TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Hey…  We all have out spots right?  Some secret, some not so secret, but generally we stick to them.  Unfortunately, most of us are very pressed for time.  If you’re not, then you are either obscenely rich or unemployed and on some kind of fixed income.  Let’s face it, fishing, particularly from a boat, is an expensive past-time and you need to work a lot to support it.  You could say that I know that better than anyone else as I’m burning the candle at both ends for 8-months a year holding three different income producing jobs just so I can be out on the water as much as humanly possible.  I’m not complaining…  It’s just part of the deal.  It supports a habit that I was never able to shake nor did I ever want to.

The point is that we all embrace that time we get on the water.  And, hey, we want to catch fish during that time right?  So, we’re prone to go to those same spots we know produce time after time.  It’s even worse for the guides as they have a client or two on board who pay a lot of money for the chance to catch fish.  Yeah, some may say, it’s just nice to be out on the water, but don’t let them fool you.  They, like any other red-blooded angler, want to catch fish.  So, these guides want to go to those spots that they know produce as there’s a tremendous amount of pressure on the guide to do so.  But back to the point, it’s hard to stray from what we know and try new spots.  The end result of this is angry crowed conditions at those hot-spots like Breezy Point, Sandy Hook, Montauk etc.  And, it’s a real bummer because every year the crowds seem to get worse and worse, and subsequently, the etiquette get’s worse.

The thing is, there are a lot of fish in a lot of different places, and we all just need to take the time and put in the effort to find them.  These fish may not be busting and under birds as they tend to do at some of the well known hot-spots, but they can be found back in the marsh areas and they can be found in super skinny creeks.  They can be found in white sand flats that rarely get fished.  Sure, these fish are going to be spooky and more difficult, but to me, that makes it all the more fun.  Don’t expect to get the size and numbers that you would on a good day in Montauk or Breezy or wherever the crowds tend to follow the birds, but do expect to enjoy yourselves more.

So, try and use your imagination.  Find those areas that look fishy, even though you never see anyone fishing there.  Trust your gut…  Even if you don’t catch fish there on the first shot, look listen and try to feel the place out.  Notice what the tides are doing, try and see what the bait is.  Think about what conditions would make that place better.  Then, form a plan of attack and go back to those spots when you think they may fish better and work them hard.  You may come up empty handed, but on the other hand you just might score.  And, when you do, you can claim that spot as your own, and it is because you earned it.  Brag to your friends about it, but keep it a secret.

Sick of chasing bluefish with the rest of the yahoos out at Breezy Point, I found just such a spot in the back of the bay a couple of days ago.  It wasn’t easy, but we were rewarded with some giant acrobatic bluefish that were fining in just a few feet of murky water.  Man was that fun!  There were even a few bass in there!  Sure I strike out all the time trying those subtle “it-looks-fishy” places, but I always try and re-try them, because under certain conditions they are bound to work.

Like I said… Trust your gut…  Stray from the crowds and try something different this weekend.  It just may pay off!

Fishing Reports
Speaking generally, it does seem that the summer doldrums are beginning to set it.  Of course, there always seems to be someone, somewhere who’s catching fish.  Yet, the general sentiment is that we’re in that “transition period” after the spring/early summer and before the pelagic show.  All I’ve got to say is “THANK GOD FOR BLUEFISH!”  If it wasn’t for these big bruisers, I’d take the darn boat out of the water during the summer doldrums.  This week was definitely dominated by bluefish.  Not just in my neck of the woods but from Southern Jersey up to Montauk.  North of that, folks are still catching good numbers of bass, but it has become an early morning or night event.  The bluefin thing is kind of dead at this point.  Folks are still seeing them off of Mass, and Maine but I haven’t heard of any being caught in a couple of weeks.  That should change once we get into August though.  And, as some readers know, August can mean all sorts of pelagic fairly close to shore.  Keeping my fingers crossed for that.

New Jersey Fishing Reports
Nothing official from Jersey this week, but from what I hear there is still as bass bite on those bunker from central New Jersey North, but it wasn’t near what it was the prior week.  Mostly blues right now and lots of brown sharks.  Inside, it’s just too darn warm for good fishing.  There have been some fish caught at night though.  Offshore there hasn’t been much going on with the mid-shore humps.  Just about all of the bluewater action has been way out at the canyon edge, and that’s a hike.

New York Fishing Reports
I’ve had some great action offshore…  Unfortunately it aint with the tuna.  Some very, and I mean very big bluefish on some of the structure.  They are eating flies and plugs, well, jumping, tail-walking etc…, and hey, it’s better than nothing!  Even caught a few bass on the structure as well.  Earlier in the week we found some schoolie bass on poppers in Jamaica Bay and some big blues mixed in.  All-in-all, not a bad week for a “transition period.”  I’m expecting to see bonito any day now… Continue Reading »

Bill from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center reported: ” July 16, 2008 Fishing Report
Offshore boats found yellowfin tuna and dolphin. More tuna than dolphin. One of the dolphin weighed 35 pounds. Several boats had wahoos. Billfish included 2 sailfish and a blue marlin. Inshore one boat on an all day trip caught trigger fish, cobia, amberjacks and sea bass. There were spanish mackerel caught trolling. Open boats caught speckled trout Open boats also caught flounders.Miss Oregon Inlet caught flounders.

(Above picture was taken from the Hoo Dini charter boat out of Nags Head, NC)

July 15, 2008 Fishing Report
Offshore it was dolphin, wahoo and tuna. There were two 55 pounders a dolphin and a wahoo. Three sailfish were caught and released.The big wahoo came charging out of the water for the bait. It is an exciting fish. Inshore Tailor bluefish and spanish mackerel in the morning, croakers and sharks in the afternoon. Two open boats caught cobias and sharks, one caught speckled trout both morning and afternoon. Miss Oregon Inlet had good flounder fishing keeping 10. One flounder measured 17 inches. They also had good spot and croaker fishing.

July 14, 2008 Fishing Report
This was a dolphin day. Some big gaffer dolphin amongst the school size fish. One boat had a 45 pound dolphin and a 47 pounder. Another boat had a 38 pound dolphin. Several wahoo in the catches.One of the wahoo weighed 46 pounds. One white marlin and two sailfish were caught and released. Inshore boats caught tailor bluefish and spanish mackerel trolling. At the same time a 73 pound cobia was caught perhaps by sight casting. Bottom fishing inshore boats caught triggerfish and sea bass both excellent on the table. Open boats depending on the type of fishing each did caught sheepsheads and black drum. One of the sheepesheads weighed 10 pounds. Two boats caught a cobia each and sharks. Most of these sharks were black tips. Two boats caught speckled trout. For variety one boat caught flounders, bluefish and sharks.”

TW’s Bait and Tackle reported: “July 17, 2008 Fishing Report
The weather is really nice. Wind out of N at 14 kts. A clear day. Take advantage.
Surf Fishing Report: Bottom fish and Blues.
Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge on the Nags head/Manteo causeway  reported Trout, Black Drum, Spot and Croaker.
Pier Fishing Report: Avalon: Blues, Spanish and Flounder.
Nags Head: Blues, Flounder and Spot.
Outer Banks: Croaker, Sea Mullet Blues and Flounder.
Inshore Boats Report: Trolling boats are still having good Spanish and Blues. Open boats are catching Trout and Flounder.
Offshore Boats Report: Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, Sailfish and Marlin.

July 15, 2008 Fishing Report
In Summary: Justin Stewart caught a 19 lb Red Snapper fishing from the Miss Hatteras charter boat. Miss Hatteras Captain stated the 19 lb Snapper was the biggest his boat has ever caught. Citation size is 10 lb.
Surf Fishing Report: Maybe a few Blues.
Sound Fishing Report: Black Drum, Flounder and Spot reported by the Little Bridge on the causeway.
Pier Fishing Report: Avalon: Few Blues.
Nags Head: Few Blues and small flounder.
Outer Banks: Blues, Small flounder, Spot and Croaker.
Inshore Boats Report: Trolling boats are catching Bluefish and Spanish. Deep water anglers are decking Triggerfish and Sea bass. Open boats are catching Cobia, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Trout and Flounder. There was a 73 lb Cobia caught on Monday.
Offshore Boats Report: There was a big Dolphin bite on Monday. Also catching Wahoo and Billfish.

July 14, 2008 Fishing Report
In Summary: The wind has switched to WSW today and there is grass. David Rohde caught a nice Trout. Citation size for Trout changed this year from 4 lb to 5 lb.  Matthew from Moyock caught a nice size 3 lb Spanish.
Surf Fishing Report: A few Blues and bottom fish.
Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge reported slow. A few Croaker and Spot have been caught and 2 Flounder.
Pier Fishing Report: Avalon: All the grass you can catch.
Nags Head: A few Blues and bottom fish.
Outer Banks: Spot, Croaker and 2 Flounder.
Inshore Boats Report: Open boats should be catching a few Blues and bottom fish. Trolling boats will catch Spanish and Blues today.
Offshore Boats Report: Dolphin and Tuna”

NORTH CAROLINA FISHING REPORTS COVERING THE ENTIRE NORTH CAROLINA COAST

Reported from North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

From Knotts Island to Ocracoke:
Ocean: Offshore catches improved from last week’s slow activity.  Blackfin, yellowfin, bigeye, and even a few bluefin tuna were caught this week, along with a few dolphin and wahoo. Billfish catches were very good, with sailfish, blue and white marlin being caught on a regular basis.  Midrange anglers caught triggerfish, black seabass, amberjack, and increasing numbers of striped bass.  Cobia and king mackerel are still being caught about 8-10 miles offshore by anglers returning from gulfstream trips.  Inshore action included bluefish and Spanish mackerel in the near shore surf zone when seas were calm enough to access them.  There were some nice catches of flounder.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Anglers were happy with the good flounder keeper ratios of 50% or more throughout the area.  Spotted seatrout and red drum were caught by early morning anglers at the Melvin Daniels bridge  and underneath the Washington Baum bridge opposite Pirates Cove marina.  Green Island slough at Oregon Inlet produced weakfish  and spotted seatrout at dawn and dusk.

Piers/Shore: Spanish mackerel catches were very good for both pier and shore anglers. Bluefish offered some short term/high volume action for anglers.  A few kingfish, croakers, puffers, burrfish, spot, skates, and assorted sharks were caught. Red drum catches from Avon southward to Ocracoke improved considerably.  Anglers caught cobia while fishing at night from piers.

From Portsmouth to Surf City:
Ocean:  Summertime slows fishing down. The heat is here along with the wind. Gaffer dolphin and nice-sized wahoo are still being hooked and billfish are prevalent. Sunday a boat came in with a grand slam – two blue marlin, three white marlin and a sailfish. Other than that, the waterfront has been quiet. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are along the beaches and around both Bogue and Beaufort inlets. Kings were reported at the sea buoy – about 8 miles out.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: A few redfish were reported in the Topsail Beach area and the Bogue Sound-Newport River and large numbers at Bogue Inlet.  Many undersized flounder were reported caught and released this past week from all waters. Pigfish can be caught around the Beaufort drawbridge and the turning basin of the state port. Anglers are catching many undersized black sea bass. Anglers are reporting many sharks.

Piers/Shore:  Piers have a mixed bag of croakers, spot, undersized flounder, pigfish and pinfish.   Bluefish and Spanish are keeping the fishing active.

From Topsail to Sunset Beach:
Ocean: Bottom fishing remains a good option this time year. Red, gag, and scamp groupers are biting on most ledges in the 30 to 50-mile range along with a host of other reef fish. King mackerel fishing was good last week at the shark hole and the dredge wreck. Slow trolling live bait such as cigar minnows and menhaden is the most productive method. Flounder fishing on the near/shore reefs typically picks up this time of year. The reefs just off the beaches of Brunswick and New Hanover are great places to try. Live bait such as mullet or menhaden fished on a Carolina rig is the ticket. There should be spadefish on most of the near/shore reefs as well. Tarpon fishing around Bald Head and on the shoals is another option this time of year.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Flounder fishing has been fair. I haven’t seen any outstanding catches, but most people are catching a few up to 8 pounds. The near/shore reefs and the Cape Fear River have been producing some fish of late. Trout are still biting in the lower Cape Fear around Southport, and in the waterway around Sunset Beach. Sight fishing for drum in the creeks and bays has been good from Topsail to Bald Head when conditions are right. Sheepshead and black drum are biting well at the ADM dock and Snow’s cut.

Piers/Shore: Typical summertime fishing. Topsail Island piers reported pompano, sea mullet, and a few keeper flounder. There were a few king mackerel landed last week. New Hanover piers saw much the same, with one pier doing outstanding on the king mackerel. Brunswick County piers had a good week on trout and pompano. There were a few king mackerel landed as well.

The weather is great, its summer time, and the fish are here. So what could be better?  The debut of the much anticipated and prized Virginia king mackerel. The arrival of these toothy hunters kicks off the pier angler’s big scene. These fish are one of the most desirable species within range of the fishing piers. And a big scene it is, since once again the first reported king landing of the year is coming from the Little Island fishing pier this week. Two kings, with one smoker exceeding 50-pounds, were hooked from the pier using live bait on a pin rig, while another king was also landed from the Virginia Beach fishing pier using similar techniques.

Although king mackerel will dominate much of the interest along the beaches, nice Spanish mackerel continue to hit small spoons trolled at 6 to 8 knots along the beach in about 25 feet of water. Use small planers or 4 to 6 oz in line sinkers to place the spoons within range.

Flounder seem to be on everyone’s mind as folks find good luck with limits of nice fish, with several weighing in at over 10-pounds. Most of the larger fish are hitting live bait along lower bay structure, but drifters are also scoring with respectable fish. The hottest spots for dragging baits for flounder are the Baltimore Channel, the eastern section of the Thimble Shoal Channel, and the Cell and Buoy 36A areas. For live baiters, the Cell, the CBBT, and inshore wrecks are still providing very good results. Be mindful of the flounder closure from July 21st to the 30th.

Cobia are starting to show signs of their late summer pattern as they begin grouping in the lower bay and along coastal waters. More cobia are cruising the top waters, but most of the fish within the bay are only ranging to around 30-pounds. A few larger fish to over 70-pounds are coming from the CBBT structure and from the oceanfront buoy lines and wrecks.

Big red drum also continue to provide good top water action as they school around lower bay shoals and structure. Ben Shepherd and Rudy Levasseur, both of Chesapeake, had a good day when they released six bull reds hooked from a school they spotted while flounder fishing this week. Although not drawing much interest lately, black drum are also still hitting for casters around the 3rd and 4th islands of the CBBT on Storm lures and grubs. Continue Reading »