Weekly Column - May 8, 2006

Many anglers (myself included) have been enjoying the early spring mix of Atlantic Bonito and bluefish. The drum and trout continue to be favorite targets in the sounds and creeks, of course, with larger flounder starting to show up.

Soon that favorite target of near-shore anglers, the Spanish mackerel, will invade our waters. Often called simply "Spanish," this fish is the smaller cousin of the king mackerel, and there is a strong family resemblance. In fact, a mature Spanish looks very much like a juvenile king mackerel. The easiest way to tell them apart is to check the front portion of the first dorsal fin -- on the Spanish the bottom front part of the fin is black, on a king it is not.

It is very important to distinguish this difference, as the creel and size limits are different for the two species. The current regulations for state coastal waters require a minimum length of 12 inches for Spanish with a daily limit of 15 fish.

Spanish mackerel are migratory and return to our coastal water sometime in May when the water temperatures reach into the high 60s and above. They usually stay until early fall. These fish travel in schools and sometimes can be picky about their meals. At other times they are less discerning -- occasionally they will even hit bare gold hooks in the late afternoon sun.

These tasty fish are often caught off our piers as well as in small boats trolling close to the beaches and inlets. One of the favorite lures used by many anglers is the Clark Spoon -- a metal spoon that comes in several colors, including gold and silver. It can be cast or jigged from a boat or pier. Boat anglers often pull them on a trolling weight or behind a Booney bird for that extra edge.

Tournament season is starting to fire up as the weather warms. One of my favorites is the Fisherman Post’s "Inshore Spring Challenge," scheduled for May 20. This tournament, now in its third year, offers anglers the chance to compete for cash prizes in the flounder and trout categories. It also offers prizes for top aggregate weight of your heaviest flounder and trout. They also offer prizes in women, senior and junior angler categories.

The tournament weigh-in is at Wrightsville Beach Marina with fish caught in any of the local waters eligible. Registration for the tournament is May 19. Pick up a copy of the Fisherman Post at your local tackle shop for details.

Surf City Pier, Jolly Rodger Pier, and Seaview Pier all report about the same -- small mullets at night with a few trout and black mixed in. There are plenty of snapper blue fish in the mornings, most taken on Gotcha plugs. Flounder are here, and they are starting to get larger. There have been a few keepers of all piers.

There are a few Spanish caught at Jolly Rodger Pier, but none have been reported at Surf City or Sea View. Surf City Pier reported a couple of nice blue fish, 12 pounds and 6 pounds, caught this week. One large red drum was hooked and fought to the pier, but got off the hook as they were trying to get it in a landing net. It was definitely out of the slot, and would have to be released anyway, but the angler would have liked to hold it before he released it.

Fishing in the surf is still slow, with only the occasional mullet and sharks biting. There are plenty of small bait fish and sand fleas in the water, so surf fishing should be picking up very soon.