Fishing Report 10/30/2014

 

 We spent some time in the Louisiana Marsh last week for the “IFA Redfish Tour Championship”.  Man, what a great time we had!!  It’s unreal of the fishery and such a vast marsh system they have. You could fish there every day of your life and still never fish the same water.

We didn't fish an area without catching fish, everywhere we went there were Redfish to catch. Even if you wanted more when you got off the water you could hit the docks at the camp and catch Speckled Trout, White Trout and Redfish under the lights all night long right in the back door.

We finished 36th out of 104 Teams across the Nation, by no means was it what we wanted but on day one I made the wrong call on where to fish. We went to win, but we also went to relax and rip some lips and I can guarantee you that mission was accomplished. Truly, an amazing place to fish and we are blessed to be able to make our annual trip to the Bayou Country.

 

It looks like we're going to get our really first good sign that fall is here over the next few days. All of October, we have been enjoying very mild temperatures. We're still not going to see any really cold air just in the 40’s at night and up in the 60’s – 70’s during the day.

 

Live Shrimp, Live Finger Mullet, & Live Mud Minnows

IN-STOCK for the weekend… 

Fresh Jumbo Mullet, Finger Mullet & Shrimp 
 

 

Inshore:

King Mackerel –  the bite has been as good as we've seen it in years! 

Last week, they were along the Beach, the Inet and Dead Tree Hole areas but this week the numbers seemed to have moved out toward the North West Places. They aren't all gone from the beaches because we've weighed fish in this week from the Dead Tree Hole area.

Anglers have been catching all they want out toward the North West Places over the last few days. When I say catching fish, I mean only being able to fish a few rods at a time because they can't keep up with all the bites. I'd say, we have a few more weeks of this great action before they make their move out of the area. Blue Water Candy Dead Bait Rigs and Pirate Plugs have been the lures of choice then rigging them up with Dead Cigar Minnows. Most of the fish are in the 20 to 30lb range with some fish topping out over the 40lb range. I don’t know how many we have weighed in the last week but it’s been quite a few. So, now’s the time to get in on the action before they move out in the next few weeks.

Spanish Action – has slowed down this week along the beaches and the inlet area. We have weighed in some big ones from the East Side of the Cape and out around the North West Places. You'll still come across a few here and there but we won't see the big numbers back until next May.

Bluefish – still plenty to catch in these areas out around Cape Lookout, along the beaches and inlet area. You can catch them schooling around bait balls, just cast to them with metal casting spoons to have some FUN.

Albacore – fishing has also been as good as it gets over the last week. Some of the biggest fish we've seen in this area along our beaches in quite a while. Casting small lures like Glass Minnow Stingsilvers and Jig Fish Lures in the smaller sizes like 1/2oz or 3/4oz up to a 1oz have been working the best. They've not been hard to find. The larger schools have been feeding around Cape Lookout but schools have been working all up and down the beaches. Look for the birds diving on the water and more than likely you'll find feeding Albacore.

Spot Fishing – is still going strong, last weekend was one of the best weekends we have seen all season. We are on the tail end of them so if you want to catch them you better get on the water. Usually, once we get into November they start to move on down the beach but for some reason they're still hanging around. The Beaufort Draw Bridge and the Turning Basin areas are still the best areas to fish, with live Bloodworms and Fish Bite Bloodworms.

Sea Mullets –  I've been getting a lot of calls but they just haven't shown up in large numbers yet. Yes, there's a few around to catch in the Turning Basin, Inlet and Dead Tree Hole areas. Rule of thumb, they move in thick each fall once the Spots have come and gone which that’s getting ready to happen. I've been talking to customers that's been going out and catching enough to eat making it worthwhile. Spec-Rigs tipped with Bait Shrimp and Fishbites have been the best ways to catch them off the bottom. Keep an eye out on your electronics because you can see the schools of them when they show up right off the bottom. When you see that then you really can have some fun.

Flounder – fishing is still pretty good in the area, Tim from the shop went out again on Monday around the Port area and the Railroad Tracks and had a 3 person limit. He was fishing with Live Minnows and we do have both Mud Minnows and Mullet Minnows in stock ready for action. There's been some also caught out around the reefs on the East Side like 285 on Spro 2oz Bucktails tipped with Berkley Gulp 4” White Shrimp. AR 315, 320 and 330 will also hold fish this time of year. Also, you'll catch a few if you fish the marsh and creek areas because they're feeding up on live shrimp before making their way to the ocean.

Redfish Bite – has been great along the beaches. Also, the Shark Island area up at the Cape has been pretty good along with some schools along Shackleford Banks. I know over on the East Side of the Cape there's also been some large schools of fish working the Surf Zone. Bouge Inlet has also been doing well over the last week. When the schools get in these areas listed you can really catch alot. I talked to a few customers that were catching them one after another up at the Cape just the other day. They're a good class of fish in the upper slot to over slot fish. Don’t count out the Marsh areas because they're still in those areas too. This time of the year you can’t beat Berkley Gulp, Live Mud Minnows or a Live Shrimp when looking for some Reds plus they'll also still take Topwaters.

Speckled Trout – fishing is really getting ready to bust lose, we have already seen some great action this week. I've weighed some 5lb fish in this week and saw a great limit in the 2 to 4lb range that was caught from the Surf Zone on Monday. This cold front we're having right now is what we need to get them in a feeding mode.

The Haystacks are holding good numbers of fish. I had a report come in yesterday from the Cape Lookout Rock Jetty that there are Speckled and Grays on it with anglers getting there limits of both. I've even see limits of trout coming from guy’s bottom fishing in the Turning Basin and around the AB High Rise Bridge. That's a great sign of good numbers of trout in the area. I know that Radio Island has been having a few nice fish coming from there too. Plus, there's still good numbers of fish in the Neuse River creeks and up north of us. Berkley Gulp, Vudu Shrimp, Vudu Mullets, Mirrolures, Z-Man Baits, Savage Shrimp, DOA, Strom Shrimp, Billy Bay Shrimp, Yo-Zuri Shrimp and Live Shrimp / Mud Minnows fished under Slip Float Rigs and Popping Corks are all going to be great choices.

I weighed a 5lb trout the other day and the angler also had his limit all caught on Top Water Skitter Walks. I have my fingers crossed the weather patterns don’t do anything crazy and stay stable through this November making us have a “Great Speckled Trout Season”.
 

Piers / Surf:

We are starting to see our first signs of nice Speckled Trout showing up. Earlier this week, we weighed in a nice limit  that was caught from the Surf Zone. They were fishing Mirrolures in the holes along the beach up from the Oceanana Pier area. Also, there's been some Trout caught off the Oceanana Pier along the surf on Live Shrimp using Float Rigs. There's no real numbers yet but with this cool front things should start happening along the Surf as far as the Trout.

Just today the pier was seeing some Spots coming through, most were being caught on Live Bloodworms and Fish Bite Bloodworms.

There's been some nice Red Drum caught along the beach and up around Fort Macon Rock area on Fresh Mullet using Drum Rigs. Also, we're seeing some Spots, Sea Mullets, Black Drum, Croakers and few Pompano with the anglers bottom fishing using Bait Shrimp, Mullet and Live Bloodworms. Also, anglers are catching a lot of Flounder all along the Surf Zone but most are on the small size. But, if you pick through them you will have a good chance of catching a keeper or two for the dinner table. Berkley Gulp 4” Swimming Mullets and Live Minnows have been working well.

 

Offshore:

We are still seeing a good Wahoo bite when boats can get out. We weighed quite a few last weekend with the pretty weather with most of the action coming from the Big Rock down toward the Swansboro Hole. There's still some huge fish being caught over on the East Side from the King Mackerel guys using Live Bait. What we are seeing right now it’s going to be a blow out for the Offshore Guys this weekend. So, we probably won't see much Blue Water action happening.

 

 

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