June 13, 2009
We have been looking for Cobia on a lot of my trips lately and we’ve had some success. This last week we caught three, kept one and released two. They were not the biggest cobia I’ve seen around lately but, still very good eating! Most cobia that we are seeing are sight casting fish; we just cruise up and down the beach looking for them. We are throwing big jigs, swim baits and live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter; “go bright”! When I’m not sight casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs.
The Shark fishing is really starting to pick up as well with the warm weather we are having. My charters this week have caught ten to twenty sharks a day. The sharks are in the ten to a few over 150 pounds; we released one around 150 to 175 on Tuesday this last week. We are fishing with live and dead menhaden; light lining and bottom fishing. The shark rigs are ten inches of number nine or ten single strand wire, with a 9/0 or 10/0 J off set hook. To six to ten foot of eighty pound Berkley bid game mono (wind-on leader). Some people don’t like fishing for sharks; but it can be a lot of fun with kids who have never seen a shark before.
Spanish mackerel are feeding well in the mornings and afternoons. We are catching most of the Spanish around the inlets, shoals, and up & down the beach strands; in fifth teen to thirty feet of water. Most of the Spanish are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in plan silver and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick.
The King mackerel and Mahi fishing has pick up nicely the last few weeks. There has been a few Sailfish around as well; we released a Sail on Wednesday 6-10. We were fishing around the school house area, when we saw the sail jumping on some bait. We ran over to the area we thought we saw the sail and threw out two live menhaden. It took about ten seconds and bam she was jumping and running. Most of the Kings and Mahi’s are hitting fast trolled small ballyhoo or slow trolled menhaden and cigars minnows. One trick that has worked very well for us lately has been Blue water Candy’s bling feather dusters in colors pink and light blue. We are fishing in the ten to twenty five mile range off the beach; around wrecks and live bottom areas.
Redfishing is still going good on most days. The best fishing has been earlier in the day or later in the day (lower light). We are catching the reds on top water lures and rattling corks (SWA kwik-croks) with live bait in shallow water (one to three foot). When we fish docks and channels (deeper waters); we are using live bait, fresh cut bait and scented grubs. The scented grubs we are using are Saltwater Assassin Blurps in colors molting and good penny; patterns shrimp and sea shad.
Sheephead fishing is starting to pick up as well around the area. The best bet is fishing around bridges, docks and bulk-heads. Fishing in water from six to fifth-teen feet for Sheephead seems to work the best for us. We fish mostly using small Carolina rigs, with forty pound mono leader and small but strong live bait hooks. Baits we are using; fiddler crabs and sand fleas have worked just fine. Give it a shot, it takes time but you’ll get one; Hold-on tight!
Gear used: Spanish, Blues, Reds and Sheephead: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7′0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Cobia and Sharks: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) and Penn Torque 100TRQ. Rods: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class spinning and Torque 6’ 80-130 casting. Line: This is a new super braid I’m trying; so far it’s been a real good braid: Spider Wire Stealth Camo in 50#.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, don’t forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
May 28, 2009
Hello from southeast North Carolina; the wind is finally not blowing and the fish are biting!!! Finally some nice weather on a holiday weekend; (a fishing guides dream)! We had a great week of fishing and those good’ole Cobia have started to really show up here. Let’s talk about that in this fishing report>>>
Well if you know me at all, there is one fish that drives me crazy besides Tarpon; it’s Cobia! I love to fish, catch and eat them. We saw good numbers of Cobia the last fives days of fishing; with a few catch’s and one big loss! On Saturday we saw five Cobia; hooked two, got one small one and released it. The one that got away went 70# plus, ran 100 to 150 yards and pulled the hook; “I wanted to cry”! That’s fishing!!
Most of the Cobia fishing I’m doing now is sight fishing up and down the beach strands. The water has really started to clear up, making it easier to see those brown logs in the water. We are throwing big jigs, swim baits and live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter; “go bright”! When I’m not sight casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. We float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live menhaden, blues and mullet as bait. You can chum if you like, but the sharks will come and they will come in numbers!
We are really starting to see some good numbers of Redfish inshore the last two weeks. The Reds we are getting are hitting fresh cut, bait live and scented Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs in colors; drunk monkey and molting. We’ve been rigging these on weed less hooks for grass fishing in some of the bays and flats. There is also some live bait starting to show up around the area. We’ve caught a few nice Reds float fishing with Assassin (Kwik-corks) on the shallows and flats.
This week we also got in to some nicer keeper Flounder in the south Wrightsville areas. We’ve also caught some small to just over keeper size in some of the local creeks and creek mouths. Most are hitting on a falling tide where the bait comes pouring out of the shallows. Mud minnows are work well now; that is until the little mullets show up in good numbers. We are using light Carolina rigs with #1 L42 Eagle claw hooks; going very light on the egg sinker: ¼ to ¾ oz.
The Spanish and Blues are still chewing up and down the beaches. The Kings are showing them self’s a little better this week too. The kings have been in the five to twenty mile range and there are a few Mahi’s showing too!
Keep your eyes peeled on some new tackle from Penn that will come out soon; (Hint) If you like to catch big fish on spinning tackle; you will not want to miss these reels!
Gear used: Spanish, Blues, Reds and Flounder: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7′0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Cobia: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) Rod: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class. Line: forty (40) pound Berkley Big Game braid.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, don’t forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
May 12, 2009
Hello folks, I hope everyone is enjoying this fishing season so far; except all the WIND lately!!! Man, one week of light winds and pay with two plus weeks of hard southwest! That is North Carolina Spring for ya! The big (bar highs) will be here soon: “I hope”! Will let’s talk about the windy weather fishing report>>>
The water has really gotten dirty with all the wind lately; when we find clearer water, we are finding the fish. Most of the Spanish and Blues are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in plan silver and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick. We have also caught a hand full of chopper blues too. These choppers are running in the six to over fifth teen pound range. The choppers are biting big poppers and mid water stick baits. Color really does not seem to matter to those big blues, just a lot of action from the lure!
I’ve seen a few Cobia around the inlets and near shore reefs. Live bait fishing is the best bet for these great fighting fish. Fishing live baits on top as well as on the bottom will get you the best chance at catching a Cobia. I prefer bluefish, mullet and menhaden for bait; what ever is easier to get. To catch a Cobia you’ve got to put your time in, sometimes you catch one right away; sometimes you don’t. That’s why they call it fishing! The Cobia should keep getting better later in to May. It’s time now to book you Cobia trips.
We are seeing a few more Redfish around; most fish have been in the water way, bays and around some of the inlets. As more live bait shows up, more Reds will come out of the ocean and in to the sounds. This is starting to happen, the fishing should pick up in the next few weeks. The Reds we are getting are hitting fresh cut, bait live and scented Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs in colors; drunk monkey and molting. We’ve been rigging these on weed less hooks for grass fishing in some of the bays and flats.
There are some Flounder around, we’ve not caught any great numbers yet, but this should change very soon with the bait showing up. We’ve caught some small to just over keeper size in some of the local creeks and creek mouths. Most are hitting on a falling tide where the bait comes pouring out of the shallows. Mud minnows are work well now; that is until the little mullets show up in good numbers. We are using light Carolina rigs with #1 L42 Eagle claw hooks; going very light on the egg sinker: ¼ to ¾ oz.
Gear used: Spanish, Blues, Reds and Flounder: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7′0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Cobia: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) Rod: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class. Line: forty (40) pound Berkley Big Game braid.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
April 30, 2009
Hello from Southeast North Carolina, I hope everybody is having a good fishing season so far this year! I’ve had a good one so far myself; the water temps are going up so fast this year. We are two to three weeks ahead on water temps at this time last season. It has showed too; good catch’s of Spanish mackerel in April! On that note let’s talk fishing!
The real winner for me lately has been those Spanish mackerel. My charters have done very good in the last few trips, with catches of thirty or more Spanish in a half day. Most of the Spanish are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in silver and pink flash. I really like the pink flash series, these spoons have worked very well for my charters. If you would like to go lighter; you can pull small deep diving lures as well.
When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick. The colors that seem to be working are pink, green and blue in sizes seven & fourteen gram. (Hint): keep it to smaller lures when the weather gets hot! We also caught a few Bonita’s mixed in with the Spanish.
There has also been plenty of blue fish up and down the beach as well. We have also caught a hand full of chopper blues too. These choppers are running in the six to over fifth teen pound range. The choppers are biting big poppers and mid water stick baits. Color really does not seem to matter to those big blues, just a lot of action from the lure!
Bottom fishing just off the beach has produced some nice Black bass, grunts and small Grouper, of course on the lighter wind days! Jigs and squid are the trick, fishing the squid on simple two hook bottom rigs. Jig fishing using two to five once jigs in colors pink, green and red/white. We are fishing mostly hard and live bottom areas, in the five to ten mile range for the bottom fish.
The flounder bite is picking up some too; we are starting to see a few fish inshore as well on the near shore reefs and wrecks. Most of the flounder inshore are mixed in size, but the fish in the ocean are a little better in size. Live bait and grubs are the best bet. Carolina rigs for the live bait and heavy jig heads for the grubs. I prefer bright grubs; Saltwater Assassin’s sea shads in colors chart/diamond and silver mullet work real well.
Red fish have been hit or miss for me lately, some days we get a few some days we don’t. This should change when more live bait shows up in the creeks and channels. What Reds we are getting are hitting fresh bait and scented Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs in colors; drunk monkey and molting.
Gear used: Reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7′0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
April 14, 2009
Good day to everyone. The weather is starting to finally get right; we are having more warm days than cooler ones. The forecast has warmer days for the rest of the week. Wind wise a little better everyday, we’ve finally started to get out on the ocean and start looking for those Bonita’s. Let’s talk about that.
Those high speed Bonita’s should show up any day now; there has already been a small push of Spanish in the last few days. I think this is a push of fish and warm water; these fish will probably move out of here. The Bluefish are mixed in with them too. We’re catching them by trolling and casting. The trolling rigs that we’re using are; a number one planner with thirty to forty feet of forty pound mono leader. Tied to the leader is a Clark spoon in size’s 0, 1 and 2, I like to use the gold and pink flash Clark spoons. Troll them about five to six knots. You can also troll small deep diving plugs too, but you need to slow down your speed to around three knots.
If you would like to try casting or jigging for the Bonita’s, Blues and Spanish I would use Maria jigs. They do have a price tag on them, but when the bite is tough these jigs will pay off! Maria’s that I have the best luck with are size’s seven and fourteen grams. The fourteens are easier to cast. Colors to use; green, blue and pink seem to work the best for me. I put a small shot of forty pound mono leader 12 to14 inches.
There has been a very good Black drum bite the last two weeks, most days I’m catching 14+ plus on a half day. Most of the drum are biting around docks and creek mouths in the ICW. The best bait “by far” has been fresh cut shrimp in small pieces. We are using small two hook drop rig, with a number 2 bait holder hook and one or two oz bank sinkers.
The Speckled trout have decided to bite from time to time the last few weeks. Most fish are coming out of creeks, flats and channels around the waterway and inlets. Best bet for the trout so far has been grubs, working the grubs slow in holes and drop-offs. The grubs I like in the spring mouths are Saltwater Assassin sea shad in 4”. Colors silver mullet, chart diamond, Chicken on a chain and salt/pep shad. I like to use shrimp (Bang) scent in the spring too, this helps because there is not much bait in the water yet. I don’t use a lot of scents for Trout, but in the cool spring mouths it can really help.
Gear used: Reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7′0″ Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test.
Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
Ranger Boats and
Pure Fishing Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
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