Fishing Report 05/07/2020

 

Now that the COVID-19 restrictions are starting to be lifted it's time to get back to the local weekly fishing report. We were trying to do our part on working with our local officials by not promoting too hard on coming down to Atlantic Beach while we were under the Stay at Home Order which now has been lifited. It has been hard because we have been seeing some great fishing this Spring. But as of now restrictions on Atlantic Beach has been lifted: the ban on travel from outside of Carteret County to Atlantic Beach for recreation and Public Beach accesses are now open with limited parking. So, slowly but surely things are beginning to get back to normal on the island. We do ask you to continue with sanitation and social distancing when entering the shop.

 

Keep in mind when in town this summer, a lot of local businesses have been closed for over a month now. Yes, we have been open and blessed to stay open with  fishing being essential that kept our employees working. But most of our gift shops, surf shops, fishing charters, local restaurants / bars, barber shops, hair salons, gyms and other retails all have been hit hard from the Corona-virus crisis. So, try your best going into this summer to shop and eat LOCAL and support these businesses that keep our local community together get back on their feet!  

 

It's time to get back to my local weekly fishing report.

 

 

Inshore / Nearshore:

 

Word around the shop has been Cobia over the last week, with a lot of calls on if they have showed up yet. As of now, we haven't put one on our scales, I did talk with a customer today who was picking up some more bait that they caught a small one yesterday at Cape Lookout bottom fishing and heard of one for fish that was killed this week. Also, I heard a few other small fish being caught last weekend.  I looked back and this coming up weekend and next week was the week when we really starting seeing the larger fish move in along the beaches. Like every Cobia Season, the Cobia Challenge has started, you can still sign up and fish being it goes until the middle of June. The shop is all stocked up with Cobia Bucktails along with plenty of Cobia rigs for bottom fishing   Live Eels will be delivered today for the weekend and I should have them now until the fish move on. Also, like always we will have fresh caught shad and chum ready to go.

 

The Bonito fishing over the last month has been the best we've ever seen at our AR reefs. With the cool fronts and with the weather just not warming up the water temps remain cool and the fish have just stayed here in big numbers. We are on the tail end of the bite but again with the cool front this week it won't surprise me at all to still see them at the reefs this weekend. The fish have been bouncing from AR 315, AR320 and AR330. Last weekend, the best luck was at AR330 on them. What our boats have been doing is starting at AR 315 and if they aren't there moving on out to the other reefs until the fish are found.  We have been catching them on Yo-Zuri DD’s, Nomad DTX 85’s and Bowed Up Spoons for the trolling side of things. When the fish aren't up and actively feeding, then turn to jigging them up off the structure with local made Gunslinger Jigs and Spanish Candies from the shop. These two jigs are for sure our go to jigs now, just depends on how the fish are acting on what jig they want that day.

 

Just over the last week, I'm happy to report the Spanish Mackerel have made their showing, best bite so far has been at the AR Reefs, 315 and 330 both had good numbers on them last weekend. Also, reports from customers on some nice catches coming from the Cape Lookout area along with around the Oceanana Pier area. Over the next few weeks the bite will only get better and better with the water temps on the rise. Yesterday one of our Charter Boats went out looking and reported back Spanish were all over the place along teh beaches and Cape lookout. At the reefs, we caught them on the same jigs as the Bonito local made Gunslingers and Big Nic Spanish Candies.This week customers were catching good numbers trolling Clarkspoons and Bowed-Up Spoons on #1 Planers plus there's action on Clarkspoons Mackerel Trees down on the planers.

 

Bluefish have made a good showing over the last couple of weeks along the beaches, reefs and some have moved inside the inlet. We are getting a lot calls about  the Chopper Bluefish if they have made a showing; there was a few caught last weekend around the Cape Lookout Shoals. A few boats were back out looking this week but haven't ran across any big numbers of them, but did see a few but not that many. Keep in mind last year, we saw none in our area because the water temps got too hot too quick and the fish moved right on up. But this year, the water temps are down so with seeing a few caught already hopefully, we will see a good run of them over the next few weeks.

 

Gray Trout and more Gray Trout have been in the area this Spring with some of the largest we have seen in a while. AR 315 seems to be holding the larger fish in the 3lb – 5lb range but the Coast Guard Station area has been holding good numbers and all through the Turning Basin. Customers coming into the shop are reporting they have been catching them all day long. Remember you can only keep one a person but it's pretty fun catching these trout in the current. Sam’s Gitter Spec Rigs tipped with bait shrimp, Thingama Jigs and Spanish Candies in the 1oz to 2oz sizes are best. Colors on the jigs haven't really mattered that much from what we have been seeing.

 

Sea Mullet bite also has been doing well for us, it's slowed just a little bit from what we were seeing a few weeks ago with the numbers of fish but the size and quality of the fish has picked up. Best areas have been around the 16 Buoy in the Beaufort Inlet, (that’s the old 18 Buoy the Coast Guard has changed the numbers on us). In the hook at Cape Lookout also's been a good spot over the last couple of weeks. Again, with the cooler weather keeping the water temps down has kept the fish here, until it really starts to warm up you should be able to go out and get a nice catch of mullets.

 

 

 

Piers / Surf:

 

Piers have been kinda on lock down but I understand it, the Oceanana is open and people are allowed to go fishing on it. Actually, the last few weeks they have been seeing some great fishing with lots of nice sized Sea Mullets, Blow Toads and some nice Pompano being caught. Last weekend, they started to see their first run of Spanish Mackerel along with some Blue Fish from anglers casting Got-Cha Plugs.

 

As far of the Surf Zone not too many people have been fishing being all the accesses have been closed down making it hard to reach the beach. But the ones that have had access are catching Sea Mullets, Pompano, Blow Fish, Bluefish and few Black Drum. Up at the point at Cape Lookout on the beach the bite has been really good the last couple of weeks. Old Drum, Spanish, Pompano, Bluefish, big Sand Bar Sharks and slot size Red Drum all are being caught.

Best baits have been Bait Shrimp, Finger Mullet, Cut Mullet, Squid and Fish bites fished on regular bottom rigs and drum rigs. Some anglers have been casting Spanish Candies and Gunslinger Jigs from the Surf also are picking up some fish.

 

 

 

Offshore:

 

The Bluewater fishing has been on the slow side until this last week, things have really started to fire off for us. The Dolphin have already started to make their run along our coast and only will get better and better as we move into the next few weeks. Usually, mid-May through June is the peak of our gaffer fishing out of our area. Best area for the Dolphin so far has been anywhere from just north of the Big Rock all the way down to the Rise. We have weighed fish coming from across that entire area, not seen anything in as close as 90ft Drop yet but shouldn't be long now. Along with the Dolphin showing up, we are still weighing a few nice Wahoo in the mix, one of our boats was out yesterday and brought back two decent fish. The Yellow Fin Tuna also have been in the same area, it's been hit of miss but if you are in the right area you can really mop up on them. A few boats from the waterfront fleet came back yesterday with a dock full of tunas.

 

We have been just keeping it simple with Sea Witches fished on Bait Master Ballyhoo. Island Lure Sail Lures and Jr’s also have been working well on the Dolphin rigged up with Ballyhoo. Local made Monkalurs we have in the shop are getting it done on the Dolphin, like always during this time of the year it's really a hard lure to beat when it comes to Dolphin fishing. Some anglers are still keeping some Nomad DTX Minnows out while on the troll and picking up some Wahoo plus Dolphin will also hit these plugs.

 

Along with the good meat fishing starting up the Blue Marlin bite is starting to fire off. There's been several caught in the last week with some big ones that have been lost. Which is a great sign for the upcoming Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament at the first of June. The event was on the fence of even having the tournament until last week but as of now the show will go on which is always a huge boost of business for all of our local businesses in the area.

 

Bottom fishing has been strong with Grouper Season just opening up last weekend. It's not very hard to catch your limit right now as they are pretty stacked up since the season was closed. Snapper, Grouper and Trigger fish are in 100’ to 180’ depths. Best fishing has been in the 30 to 40-mile range, good areas to look around has been the Papoose, Naeco and 90ft Drop. Any good bottoms you run across in these areas are producing. Also, over on the East side at the nearshore wrecks for Grouper would be a good choice.  Boston Mackerel, Squid Wings, Sardines and Cigar Minnows all have been working well.