Fishing Report 06/17/2016

 

 

 

 

 

Official Results:

 

 

1st Place – Chris Phelps 73lbs

 

2nd Place – Alex Chandler 64lbs

 

 

 

Inshore / Nearshore:

Spanish fishing remains good along the beaches; it’s been rough in the ocean for our charters this week so, our Captains have been fishing inside the Hook at Cape Lookout and inside the Beaufort Inlet behind Shackleford Banks.  Action wasn't as steady as we've been seeing in the ocean but anglers are having no problem catching enough for dinner. Trolling Clarkspoons on planers have been working the best with the rougher water conditions. Looks like some north winds are coming in for the weekend which will make the beaches flat but it depends on how hard the winds blow if you'll be able to make it out the inlet. I guess, we'll just have to wait and see how bad it gets.  If it's blowing over 20 knots the inlets can get pretty bad on the incoming tide so, just keep that in mind this weekend.

One thing I can report, we've been weighing some nice Sheepshead over the last few days. It seems like we're a few weeks behind schedule, as this time last year the bite was great. I did talk to some anglers this week that are starting to see better numbers of fish and bigger fish.  So, the bite will get better and better with the water warming up even more.  The High Rise Bridges, Port Wall and Docks along the water way will all be good places to look for some action. Live Sea Urchins and Live Fiddler Crabs will be the go to bait and we have both in-stock ready to temp the convicts.  

Shark fishing has been crazy this week! The key to it has been find the shrimp boats working just off the beach and you'll find all the action you can stand. I talked with one of our shrimpers and he said the other day a soda can blew out of his boat, he was going to scoop it up with a net and before he could a huge 150lb shark came out of the water and ate it. Just keep in mind the shrimpers are working so, give the boats room plus respect then you should have no issues except drags screaming.

Cobia fishing is still really good but the select 3 days of being allowed to keep fish with the new rules that the DMF put on us has really made it hard to fish for them.  It seems like the days you can keep the fish it’s too windy to fish for them and the days you can’t keep one it’s nice.  Just yesterday, I was talking with a customer that was telling me last Friday he was seeing fish all over the place but again Friday isn't a keep day so he didn't even try to catch one.

Flounder fishing has gotten better on the inside waters this week.  A few customers caught keeper fish by drifting the water way, fishing around the bridges and port area with Live Minnows and Gulp baits. The AR reefs still have good numbers of fish around them, it's getting a little harder to catch them as the fish have started to spread out more, just a month ago they were all stacked up making them easy prey when you found them. Spro 2oz and Sea Striker 2oz Bucktails tipped with the famous 4” Berkley Gulp White Shrimp has been the best along with Live Minnows.

We've been seeing some good backwater fishing this week, Red Drum and few Speckled Trout. The trout haven't been in huge numbers but we have weighed two fish just this week over 5lbs, which is great for this time of the year.  There's been a few starting to show up at night under the lights at the AB Bridge also caught on Live Shrimp.  The other fish being caught in the marsh and grass areas have been coming off Top-water lures. 

As for the Red Drum, I got a couple of good reports from the Core Creek Marsh area with some anglers saying they have been seeing more fish now than all season.  Anglers having the best luck on the Reds, have been using Live Minnows, Live Shrimp or Cut Bait fished on popping corks and off the bottom around oyster bars and grass banks.

 

Piers / Surf:

Anglers are catching a mixed bagged of fish off the bottom, we've gotten into our summertime pattern now. Spots, Sea Mullets, Hogfish, Bluefish, Pompano, Drum, Skates and Sharks are all possible when fishing off the bottom.  Bait Shrimp, Squid, Mullet are all good choices when trying for the bottom feeders.  

Surf anglers are starting to catch some Flounder in the Surf Zone but not that many keepers yet, Live Mud Minnows fished on a Carolina Rig will get you the best results.  Spanish and Bluefish action has been good off the piers early and late in the day, a Red/White and White/White Got-Cha Plug will get you some action when the fish come through feeding. 

 

Offshore:

Not many boats have been Dolphin fishing this week, since the majority have been chasing that Million Dollar Blue Marlin. The Billfish bite hasn't been red hot but there's been I think 6 or so Blue Marlin brought to the scales in the past few days with the largest topping the 600 lb mark. With the weather going down the tubes, going into the last two days of fishing I'd say that it's going to be very hard to beat.  

As for the meat fish anglers, they are seeing some action between the 14 Buoy out to the Big Rock. This past weekend a few good reports were coming in that fish were caught as close in as the North West Places. The Dolphin are getting into their summertime pattern as they are spreading out and coming close to the beach making them harder to target. But it’s not bad being able to go just a few miles out either and get some good dinner. 

 

 

Braggin Board: