Fishing Report 12/17/2015

 

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Last week and weekend has to be the prettiest weather we've seen in a long time in December, light winds and temperatures in the 70’s. Looking back to last year, we already had ice in the canal here behind the shop. Water temperatures are still in the low 60’s in the ocean and high 50’s in the back waters so, the fishing has been pretty good for this time of the year. It does look like we have a cold front coming in for the weekend forecasting the high 50’s but with pretty good winds to fish. Then next week, we go right back into the 70’s.

 

Inshore / Neashore: 

The Sea Mullet bite was good last week right into the weekend, I've not heard much this week because not many anglers have been on the water over the last few days. But not much has changed so, I can't imagine there isn't still some fish around to catch. The best action was in the Inlet out the Shipping Channel and some around the Dead Tree Hole. I did hear of a few being caught up at the Cape also, they aren't everywhere so hunt around for them but when you find them they're bunched up and very nice size fish. Along while bottom fishing for the mullets you're going to catch Hog Fish, Gray Trout and Puffer Fish. Fishing with Spec-Rigs tipped with Bait Shrimp and Fishbites is working the best.

Speckled Trout fishing remains the same with lots of fish around just about all you want to catch but unfortunately a little on the small side. Still fun to catch; anglers are catching limits of fish to take home you just have to pick through the smaller ones to find the keepers. Radio Island, Haystacks, Middle Marsh, Harker’s Island and Core Creek all seem to be holding fish. I've not heard any great reports coming from the Cape Lookout Rock Jetty this week, but anglers are reporting some nice Gray Trout hanging there on the rocks. 

We've seen some better action coming from the Neuse River area with a few creeks starting to hold keeper fish. But most of the usual hot spots this time of year have been slow. We're going to get some more Live Shrimp in for the weekend since the weather forecast looks pretty good and going to warm right back up next week. The anglers fishing the “Live Shrimp” seem to be finding a little bit bigger class of fish.

Red Drum and Black Drum action has been good if you run across them, I know of some anglers that are fishing docks with good numbers of fish on them plus some decent Red Drum action in the Core Creek area over the last week. The best action from the Drum – Live Shrimp has been the key to getting bites. I did here of a few that were caught last Sunday on Berkley Gulp bait once the fish were located.

Albacore still very thick along the beaches, around the inlets and behind the shrimp trawlers. Hard to believe!  They are usually long gone by the first of December. With the warmer weather and water temperatures it’s just been too perfect for them to move on. I think but not sure because we usually don’t see them here this time of the year they'll stay around a few more weeks. Forecast is calling for warm weather right on for the next week, so with that and plenty of bait around they really have no reason to leave. So, we will take it as it's some good action we usually don’t have right here at Christmas.

I know most of you have seen the post I made on the King Mackerel yesterday, there's some still in the area around Big 10/Little 10 but the big numbers of fish are up off Hatteras. From what I heard from last Sunday, the bite was just about as good as you could get it. 

Blue Fin Tuna boats still hard at it, seems that the bite has slowed down just a bit this week but fish are still coming to the docks to be sold. This cold front that's coming in tomorrow should help the bite cause it’s been a bit unusual catching Blue Fin Tuna in T-Shirts. The Sea Buoy back toward Cape Lookout still seems to be the area most boats are hooking up at. We have all the Blue Fin Tuna supplies you need so stop by before heading out.

 

Piers /Surf:

Both piers are closed for the season now, so anglers will have to resort fishing off the beach. There's been a mixed bag with Puffer Fish, Sea Mullets, Hog Fish, Gray Trout and Speckled Trout. Fishbites fished on the bottom along with Bait Shrimp is the best for action. Radio Island's still holding Speckled Trout. Again, it seems late afternoon and earlier morning is the time to catch the most fish. 

I've heard of some good Red Drum reports off Bear Island and Hammocks Beach access, big schools working off the front of those beaches and if you run across them it’s every cast until you're tired of catching them.

 

Offshore:

Last weekend, proved to us all we need is some good windows of weather to make it out to the Bluewater and the fish are there ready to eat. Wahoo action was great along with the Black Fin Tuna. Most of what I heard was from the Swansboro Hole back toward the Big Rock area for the Hoo’s. Some were caught closer in but the boats that really got on them were on out. 

Also, the bottom fishing was great as anglers were bringing by some big Grouper to be weighed. Plenty of nice Black Sea Bass, Snappers and Trigger fish too. Most of the better action was around the 14 Buoy out, but I did hear of some decent reports from the Atlas Tanker, Chicken Rock, Big 10/ Little 10 and some of the closer in AR reefs. So, be on the lookout for the next good wind day – there is fish out there ready to eat. 

 

 

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