Hello Folks, I hope everybody is enjoying the summer so far. Fishing for the most part has been very good this year for me and my charters. We are starting to see more people on the water, in the last couple of weeks. Which I guess is a good thing, “tip”: if you want to beat the crowds; go earlier! To the fishing report!
We’ve had some good Speckled trout, Redfish and Flounder fishing lately south of Wrightsville beach. The trout are hitting grubs and shrimp pattern lures. The grubs that are working well are Saltwater assassin sea shad pattern. In colors chicken on a chain, pumpkinseed chart tail and morning gory; we are rigging them with 1/8 oz red & black jig heads. Live shrimp are also working well for the trout and flounder. Light float rigs when we are using the live shrimp. It you would rather use artificial, you can use a SWA rattling Kwik-cork and a shrimp pattern lure under it.
The Redfish are hitting top water plugs and spinner baits. The best top water plugs we are using is the Rapala skitter walk, size 4-3/8” in colors hot chartreuse, red/white and black/gold/orange. Spinner baits we are throwing; SWA Red daddy and the Mac daddy. These spinner baits are some of the best on the market they hold up well and they swim great too.
Some Sheephead and black drum are biting around docks and bulkheads. There has been a few very nice black drum caught lately, some fish over twenty pounds reported “that’s a good pull”! These fish are hitting fiddler crabs, live shrimp and fresh shrimp. We fish mostly using small Carolina rigs, with forty pound mono leader and small but strong live bait hooks. Sheephead and smaller black drum make great table fare.
The King mackerel and Mahi fishing has been great last few weeks. We’ve caught from six to twelve kings and two to four Mahi’s on most trips lately. There has been a few Sailfish around as well; keep your eye out for jumping and feeding Sails! Most of the Kings and Mahi’s are hitting fast trolled small ballyhoo or slow trolled menhaden and cigars minnows. One trick that has worked very well for us lately has been Blue water Candy’s bling feather weight dusters in colors pink and light blue. We are fishing in the eight to twenty mile range off the beach; around wrecks and live bottom areas.
Shark fishing is really starting to pick up just off the beach. I’m not talking about one to three footers; I’m talking about four to seven plus footers, running fifty to two hundred pounds; on light tackle and fly rods. Don’t knock it til you have tried it! It’s a lot of fun most of the sharks come right up to the boat and take the bait or fly. This is always a lot of fun for the young and the new to the sport of fishing. We are catching Lemon, Dusky, and Black tips with a few Hammerheads from time to time as well.
Gear used: Redfish, Trout, Flounder and Sheephead: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7’0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Sharks: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) and Penn Torque 100TRQ. Rods: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class spinning and Torque 6’ 80-130 casting. Kings and Mahi: Penn spinning reel 560L (Live liner) Rod: Penn Torque 7’ 20-50 class.
* I will be heading to Orlando, FL this next week for ICAST: International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades. This is the biggest fishing tackle show in the world; all the new tackle for 2010 is shown at this show. I know that there is some very cool tackle coming out from Penn at the show. I will have all the details for y’all as soon as I get back!
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, don’t forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello from steaming HOT southeast North Carolina!! Has it been hot enough for y’all lately? Thanks God the fish has been just as hot. The last few weeks of fishing have been very good; let’s talk about that in this fishing report>>>
The Spanish mackerel bite has been very good lately. Spanish mackerel are feeding well in the mornings and afternoons. We are catching most of the Spanish around the inlets, shoals, and up & down the beach strands; in twenty to forty feet of water. Look for bluer and cleaner water; this is where we are catching most of the Spanish. Most of the Spanish are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in plan silver and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick.
The King mackerel and Mahi fishing has been great last few weeks. We’ve caught from six to twelve kings and two to four Mahi’s on most trips lately. Running the down rigger has produced some very nice kings; we had a thirty five and a twenty five pound king this week. There has been a few Sailfish around as well; keep your eye out for jumping and feeding Sails! Most of the Kings and Mahi’s are hitting fast trolled small ballyhoo or slow trolled menhaden and cigars minnows. One trick that has worked very well for us lately has been Blue water Candy’s bling feather dusters in colors pink and light blue. We are fishing in the ten to twenty mile range off the beach; around wrecks and live bottom areas.
Flounder fishing is really picking up around the area. Most of the Flounder are eating little menhaden and Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs. The Flounder are mixed in size to just under keeper size to a few over five pounds. We have caught some Flounder on Artificial baits as well. We have had the best luck with Saltwater Assassin Blurp grubs in molting color and “Chicken on a chain” color grubs. Rig the grubs on a red or black jig head for best results. Flounder fishing should stay consistent right through the summer and fall.
I’m starting to see a few Tarpon around the inlets and off the shoals; I really start looking for the silver kings right around the 4th of July. The Tarpon should stay around till mid September. We fish for Tarpon on the bottom using, live and fresh dead baits like; spots, bluefish and Menhaden. We rig these baits on fish finder rigs, with three to five feet of 80 to 100 pound mono 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.
Sheephead fishing is starting to pick up as well around the area. The best bet is fishing around bridges, docks and bulk-heads. Fishing in water from six to fifth-teen feet for Sheephead seems to work the best for us. We fish mostly using small Carolina rigs, with forty pound mono leader and small but strong live bait hooks. Baits we are using; fiddler crabs and sand fleas have worked just fine. Give it a shot, it takes time but you’ll get one; Hold-on tight!
Gear used: Spanish, Flounder and Sheephead: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7’0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Tarpon: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) and Penn Torque 100TRQ. Rods: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class spinning and Torque 6’ 80-130 casting. Kings and Mahi: Penn spinning reel 560L (Live liner) Rod: Penn Torque 7’ 20-50 class.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, don’t forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello folks, I hope everyone is doing well. The weather has really turned to the summer trend in the last few days. We’ve had some good fishing weather; hot temps and light winds. The fishing has been pretty hot it’s self! With that said; here is the fishing report>>>
We have been looking for Cobia on a lot of my trips lately and we’ve had some success. This last week we caught three, kept one and released two. They were not the biggest cobia I’ve seen around lately but, still very good eating! Most cobia that we are seeing are sight casting fish; we just cruise up and down the beach looking for them. We are throwing big jigs, swim baits and live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter; “go bright”! When I’m not sight casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs.
The Shark fishing is really starting to pick up as well with the warm weather we are having. My charters this week have caught ten to twenty sharks a day. The sharks are in the ten to a few over 150 pounds; we released one around 150 to 175 on Tuesday this last week. We are fishing with live and dead menhaden; light lining and bottom fishing. The shark rigs are ten inches of number nine or ten single strand wire, with a 9/0 or 10/0 J off set hook. To six to ten foot of eighty pound Berkley bid game mono (wind-on leader). Some people don’t like fishing for sharks; but it can be a lot of fun with kids who have never seen a shark before.
Spanish mackerel are feeding well in the mornings and afternoons. We are catching most of the Spanish around the inlets, shoals, and up & down the beach strands; in fifth teen to thirty feet of water. Most of the Spanish are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in plan silver and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick.
The King mackerel and Mahi fishing has pick up nicely the last few weeks. There has been a few Sailfish around as well; we released a Sail on Wednesday 6-10. We were fishing around the school house area, when we saw the sail jumping on some bait. We ran over to the area we thought we saw the sail and threw out two live menhaden. It took about ten seconds and bam she was jumping and running. Most of the Kings and Mahi’s are hitting fast trolled small ballyhoo or slow trolled menhaden and cigars minnows. One trick that has worked very well for us lately has been Blue water Candy’s bling feather dusters in colors pink and light blue. We are fishing in the ten to twenty five mile range off the beach; around wrecks and live bottom areas.
Redfishing is still going good on most days. The best fishing has been earlier in the day or later in the day (lower light). We are catching the reds on top water lures and rattling corks (SWA kwik-croks) with live bait in shallow water (one to three foot). When we fish docks and channels (deeper waters); we are using live bait, fresh cut bait and scented grubs. The scented grubs we are using are Saltwater Assassin Blurps in colors molting and good penny; patterns shrimp and sea shad.
Sheephead fishing is starting to pick up as well around the area. The best bet is fishing around bridges, docks and bulk-heads. Fishing in water from six to fifth-teen feet for Sheephead seems to work the best for us. We fish mostly using small Carolina rigs, with forty pound mono leader and small but strong live bait hooks. Baits we are using; fiddler crabs and sand fleas have worked just fine. Give it a shot, it takes time but you’ll get one; Hold-on tight!
Gear used: Spanish, Blues, Reds and Sheephead: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7’0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Cobia and Sharks: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) and Penn Torque 100TRQ. Rods: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class spinning and Torque 6’ 80-130 casting. Line: This is a new super braid I’m trying; so far it’s been a real good braid: Spider Wire Stealth Camo in 50#.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, don’t forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello from southeast North Carolina; the wind is finally not blowing and the fish are biting!!! Finally some nice weather on a holiday weekend; (a fishing guides dream)! We had a great week of fishing and those good’ole Cobia have started to really show up here. Let’s talk about that in this fishing report>>>
Well if you know me at all, there is one fish that drives me crazy besides Tarpon; it’s Cobia! I love to fish, catch and eat them. We saw good numbers of Cobia the last fives days of fishing; with a few catch’s and one big loss! On Saturday we saw five Cobia; hooked two, got one small one and released it. The one that got away went 70# plus, ran 100 to 150 yards and pulled the hook; “I wanted to cry”! That’s fishing!!
Most of the Cobia fishing I’m doing now is sight fishing up and down the beach strands. The water has really started to clear up, making it easier to see those brown logs in the water. We are throwing big jigs, swim baits and live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter; “go bright”! When I’m not sight casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. We float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live menhaden, blues and mullet as bait. You can chum if you like, but the sharks will come and they will come in numbers!
We are really starting to see some good numbers of Redfish inshore the last two weeks. The Reds we are getting are hitting fresh cut, bait live and scented Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs in colors; drunk monkey and molting. We’ve been rigging these on weed less hooks for grass fishing in some of the bays and flats. There is also some live bait starting to show up around the area. We’ve caught a few nice Reds float fishing with Assassin (Kwik-corks) on the shallows and flats.
This week we also got in to some nicer keeper Flounder in the south Wrightsville areas. We’ve also caught some small to just over keeper size in some of the local creeks and creek mouths. Most are hitting on a falling tide where the bait comes pouring out of the shallows. Mud minnows are work well now; that is until the little mullets show up in good numbers. We are using light Carolina rigs with #1 L42 Eagle claw hooks; going very light on the egg sinker: ¼ to ¾ oz.
The Spanish and Blues are still chewing up and down the beaches. The Kings are showing them self’s a little better this week too. The kings have been in the five to twenty mile range and there are a few Mahi’s showing too!
Keep your eyes peeled on some new tackle from Penn that will come out soon; (Hint) If you like to catch big fish on spinning tackle; you will not want to miss these reels!
Gear used: Spanish, Blues, Reds and Flounder: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7’0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Cobia: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) Rod: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class. Line: forty (40) pound Berkley Big Game braid.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, don’t forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello folks, I hope everyone is enjoying this fishing season so far; except all the WIND lately!!! Man, one week of light winds and pay with two plus weeks of hard southwest! That is North Carolina Spring for ya! The big (bar highs) will be here soon: “I hope”! Will let’s talk about the windy weather fishing report>>>
The water has really gotten dirty with all the wind lately; when we find clearer water, we are finding the fish. Most of the Spanish and Blues are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in plan silver and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick. We have also caught a hand full of chopper blues too. These choppers are running in the six to over fifth teen pound range. The choppers are biting big poppers and mid water stick baits. Color really does not seem to matter to those big blues, just a lot of action from the lure!
I’ve seen a few Cobia around the inlets and near shore reefs. Live bait fishing is the best bet for these great fighting fish. Fishing live baits on top as well as on the bottom will get you the best chance at catching a Cobia. I prefer bluefish, mullet and menhaden for bait; what ever is easier to get. To catch a Cobia you’ve got to put your time in, sometimes you catch one right away; sometimes you don’t. That’s why they call it fishing! The Cobia should keep getting better later in to May. It’s time now to book you Cobia trips.
We are seeing a few more Redfish around; most fish have been in the water way, bays and around some of the inlets. As more live bait shows up, more Reds will come out of the ocean and in to the sounds. This is starting to happen, the fishing should pick up in the next few weeks. The Reds we are getting are hitting fresh cut, bait live and scented Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs in colors; drunk monkey and molting. We’ve been rigging these on weed less hooks for grass fishing in some of the bays and flats.
There are some Flounder around, we’ve not caught any great numbers yet, but this should change very soon with the bait showing up. We’ve caught some small to just over keeper size in some of the local creeks and creek mouths. Most are hitting on a falling tide where the bait comes pouring out of the shallows. Mud minnows are work well now; that is until the little mullets show up in good numbers. We are using light Carolina rigs with #1 L42 Eagle claw hooks; going very light on the egg sinker: ¼ to ¾ oz.
Gear used: Spanish, Blues, Reds and Flounder: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7’0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Cobia: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) Rod: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class. Line: forty (40) pound Berkley Big Game braid.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
