Fishing Report 10/19/2017

 

Fall fishing is in full swing, this week we’ve had our first hard cold front with temperatures really starting to fill like fall. Over the next few weeks should be some really good fishing down along the Crystal Coast, what we like to call some of the best fishing of the year. This weekend’s weather is shaping up to be another beautiful one to get out and catch some fish.

 

Inshore/ Nearshore:

The King Mackerel fishing has been on fire, lots and lots of fish being caught. You know the mackerel fishing is good when they’re catching them off the piers on Got-cha plugs and even kayak anglers have been landing them along the beaches. Most of the fish last week were along the beach from the Oceanana Pier to Bogue Inlet Pier, also there’s been a good bite just off the Cape Lookout area this week.  Plus fish are being caught in the North West Places area, I talked to a few customers this week that caught 20 or more.  As far as, what they have been catching them on it’s been Live Bait and this time of the year Dead Cigar Minnows rigged on Dead Bait Rigs work just as good or better at times.

Still a few Spanish around but with the cold front this week, they’ll be on the way out with the cooler temps now. I did hear of nice catches from Cape Lookout Shoals, that’s one of the last places they’ll school up before heading out to warmer waters moving south. There’s still plenty of Bluefish to play with they’ll stay around a bit longer than the Spanish.

Albacore fishing to has been on fire over the last week, the best action has been behind the shrimp boats working along the beach, the fish have been schooling in the 100’s behind the boats. Also, there have been plenty of them up and down the beaches to catch, look for the birds and get ready to catch fish. We’ve been seeing great luck with the Glass Minnow Heavy Jigs we have in the shop, one of the best we’ve seen in a while. Plus anglers are having good luck on the small Jig Fish lures in the 1/2oz and 3/4oz size.

Speckled Trout bite has been good, we were seeing a great bite 2 weeks ago then the temperatures went back into a summertime mode, but this week we had a good cold front and started seeing the bite pick back up yesterday. Seeing fish in the Core Creek area, up towards the Neuse, Haystacks, Bogue Sound, North River and beginning to see a few off the Rock Jetties.

I still think the best areas to look will be in the backwater areas as our guides are having no issues bringing back limits of fish to the dock. Live Shrimp and Live Mud Minnows have been working very well under popping corks and slip floats. Also, we have been seeing action on Z-Man lures which we have a huge selection at the shop along with Berkley Gulp baits. As far as hard baits Mirrolure 17MR’s have been working very well, some of the custom colors we just had made have been working great so far. I think it’s safe to say now the bite will only get better and better now as we finally are getting a blast of some of that cool air that Speckled Trout love.

We’re still seeing a good Spot run, last week and weekend there was plenty caught, I just talked to a customer that picked up some Live Bloodworms who caught a nice catch of them yesterday. So we still have them coming through the area. Most of the action is from the channel at Radio Island back to the Beaufort Draw Bridge. Now there’s been a few nice catches being caught more back into the Turning Basin area. Live Bloodworms and Fish bites fished on bottom rigs have been the way to get in on the action.

Still waiting on the fall Sea Mullet bite to really turn on, we’re seeing a few fish but not coolers full yet. Rule of thumb the mullet bite will really turn on after the Spots finish their run. The ones being caught have been more in the inlet area and a few in the Turning Basin area.

Redfish bite is still good, our charter fleet has been seeing and catching fish every time out, still plenty of fish in the backwater areas all around the Haystacks and along Core Creek area.  Reds also are holding along the docks around the waterways and there’s been some caught along the beaches now since the water is cooling. We’re getting very close to the time when they will start to school up at Rough Point and start to get on the Cape Lookout Rock Jetty.

Flounder fishing remains good this week, Tim, the Trout Man fished this week and picked up limits pretty fast at the Port Wall fishing with Live Minnows. Also, been some action at the AR reefs just off the beach jigging Spro 2oz Bucktails tipped with the 4” Berkley Gulp. I saw some really nice fish from a customer that was fishing the backwater marsh areas yesterday in the shallow water areas around the Haystacks. So, we still have fish in the creeks, they haven’t all moved out yet.

 

Piers / Surf:

Fishing has been very exciting for the pier anglers over the last week anglers have been seeing some King Mackerel action. Not every day you see Kings being caught on Got-Cha Plugs by anglers plugging for Spanish and Bluefish.  I heard Bogue Inlet Pier landed more than 10 fish last weekend plus lots of the Kings that were caught in last week’s tournaments were caught in sight of the piers. Still plenty of Bluefish and a few Spanish left to be caught.

Also, bottom anglers have been catching Spots, Sea Mullets and a few Hogfish. Hearing of a few Red Drum and Black Drum along the beach from Fort Macon Park back toward the Oceanana Pier, most anglers are having the best luck with Bait Shrimp and Fresh Mullet on the Drum.  I’ve been seeing some nice Speckled Trout limits being caught from the Radio Island beach and a few from Fort Macon beach. The Surf action will only get better and better from the beach for the trout over the next few weeks. It seems lures have been pretty simple so far, just the standard 4” Curly Tail Grubs have been working the best, along with some Z-Mans and Gulp baits.

 

Offshore:

Well winds were down last weekend where anglers could get back Offshore and the fish were waiting and ready to eat. We weighed a bunch of Wahoo’s last week with good numbers of fish over the 60lb range.  Most of the best action was south of the Big Rock area in the Swansboro Hole, but did also weigh a few fish that was caught up north. Along with the Hoo’s we’re seeing some nice Sailfish in the same area along with some Black-fin Tunas.

Bottom fishing also has been good this week, Trigger fish has been really good with some real good catches of fish coming back to the docks plus Grouper and Snappers in the mix as well.