FISHING REPORT 08/28/2014

 

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We've had our first mullet blow of the year… over the last 4 days a hard mullet blow has happened which means the fishing is firing up!!  We've been waiting all season for this and now it’s time to fish. What we're seeing right now, the Labor Day Weekend can't look any better than what's being forecasted – PERFECT!!!  Over the last few days we've been seeing some swells coming in from the hurricane but after tomorrow the seas are going back to 2 to 4ft. 



 

Inshore:

 

I've been getting calls on the Sea Mullet and Spot run, we haven't heard of any yet just a few here and there like it's been all summer. Last year, toward the middle of September we began to see a good run of Sea Mullet. The old timers always say when you start to see yellow butterflies the spots are on their way. Well, just this week we have seen some, so by that it won't be long. 


Spanish fishing really picked up last weekend and has continued this week. They're now schooling up from the summer time pattern. Yesterday, they were right along the beach feeding like crazy on finger mullet running down the beach. But it's been tough trying to catch them because the swell has been pretty high. But the swell is going to start residing today and this weekend you should be able to reach them. Trolling with Clarkspoons, Mackerel Trees, Squid Rigs, Bird Rigs with planers and trolling weights will work fine.

Now's the time to get your light tackle rods out and catch them casting around the inlet area. They'll school up in big numbers, just cast a small 1/2oz Jig Fish Lure or a Glass Minnow Jig into them and have a ball. Remember look for the birds and you'll find the Spanish.

The bigger Spanish are biting Live Finger Mullet out at the reefs and we saw good numbers last week plus there's been some caught in the inlet area on Live Bait. Along with the Spanish, the Blue Fish have fired up also feeding like crazy around the inlet and around the Fort Macon area.

King Mackerel fishing has been great over the last few weeks with lots of snake kings being caught along the beaches. It seems that from the Double Tree down to the Bouge Inlet Pier has been the “HOT SPOT”.  The East Side around the 285 reef also has been good. Plus, during this past week there's been some caught fishing along the Shipping Channel out to the Sea Buoy. Dead Cigar Minnows on Blue Water Candy Dead Bait Rigs and Pirate Plugs are working very well since the water has cooled down. Also, Live Menhaden has been working well on Blue Water Candy King Rigs when you can catch them.

Now to the Sheepshead bite – it's been good over the last week with some good ones being weighed in. The High Rise Bridges and the Port Wall is producing good numbers of fish. Since the water has cooled down it seems to have helped the bite because it had slowed down a bit.  Sea Urchins and Live Fiddler Crabs are working great and we still have plenty in stock ready for action.

Flounder fishing continues to be good at the reefs and the inside waters with good numbers of fish being caught. Spro 2oz Bucktails tipped with Berkley Gulp 4” White Shrimp is the ticket   at the reefs. Also, live minnows will produce a good bite too with the flat fish. We're now seeing more fish biting on the inside waters like the Port Wall area, bridges and the creeks. Definitely on the inside waters the live minnows are doing better. This time of the year is when we start seeing our biggest Flounder of the year being caught. Each year though September proves to be the big Flounder month.

The Old Drum action has been steady over the last week. What we're seeing the Popping Cork fishing has been off somewhat but with this north blow we've had this week I've heard it has pushed some bait back into the river. So, the Popping Cork fishing should pick up this weekend when the wind goes back to the South. The bait anglers are catching good numbers of fish. Fishing along the shoals, the mouth of the bays and the creeks seems to be the best areas.

Night fishing has been the most productive this year, so far but that could change since we're  just really getting into the season. The full moon in September is always the peak of the Old Drum fishing.

There's good Redfish action in our Marsh areas. The Newport Marshes, around the Core Creek area, the Middle Marsh and the Neuse River areas are all holding fish. Top Waters, Red Fish Magic’s, Gold Spoons, Gulp Baits and Z-Man Baits all are working well. With the mullet blow we've had this week there's been some caught from the Surf Zone and more and more will be along the beaches if the mullet keeps running. If the weather stays like what we have been seeing, the Red Fish bite will only get better and better.

Speckled Trout fishing is getting ready to fire off in the next few weeks. Anglers are already seeing some nice ones in the Neuse River area with some 5 to 6lb fish already being caught. We have seen some that has been caught in the Haystacks and the Core Creek area on Live Shrimp. No huge numbers yet but with weather like this it won't be long at all.

 




Piers / Surf:

 

Finally, we are getting out of that summer time pattern with not much happening since the water has been so hot. But this week with the first mullet blow of the year, we're already seeing things changing. It's really amazing how quick things can change along the beaches.

Just yesterday I talked with a customer that caught Blue Fish two at a time at the Fort Macon Rock Jetty using Finger Mullet and Cut Mullet. Also, there's been a few Spanish caught by casting small lures in the Surf Zone. Plus, I heard of a few Red Drum being caught along the beach this week. When we get bait on the beach like it's been over the last few days the fish can't stand it and start feeding.

There's been a few Sea Mullets caught with no huge numbers yet but that will change very soon.  Spanish fishing over the last day or so has been pretty good off the Oceanana Pier with anglers having luck throwing Got-cha plugs and they're also hooking up with Bluefish. It's kind of early but there's even been a few Speckled Trout caught off the pier over the last week on Live Shrimp and they've been some nice good keeper size fish. Hopefully, that's a good sign to what we have to come on the trout bite later into the fall run.

 

 

Offshore:

 

Wahoo fishing is getting into full swing, everyday we've had good weather boats are having pretty good luck out around the Big Rock area. We've been weighing quite of few Hoo’s over that 50lb mark and there's been some good ones already caught as close in as the Atlas Tanker area by the King Mackerel boats. Trolling Blue Water Candy Jags, Blue Water Candy Wahoo Chains, Braid Maulers and Fathom Wahoo Chains all are working very well.  Most anglers rigging up with Medium Ballyhoo are having the best luck.

Don’t count out catching some Dolphin also. It looks like we are going to have another “Stellar Wahoo Season” like last year. We aren't seeing a lot of them but some boats are still picking up a few. There's been some Sailfish in the area as one of our charter boats had one on this week as close as AR 315, which is only a mile off the beach.

There's been some great bottom action from Grouper, Trigger Fish, Snappers, Sea Bass and Amber Jacks. The East Side is producing good numbers of the bottom fish.  This weekend starting Saturday we're going to be looking at 2 to 3ft seas 20 miles plus out. So, it’s going to be a great weekend to get out on the Blue Water and bring some fish to the scales.

 

Have a safe Labor Day Weekend and GO FISHING!!

 

 

 

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