FISHING REPORT 11/11/2016

 

Inshore / Nearshore:

We’ve seen another great week of Speckled Trout fishing; not as many anglers fishing this week but the ones that have been on the water haven’t had any trouble finding limits of fish. We’ve weighed in a few fish over the 6lb mark this week, so this cooler weather seems to have the larger fish active.  The key has been just move around until you locate the larger fish then its game on from there. But keep in mind just because you strike out in an area doesn’t mean the fish aren’t there. I know earlier this week some anglers that fished Radio Island area in the morning came up with no fish, anglers that fished the afternoon had keepers every cast. It’s just about being in the right area when the fish turn on to feed.

Still all the normal spots are producing fish, Haystacks, Core Creek, all of the Rock Jetties, Middle Marsh, North River, Harker’s Island and down Bouge Sound.  Same this week as far as lures go Z-Man, Gulp, Curly Tails, DOA, Vudu Shrimp, Betts Shrimp, Mirrolures, Rapala, Popping Corks really everything we have in the shop we've stocked for trout has been working this year so far. 

Live Shrimp still playing a key role into catching fish when the bite shuts down, fishing under a Slip Float Rig or Popping Cork has been working the best with the Live Bait.  We’ve been selling more Mud Minnows this week, when the water starts to drop like we’re seeing the minnows will start to work well.  We only go a few more weeks and the shrimp will start to get scarce and when that happens the trout will resort to feeding on Mud Minnows because it will be the only food source left in the marsh for them to feed on.

Flounder fishing has been crazy, in the last 3 week we’ve weighed 5+ lb fish in just about every day and this week we weighed one that went over 10lbs that was caught at the Port Wall. This time of the year when the water cools down these fish start to feed heavy before they move back into the ocean.  The Port Wall has been the Hot Spot for catching these flatfish, frozen finger mullet along with Live Mud Minnows and Spro Bucktails tipped with 4” White Gulp Shrimp has been working the best. Nick from the shop fished AR315 this week to see how many had moved out that far, well he limited out in just about an hour of fishing. Plus, I have a customer that’s fished there this week catching some nice ones too. So the fish now are starting to really stack up on the nearshore AR Reefs.

King Mackerel fishing still remains good, not as many boats fishing this week since the SKA Nationals are going on in Florida along with the weather being not so great to get out to the fish. The days it’s been calm enough there’s still good numbers of fish at North West Places. I had one customer get his limit at AR315 earlier this week which is pretty close in for this time of the year.  All the spots over on the East Side are also holding fish.

Albacore fishing is just about good as it gets right now; pretty much find a shrimp boat working along the beach and you’ll find plenty of fish.  Just keep in mind these guys are out there working so give them some room.  It’s been just about every cast behind the shrimp boats, doesn’t take long before you’ll be wore out. Nick fish the other day along the beaches and also found plenty of feeding fish, had no problem with double hooks up multiple times. So, look for birds along the beaches and shrimp boats to find the fish, there’s been plenty to catch.

Bottom fishing in the Turning Basin area – Sea Mullet fishing has improved greatly this week. Sam that makes the famous Sam Gitter’s Spec Rigs has caught some really nice fish this week in the Turning Basin/ Shipping Channel area. Seems like the larger mullets and numbers are just starting to get here.  Usually, the best of the Sea Mullet fishing is now until right after Thanksgiving.  

Spots have been very up and down, last weekend we saw some coolers full of fish then the next day not any fish at all. What I think is, we’re seeing schools of fish moving through heading south, so if you can find them they seem to be in large schools and you’ll have no problem catching them. Most of the action has been right in the Turning Basin area, seems that’s where the fish are stopping before moving south.  Still all the Gray Trout out there you want to catch and some nice fish at that in the same area. We still don’t get it why the NC Marine Fishery doesn’t raise the limit up to four fish like the Speck’s since the Grays are so plentiful.

Most of Red Drum has moved to the ocean, we aren’t seeing that many quality fish in the backwaters now. If you can catch the weather right there’s been some big schools of upper slot fish at Shark Island in the Surf, along with some huge schools of fish around Bogue Inlet.  It’s just all about the wind when fishing the Surf Zone for the Reds. If it’s not flat along the beach you don’t want to try it, even when you do you have to be very careful of what you’re doing as a swell could pop up at any time.

 

Surf / Piers:

The Flounder fishing has been at its best this week we’ve seen from the beach all season, not often you see customers come by the shop with limits of Flounder that was all caught from the Surf.  We’ve been hearing the Oceanana  Pier area up to Fort Macon has been the best area.  I know one day this week anglers were pretty much sight fishing the fish on the Oceanana Pier, you could see the fish lying right along the beach and most would bite.  I think they’re coming out of the Inlets and getting right along the Surf in the shallow water feeding again before they move out to the reefs or on offshore.

 Berkley Gulp and Live Mud Minnows has been the best for getting action, we just got in some of the largest minnows we’ve seen all year so they’ll make for some perfect bait. Starting to hear a few Speckled Trout are starting to make their move to the Surf but not good numbers yet, yet with this cool down it won’t be long.

Also, anglers are catching a mixed bag of Black Drum, Red Drum, Sea Mullets, Puffers and Spots along the beach and off the piers.

 

Offshore:

I can’t report too much this past week or this week, it’s just been too rough to get out to the Bluewater and it looks like the next few days aren’t going to be any better.  I’m sure when you can get out there’s Wahoo still there to catch, this is one of the best times to catch them.  Big Rock south to the Rise is going to be the best area to fish.

Same goes for the bottom fish, last charter trip out last week filled the coolers full. Snappers, Sea Bass, Trigger Fish and Groupers all caught in the 20 miles range out.  So now, it’s just a matter of finding that window of 2 or 3 good days for the ocean to get right and go fishing because the fish are there ready to eat. 

 

 

Braggin Board: