Fishing Report 11/04/2016

 

 

 

 

Inshore / Nearshore: 

King Mackerel fishing is just about as good as it gets, North West Places and East Side of Cape Lookout area is ON. Anglers have been reporting all the fish you want to catch at the NWP, most of the fish have been between 20 to 30lbs and larger fish coming from the East Side. It was so good over last weekend that anglers were only able to fish two rods because the hook ups were coming so fast. What we're seeing with the extended weather forecast, the bite shouldn't stop anytime soon.  Live Bait and Cigar Minnows rigged on Dead Bait Rigs have been working the best. 

Albacore fishing also has been crazy over the last week; most of the fish have been hanging along the beach toward the Cape Lookout area. The largest groups of fish have been schooling up behind the shrimp boats that's been working along the coast.  A few days this week, it’s been every cast and really it didn't matter what you were casting to them.  The only bad thing about fishing behind the shrimp boats is losing fish to the sharks that are also feeding behind the working boats, so just keep that in mind. 

Speckled Trout fishing is still great, we haven't seen fishing like this in the last few years.  Last year, it was all no keeper fish now anglers have been coming by the shop with limits of 3 to 4lb fish and it's not been very hard to do. The crazy thing about the bite; the water really hasn't got cold yet when usually our trout fishing is at its best. So as far as having a long season looks like we could see good fishing for quite awhile. Radio Island, Shackleford Banks, Haystacks, Core Creek, North River, Harker’s Island, Bogue Sound and Cape Lookout Rock Jetty all have been holding fish.  Really, what we've been telling customers anywhere you've caught trout in the past there's a good chance fish is in those areas to catch.

As far as lures 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. We've seen this week where Live Shrimp has played 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 do have plenty of Live Shrimp in the tanks along with Mud Minnows ready for action.

The bottom fishing for Spots, Sea Mullets and Gray Trout in the Turning Basin area has been pretty good this week. Last few days, we started seeing some good numbers of Spots move in. We've been waiting on them for over two weeks now. Nice sized Sea Mullets also are being caught along with all the Gray Trout you want to catch. Spec-Rigs tipped with Bait Shrimp and Fishbites have been working the best for the Gray Trout and Sea Mullets.  For the Spots, Live Bloodworms, Fresh Shrimp and Fishbites fished on bottom rigs will get you into the action. 

There's been some good action on the Red Drum up along Shark Island off the point of Cape Lookout. Pretty good schools of fish have been in the area over the last week. Most of these fish have been upper slot to over slot fish, Berkley Gulp is hard to beat when targeting these ocean fish.  In the backwaters there's been plenty of small Red Drum to catch but what we're seeing the larger fish have made the push toward the ocean. 

Flounder is apparently on the move to the ocean because we've weighed some very nice fish in the 3 to 6lb range from AR315 this week. Jigging a Spro Bucktail tipped with 4″ White or Glow Gulp is the ticket when targeting Flounder on the reefs.  There's still Flounder hanging around the Port Wall to be caught, so take advantage of this beautiful fall weather and target the Flatties.

 

Piers / Surf: 

We can report Black Drum, Red Drum, Sea Mullets, Bluefish, Spots plus a few Flounder from the beach and piers. Not a lot of any just a mixed bag of fish.  For the bottom action most anglers are using Fresh Shrimp, Bloodworms and Mullet which we have in-stock at the shop.  Still not heard of any solid report of Speckled Trout yet, water's just not quite cold enough. But when it drops we should see all the fish we're catching on the inside move right out along the beaches. 

At times the piers and surf anglers are seeing some action from the Albacore when they come in close enough to get lures to them.

 

Offshore: 

Wahoo fishing still remains good; we weighed some of the largest fish we've seen all year. Last weekend, a 94lb fish along with an 80lb Hoo came to the scales.  Most of the action has been from the Rock down toward the Swansboro Hole.  This month is usually the month when the really big fish push in and that's what we're starting to see. We weighed a 60lb fish just the other day that was caught at the North West Places, that’s getting pretty close in for a big Hoo like that.  Anglers also are catching a few Dolphin, Yellow Fin and Black Fin Tuna mixed in. 

The bottom fishing has been great this week, Capt. Chris had one of the best days he's had all year at the bottom fishing ground this week.  Nice Sea Bass, Snappers and Groupers filled the coolers, they were actually turning back fish.  Most of the best action seems to be East of the Cape in the 20 to 30 mile range but some action is closer in than that. 

 

 

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