Fishing Report 11/14/2014

From what the weather man is saying, we're going to get our first taste of colder temperatures tonight… even though we're still in the fall mode it’s kind of what we need to get the Speckled Trout action even better then what we have seen so far. It does look like after today, Saturday and Sunday is going to have pretty good weather for fishing as the winds are going to be 5-10mph. So hopefully, the fish will be bunched up and feeding good.

 

Live Shrimp,& Live Mud Minnows

IN-STOCK for the weekend… 

Fresh Jumbo Mullet, & Shrimp 

 

 
Inshore:

We have seen a great Flounder bite over this past week. During this week, we've weighed more fish over the 6lbs mark than all year. We even weighed one in last Sunday that was just under 10lbs.

The key area has been the Port area or Turning Basin area. The only thing I can figure is during this time of the year, the Port Wall acts like a rest stop for the Flounders that are moving out to the Ocean. Also, the High Rise Bridges and the Rail Road Track Bridge act the same.

Anglers are having the best luck fishing Live Minnows and Berkley Gulp baits right along the bottom around the structures. Now, you're not going to just go to these areas and drop down anywhere and catch fish. The anglers having the best luck are finding key areas that the fish are holding on. Of what we're seeing if you catch one, it’s a good idea to work that area out because these fish seem to be moving together.

Also, don’t count out the AR reefs just off the beaches because these fish are moving that way. When fishing the reefs use 2oz Spro Bucktails tipped with Berkley Gulp 4” White Shrimp or Live Minnows would be good choices. The Cape Lookout Rock Jetty has been holding some nice Flounder toward the end of the Jetty. Anglers that have been fishing for Speckled Trout and Gray Trout are catching some nice keeper Flounder.

Speckled Trout – looks like we're going to get our first hard cold front over the next few days that should really help fire up the bite. It has been good so far but the fish have been kind of spread out with all the warm weather we've been having keeping the water temperatures up.

Nick one of our helpers around the shop caught 50 trout the other day working the creeks. He caught his limit but caught over a dozen that were nice keepers. He was telling me the key is to keep moving and covering water. He was fishing 17MR Mirrolures and DOA soft plastics.

Last weekend and during this week, we've seen the largest fish so far coming through the shop. We've seen many limits of fish in the 3 to 4lb range. This past week, we still are seeing fish from all over the place: Haystacks, Broad Creek, Gales Creek, Core Creek, Neuse River, Radio Island Rock Jetty, North River and along our beaches are all areas where anglers are catching trout.

I just talked to some customers that fished on up Core Creek yesterday. They got into a nice school of 2 to 3lb fish and left them biting after they caught their limit. There is a lot of small fish all around our area, so if you're catching only small fish say after 20 or so it’s time to move and try a different area. Moving just a 100 yards down the creek can make the difference in catching keepers right now.

When this front gets to us, I really look for the Cape Lookout Rock Jetty to get good. We've already seen fish being caught out there but the cold weather seems to really push the fish to those rocks and gets them bunched up. From what we're seeing anglers are catching fish on all kinds of lures: DOA Shrimp, Storm Shrimp, Billy Bay Shrimp, Z-Man Plastics, Zoom Plastics, Slayer Plastics, Curly Tails, Vudu Shrimp, Vudu Mullet, Berkley Gulp, Savage Shrimp all have been some of the most popular lures right now.

Just last week, Live Bait is starting to play a role into catching the bigger fish. I know of anglers that have fished right behind guys fishing artificial and caught nice limits of fish when the artificial anglers only caught shorts. Live Shrimp and Live Mud Minnows are going to be the best under Float Rigs or a very light weight Carolina Rig. We have a good stock of both for the weekend and should be good on  “LIVE SHRIMP” until the water in our tanks gets too cold for us to keep them alive.

As far a Gray Trout – there's been plenty around and some nice ones caught. The Cape Lookout Rock Jetty has been holding some nice fish in the 2 to 4lb range. Yea, yea, yea, I know you can only keep one fish per person but it’s pretty fun to catch them on just about every cast at the Cape right now. Plus, they're all nice size fish and on light tackle rods it can be pretty fun times. Berkley Gulp 3” Shrimp has been working pretty well out there, I've even heard of anglers catching them on flies. Also, there's Gray Trout all around in the Turning Basin, Rail Road Bridge and out in the Inlet.

Sea Mullet fishing really picked up last weekend with good numbers of fish pushing into the area. The Turning Basin area is holding good numbers of fish out toward the Inlet. The best catch I've seen was from anglers fishing just a 100yds or so down Shackleford. Bottom fishing using Spec-Rigs tipped with Bait Shrimp and Fish Bites have been working the best. Of what we've seen, they are really nice sized mullets, we have weighed in a few over the last week that were in the 2lb range.

It’s that time of year again when the Puffers are moving in. We are seeing them along the beaches and it's been pretty good up around Cape Lookout area. I know anglers Speckled Trout fishing have been catching some around the Jetty. Bottom rigs tipped with Bait Shrimp and Fish Bites on the bottom is all you really need when trying to catch them.

The King Mackerel bite has slowed down since the last cold front came. We did weigh in some nice fish last Saturday and Sunday, so they're still some in the area. Most anglers are catching them out around the North West Places out to Big 10 and Little 10. Also, over on the East Side at the 1700 Rock and Atlas Tanker has been holding a few fish. Dead Bait Rigs and Pirate Plugs rigged up with Dead Cigar Minnows seem to be the best bait since most of the live bait is getting very hard to find. We should still see some action on the Kings for the next few weeks.

Albacore fishing has been up and down over the last week, they seemed to have pushed off the beach but then since it has been warm they've pushed back close. I know around the North West Places there has been 1,000's of fish – all you want to catch. There's been some action also over on the East beaches pass the Cape Lookout area. Again, the key to finding them is looking for the birds working the water and that will be a good sign of feeding fish. The anglers fishing for them have been catching very nice fish.

 

Surf / Piers:

We've seen some pretty good action from the Fort Macon area over the last week. Anglers have been catching good numbers of Black Drum on Bait Shrimp. Also, some Red Drum, Pompano, Sea Mullets, Blue Fish and Puffer Fish all have been caught from the same area and along the beach. Most of the bottom fish are being caught on Bait Shrimp fished off the bottom.

The Oceanana Pier has seen some good action early in the mornings on Speckled Trout using Live Shrimp and Got-Cha Grubs. I heard the other day “Live Shrimp on a Float Rig” was the key to success and we have a good supply of them in stock.

The Surf anglers are also seeing some Speckled Trout action fishing beside the stop nets when they are out or fishing along the pier area. Mirrolures are working the best for the anglers casting for trout from the beach. Who knows, what’s going to happen when this cold front comes through. In the past years, it really makes the beach fishing great for Speckled Trout. Radio Island beach access has also been seeing some Speckled Trout. It's good one day slow the next, it's just being there at the right time to have the best luck. I do know when it gets cold the Radio Island access really can get good.

 

Offshore:

Not many anglers have been getting out since we are getting so late in the season. But we did have a few boats come by last week and yesterday with nice limits of fish. We weighed one that went over 60lbs and they had a few more in the cooler. The Big Rock area still seems to be the best area to try if you're going to venture out to the Blue Water area.

 

 

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