Fishing Report 07/10/2014

 

 

Well, I missed last week's report since we were getting ready for Hurricane Arthur to hit right on the 4th of July weekend. The good thing is; it came and was gone over night so it didn't mess up things all that bad. We were very blessed because this storm could have been much worse if it was moving slower. By Saturday, it was almost like a hurricane never happen at all.

 

It looks like this weekend is going to be a good one with good winds allowing anglers to get out on the water and catch some fish. 

 

 

Inshore / Nearshore: 

The Flounder bite has been great and was pretty good last weekend even after the storm. Sunday, was the first day boats could get back in the ocean to the reefs and fish were caught. Of course, we've been dealing with Southwest winds all this week, making it difficult to get in the ocean. When boats are making it out to the reef anglers are jigging a Spro Bucktail tipped with a Gulp 4” Shrimp or fishing with Live Mud Minnows producing good catches.

 

On the inside, we're now seeing more keeper fish being caught by drift fishing plus fishing around the Port Wall. It seems that on the inside Live Mud Minnows are working the best along with Gulp Baits. 

Sheepshead fishing has been great this week with good numbers of fish caught and we've weighed in some over 10lbs and have seen quite a few over 6lbs. Also, there's been many caught in the 2 to 3lb range. The High Rise Bridges are holding plenty of fish along with the Port area. Sea Urchins and Live Fiddler Crabs are working great and we have both in-stock ready for Sheepshead action. This week I've seen some of the best catches so far this year.

Spanish fishing slowed down a bit once the storm passed but the water is back to normal so once the winds calm down Friday, we should start to see good numbers like we were having before the storm moved through the area last week.

 

The Shipping Channel was producing good numbers of fish last week and that would be a good place to explore this weekend. The Cape Lookout Shoals is also another good place to scout out in the summertime when it gets hot like this for Spanish. Trolling Clarkspoons on planers and trolling weights will work best. Also, the Bird Rigs and Squid Rigs both have been working well trolled. Along, with the Spanish you'll catch Bluefish in the mix. I don’t know if the little bonito have finely moved on since the storm but last week they were thick along Shackleford.

 

I'm still hearing good reports on the Redfish in the marsh areas hitting Top Water lures, Spinner Baits, Gulp, Z-man baits, DOA baits and Live Minnows on popping corks. I know on Tuesday of this week, it was too rough to get in the ocean, so Capt. Chris headed to the Neuse River and caught Red Fish most of the day using Live Mud Minnows. It’s hot and they're going to be in the shallows chasing bait around the grass edges, oyster bars and on the flats. I'm starting to hear of some showing up around the docks along the water too.

 

We're getting very close to the Old Drum fishing in the Neuse River to start as there has been a few caught already. We just got in the new DOA Airhead Popping Cork Rigs in custom made colors straight from DOA for our Red Drum fishery. Last year, this rig was very hot and now all you have to do is tie it on and go fishing. It's rigged up with a popping cork leader, jig head on a DOA Airhead. Also, we've started making up our dead bait old drum rigs, so we're stocked up ready to go when the action really starts. 

Anglers are seeing some nice Speckled Trout action. The most of what we're seeing is there's more up toward the river in the fresh water. I've seen some nice fish that have been caught on Topwater plugs in the last week. Also, I'm hearing of some being caught on popping corks and Vudu Shrimp. We have weighed some that were caught around the backside of the Haystacks also. 

 

 

Piers / Surf: 

It's been slow this week because the ocean has been pretty rough from the Southwest winds blowing over the last few days. Just right before the storm we were seeing good numbes of Red Drum being caught up and down the beach. The water is back to green and blue, so this weekend we should begin to see some Spanish action on the pier plus it should pick back up with Bluefish. I know earlier this week anglers casting Got-cha plugs were catching tons of small blues. 

 

Anglers dragging Live Mud Minnows and Berkley Gulp baits right along the Surf Zone have been catching some Flounder. There's lots of small fish but you'll catch a keeper in the mix too.  As for the bottom fish there's been some pompano, mullet, spot, hog fish and bluefish. Bait shrimp fished along the bottom should produce a good mix bag, as there's nothing running but plenty of bottom feeders around to catch. 

 

 

Offshore: 

Well, last weekend was a blow out with Hurricane Arthur blowing through stirring up the ocean offshore. But the first of this week, I've heard the fishing is back to normal. Good catches of Dolphin have been caught this week with some boats coming in with over 30 in the box. There's still some Wahoo in the mix plus I've been hearing of some Bill Fish being caught also. 

 

The 14 Bouy out seems to be the best area but some anglers have been having some luck inshore on Dolphin as well. Anglers are trolling Small and Medium Ballyhoo on Blue Water Candy Sea Witch Rigs having some real good luck. 

 

Also, we just got back in stock the Fathom Soft Head Chuggers that's been working very well on the Dolphin this year. this is one of the best lures we've seen on the Dolphin so far. From what we're seeing right now the weather forecast is good for the small and offshore boats to get out to the Blue Water.  

 

Since the storm the bottom fishing boats have been coming back with plenty of fish. Snappers, Groupers, Sea Bass, Trigger Fish, Grunts and AJ’s. The marjority of the good action has been around the live bottom areas in that 30 out mile range. Squid, Cigar Minnows, Sardines, Mackerel all have been working well. Decoy Jigs and Squid Jigs have been producing some nice Groupers also. Again, it's looking like a good weekend to get out and bounce the bottom. 

 

 

 

 

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