Fishing Report 07/11/2019

 

 

Don’t forget this Saturday is our Customer Appreciation Day / Tent Sale!  We’re excited to show our appreciation to you, our customers. We’ll have our award-winning grill master, Charles on sight slow cooking BBQ all night for you to enjoy Saturday at 11am when the first seminar starts. Some of the best Eastern North Carolina BBQ you’ll put in your mouth. Every year, we hear from customers how good the food was and this year will be no exception. Along with the good food, we’ll have 4 completely free seminars going on by some of the best local Captains from our area. The line-up we have for this year will be by Captains that’s been fishing these waters for a long time. So, for sure you will be able to pick up some tips, ask questions to know how to catch more fish. Also, we’ll be having free giveaways going on after each seminar under the tent which is always a huge hit. Again, like last year there’ll be some good stuff, example last year we gave away 4 Calcutta Coolers and I can’t remember how many Star Rods at the end of each seminar that will be totally free to you.  Why all the food and seminars are going on outside inside we’ll be having a storewide 15% off sale (excluding certain items), yes that right rods, reels, tackle all 15% off. Don't forget this year we will have our Tent Sale going on also the which will we have savings up to 80% off. 

 

 

Inshore / Nearshore: 

 

The summertime King Mackerel bite's been pretty good over the last few weeks.  Just like last year late June into July, we've seen fish like we saw late October into November “true Smoker fish”. Actually, already weighed in the largest King we've ever put on the scales at 70lbs. Plus, we've weighed quite a few 30’s, 40’s and few in the 50’s. It’s no secret most of the action so far has been over on the East Side of Cape Lookout. But we've weighed two fish over the 30lb mark that's been caught off AR315 in the last week, which we hardly see fish of this class hanging around AR315. Live Bait has been the name of the game if you can find it, for some reason it's been challenging the last few weeks to locate. Another option is Dead Cigar Minnows fished on Mac a Hoo's and Dead Bait Rigs, which the Cigar Minnows also has been hard to find but we do have them in-stock at the shop right now. 

 

Along with the Kings, the big Spanish Mackerel bite's been good at the Nearshore reefs, we're catching them on the same set-up as the Kings. Finger Mullet has been working well if you can find the right size, should be within the next week or so we'll start having them daily at the shop. They're just about large enough for us to catch to make it worthwhile. As far as the trolling and casting it's been a little off this week, they just aren't wanting to feed very well. But one of our boats went out yesterday and caught a good catch from the Cape Lookout area.

 

 We're just in that summertime pattern where they don’t feed every day but when they do it's not a problem catching a limit of fish. Trolling Clarkspoons, Mackerel Trees, Bowed-up Lures Spoons and Bird Rigs is what we're having the best luck on. That's when we always have a couple rods rigged up with some Spanish Candies so we're ready if the fish come up on top feeding.  We've been seeing the best luck on high tides around the Beaufort Inlet. Along, with the Mackerels anglers have been catching plenty of Bluefish in the mix in the same places on the same lures. 

 

There's been a lot of talk about the proposed Flounder closure that's going to be voted on late August because supposedly the fishery is in such bad shape. Well, not sure but we've been seeing plenty of fish over the last few weeks on our charters. Along with customers bringing by fish to get weighed and sending in some very good catches for us to see. Anglers are having the best luck on Live Minnows from the shop fishing the Docks, Bridges and Channels in the marsh systems. Also, I've heard some flatfish being caught drifting the Beaufort Inlet and behind Shackleford Banks. 

 

Over the last week, we haven't really fished the reefs but I'm sure there's fish around them. Jigging the Spro 2oz Bucktail tipped with Berkley Gulp 4” Shrimp is the way to go. Bottom line when fishing the ocean for Flounder, the magic combination of a Spro 2oz Bucktail with 4″ White Gulp Shrimp just can't be beat. But it's always a good choice to put a live minnow out on the bottom when jigging and let it drift because you just add to your chances of more bites.

 

Speckled Trout summertime fishing's been as good as we've seen in quite a few years. We have a great class of fish in the area right now. We usually don't see them at our cleaning station but our guides are filling the table with trout. They have been all over the place, seeing catches from Bogue Sound, Core Creek, Haystacks and North River areas. We've been having the best luck on Live Bait; with Shrimp and Minnows. As far as artificial, it’s been Topwater’s, Get Em Shads, Z-Man Minnows and Gulp Baits. Crazy enough, we've even seen some nice Specks that's been caught from the Surf Zone in the last week. If things stay like we're seeing now, we could have a great fall as long as we don’t see any crazy weather system again this year. 

 

Finally, starting to see some decent Redfish, up until the last few weeks it's been kind of slow. Most of our boats that's been out fishing over the last few days are  bringing back limits of Redfish. Fishing and catching them in the same places as the Speckled Trout. They've been hitting Topwater’s in the marsh areas and flats fishing minnows and shrimp around the docks. I've heard a few reports from customers that's been seeing decent schools all around the area. So hopefully; the bite will only get better. It won't be long now when the Old Drum start making a good showing in the Neuse River, there's already been a few caught. 

 

Sheepshead fishing's been steady, we've weighed a few fish in the last week that’s been over the 8lb mark. Seems now that the big fish are in the area to catch. Our “Sheepshead Jackpot Challenge” is going on so if you want to fish it come by the shop to sign up. Most of the action is in the usual places, Bridges, Docks, Oyster Bars and the Port Wall area. Live Sea Urchins and Live Fiddler Crabs are the main choice of bait but a few anglers are buying Sand Fleas for them. Fishing the crabs on the Fiddler Crab Jigs have been hard to beat, just makes feeling the bite so easy.

 

 

Piers / Surf:

 

Still seeing some Spanish and Bluefish on the higher tides along the Surf Zone, I'd say the bite has slowed a bit compared to a few weeks ago. But keep in mind just like what we've been seeing in the boats seems that the Mackerel aren't feeding every day right now. So, it’s not out of the question to be trying on those high tides and still having good luck. Kaskmasters, Spanish Candies and Jig Fish lures all have been working good. The pier anglers also have been catching a few when the water has been clean enough to plug Got-cha plugs or throw metal jigs. 

 

As far as the bottom fishing it’s been a mixed bag from the Surf Zone since the water has heated up and with lots of swimmers in the water being vacation time. The best area to fish in the summer is Fort Macon State Park around the rock jetty and the sound side. Anglers are catching Black Drum, Sea Mullets, Sheepshead, Blue Fish, Flounder, Rays, Sharks, Pompano and Croakers. During the summer you really don’t know what you might catch but you can get some action. Bait Shrimp, Mullet, Bloodworms, Squid and Live Mud Minnows will be the best baits for action.

 

 

Offshore: 

 

We for sure hit the summertime slowdown in the Bluewater, it can really be hit or miss this time of the year. But, we are still seeing some nice catches from a few of the boats out of the fleet, last week started to see a few boats come back in with some nice Wahoo’s,Tuna and Dolphin. Best action we've seen from customers has been around the 14 Buoy out to the 90ft Drop pulling a Monkalur. When it gets hot like this, the Monkalur gets them all the time. Looking for bait, grass has been the key to finding the fish. Sea Witch’s with Baitmaster Ballyhoo is producing too. 

 

The bottom fishing has been good. One of our charter boats came back 2 days straight with limits of Grouper, also anglers are catching Sea Bass, Trigger Fish and Snappers. The best action seems to be over on the East Side of the Cape at the rock piles or wrecks. This time of the year when the trolling fishing slows down you can most of the time count on bottom action to save the day. Don’t forget the Red Snapper Season opens this Friday – Sunday; so it's time to get out and catch them while you can. We have plenty of bait stocked up ready for action so come see us and take advantage of being able to keep them.