Fishing Report 04/30/2015

We’re facing another possible rainy Thursday and Friday with winds NNE switching to N on Friday afternoon but breezy.  Now, Saturday is a transition day with improving skies partly cloudy 71 degrees with winds N 10 to 15 mph.  Saturday looks to be a nearshore day, a good day to chase Cobia. Sunday is the day to “FISH” offshore sunny 74 degrees with light NW winds 5 to 10 becoming SW with seas 2 to 3’.

 

INSHORE/NEARSHORE

Right off the beach will be pretty calm with schools of nice Bluefish in the 2 to 3 lb range.  A customer came by last night and reported that he had a great day catching around 20 in that range.  You can locate them right in the Beaufort Inlet, Fort Macon Rock Jetty and all along the beaches.  If you venture to the Cape you’ll find plenty of schools there too. 

The Sea Mullet bite is still strong in the Turning Basin and the Oceanana Pier is the “HOT SPOT” bringing two at a time over the railings. The Dead Tree Hole is definitely a place I’d check out this weekend to see if they’re in their old stomping grounds.  Sam’s Gitters Spec-Rigs are selling like “HOT CAKES” tipping them with Bait Shrimp or Fishbites.

Now, to Gray Trout – there are plenty for you and your family to catch.  I know you can only keep one per person but what’s better than a day out on the water catching plenty of fish.  Along with the Grays there’ll be Bluefish and Sea Mullets so, you can enjoy a day catching plenty of fish.  The larger Grays are around both the Atlantic Beach and Beaufort Bridges.  Jigging a Sting-Silver or a Jig Fish Lure will get you some strong action. 

The Flounder bite is improving each week with a few caught this week on AR315 and the Port Wall.  So, they are on the move inshore off of the offshore wrecks.  Anytime you’re fishing deep for Flounder use a Spro 2 to 3 oz. Jig in White or Glow with Berkley 4” White Shrimp.  But inshore in the creeks, off the sand bars or around docks Live Mud Minnows is the very best bait to use.

COBIA – here is the most recent news – we’re just waiting for the first one to be caught inshore there’s been several offshore a handful this week.  Last Saturday, a guy came in and said he saw one cruising in a bait ball around Fort Macon Rock Jetty.  He threw a bucktail into the bait ball but couldn’t get the Cobia to bite.  So, anytime is the report.  Last year, it was the first week in May when they started coming to the scales.  Come in and take a look at the new “Meat Hog Jigs” plus we have you covered with combos, a good assortment of artificial eels, grubs plus we’ll have “Live Eels” when the Cobia show up.

BONITA & ALBACORE – I’ve received good reports of Bonita and Albacore just south of us out of New River this week with a lot of them being caught.  They both should be at AR315 and 320 casting small jigs to them such as Kastmasters, Jig Fish Lures and P-line Lures.  Just today a report came in of good action around Bogue Inlet with anglers catching 100’s of fish.

 

 

PIERS AND SURF

The Oceanana Pier is producing good catches of Sea Mullets with reports of some anglers catching 3 at a time.  A bottom rig tipped with Bait Shrimp or Fishbites will bring the mullets to you.  So far, the pier is starting off right with plenty of fish being caught.  There will be plenty of good sized Bluefish in the mix too. You may see a few Sheepheads and Flounder coming over the rails this weekend.  There are Puffers,  Black Drum, Spot and those pesky Pinfish being caught too. 

The Fort Macon Rocks should have plenty of fish around the rocks.  Just last weekend, we weighed a citation Pompano over 2 lbs. caught from there.  Some Flounder are being caught fishing close to the rocks with Black Drum, Bluefish and Sea Mullets in the mix. The bait to use is Bait Shrimp, Finger Mullet, Cut Mullet and live Mud Minnows.

For you who like to fish the Surf, you may pick up a Puppy Drum, Black Drum, Gray Trout, Bluefish, Sea Mullet, Pompano or Flounder.  This weekend just maybe when the “Hatteras Blues” shows up so, make sure you have a Bluefish Rig with Finger Mullet on a rod.

 

OFFSHORE

The blue water is producing great catches this week with several boats making it out.  The Big Rock is the “HOT SPOT” with good numbers of Gaffer Dolphin and Wahoo.  Skirted rigs – Islanders and Blue Water Candy rigged with Medium Ballyhoo are doing very well.  Last weekend, nice Wahoo came to the scales one 40lbs and one 55lbs.  Yesterday, a nice catch came in with 13 Gaffers and 1 Wahoo.  Sunday will be the day to try offshore this weekend.

There’s been several Cobia caught off the offshore wrecks pitching Bucktails to get them to bite.

Bottom fishing – good numbers of Black Sea Bass, Triggerfish, B-liners are still coming into the boats.  Also, the bottom fishermen have caught Cobia and Dolphin bottom fishing.  Squid and Squid Wings are the best baits to use.

May 1^st – opening tomorrow “GROUPER SEASON” – Gags, Snowy and Reds.  Plenty are there to be caught.

 

COME FISH THIS WEEKEND!!