The Spanish are coming!

The Bonito and blues have been strong the past few weeks. Some of the best bonito fishing has been around Diver’s rock just a few miles from New River Inlet. They also have been caught on nearby ledges and on the south end of the island at AR360 and Dallas Rocks.

One of the most amazing sights I have seen this year occurred while I was bonito fishing earlier this week near Dallas Rocks. I saw several bluefin tuna chasing bonito right out of the water. Both the bonito and the bluefin were airborne. What a sight to behold. The bluefin probably weighed in the 200 – 300 pound class. Simply amazing to see such a sight only a few miles off shore.

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. Another favorite for targeting Spanish (and blue fish) is the ‘Gotcha’ Plug.

The big Spanish, those that are five pounds and up, will also be here soon. However they only stay in close for a few weeks. After that they can be found in 10 – 20 mile range. A good way to target them is with live bait much like fishing for king mackerel.

Catching report

The bonito and blues are running strong right now near shore. Blues can be found in the inlets and nearby channels too. Some nice catches of black sea bass and gray trout are also being caught. In the sound some nice black drum, red drum and a few flounder are being caught along with an occasional sea mullet.

The piers are reporting good catches of sea mullet, black drum and blue fish. Surf City Pier had an angler land a 28 pound black drum this week!

Off shore kings are out in the 20+ mile range and should be moving in closer each day as the water continues to warm. Further out some nice mahi are being landed as well as a few wahoo and yellowfin tuna.

Tight lines!