Spots

The question I get most often this time of year from folks is "are the spots biting yet?". The answer is yes. they have been catching them on the pier, sometimes two at a time when the wind is favorable. This week they started catching them in the ICW near Topsail Creek, slow bite there but its a starts.

On a related note, I made my annual pilgrimage to the NC Spot Festival. It's exactly one mile from my house. Traffic is usually backed up but I can walk there since they moved it from the Topsail HS grounds last year. The spots seemed a little small this year and they definitely cut back on the fries and hush puppies (at least on the 2 dinners I bought late in the day). They were good though. They are open for business tomorrow too. Just come down hwy 17, you can't miss it.

Fall fishing

Fall is in the air. Feel it? Cooler temperatures, first at night then the days begin to cool down too. With those cooling temperatures come some rain and thunderstorms. But generally the weather is mild barring a major storm.

Avid anglers around coastal fish year round but for many targeted species fall offers the best fishing of the year. From about mid-September as the days get shorter until mid-December, the catching really picks up.

As the water temperatures begin to fall up north, the fish migrate south to warmer waters. Species like Spanish mackerel, Atlantic Pompano, blues, spots and others make a visit here on their way south. Some of these species have been here all summer but really show up in big numbers this time of year.

Some of the other species, especially bottom fish, make a move into shallower water from the deeper waters offshore. They will stay nearer to shore until the water temperatures drop below 60 degrees. Then they will move back out to deeper water. King mackerel is also a species that will come in close to shore in the fall. They usually stay until the water drops below 66-68 degrees.

Other species seem to get bigger appetites and thus more active. Species like speckled trout and drum which are both main stays in the repertoire of fall anglers. Big doormat sized flounder can also be found. A few fish from each of these species will be here all winter long but fall is the time when they are the thickest and most active.

The cooler temperatures are also a lot easier on the angler. While there is still plenty of sunshine to enjoy it’s not as hot and muggy. In fact the crispness of the morning air is a welcome feeling to most of us about this time of year. Even without the great fishing, there is something special about being out on the water in the fall, it is refreshing!

Catching report

Inshore activity is really picking up. The spots are being caught on the piers “two at a time” and should be moving into the waterway in the next week or so, probably after this full moon. The pompano are chewing on fresh shrimp and sand fleas when you can find them. Some nice one to two pounders are being caught in the surf and on the pier.

Speckled trout are still in the surf and can be found near the marsh grass and in creeks and ditches near the inlets. They are biting well on live shrimp but gulp! Artificial bait and a variety of lures are working well. Drum are still biting in the waterway with the falling tide seeming to be the most productive.

The Spanish mackerel bite has been very hot near the inlets and beaches with the best bite in the early morning and late afternoon. Clark spoons and diamond jigs are working well. Get them now as they will be moving south soon. Plenty of blue fish are also being caught.

Pompano fishing and a catching report

It’s one of the best tasting fish in this neck of woods, but you won’t find it at the grocery store. It’s not on the menu at any of our local restaurants. Don’t look for it at the fish markets. If you could find it, you would pay a small fortune for it.

The fish I speak of -- Florida pompano.

This prized fish is caught only on hook and line, and while they run in schools, they are not caught commercially in large numbers. An occasional pompano can be caught in the summer here any time the water temperature is above 70 degrees. However, they show up in the biggest numbers in September when the northern waters begin to cool down, and they head south to their winter home off the coast of Florida.

An average pompano weighs about a pound, with some of the bigger ones reaching more than two pounds. They feast on small crabs and shrimp, and the sand flea (sand mole crab) is their favorite meal.

They can be caught in the surf or from the pier. Anglers catch them in the shallow water right at the base of the breakers where they hang out waiting for the sand fleas to be washed out in the surf.

To catch them, most anglers use a surf rod with a two- or three-hook bottom rig. Get a small shovel and dig up some sand fleas in the shallow water on the beach. Some folks use rat wire (hardware cloth) to sift them out, but running your hand through the loosened sand works just as well.

I like to use a #2 or #4 khale hook to hold the sand flea and about a 3 ounce sinker to hold the bottom. Cast the rig out just past the breaking waves and hold on. Believe it or not, they put up a great fight for a small fish, especially if you hook up with two at once.

Sometimes you can fill a small cooler on a single tide; at others you might only catch a mouthful. In either case, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this tasty fish!

Catching report

The bite is starting to pick up with the cooling water temps. Should only get better over the next few weeks, Flounder fishing has been real good lately especially near the creek mouths and near the inlets on the last of the falling tide. There have been some reports of some nice specks being caught up on the northern part of the island. Puppy drum continue to bite in the creeks and waterway.

In the surf some nice pompano are being caught as well as an occasional drum and a few specks. The Grey trout are chewing on the ledges and hard bottoms just outside the inlets. Spanish fishing should continue to be great for the next few weeks until the water cools into the low 70’s. The piers have reported nice catches of spots and mullet especially after dark. They also are seeing some nice Pompano caught.

The near shore king mackerel bite recently returned to the near shore waters with several nice ones being caught on the island’s three piers as well as boats trolling in the 1-3 miles range. The gag groupers have moved close to shore and can be found in the 12+ mile range.

Fall is in the air! I hope you catch ’em up.

Catching report - 8/30 & 8/31

Went out Thursday afternoon to fish the last hour of the falling and first hour of the rising. Went back to the spot I had been fishing the past week. Caught 5 red drum all in the 28-30 inch range. Again, couldn't get through the drum to get to the flounder. Look for the drum on the oyster rocks at low tide - they are tearing up the bait!

Friday I went out with a couple of my buddies on their 25' Hydrasport WA. We have been laying low the past few weeks from trolling cause of the hot water but decided to "test the waters" today. We went out to the first set of boxcars and jigged up greenies, google eyes, hard tails and cigar minnows. Then we headed out to the 23 mile reef area and slow trolled live bait.

We fished those great baits all morning - nothing but one short strike. So we decided to switch to ballyhoo and target the Mahi by fast trolling. Bingo - we had two hook ups and managed to get one of them to the boat - a 10 pounder. Slow day - still need some cooler water for the trolling bite to pick up again.