Fishing Report 09/03/2015

 

 

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN… 8th Annual Chasin Tails Outdoors Speckled Trout Challenge!!!

 

This will be our 8th year since the event started and it's been growing each year with last year being our biggest yet paying out over $7,000 in Cash and Prizes with only a $50 Entry Fee per Angler.  This event is 100% Payout what comes in goes right back to all the anglers. The event is for the whole family of all ages, so if you trout fish at all you have a chance of winning. We don't allow any full time guides fish in this event so it keeps everyone on a level fishing field. 

What anglers like most about this event is: you fish on your schedule because you have from September 1st –  January 3rd to catch your prize fish. This trout challenge isn't like most other Speckled Trout tournaments as they're one day events, this format gives anglers a chance to fish when they can (Night, Day, Boat, Shore) it doesn't matter as long as the fish is caught on a Rod & Reel/Hook & Line outfit anywhere in North Carolina. 

We give you a 24 hour window to weigh your fish allowing time if we're closed or if you're fishing away from our area or having to work. We try our best to make this event for the anglers. The event isn't just about seeing who can catch the largest Speckled Trout.  Each month we'll be running a “Wild Card” fish weight. We pick a weight and the winner will be the angler that gets the closest to that weight or gets that exact weight. We always make sure it’s a lower weight that we pick so everyone has a chance. It gets exciting each month with anglers competing trying to get that exact weight. The winner will receive a Trout Rod valued around $50.

Last year, we added something new to the event with a “Last Place” fish. For the angler that weighs in the lowest weight fish in the event will received a prize valued around $100 and that's for coming in last place.

So, come join the fun and spread the word about the 8th Annual Chasin Tails Outdoors Speckled Trout Challenge.

Dog Island Artworks has teamed back up with us this year offering the winner of the event a replica mount of their trophy fish. As you can see from last year's winning mount, Dog Island Art Works does beautiful works of art and it'll be something you'll always treasure. Also, we'll have one made for the “Speckled Trout Challenge Wall of Fame” to stay on display for everyone to see here in the shop.

 

    

 

Last weekend, we saw our first mullet blow of the year. It's a bit early but we're now in early September so over the next few weeks our fall fishing will be kicking off into full swing. This weekend, we're going to have some more North winds for the last holiday weekend of the summer, Labor Day.

Inshore:

Spanish fishing has been good this week out in front of the Fort Macon area with good numbers of fish being there all week. The Cape Lookout area has been a bit slower over the last few days, but I did hear of some good action up that way yesterday afternoon. I have a feeling once the winds switch back to the North this weekend that area will really fire back up. Also, we should see schooling fish around the Beaufort Inlet. Trolling Clarkspoons have been working the best so far this week, but keep in mind once the winds switch back North they'll bunch back up and start feeding where you can get some good action casting jigs to them.. You can find the bigger fish at AR 315 using Live Finger Mullet on Finger Mullet Live Bait Rigs. We do have Live Finger Mullet In- Stock if you looking to try your luck for some 3+ lb fish. Also, there's been some nice Bluefish in the mix with the Spanish but the bigger Bluefish are being caught up on the Shoals at Cape Lookout.

 

Also, in our area now are Jacks, haven't seen a lot but they're feeding pretty good right now on the Shoals at Cape Lookout. The Albacore fishing has been coming and going over the last week or so, it seems when the North winds are blowing they're feeding along the beaches. So, keep your eyes on the lookout this weekend, we should see some action from the Alb's.

King Mackerel fishing fell off this past week, in the Cape Lookout Shootout Series this past weekend only seven or so fish were caught. When you take the best King anglers in the area and not that many fish came to the scales you know the bite is off. We haven't weighed any in this week. But this is very typical of late August with King fishing but over the next few weeks things should really fire-up. Once the mullets start to pull out of the inlets things will change very quickly turning the bite on. We have our fingers crossed for the same action we saw last fall. There was pretty much all the Kings you wanted to catch at the North West Places for about two weeks or so.

I've not seen that many Flounder this week, Nick part of our crew here at the shop did make it out to AR 315 the other day and brought home 4 nice keeper fish. Jigging Spro Bucktails and Berkley Gulp 4” White Shrimp worked the best and also anglers are catching them on Live Finger Mullet at the reefs. I've not heard of many being caught at the Port Wall this week, but there again we haven't seen that many boats fishing this week either. In September, the Port Wall can be a great place to catch Flounder when they get on the move. So, it’s always a good place to fish for them along with the High Rise Bridges.

The majority of what's been going on this week has been Old Drum fishing in the Neuse River. The mouth of Adams Creek all the way down to Cedar Island has been holding fish. It seems there's been plenty to catch from the South River area back toward Adams Creek. Popping Corks with DOA Air Heads and Z-Man 7” Jerk Shads have been producing fishing around the bait balls. Also, you can work Bucktails under the bait pods, sometimes the Drum will be on the bottom and they'll not come up on top for the Popping Corks to work. The guys using Cut Mullet and Menhaden on the bottom also have been having good luck. We are keeping a good supply of fresh mullet on hand and we already have our bait on reserve for the Labor Day Holiday Weekend coming up.

I've been hearing of a few Sea Mullets starting to move back into the area but still no numbers yet, over the next few weeks they should be in the area pretty thick.  There's nothing better than fall Sea Mullet fishing, some of the best eating fish we'll see all year. Spec-Rigs tipped with Bait Shrimp from the Inlet back to the Turning Basin will be the places to fish.

Just like last week there's not many anglers fishing for Sheepshead but they're still in the area, High Rise Bridges and the Port Wall area will be the best places to fish. Live Sea Urchins and Fiddler Crabs will be the best baits and we have both in stock ready for action.

Piers / Surf:

Things have still been a bit slow from the beachfront, but we're on the verge of seeing the best action we'll see from the Surf Zone within the next few weeks. We're now seeing some Spanish and Bluefish off the piers with some Sea Mullets and Spots at night. I did have a customer come by this week and show me some nice Red Drum that he's been catching this week on Live Mud Minnows fishing the Fort Macon area. There's nothing like North winds blowing, mullet coming down the beaches and the fish taking full advantage of it, shouldn't be long now.

Offshore:

Name of the game now is Wahoo, the bite only seems to be getting better and better. We saw good action last weekend and into this week. The Swansboro Hole has been producing good numbers of fish plus the 90ft Drop up to the Northeast corner of the Big Rock has been good too. Blue Water Candy Jags, Wahoo Chains, Jag a Hoo’s and Jet Heads all have been working well. We have a good supply of Medium/Large Baitmaster Ballyhoo that we've been saving just for the Wahoo season and they're the perfect sized baits for Wahoo fishing. You're still going to run across some Dolphin this time of year as they're making their way back down the beaches now, along with a few Tunas.

 

Braggin Board: