass. PENN Legion in 6’6” & 7’ medium and med/hvy action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound; Berkley Big Game Fluorocarbon leader for my leaders.
I have a few tickets available for my NC Inshore Fishing School in Raleigh, NC on April 5th (Saturday). The Wilmington School has Sold Out. If you would like a ticket to the Raleigh school please let me know by E-mail or phone call captainjot@yahoo.com
If you have any questions about the tactics I use fishing the local waters please e-mail me or catch me on Face Book at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Capt-Jot-OwensJot-It-Down-Fishing-Charters-LLC/134340373310487
Thanks for reading and good fishing to ya!
Capt. Jot Owens
PENN Fishing Tackle Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on January 30th, 2014
Here it is almost Thanksgiving and I think the Speckled trout fishing will go to Christmas this year; I hope! With all this up and down weather the fishing has really been up and down too; I’ve had some very good days of fishing. The problem has been as soon as it gets good the weather changes and I’ve got the start my hunt for fish all over again. Here are some of the tactics I’ve been using lately to catch fish and these tactics should work right up to Christmas.
The Speckled trout has been the name of the game for the last two months and the trout should continue to bite very well. With most of my charters coming to the dock with there limit and some days with over forty trout coming over the side of the boat. The real good news is the big trout are just starting to show up!
When the trout bite is on they are hitting just about any lure or live bait you throw at them, but there are a few colors/lures that are catching more keepers then other colors/lures. This season has been a very good grub/jig season with hundreds of trout coming to the boat on grubs. The two hot grubs this season for me has been the Berkley Gulp Fire tail 3” shrimp and Saltwater Assassin 4” sea shad pattern. The colors that are catching the most and biggest trout in the fire tail shrimp are watermelon red fleck, pearl and new penny. In the sea shads; chicken on a chain, salt&pepper silver with chart tail, sweet pea, cantaloupe, rainbow trout and 10w40 with chart tail.
I prefer to rig all my grubs on red, gray or black jig heads in weights of 1/16oz, 1/8oz or 1/4oz; you really don’t need a much heavier jig,head, a slow sink will catch you more trout! Remember trout typically hit lures that are sinking down or just above them. Keeping this in mind; a slower sinking lure stays in the strike zone longer which gives the trout more time to hit you lure. Another rule I stand by when Speckled trout is the fact that trout have very good eye sight and with this said I always use a high quality fluorocarbon leader for all my trout rigs. I prefer Berkley Pro Spec tinted fluorocarbon leader material in twenty pound test; with gunsmoke tint for clear waters and tannic for river or stained water applications.
My charters have caught a few nice trout on hard baits like MirrOlures and Sebile baits. We’ve caught trout the 17MR and 18MR but some of the bigger ones are hitting the good old 52M&MR this season. Another bait that has really picked up a few nice trout this season is the Stick Shadd by Sebile in sizes 90 and 114 with colors in white lady, hollow mullet and yellow pepper. The colors for the MirrOlures that are having the most luck are; 17MR and 18MR’s in colors: 11, 26, 808, CFPR, CH, EC and BCH. As far as the 52M & MR in colors: 11, 26, 51, 704, 808, CFPR, CH and HP.
If you would like to go with the live bait for your trout outing, try live mud minnows, small finger mullet or shrimp all of these baits will catch trout. I rig all these different baits on float rigs in waters of three to six feet deep and a light Carolina rig for deeper waters of five to twenty feet deep. Still here again even with live bait I always use fluorocarbon as leader; it will make a difference.
One cool thing that is always fun during trout season is all the ‘bonus fish’ that you will catch while Speckled trout fishing. My charters have caught a good bunch of Redfish, Sheephead and Flounder in the last few weeks of fishing. Another fish that we catch during trout season is the Black drum and I feel this fish is looked over a lot. There are very good to eat and put up a nice fight on trout tackle! So you never know what might be on the end of your rod to you get it to the boat this time of year.
Fishing Gear I use:
Speckled trout, Flounder and Redfish: Reels PENN Battle, 1000, 2000 & 3000 PENN Conflict 2000 & 2500 spinning reels. Rods: PENN Legion and Regiment in classes of 4 to 10 and 6 to 12 pound class Line: Spiderwire eight and ten pound test braid (Ultracast) Fluorocarbon leader material, Berkley Pro Spec Tinted Fluorocarbon in tints Gunsmoke for clearer waters and Tannic for river or stained waters in twenty pound test.
*Are you on Facebook? Check out my page Capt. Jot Owens/Jot It Down Fishing Charters LLC for lots of good info on local fishing, fishing tips, detailed live reports, photos and tackle giveaways; yes free stuff! Just Fan (like) the page on I’ll have monthly random drawings of Fans for free tackle!
Thanks so much for reading this report/forecast and have a great Thanksgiving! I’m booking now and booking up fast for trophy Speckled trout trips for December. Don’t forget take a kid fishing and good fall fishing to ya!
Captain Jot Owens
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
PENN Tackle Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on November 21st, 2013
Well Folks, fall is really trying to show and then it gets warm and dry! A real roller coaster of weather: one day with hot temps and dry; very next day cool, breezy and rainy! Hey that’s what gets those fall fish biting so we can’t complain too much. With that said lets talk fall fishing!
I’ve had some very good Spanish mackerel and False Albacore runs lately. Most of the Spanish and Albacore are hitting Clark spoons on number one planners; a few nicer fish have hit live bait on top as well. I have also caught some on Fly’s and SeaRock jigs casting when the fish get on top to feed. The Spanish are very nice in size; most fish are two to some over four pounds “nice fall size”. They are biting around the inlets, just off the beach to about two miles off. The water has been very clear some days, so I’ve used fluorocarbon leaders on these days and it has really helped me get more bites. I don’t know how much longer they will be here with the cooler air moving in; will just have to see!
Redfish schools are starting to show up in the surf. You can find these schools of twenty to over a thousand Redfish around inlets, outer sand bars and sand flats. Once you find these schools there pretty easy to catch if the weather is calm. I cast 1/4oz to 1/2oz jig heads with five inch Berkley Gulp jerkshad or four inch Berkley Gulp Ripple mullet; in colors new penny or pearl white. Be very careful in the surf if your in a boat, you really have got to watch the waves and try not to run over the school with your boat!
We’ve caught some bigger bull Redfish on hard/live bottoms just off the beach and around the local inlets. We are catching Reds in the 24 to over 40 inch range, some days their over the slot some days their in the slot. Most of the Reds are hitting mullets and fresh menhaden on Carolina rigs; using heavier egg sinkers with circle hooks 6/0 to 9/0. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do there 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 to 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 tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Bull Reds out there.
And last but Not lest, Speckled Trout are starting to show and bite! The Speckled trout fishing has gotten better and better around this area every year! It looks like it will be the same this year as well; especially since we had such a mild winter; “I Can’t wait, I love Trout fishing”! The best trout bites lately have been on grubs and hard baits, but we have caught some on the good ‘ole live shrimp as well. As the weather cools the trout fishing will get much better!
The best grubs I’ve had luck with lately are Berkley Gulp three inch shrimp in colors pearl white, new penny, and new penny flick/chart tail. I also have caught a good fair amount of trout on Saltwater Assassin’s four inch sea-shad in colors greenback shiner, chicken on a chain and silver mullet. I Rig the grubs and shrimp patterns on a red or black jig heads and I always use fluorocarbon leader for trout fishing!
Hard lures that seem to be bringing the trout to the boat are Mirrolure’s 17MR, Catch 2000 Jr, 52M and Sebile’s Koolie minnow & Magic swimmer lures in colors pink, chartreuse, and white. Most of the trout we have caught have been in the creeks and main channels connecting to the ICW and inlets as well as the Cape Fear River.
The Fishing gear I use:
Reds, Trout and Flounder: Reels PENN Battle and Conflict spinning in sizes 2000, 2500 and 3000. Rods: PENN Legion 6’6” and 7’ Med/light and Med. Line: Spiderwire Ultracast in 10, 15 and 20 pound. Bull Redfish: PENN Spinfisher V 5500 and PENN Fathom 20LW. Rods: PENN Legion 1530S70 with the Spinfisher V 5500 and PENN Bluewater Carnage 700ML 20-40 class with the Fathom 20LW. Line: thirty pound Berkley Big Game mono.
*Are you on Facebook? Check out my page Capt. Jot Owens/Jot It Down Fishing Charters LLC for lots of good info on local fishing, fishing tips, detailed live reports, photos, videos and tackle giveaways; yes free stuff!
Thanks for reading these reports, if you have any questions or comments just let me know. Don’t’ forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
PENN Tackle Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on October 9th, 2013
