Fishing Report 09/17/2015

 

I think, we can officially say fall fishing has kicked off this week with the cool weather blowing in on us. It’s got the bait schooled up and running toward the inlets. The fish are right behind schooling up beginning to take full advantage of an easy meal.
 

Inshore / Nearshore:

Spanish, Bluefish, Jacks and Albacore fishing is busting wide open since the cool winds began blowing earlier this week. What we're seeing and will see over the next few weeks is some of the best fishing for these fish you'll see all year. There's been lots of Spanish schools this week right outside the inlet on the bar in front of Fort Macon Park. Early morning has been best and later in the day to spot the schools but you can catch fish most all day. Also, a good number of fish is in the Cape Lookout area around the Shoals. When you get more toward the Cape you'll start catching nicer size Blue Fish, Jacks and the schools of Albacore mixed in feeding on the glass minnows. If you like to troll anglers had no problem filling their box over the last few days. I talked with one customer yesterday, he had 7 fish on at one time. Clarkspooons, Squid Rigs, Mackerel Trees, Drone Spoons pulled on #1 planers and trolling weights will get the job done.

As far as casting light tackle, look around the inlet area and along the beaches for mullet showering out of the water or birds working the surface. That’s a good sign of feeding Spanish, Bluefish, Jacks or Albacore. Glass Minnow Jigs, StingSilvers, Jig Fish Lures, Epoxy Jigs, Kastmasters, Spec-Rigs and Hopkins Spoons will for sure give you a hook-up. The biggest key to catching these fish casting is keeping the size of your lure small. We recommend using 1/2oz to 3/4oz unless you really get into a blitz of feeding fish then in that case sometimes size doesn't matter whatever you throw to them – they will eat.

Old Drum in the Neuse River fishing is still going strong but I got a feeling with the cooler weather some fish will start making their way back to the ocean very soon. Usually, it takes a 2nd hard North East blow to really start moving the fish. So, I'd say we should have about 2 more weeks of good action before things start to slow down. The best action has been around the South River area and toward the Point of Marsh, also there's been some action on the Cedar Island side of the island. DOA Air Heads, Z-Man 7” Jerkshads fished under popping corks will get the job done for the artificial fisherman. Fresh Mullet and Menhaden are a must for the bait fisherman and it's always a good idea to put a bag of Chum. We still have Fresh Mullet in-stock ready for action plus Menhaden and Chum. So, far the Old Drum bite has been some of the best fishing we've seen in a few years; so, get out and try your luck before they move on.

As far as the smaller slot fish, we've seen some nice fish being caught in the last week since the water has started to cool off. I saw some nice catches of upper slot fish that came from around the Haystacks this past week. So, maybe the Redfish bite will be picking up now as it’s been pretty slow in our area so far this summer.

Flounder fishing is still pretty good in the area. There's been good action from the Port Wall area for the larger flatties. Flounder fishing can be tricky when fishing the Port Wall so, keep that in mind if you don’t have that much luck. The anglers that I know doing well in that area really put a lot of time in. They fish it most of the day moving from spot to spot along the wall until they catch a few fish. Live Finger Mullet seems to be working the best in that deeper water and we do have a good supply in-stock ready for action. Also, I've been weighing a few fish that have been caught around the High Rise  Bridges and the Docks in the area. Don’t pass up the creek mouths and oyster bars up in the marsh areas, the guys still gigging are seeing good numbers of fish too. So, there are still plenty of fish in the shallows to catch. I like Live Mud Minnows when fishing in the shallow water, they just seem to work better than the larger finger mullet.

As for catching numbers of fish, the reefs like AR315 and AR320 is the place to try your luck. Jigging Spro Bucktails in the 2oz size tipped with Berkley Gulp 4” Shrimp is the key to catching these fish and Live Finger Mullet. I'd say this summer we've seen more Flounder around the reefs than we have in awhile.

I've got a real good feeling the King Mackerel fishing is getting ready to fire off!!  Just last week, in the King Of The Cape Event the waters were just about as rough as you can fish in and still boats came to the scales with some nice fish with better numbers than the event before. I talked with a customer yesterday that was fishing at Fort Macon from the beach and watched “Kings – Sky” in the inlet on mullet just about all day. The Shipping Channel wouldn't be a bad place to fish right now. Also, areas like the Dead Tree Hole, Cape Lookout Rock Jetty should start holding fish as the Kings move in to feed on the mullet coming out the inlets. On the East Side of the Cape like 285, 1700 and Atlas Tanker are good places to fish in the fall. It won't be long when we should see the fish move toward the North West Places, I know of some good fish that were caught by the Wahoo guys this week on out on The Rise. So, hopefully; that's a good sign of a push of fish moving in toward to the beach to feed up.

Sheepshead bite has slowed down, still a few around to catch but we aren't seeing action like we were a few months ago. Port Wall, AB Bridge and Beaufort Bridge is still holding a few fish. Live Sea Urchins and Live Fiddler Crabs still the bait of choice. We have plenty of Live Fiddler Crabs in-stock ready for action if you want to try your luck.

With the cool air a lot of anglers are starting to think about the ole Speckled Trout. I've heard of some showing up around the Newport River in the Haystack area. For some reason year after year, the Haystacks are one of the first places we'll start to see fish move in. Also, there's been a few caught along Core Creek, no real numbers yet but it’s still early.

 

 

Just in the last week, we've seen some nice Gray Trout move in, Nick, from the shop caught nice fish in the inlet last Sunday coming back from AR315. His catch was some of the biggest Grays we've seen all year, in that 3 to 4lb range class.He found the best action by dropping Live Finger Mullet down to them for the pounders to hit. There's still plenty over around the Railroad Trestle jigging Stingsilvers, Tim, from the shop hasn't had any problem catching them there. Also, right now fish the AB Bridge at night jigging Stingsilvers or use Live Shrimp to bring the Grays in the boat.

The phone is ringing a lot about Spots and Sea Mullets, we haven't seen any large numbers move in yet. But, we're so close with the cooler weather it could happen any day. I know, they've been catching some off the piers over the last week and North of us so things should be picking up anytime. I looked back from last year, the last week of September and first week of October is when the Spots really showed up. So, it wouldn't surprise me if anglers start catching them at the Beaufort Draw Bridge and in Gallant's Channel today. Live Bloodworms and Fish Bites will be the best bait to fish with when fishing for the tasty bottom feeders.

 

Piers / Surf:

Things are picking up along the beaches and piers over the past week. I've heard of some decent catches of Spots off a few of the piers in the last week. Not thick yet but fish are showing up. Also, a few Sea Mullets starting to make their way back down the beaches, which there's been some pretty good catches at night on them. Bait Shrimp, Live Bloodworms and Fish Bites will entice both to bite.

The Spanish and Bluefish bite is good, but at times it's been hit or miss. If you can catch it when they come in it's non-stop action. This is really the only time of the year when you can catch Spanish standing on the beach and this week it started. I talked to a few customers that had great luck when the schools of fish came close in feeding on bait. Casting Kastmasters and a “New Jig” we just got in that is small in size but very heavy allowing casting it further to the schools of fish that might just be out of range will get action for you Surf anglers.  I know of some that were caught from the Suft the other day on Live Finger at the Fort Macon Park.

Also, we've seen some nice Red Drum pulled from the beach this week, mostly what I've seen on the Drum has been up around Fort Macon area on Fresh Mullet and we do have it in-stock ready for action. There's been some nice Pompano caught from the beach this week, the best bait for them is Fishbites in the Sand Flea and Bait Shrimp fished right in the breakers.

 

Offshore:

Wahoo bite still very well around the Big Rock back down toward The Rise and Swansboro Hole. The biggest factor we've been facing is the winds keeping anglers away from the grounds. We did have a few days this week that were good wind days and the boats that went caught good numbers of Hoo’s and even saw some Tuna’s in the mix. Blue Water Candy Jags, Jag a Hoo’s, Smoker, Super Smokers, Cowbells and Wahoo Whackers all will work well. We are all stocked up on all of these lures and most are rigged ready to go fishing.

Bottom fishing is starting to heat up with good numbers of Groupers being caught along with a mix of Trigger Fish and Sea Bass. Most of the best action is going to be in that 30 to 35 miles range on the ledges and live bottom areas. Cigar Minnows, Squid, Spanish Sardines and Menhaden are good choices for bait.

 

 

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