Hello everybody, I hope spring is treating you good. The weather has really warmed up around here; we are getting more good weather fishing days. There has been a lot more days with lighter winds and sunny sky’s. This good weather has lead to good fishing trips. One thing that I have seen is a lot of fish that are early this year, showing up two to four weeks earlier than usual.
Fishing has changed a lot since my last report in a good way. The Bonita bit well this and last week, we caught them trolling and casting. Spanish mackerel have showed up this week as well. The lures that we’re trolling with and have worked well for us are; Clark spoons and Yo-Zuri crystal minnow deep divers. The YoZuri’s have worked the best on the Bonita’s and big Spanish mackerel.
A few King mackerel have also showed up this week, they are not real big but a lot of fun on light tackle! The kings are also biting the Yo-Zuri’s. The colors that are working the best have been Pink and Clown. We are trolling the crystal minnows two to three knots. The good thing about trolling this Yo-Zuri is you can use light tackle which makes it a lot of fun.
The Red fish, Flounder and Speckled trout are biting too. The trout bite is starting to slow down around Wrightsville but it is going strong in the river. Reds and Flounder are biting around docks and in the creeks. Most of the Reds and Flounder are hitting grubs and live bait. Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs are working well to get these fish, in colors good penny and molting. Blurps are scented grubs like many other scented grubs on the market, but they won’t dry out on your hook and they have great action!
There is lots of Blues around the inlet; they will bite just about any spoons or jigs. There are a few big ones around too, don’t forget use some good leader when your fishing for them. I have herd some talk about a few COBIA showing up around. Let’s not get to ahead of our self this season now, but “I’m keeping my eye out for them”.
Gear used: Pflueger Medalist spinning reels in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lite’s 7’ med action. Line: Ugly Braid fifth teen and twenty pound test. Keep your eyes out for Penn’s new jigging rods. I have used a few of them and they have a really good feel to them. Thanks for reading this report. Give me a call lets go fishing, School will be out soon, time to book that fishing trip!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello folks, I hope y’all are enjoying the warmer temps as much as I am! Summer is starting to show it self around eastern North Carolina. Lighter winds and warmer temps have been the story and that means good fishing! Finally three and four day windows of good temps and light winds. Enough about the weather lets talk fishing!
We have had some great Trout fishing lately, fishing south of Wrightsville beach. On good days we are catching over fifth teen trout with three to six flounder mixed in too. On Thursday 4-17, my charter caught sixteen trout and six flounder. That same day one of the trout was 27” and weighted six and a half pounds, a very nice spring trout. The trout was released alive and in good health.
We’ve been catching the trout on live shrimp and shrimp grubs. The rig we are using for the live shrimp is a float rig, fishing two to four feet deep. The shrimp grubs that seem to work the best are Saltwater Assassin (Shrimp Cocktails) in colors (Drunk monkey and Natural glow). We’ve also caught a few with a Kiwk rattling cork and a grub shrimp.
The Red fish bite has been “hit or miss” some days we go out and wack’em some days we don’t. Live bait, fresh shrimp and scented grubs have been the ticket. You just have got to find the Reds to catch them. Fish the live and cut bait on Carolina rigs. Saltwater Assassin (Blurps) in colors good penny and molting seem to work well for the scented grubs. Most of the reds are in the water way on docks and in creek mouths.
In the ocean on the nice days, the blues are biting well. Sometimes you get a few Bonita’s mixed in as well. Clark spoons in size’s one, two and three trolled behind number one planners are the trolling ticket. Casting and jigging spoons works well too around near shore artificial wrecks. Pink colored lures seem to work the best for my charters. It will not be long we will see some Spanish mackerel; I’m looking forward to that!
Gear used: Pflueger Medalist 6040 and 6035 spinning reels with 12 and 20 pound Ugly Braid line. Rods: Ugly stick lite’s in med action 7’.in length. Thanks for taking a look at this report! Get out on the water and take a kid fishing. Or better give me a call and I’ll take ya!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Good day to everyone. The weather is starting to finally get right; we are having more warm days than cooler ones. The forecast has warmer days for the rest of the week, a little cool today though! Wind wise a little better everyday, we’ve finally started to get out on the ocean and chase those Bonita’s around. Let’s talk about that.
Those high speed Bonita’s are showing up, good numbers should show up any day now. The Bluefish are mixed in with them too. We’re catching them by trolling and casting. The trolling rigs that we’re using are; a number one planner with thirty to forty feet of forty pound mono leader. Tied to the leader is a Clark spoon in size’s 0, 1 and 2, I like to use the gold and pink flash Clark spoons. Troll them about five to six knots.
If you would like to try casting or jigging for the Bonita’s, I use Maria jigs. They do have a price tag on them, but when the bite is tough these jigs will pay off! Maria’s that I have the best luck with are size’s seven and fourteen grams. The fourteens are easier to cast. Colors to use; green, blue and pink seem to work the best for me.
The Speckled trout have decided to bite from time to time the last few weeks. Most fish are coming out of creeks and channels around the waterway and inlets. Best bet for the trout so far has been grubs, working the grubs slow in holes and drop-offs. The grubs I like in the spring mouths are Saltwater Assassin sea shad in 4”. Colors silver mullet, chart diamond, and salt/pep shad. I like to use shrimp (Bang) scent in the spring too, this helps because there is not much bait in the water yet. I don’t use a lot of scents for Trout, but in the cool spring mouths it can really help.
Redfish are schooling good in the surf and the ICW, when we get a nice day we get out and get’em. They are pretty easy to catch; you just got to find them. That part can be a bit harder, trust me! A sunny, light wind day and good polarized sunglasses are the keys to catching these Reds. Grubs seen to be the easy go to bait for the Reds. Saltwater Assassin (Blurps) in pearl and molting colors work very well. You can use jigs heads, 1/4 and 3/8 for casting. Color of the jig heads is not a big deal red and black work just fine. Hold on tight, they fight great even in cool water!
We are catching a few Flounder as well. The flounder are biting while we are fishing for Reds and the Trout. Grubs work just fine to get these guys. Gear used: Reel Pflueger Infusion 7635SS and 7640ss, Rod: Ugly Stick Lite 7’0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Ugly Braid in 15 and 20 pound test. Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing! If you would like to go with me check out my web page www.captainjot.com and or give me a call 910-233-4139.
Capt. Jot Owens
Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello everybody, I hope spring is treating you well! Not to bad around here, two days warm then one day cool. Hey that’s spring for ya around the Carolina coast! One day breezy, two days calm sometime it’s the other way around! That’s why I love the Carolina coast we have real seasons around here! Enough about weather, to the fishing report we go!
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 large mouth Bass have been biting well. 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. Bass are hitting Bass Assassin rubber worms in colors black and red shad “red and black”. Rigging the worms Carolina style seems to work the best.
On the coast fishing has been a little hit or miss for the most part. Some days we go out and get over ten Redfish some days it’s less. The best bait for the Reds lately has been fresh shrimp or live mud minnows. I have had the most luck rigging the shrimp and minnows on Carolina rigs. We are using EC L 42 style hooks in number “one” size. The Reds are running in the sixteen to twenty-five inch range with a few bigger ones mixed in from time to time.
If you would like to go the artificial root, I would recommend using scented grubs. The best bet is to use Saltwater Assassin “Blurps” in Colors Molting and good penny. These Blurps are really well scented to put out one great scent trail. Those Reds will find them, trust me! Jigs heads for the grubs in ¼ to 3/8 oz, colors red and black seem to be the trick. Work’em slow around docks and drop-offs on grass lines.
There are a few trout and flounder around as well, they are not very big, but some times you can pull out a keeper. Mud minnows and grubs are the ticket for these fish. Rig the minnows on Carolina rigs, go light on the leader fifth teen to twenty pound line. Grub colors that we’re using; Chart. Diamond and Silver mullet with red head jigs. Work’em slow on shore lines and drop off on the grass lines.
Gear used for the last few trips: Pflueger Medalist and Infusion SS spinning reels in size 6035 great for trout and light Red fishing. Rods: Ugly Stick Lite. Med act 7’ Line used Ugly Braid fifth teen and twenty pound test. Thanks for reading this report, if you have any questions or comments drop me a line at www.captainjot.com
Thanks again,
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
PS: Booking up FAST>>>>>>>>>
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
Hello to all, I hope everyone is having a good spring so far! The weather around here has been nice for the most part; we just had a front push by and brought cooler temps in for a day or two. It’s already starting to warm back up and the forecast is for warmer and warmer days to come. Let’s get to the fishing report. “What you came for”!
The Redfish have been biting fair to great. Good numbers are being caught, anywhere from five fish to over twenty on better days. The Redfish are hitting grubs, cut bait and live bait. . Grubs that have been working well: Saltwater Assassin’s (Blurps) in colors molting and good penny. The best cut bait so far has been fresh shrimp. Most of the local fish markets are starting get some fresh shrimp. Rig the shrimp Carolina style using a number one Eagle claw L42 hook.
We are catching a few Speckled trout from time to time. The trout are small with a few nice ones mixed in. Grubs have been the best bet for the trout; we’re using Saltwater Assassin sea shad and shrimp patterns. Colors that have worked lately; Elec. Chicken and Chart Diamond. Don’t forget those never fell; Mirrolures, in colors silver mullet and white on white. The water is still cool so don’t forget to work the lures a little slower.
There has been a few bluefish starting to show up around the inlets. These guys are a little early but that is good thing. I hope the Bonita’s are not far behind them! If you have ever caught a Bonita on light tackle or Fly rod you know just how fast they are and how much fun it is to catch them. If you have not ever caught one, you need to give it a try. This is one of my favorites to catch hands down and they are not bad to eat as well.
If you get a chance take a look at Xtool’s and Pflueger’s new gear. They have come out with some new products for this year. Xtools has come out with over nine new products from Xtoolkits to RodXRacks. You can check them all out at www.xtools.us Pflueger has made a very nice saltwater bait caster, (Patriarch) check it out and other new products at www.pfluegerfishing.com
Thanks for taking a look at this report. We are booking up quickly for the season so give me a call to book your next fishing trip. Don’t forget to take a kid fishing as well!!
See ya soon,
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 18th, 2011
