PENN has been making fishing tackle a long time, since 1932 to be exact. In 1963 PENN came out with its first generation of spinning reels the Greenie series, then PENN added the 2nd generation the Z series of reels. A little later, the 3rd generation, SS series, came along and it was not too long after that PENN introduced the 4th generation: SSm & SSg series, then the 5th generation (V). After that came the 6th generation (VI), I helped with that series myself and very much enjoy using my Spinfisher VI today.
So, after sixty years of great spinning reels PENN is stepping it up again! Yes, you guessed it, the Spinfisher VII (7th) series of spinning reels! I know; why fix something that is not broken, it is more like taking what is good and making it better! PENN has really put together a versatile line of spinning reels. From the Speckled Trout and Redfish catching with the SSVII 2500 size to the SSVII 5500 Cobia catching size, to the 7500 Long cast Big Drum surf fishing, to the White Marlin kicking SSVII 10500, yes that is right a 10500-size reel with a max drag of fifty (50) pounds!
I know what you are thinking, but this series does not seem much different than the VI’s?? And you are correct, well kinda; but a few upgrades have been done. The first upgrade is now the 2500 to 5500 sizes also have CNC Brass main gears, before it was only in the 6500’s or larger sizes. I am a big fan of the 5500 size and use this size a lot for big Red drum, Tarpon and Cobia fishing. This is good news to hear from a fishing guides prospective. Why go to brass gears in the smaller series, stronger and they will stay smoother longer. Another upgrade is the Line clip design on the spool. The new design allows for nearly any size line to hold in it. From super thin braid to larger Fluorocarbon leaders, this design will hold them. Good news here is you will not have to lose those expensive Fluorocarbon leaders now. No more making a loop or cutting the leader off, it will now hold just fine in this new line clip design.
Here are some of the other great key features of the new Spinfisher VI series:
• Full metal body
• Sealed HT-100 Carbon fiber drag washers
• Superline Spool-No backing needed because of the rubber gasket keeps superline (braid) from slipping
• IPX5 Sealed body and Spool
• Six (5+1) Shielded stainless steel bearing system
• Line Capacity Rings
• Bail-Less in sizes 4500 and 6500
• Long Cast in sizes 5500, 6500 and 7500.
• Live Liner Feature available on sizes 2500, 4500, 6500 and 8500.
The PENN Spinfisher VII features IPX5 sealing so whether it gets hit with a wave, or you let it ride in the spray all the way home, you do not have to worry about saltwater getting into the gearbox or drag system. The HT-100 drag washers are housed in a fully sealed spool to give the stopping power needed for big saltwater fish. A Full Metal Body and side plate keep the CNC gear system in precise alignment under heavy loads.
I was honored to be on the test team for these new Spinfisher VII reels and I can truthfully tell you I was impressed with these reels right out of the box. They have a very clean, powerful, and traditional, yet a newer PENN look/design to them. The reels are smooth while turning the handle, but still have the power to crank in big fish! I caught loads of keeper size Speckled trout on the SSVII 2500, large Flounder, Redfish, and Striped Bass on the SSVII 3500 size. The drag system is super smooth even on the highest drag settings. I put some very high drag pressure on the larger Redfish (Bulls) I caught with the SSVII 4500, Cobia, sharks, and Tarpon on the SSVII 5500; with that said the drag kept its setting through the length of the fight and stayed smooth.
If you have enjoyed the Spinfisher series of the past or are ready to purchase a reel that will last a long time; take a good, look at the new Spinfisher VII series. I believe that this reel is going to turn quite a few heads in the fishing world, and you will be happy you have them in your arsenal of fishing tackle. I am especially happy about the CNC brass main gears in the smaller sizes going forward!
The new Spinfisher VII series will be hitting your favorite tackle shops this fall.
Check out PENN’s full line of great Rods, Reels and Accessories at www.PENNreels.com
Thanks for reading and if you have any questions about any PENN products just let me know.
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
PENN Let the Battle Begin!
Posted in Product Reviews on September 12th, 2023
September is the month of change; summer starts to wind down and fall starts to show itself. I personally really like to fish in September, warm days, a little less humidity, much less boat traffic and best of all; great fishing! Here are some of the “goto” fish I like to target during September. Also, during September, the mullet run starts to get going, this always helps the fishing!
September is NC Flounder season. *Keeper North Carolina Flounder season for 2023 at the time of this report is September 15th to September 29th in coastal waters. Any Flounder caught outside of these dates must be released. Working live bait or artificial lures are both good ways to catch flounder. Live bait is good for catching higher numbers of Flounder, but not always as many larger size flounder with live bait for me. Mud minnows and small finger mullet will be the best live baits for Flounder in September. Small menhaden work too but die very easy in the warm waters of September.
Rigging the live bait on carolina rigs with Eagle Claw L42 sizes 1 or 1/0 hooks is a good choice of rigs for Flounder. If you prefer to use artificial baits which I see bigger size flounders more often on artificial lures. Scented and unscented soft plastics work well in clear or stained waters. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five and six inch and colors of new penny, pearl white, fire tiger and chart pepper neon are all good too. Darker colors like new penny and fire tiger (bright but not bright?) in heavy stained/dirty waters work better to get more bites. Also try Berkley’s Powerbait Grass Pig lure in colors, chartreuse, crazy chrome violet, and swamp gas (new penny). I rig all of these lures on jig heads in 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz weights in colors red, gray, or white. Another “set” of colors that is just hitting the tackle shops is the Chrome series of Gulp baits. I tested some of these baits last year and had good luck with inshore Flounder and Redfish. I prefer all chrome, purple chrome, and red chrome. There are some even newer Chrome series colors hitting the tackle shops now!! Keep your eyes peeled for my new favorite color, Dazzleberry Chrome!!
Look for the bigger flounder around deeper water docks with good current, bait fish and lots of structure inshore. The inlets, offshore reef and ledges are all good places to find hot weather flounder. What do all these places have in common, deeper water, current and structure. Do not forget look for the clearest water possible and when fishing very stained/dirty water slow down your presentation of the bait.
When the water starts to cool down the Redfishing (Red Drum) will heat up. I look for the Reds to be in the creeks, along the ICW docks and oyster rocks. Anywhere bait is moving by! Carolina rigs with live bait or fresh cut bait is a good bet to catch a Redfish. If you want to go the artificial root, try Berkley Gulp three- or four-inch shrimp in colors sugar spice glow or sangria rigged on a 1/8oz or 1/4oz jig head should get’em to bite. Early mornings or late afternoons the top water bite should be good; cast MirrOlure Top Dog Jr’s and Top Pup’s for the best bite. Look for the top-water reds to be along marsh grass lines and shallow oyster rocks. You can also use rattling or popping corks in the same areas you use top-water plugs, just rig them with eight to fourteen inches of forty-pound fluorocarbon, 1/0 hook L42 Eagle Claw and a live figure mullet.
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 carolina rigs with TroKar TK5 8/0 or 9/0 AP circle hooks and eighty-pound clear Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so the hook will do its job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull (Old) 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 too 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 Drum has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Big Reds out there.
Spanish mackerel and false albacore fishing can be great during September. The Spanish run the biggest (in size) all year during the fall. You can cast or troll for them and the fly fishing can be great as well. The Spanish/albacore will be around the inlets, up & down the beaches and near shore artificial reefs. Look for jumping Spanish and diving birds; that is where you need to fish. Casting small spoons like Big Nic Spanish candies on light spinning tackle will put some Spanish in the boat for you. Keep your eye peeled in local tackle shops for my new custom 1.5oz Spanish Candy Capt. Jot custom color! If you would rather troll, give a Blue Water Candy Daisy Chain a try on top and a #1 planner down deep with a Clark spoon. If you would like to give fly fishing a try, use a six to eight weight set up with floating line with a small minnow pattern fly or epoxy minnow pattern: my favorite!
Shark fishing will be good until late September. I see lots of different kinds of Sharks in September; Black tip, black nose, Sandbar, Hammerhead and Tiger. Best baits for the near shore sharks are fresh/live Bluefish, Mullet and Menhaden. I use spinning or conventional reels for Shark fishing with 300+ yards of fifty- and sixty-five-pound Spider wire Ultra-cast braid. Rigging the baits; eight feet of 80-pound mono leader; some of this leader will wind on to the reel. Connected to the 80-pound mono with a fifty-pound swivel, then Two to three foot of #9 SS wire and a TroKar 8/0 or 9/0 AP circle hook. (I push down the barb for easy release) If you prefer Fly fishing, I like Striped bass flies in Menhaden patterns with 4/0 and 5/0 hook sizes. We use ten to twelve plus weight set ups; have lots of extra flies with you!
Fishing Tackle I use: PENN Authority series reels 2500 & 3500 for Redfish, Flounder, and casting to Spanish mackerel. Big Drum and Sharks PENN Slammer IV or Authority5500 or 6500 series spinning reels or conventional Fathom II 20LW reels. Rods PENN Battalion II or Fenwick HMG Inshore 8 to 15 pound 7’ class for Redfish and Spanish mackerel. Big Drum and Sharks PENN Rampage jigging spinning or casting 30-to-80-pound class. Lines Light tackle Redfish and Spanish/albacore Spiderwire Ultra-cast 10-to-15-pound, Big Drum and Sharks 30-pound Berkley Pro Spec Chrome mono on conventional reels or Spiderwire braid 50 to 65 pound on spinning reels. Tackle storage: Plano Guide or Z series tackle bags with EDGE boxes inside.
Good September fishing to you and thanks for reading!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on September 3rd, 2023
August fishing in southeast NC can be pretty good but a few things to keep in mind. Most August’s we must watch the water temps, they can get high during August. Also, we sometimes get very heavy rain/thunderstorms which can dirty up the waters quickly and this dirty water can last a few hours to a few days. Here are my warm waters and stained waters August fishing tactics.
Flounder can be a tougher species to catch in dirty water, but keep in mind they still must eat too! Working live or artificial lures slower so the flounder have time to see and react to the target (bait). Live bait is good for catching higher numbers of Flounder, but no always as many larger size flounder with live bait. Mud minnows and small finger mullet will be the best live baits for Flounder in August. Small menhaden work too but die very easy in the warm waters of August.
Rigging the live bait on carolina rigs with Eagle Claw L42 sizes 1 or 1/0 hooks is a good choice of rigs for Flounder. If you prefer to use artificial baits which I do prefer and I see bigger size flounders more often on artificial lures. Scented and unscented grubs work well in clear or stained waters. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five and six inch and colors of new penny, pearl white, fire tiger and chart pepper neon are all good too. Darker colors like new penny and fire tiger (bright but not bright?) in heavy stained/dirty waters work better to get more bites. Also try Berkley’s Powerbait Grass Pig lure in colors, chartreuse, crazy chrome violet, and swamp gas (new penny). I rig these lures on jig heads in 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz weights in colors red, gray, or white. Another “set” of colors that is just hitting the tackle shows is the Chrome series of Gulp baits. I tested some of these baits last year and had good luck with inshore Flounder and Redfish. I prefer the all chrome, purple chrome, and red chrome. PS: word is there is some more chrome series colors coming out soon…stay tuned!!
Look for the bigger flounder around deeper water docks with good current, bait fish and lots of structure inshore. The inlets, offshore reef and ledges are all good places to find hot weather flounder. What do all these places have in common; deeper water, current and structure. Do not forget look for the clearest water possible and when fishing very stained/dirty water slow down your presentation of the bait. *Keeper North Carolina Flounder season for 2023 at the time of this report is September 15th to September 29th. Any Flounder caught outside of these dates must be released.
One fish that is always on my hot weather and stained waters list is the Sheephead. The Sheephead is 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 rig with forty- or fifty-pound fluorocarbon leader and a small live bait J hook (sharp/strong)! Another rig I have been having success with is a NC treat jig rig for Sheephead fishing. Drop that fiddler crab down beside a piling on one of these rigs and when you feel that little bump; set the hook and hold on! PS: they are great eating in the two-to-eight-pound range in my opinion.
North Carolina is not really known highly for Tarpon fishing but I do see them pushing just off the southeast inlets and the lower Cape Fear River from time to time. If you want a good challenge, give Carolina Tarpon fishing a try this August. The best times are very early morning or late afternoon and into the night. I fish for Tarpon on the bottom or free lining, using live and fresh dead baits like; spots, mullet, and menhaden. I rig these baits on fish finder rigs, with one to three feet of 80-to-100-pound fluorocarbon 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. I prefer TroKar AP TK5 9/0 circle hooks, super sharp and super strong! It is not easy to catch a NC Tarpon, but I promise if you do or even just jump one off its still really cool to see!
I also enjoy shark fishing later in the summer (late July to early September). Sharks on light tackle are always a good pull and boy the kids love to catch’em! Sharks do not really seem to care if the water is dirty either. I drift live and fresh dead bluefish, Spanish mackerel, mullet, or menhaden in twenty to forty feet of water offshore. I rig these baits with a 7/0 to 9/0 TroKar circle hook TK5 with one foot of ninety pound plus wire and six to eight feet of eighty-pound mono leader. You can free line the bait and /or put a small egg sinker on to keep the bait close to the bottom. You will know when you get a bite! Most sharks are in the ten-to-one-hundred-pound range.
Last but certainly not lest is Bull Redfish (big Red Drum). The Bull Reds will start showing up in good numbers around inlets and hard/live bottoms just off the beach to about ten miles out in early August. Live or fresh dead bait is the key to catching these brutes. Most fish will be twenty-eight to over forty inches in length, very fun to catch size! It is not hard to rig for the Bull reds; short carolina rigs with a 7/0 to 9/0 TroKar circle hook will do the trick. Live or fresh cut Menhaden or mullet as bait. Remember if your catching larger Drum, please use heavier tackle; these Drum will work so hard when the water is hot and it is easy to kill them using to light of tackle (fighting them to long). *Please take the time to revive Red drum especially bigger fish during warmer water months; it may take upwards of fifteen minutes to do so.
Tackle run down: PENN Slammer IV & (New series) Authority spinning reels 2500, 3000, 3500 sizes for the Sheephead and Flounder. Tarpon/Sharks/Bull Drum PENN Slammer IV & Authority 5500 & 6500 and PENN 20 Fathom II LW casting reels. Rods Fenwick HMG Inshore spinning 7’ medium and med/heavy for the Sheephead and Flounder. Tarpon/Shark/Bull Drum Rods: PENN Carnage III 40 to 80 Boat series. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound and Berkley Pro Spec Chrome mono in thirty pound for the Tarpon/sharks. Tackle Storage I prefer Plano Guide and Z-series tackle bags with EDGE Boxes inside.
Have a good August, stay cool and dry, thanks for reading! Good fishing to You!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on August 2nd, 2023
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. So far this year winter has really been a rollercoaster of weather. 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 or Berkley Powerbait grass pigs in five inch should get you a bite or two from a Striped Bass. I prefer white or chart pepper neon for the jerkshad and swamp gas or crazy chrome violet 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. 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 will 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 paddleshad in colors black gold or black silver 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 too.
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 lures like Gulp Shrimp in three inch size on light jig heads 1/16oz or 1/8oz slowly in front of the Redfish school. Try not to cast 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! I really like the color Sangria or Scooby Gulp shrimp for this presentation.
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 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 or #2 hook. Light meaning using as light as a sinker that you can get away with so as not to spook the drum. Fish around docks, oyster rock flats and inlets for these Black Drum; often you will 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, #2, or #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 1/16oz, 1/8oz or 1/4oz; 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. Also do not count out the beaches (surf fishing) for trout during the winter!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX, 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.
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, 2023
Where did November Go?!?! December really; Christmas is just around the corner! 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 have had a few cool/cold days (Like today) 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. 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 (suspending type).
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 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 and newer colors Sangria & Scooby. 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 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, 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 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, Slammer IV & the New Authority Spinning reels in sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 & 3500 for the 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 1st, 2022
