Fishing Report 03/19/2020

 

Well, it’s been awhile but we are back up and running with our Local Fishing Report. 

 

We have been in full stock mode at the shop with new items arriving daily. Also, we've been super busy with re-lining reels for the upcoming season from backwater fishing, to splicing, to top shots for the offshore anglers. We have never been as stocked as we are now going into a season. New Inshore, Nearshore, Pier, Surf and Offshore tackle has hit the shop, so if it’s saltwater fishing we have you covered on your next fishing trip!

 

 

INSHORE / NEARSHORE:

 

Speckled Trout fishing has really turned on over the last few weeks, not that we haven't been catching them all winter long but the warm up has really turned things on. It's picking right back up where we left off this past fall, already 6 to 8lb fish being caught. Most of the action seems to be back up in the creeks and rivers. Core Creek area up to the Neuse River, North River, few creeks along Bouge Sound and some of the spots we caught them last fall fish are starting to make a showing. 

 

A customer came by the other day with a 7lb trout he caught very close to the shop along with quite a few more. So, with the water temps on the rise the fish are starting to move back out of the creeks and get into normal areas where you would catch them in the fall as they stage up before summer hits. We have ran a few trips over the last few weeks and found fish in the same spots we were fishing last fall.  

 

As far as what’s been working the best, several things are producing Z-man Jerk Shads, Minnow and Swimming Trout Tricks. High Water Get Me Shads are  working well for some customers and Berkley Gulp Shrimp. Like all winter long, the 17MR, 18MR, 27MR Mirrolures all are working well along with the Paul Brown Fat Boys and Soft Dines. The newest lure in the shop has been the SLICK Lure, these lures are hard to get. They are hand poured so production is pretty slow on them. But, we just got another shipment this week so as of right now; we are pretty stocked up on them, for sure it has been a Speckled Trout killer over the last month. With the water temps on the rise we're already seeing some really good Top-water action, one of our trips this week almost all of the fish were caught on Spook Jr's.

 

Along with the trout, we are seeing some good numbers of Red Drum in the area. Capt. Joe that works here at the shop has been out checking the bays and flats and been finding schools of fish every trip. The exciting thing is unlike last year, we are seeing some nice mid slot to upper slot fish this season so far. Last year, there was “Rat Reds” all over the area, so now it looks like some of those fish have matured into a nice class of fish for us this year. 

 

As far as lures kinda been the same thing as the Speckled Trout. Now, some customers are catching Red Drum over at the Railroad / High Rise Bridge on Live Minnows, which we just got another batch of nice sized ones. Also, customers are having luck fishing Bait Shrimp and cut Mullet from the shop. Shark Island area also is holding some nice schools of fish, but the weather has been playing a large role in getting out there. To fish it you got to have some good winds, but what we are seeing when the weather allows the fish are there to catch.

 

The shop has been getting a lot of calls about if the Sea Mullets are biting and the answer is YES, they are. We've been catching them all winter long on the good weather days. Most of the action has been in the Beaufort Inlet area around the 18 to 19 Buoys. Now last weekend, we did see our first signs of fish moving into the Turning Basin area. The fish are a little smaller than what's in the Beaufort Inlet area but it's a good sign of fish moving back in the more protected water. 

 

The key to catching the fish have been looking at the tides, we are seeing best luck on the slack tides, you have to be able to reach the bottom with a 2 to 3oz weight.  What's been working the best is local made Sam's Gitters Spec Rigs, no secret year after year these rigs that Capt. Sam makes just flat out catch and out fish other rigs. Tipped with our bait shrimp and since the water temps have been on the rise the Fishbites in the shrimp scent also is working, but it’s hard to beat using Bait Shrimp when fishing for the mullets.

 

Other bottom fishing going on has been around the Railroad Tracks and High-Rise bridge area with Bait Shrimp. Been seeing a mix bag of fish from Sheepshead, Black Drum, Red Drum and a few Trout. Nothing special just bottom fishing with some Live Minnows, Bait Shrimp and Mullet.

 

The AR reefs are starting to hold a few fish, one customer was out fishing around AR330 this week and reported back he caught Albies til he couldn't stand it anymore. So, that’s a very good sign as the water temps keep coming up the fish will move closer to the beach. Also, there's some keeper Sea Bass at the AR330 reef, usually that's about as close you'll catch good keeper size fish. There's been some caught at AR315 and AR320 but mostly the bass will be on the smaller side. 

 

Shouldn't be too long before we'll start to see Gray Trout move into the AR Reefs before they make their way into the Beaufort Inlet and Turning Basin areas. We've been over on the East Side a few times over the last couple of weeks and the reefs over there have been loaded down with Blue Fish so they seem to be right on time, each year they stage up over there before making a push toward the Cape Lookout area.

 

 

PIERS / SURF: 

 

Both the Oceanana and Bouge Piers are now open for business and already seeing some action. Just keep in mind things are just starting to happen off the Piers and Surf areas. Best reports over the last week have been Puffer Fish and Sea Mullets. Both were being caught last weekend and will only get better and better as we get more into Spring. One customer reported to me, he thought he saw some Chopper Bluefish come through the other day but we haven't seen any confirmed catches of them yet. Last year, we didn't have a season so we have our fingers crossed that this year there will be a Spring showing for us to have some fun with. I did hear of a few small Speckled Trout caught also off the pier the other day, nothing like the fall but a few have been caught.

 

As far as bait, most people have been coming by picking up Bait Shrimp, Mullet, Squid, Fishbites plus we have Night-crawlers and Red Worms. Right now, the best way is to fish on the bottom with a standard two drop rig, that will cover catching everything that’s in the Surf right now. Won't be too long when we'll be able to throw some metal at Bluefish and Alibies.

 

 

OFFSHORE: 

 

First off, we have received our Spring shipment of Ballyhoo from Baitmaster. These are all Grade A baits just caught a few months ago, then processed and shipped to us. We always make sure you are getting the highest quality of bait available.

 

So far, it’s been a little slow in the Blue Water, being most days have been too windy to fish but there's been some nice days and when that happens boats have been getting out. Over the last two weeks, we've been putting some nice Wahoo on our scales, no huge numbers yet but most boats that have went are bringing  back a few fish. 

 

This week, we actually saw a few Yellowfin Tunas caught, which is a nice sign. Just maybe, we'll have a run of them this year. Some of our friends down south around the Wilmington area are really seeing good numbers of Hoos coming through so it's just a matter of time when those fish will move to us. So, most of the action so far has been south, just rule of thumb this time of the year is to head toward the Rise and Swansboro Hole area.

 

Also, look at your water temp charts this time of the year, if you see a good break in temps that would be a good place to start looking if your out trolling. So far it's been Island Lures, Sea Witches down on Planer rods rigged with Ballyhoo and Nomad DTX Minnows are working the best. We really think it's just a matter of time when we'll get a good weather window for a few days the offshore bite is going to be wide open. 

 

We are ready! We have re-worked our entire offshore section brought more Island Lures in with lots of “New Custom Colors”, more Custom Sea Witches, more DTX Minnows and anything else you might need to put some meat in the freezer. 

 

Also, if you are looking for some rod and reels, we are stocked full with Shimano Tiagra 80W / Star Rod Planer set ups ready to go, 50W and 30W set ups ready to fish with Star Rods. Don’t forget it's the time to get your reels ready, if you need new line; NOW is the time. We can do Hollow Core to Mono Top Shots anything you need to be ready when the bite breaks loose.