Hello Folks, I guess we can call this mid-summer fishing. All those mid-summer bites have started and some of the fish are starting to show that hot water temp bite. Early morning and late afternoon bite; for the Redfish and Trout are really showing lately. Let's talk about that and a few other bites in this weeks fishing Report.
My charters have had some great early morning Redfish and Trout bites. We are fishing mud flats and oyster flats in creeks and along the ICW. Multi fish hook-ups are not uncommon at all! Top water plugs like the Rapala skitter-walk have done very well. Rattle and popping corks with live mullets and little menhaden have been working great! The best rattlin' corks for me have been the Saltwater Assassin's "Kwik-cork" this is one of the loudest corks on the market; "trust me; try some!"
Another hot weather favorite of mine is the great fighting and great eating Sheephead. If you just started fishing or you have for years, you will love the time and fight it takes to catch one of these fish. The best fishing lately for us has been 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"!
The Spanish mackerel are still picking good most days. 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, gold and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick. There has been some bigger Spanish around the last couple of weeks; with some fish over five pounds. Always fun on the ultra light or fly rod!
We are still seeing some Tarpon around the inlets and shoals. Live and dead baits on the bottom have had the best luck for getting bites; fresh spots, menhaden and mullet work the best. Shark fishing will be good through the end of October. We've had some really nice lemon and black tip sharks already this year and a few on the fly-rod. We mostly are fishing around and just off the local inlets. There also has been some locally good flounder fishing; in the creeks and around the bigger inlets like Carolina and Masonboro inlets.
Thanks so much for reading this report, if you would like a Fishing charter give me call or drop me a line. Good fishing to ya!
Fishing gear we use;
Tarpon and sharks Reels Pflueger Contender G15L, Rods Shakespeare Custom "USCB 1166 MH" Penn spinning reels 560L Live Liner with Penn Torque jigging rod 7' 20 to 50 braids.
Reds, Spanish and Sheephead: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6'6" and 7' Med & Med-Heavy.
Good Luck,
Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139