So far, a pretty mild Fall, a few cooler days but overall mild. We really need some cool air to get the fall fishing really going. Especially the local Speckled trout bite, I have had a handful of nice trout during October but not the numbers I like to see. November is going to be special this year for local trout fishing, you better be ready; it is going to be good I believe.
In early to mid-November, I look for Speckled trout in the creeks and channels just off the ICW; anywhere water is moving with tide flow and bait. Speckled trout like current; weather its hard current in a main channel or light current up a creek. You need current flow to catch trout; rising and falling tide can be good for trout do not let the tide keep you from going trout fishing! Marsh grass lines, oyster rocks that run into a channel and drop-offs in channels are all good places to find Speckled trout in November. Almost any grass lines with oysters will hold some trout. Look for places where there is a slight current break and those trout will be close by. Later in November all the above places will still hold trout and the inlets will start to hold more trout as the month goes on.
One key point to trout fishing I have found is that most days Specks will bite, but what are they hitting that day? I have found that in November hard baits work well. 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 lots of big trout. 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 too 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, #2 and #3 color in 17MR, #1 in 22MR & 52MR. 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.
If you have ever done any trout fishing at all you know that grub (soft plastic) lures work very well for Speckled trout too! Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp pattern is one of my go-to lures. I prefer colors sugar spice glow, pearl white, chartreuse and I really like the new sangria color. I also really like the Berkley Powerbait Pro Twitchtail minnow in three-inch colors Chartreuse Ice, Pink Ice and pearl white. I rig all my trout grubs on 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1/4oz jigs heads in colors red or gray; I prefer Berkley Fusion jig heads.
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 five feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook (#6). In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small number two J-hook Eagle claw L42. 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!
Here is one of my best tips I can give you for Speckled trout fishing around the Southeast NC area in November. The water gets clear, sometimes very clear around here in November. I always use Fluorocarbon leaders for Speckled trout fishing; for artificial as well as live bait fishing! You will catch more trout using fluorocarbon leader; trust me! I use Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material in twenty- and thirty-pound test. Give it a try; you will be happy you did!
The bigger Reds (Bulls) start to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets during September and run until later November; this year has been a good early fall Bull Red bite. 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 a TroKar TK5 AP 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook and eighty-pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Do not forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do their job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull Reds, is do not 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 Redfish has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Big Reds out there.
If you like to catch Bluefish and False Albacore there are just about as many as you like around during November. Fishing around and just outside of the inlets you should be able to find them. Casting metal jigging spoons like BigNic Spanish Candy’s or diamond jigs is a no brainer for getting some Bluefish. Just look for the birds working and cast in that area. Watch those Blues teeth they do bite hard!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX, Slammer IV or Authority Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 for the Speckled trout. Rods Fenwick HMG Inshore series rods in 7’ & 7’6” med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound braid. Bull Reds PENN Fathom II 20LW and PENN Carnage III Jigging Rods 30 to 80 class with 30-pound Pro Spec chrome mono. Tackle Storage system I prefer is the Plano Guide series in 3700 and 3700XL Tackle Bags with Plano EDGE stowaway Boxes inside.
*Keep your eyes on my FaceBook page for I will be releasing the two dates of my inshore fishing schools later this month. I will have one school day on a March Saturday and one on an April Saturday. This school is limited to 32 anglers each date and it will sell out within two days of release date.
Thanks for reading, good luck fishing and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on November 4th, 2022
The New PENN Authority Spinning Reel series is the new PENN standard. Focusing on best-in-class smoothness and sealing, these reels will have a size and gear ration for every scenario. Utilizing CNC Gear Technology, the precision-cut stainless steel geartrain paired with the Dura-Drag system, will give you the power to tame anything from within the deep blue. The IPX8 sealed body and spool are top of the line, ensuring that no water or debris will reach the internals, even if submerged. Whether fishing the creeks or in the blue water, the PENN Authority sets a new standard for durability and performance.
-Submersible IPX8 Sealed Body and Spool
-Full Metal Body, Side plate and Rotor
-CNC Gear Technology with Stainless Steel Main and Pinion Gears
-Sealed Slammer Drag system with Dura-Drag
-12+1 Stainless Steel Bearing System
-Leveline Slow Oscillation System
-Spare Hypalon Handle Knob (rubberized EVA)
I was on the design and test team for the new Authority spinning reels. I personally tested 2500, 2500HS, 3500, 4500 and 5500 sizes. These reels are awesome right out of the box, the box that the reel comes in is pretty impressive also every reel comes with a great neoprene cover. The Authority reels have a smoothness I don’t see/feel in many other spinning reels on the market these days. Smooth as in those precision-cut CNC stainless steel gears, they feel great, and they will last longer than other spinning reel gears. Keep in mind that it’s not a cheap to make stainless steel CNC gears, the tooling has to be changed out a lot when cutting stainless steel. This is one of the reasons these reels have a higher price tag. But you’ll feel the difference and see a longer life with these gears because of this process.
Authority reels are IPX8 sealed, and this rating has been tested by a third party to ensure its credibility. So, what is IPX8 sealed mean anyway?? IPX8 rating means that the Authority can be fully submerged deeper than 1 meter without water intrusion. Hey, we all know if you go saltwater fishing, from time to time you are going to get wet and so is your fishing gear; you might even drop it in the water. Or the “friend” you let use it might drop it in the water…
Now one question I have had asked quite a few times about these reels, is it light enough to cast all day; in my opinion the answer is yes. The 2500 comes in at 11.9 ounces, now before you go saying but Capt. Jot that’s not a “super” light reel. And you are correct, but this reel has a ton more technology in it to stay smooth and sealed! This adds weight! Double seals, thirteen bearings, a full metal body and stainless-steel CNC gears adds up.
Twelve models to choose from with four High Speed (HS) models available 2500HS, 4500HS, 6500HS & 8500HS. Retail price range $499.95 to $599.95
SIZE BER RATIO DRAG WEIGHT
ATH2500 2500 13 5.7:1 20lb 9.1kg 11.9 oz
ATH2500HS 2500 13 7.0:1 20lb 9.1kg 11.9 oz
ATH3500 3500 13 5.7:1 30lb 13.6kg 14.3 oz
ATH4500 4500 13 5.7:1 30lb 13.6kg 15 oz
ATH4500HS 4500 13 7.0:1 30lb 13.6kg 15 oz
ATH5500 5500 13 5.2:1 40lb 18.1kg 23.6 oz
ATH6500 6500 13 5.2:1 40lb 18.1kg 25.4 oz
ATH6500HS 6500 13 6.2:1 40lb 18.1kg 25.4 oz
ATH7500 7500 13 4.7:1 50lb 22.6kg 29.7 oz
ATH8500 8500 13 4.7:1 50lb 22.6kg 31.1 oz
ATH8500HS 8500 13 5.3:1 50lb 22.6kg 31.1 oz
ATH10500 10500 13 4.2:1 60lb 27.2kg 37.3 oz
The New Authority reels will be hitting the market this Fall. When you see one in a tackle shop, pick one up turn the handle, see what it feels like to you.
Thanks for reading and good fishing to You!
Capt. Jot Owens
Posted in Product Reviews on August 30th, 2022
June, one of the better fishing months in Southeast NC; lighter winds (hopefully), warm days and so many different kinds of fish to target. Precipitation anybody’s guess, some June’s super dry; some June’s 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 go early before the sun is high and hot in the sky. Top water lures and rattling corks (popping) in the shallow waters earlier mornings and afternoons will produce Redfish. I prefer MirrOlure Top dog Jr and Top Pup’s with a great ‘walk the dog action’, fishing these along marsh grass edges with oyster rocks. Working grubs like Berkley Gulp later in the day will also produce Reds for you, fishing deeper holes and docks. Slow rolling swimbaits like a Berkley Powerbait Champ swimmer or Grass pigs rigged on TroKar 7/0 1/4oz swimbait hooks in two to five feet of water has produced some nice Reds when the water heats up. Sometimes it can be just like colder mouths, slow down your presentation a little when the water gets hot. Give the Redfish a little more time to catch up with your bait when the water temp is over eighty degrees.
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. 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. Also, Berkley Powerbait Grass pig lures in colors Chartreuse silver fleck, green back or crazy chrome violet. 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 and ocean fishing forty- or fifty-pound Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader.
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 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). Also, I’ve 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. 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 (Big Nic Spanish Candy lures) or using fly gear in weights seven to nine can make for a great challenge on this 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 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 early July; so far this year it’s been hit or miss for me. 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 bait 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’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, 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 DX series or the Slammer IV series spinning reels 2500, 3000 & 3500 sizes for the Redfish, Spanish, sheephead and Flounder. Cobia: PENN Spinfisher VI or Slammer IV 5500 & 6500 spinning reels or PENN 20LW, 25LW, 25NLD Fathom casting reels. 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 or Carnage III Jigging 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 3rd, 2022
One of the better fishing months in Southeast NC is June; lighter winds (hopefully), warm days and so many different kinds of fish to target. Precipitation anybody’s guess, some June’s super dry; some June’s 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 go early before the sun is high and hot in the sky. Top water lures and rattling corks in the shallow waters earlier mornings and afternoons will produce Redfish. I prefer MirrOlure Top dog Jr and Top Pup’s for great ‘walk the dog action’, fishing these along marsh grass edges. Working grubs like Berkley Gulp later in the day will also produce Reds for you, fishing deeper holes and docks. Slow rolling swimbaits like a Berkley Powerbait Champ swimmer or Grass pigs rigged on TroKar 7/0 1/4oz swimbait hooks in two to five feet of water has produced some nice Reds when the water heats up. Sometimes it can be just like colder mouths, slow down your presentation a little when the water gets hot. Give the Redfish a little more time to catch up with your bait when the water temp is over eighty degrees.
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. (Keeper season had not been set at the time of this report) 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. Also Berkley Powerbait Grass pig lures in colors Chartreuse silver fleck, green back or crazy chrome violet. 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 and ocean fishing forty- or fifty-pound Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader.
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 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)! 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. 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 or using fly gear in weights seven to nine can make for a great challenge on this 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 king mackerel. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash or regular silver spoons in sizes #0, #1 and #2; 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 bonito and Spanish from time to time; sometimes too many bluefish are mixed in!
Last but never least; Cobia fishing is in full swing by early June and should be good until early July; so far this year it’s been hit or miss for me. 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 bait 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’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, 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 DX series or the Clash II series spinning reels 2500, 3000, 4000 sizes for the Redfish, Spanish, sheephead and Flounder. Cobia: PENN Spinfisher VI 5500 & 6500 spinning reels or PENN 20LW, 25LW, 25NLD Fathom casting reels. Rods PENN Battalion II or the New Fenwick HMG Inshore series; 7’ medium and med/heavy for the Redfish, sheephead and Flounder. Cobia Rods: PENN Rampage or Carnage II Jigging 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 4th, 2021
So far a pretty mild Fall, a few cooler days but overall mild. Here we are in the first few days of November and just like that a strong cold front. We really needed this cool air to get the fall fishing really going. Especially the local Speckled trout bite, I’ve had a handful of nice trout during October but not the numbers I like to see. November is going to be special this year for local trout fishing, you better be ready; it’s going to be good very soon!
In early to mid November I look for Speckled trout in the creeks and channels just off the ICW; any where water is moving with tide flow and bait. Speckled trout like current; weather its hard current in a main channel or light current up a creek. You need current flow to catch trout; rising and falling tide can be good for trout don’t let the tide keep you form going trout fishing! Marsh grass lines, oyster rocks that run into a channel and drop-offs in channels are all good places to find Speckled trout in November. Almost any grass lines with oysters will hold some trout. Look for places where there is a slight current break and those trout will be close by. Later in November all of the above places will still hold trout and the inlets will start to hold more trout as the month goes on.
One key point to trout I’ve found is that most days Specks will bite, but what are they hitting that day? I’ve found that in early to mid November hard baits work well. This is when you need to know where to start; what lures to try? One of my favorites is the good’ole MirrOlure; it’s been around a long time and it is still catching lots of big fish. 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 too 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, #2 and #3 color 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.
If you have ever done any trout fishing at all you know that a grub (soft plastic) lures work very well for Speckled trout too! Berkley Gulp three inch shrimp pattern is one of my go-to lures. I prefer colors sugar spice glow, pearl white and the new color all chartreuse. I also really like the Berkley Powerbait Pro Twitchtail minnow in three inch; colors Chartreuse Ice, Pink Ice and pearl white. Berkley Powerbait Minnow in colors Chartreuse shad and Emerald shiner in three & four inch sizes.
I rig all of my trout grubs on 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1/4oz jigs heads in colors red, gray or black; 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.
Don’t 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 five 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 number one J-hook Eagle claw L42. 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!
Here is one of my best tips I can give you for Speckled trout fishing around the Southeast NC area in November. The water gets clear, sometimes very clear around here in November. I always use Fluorocarbon leaders for Speckled trout fishing; for artificial as well as live bait fishing! You will catch more trout using fluorocarbon leader; trust me! I use Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material in twenty and thirty pound test. Give it a try; you’ll be happy you did!
*PS: Also keep your eyes peeled for trout with yellow or red belly tags, I’ve tag a fair amount from south Topsail to Carolina beach inlet this year and last. Yellow tags are worth $5 and Red tags are worth $100!
The bigger Reds start to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets during September and run until later November; this year has been a good early fall Bull Red bite. 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 a TroKar TK5 AP 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook and eighty pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do their 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.
If you like to catch Bluefish and False Albacore there are just about as many as you like around during November. Fishing around and just outside of the inlets you should be able to find them. Casting metal jigging spoons like BigNic Spanish Candy’s or diamond jigs is a no brainer for getting some Bluefish. Just look for the birds working and cast in that area. Watch those teethe Blues they do bite hard!
Tackle run down: PENN Fierce III & Clash II Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 for the Speckled trout. Rods PENN Battalion II or Fenwick HMG Inshore series rods in 7’ & 7’6” med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound. Bull Reds PENN Fathom 20LW and PENN Rampage Jigging Rods with 30 pound Pro Spec chrome mono. Tackle Storage system I prefer Plano Guide series in 3700 and 3700XL Tackle Bags with Plano EDGE stowaway Boxes inside.
*Keep your eyes on my FaceBook page for I’ll be releasing the two dates of my inshore fishing schools later this month. I’ll have one school day on a March Saturday and one on an April Saturday. This school is limited to 32 anglers each date and it will sell out within two days of release date.
Thanks for reading, good luck fishing and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on November 2nd, 2020
