The fishing here in Southport,NC is about as good as it gets!!! This week so far has been nice offshore and the fish are cooperating real nice!! The story on the speckled trout and red drum continues. Fishing for these are good in the creeks, rivers, bays, inlets, jetties,etc;etc; look for the red drum in the backs of creeks now. If the weather doesn't get too cold this winter, it should stay good for the rest of the winter.
King Mackeral fishing has been hot around the Tower at this time. Be sure to check the Horseshoe area on the way out, you may not have to run all the way to the Tower!! Try cigar minnows,(jigged up alive or frozen) you can also expect this time of year to have some of your baits ambushed while trolling for King Mackeral by the False Albacore AKA: Boneheads, that are here this time in the season. These fish are not good to eat, or, at least that is my opinion, and yes, being that I love to cook, I have tried them!! They do make excellent strip baits though for the up coming spring Gulfstream Fishing!! Also, don't be too suprised if you hook up a lost Mahi-Mahi while out there king mackeral fishing around the Tower, yeah, there's still a few around!!!
Bottom Fishing, what can I say, at around 5 to 10 miles and on out, it's about as good as it has been all year. It may very well be the best right now that it has been all year!!! This IS the time to fill your freezor with usually big Black Bass, trigger fish, Grey Snapper, vermillion Snapper, Grouper, and who knows what else out there may bite!! Before you go bottom fishing be sure to check with the web site www.ncdmf.net as the size limits and bag limits has changed on some of the bottom fish and groupers!!
Haven't heard anything from the Gulfstream, but would expect some Wahoo's to be on the prowl around the Black Jack to the Steeples, somewhere along the break!!
The big news remains the Bluefin Tuna's!!! There have been Bluefin Tuna hooked up from the Shark Hole to the Frying Pan Shoals Slough, and that's the ones we know about!!!This past weekend there were a couple of Bluefins landed in Morehead over 600 pounds each. When these fish make their way down to our back yard, well, you know the outcome!!! Last year Capt Wally Trayah and his crew fought one on the "FISHWHISTLE" for over 11 hours and pulled his 31 foot Contender boat 21 miles before it finally broke the leader. This fish was estimated to be over 1000 pounds!!! No, that's not a "typo" error, that is "OVER 11 HOURS, 21 MILES, AND OVER 1000LBS"!!!!! These fish feed hard and by January they have put on a lot of fat and January is the month when you can expect to have the opportunity to hook up a "REAL GIANT"!!
The weather and fishing is in top form at this time, however, don't expect this weather pattern to last much longer, remember, it is winter time, and when you get a "break" this time of year, you got to move on it, you can't wait around for it will surely change, and soon!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch Foster, Southport,NC (910)845-2004 www.yeahrightcharters.com