Wilmington Fishing Report

April 4, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Everything has been good overall. Drum (Drum, Black & Drum, Red) are still mostly being caught fishing the docks with fresh Shrimp or Mud Minnows. Fish should be moving into the shallower water any time. Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are fishing well in deeper creeks and boat basins. Light Fluorocarbon, light jigheads and soft plastics are best, 17 MRs are doing well too. Keeper Flounder have shown up inshore but they are still mostly small. Search the marsh, inlets and boat basin if you are targeting them. Chomper Bluefish and smaller sizes have shown up in great numbers. Zman Paddlerz or Curly Tails are a great all round bait for Trout, Drum and Flounder. Gulp can always go on the list. Trolling nearshore with Yo Zuri Deep divers or Clark Spoons is productive. Casting Hoagie Epoxy Jigs can be successful along with Glass Minnows. Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) are biting on the surf taking Shrimp and Sand Flea flavored Fish Bites. A few Black Drum, Puffers (Puffer, Smooth), small Flounder (Flounder, Southern) and Bluefish are mixed in. We expect this to continue as long as the weather is nice. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Off the beach the Bonito (Bonito, Atlantic) and False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) will be running about 5 miles out or farther. Towards the end of April we can expect to see the Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) following the Bonito in.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
www.texstackle.com

March 29, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) bite has been great since the water temperature has warmed up. The inlets and adjacent creeks are doing well along with docks and the boat basin. Islands and the rivers are also holding a few fish. Reds (Drum, Red) are swimming the docks. Since the Pinfish have arrived it’s been difficult to catch the Reds with Shrimp. Fish are on the flats and are still schooled up in the Winter patterns. Drum (Drum, Black) are also on the docks. Bluefish have shown up on the beach, Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) are mixed in on the surf. Check out the Big Spring Sale April 22-23! Mark your calendars! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) are are swimming nearshore and the Bonito (Bonito, Atlantic) should arrive any time after. Black Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) can be caught from 5 to 23 miles out. Kings (Mackerel, King) are roughly 30 miles out. Wahoo are red hot at the gulf stream. Blackfin and a few Yellowfin (Tuna, Blackfin & Tuna, Yellowfin) are mixed in.

BAIT REPORT – Pinfish have started showing up inshore. You can usually find them in calm, grassy water.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

March 23, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The unpredictable weather patterns have had both anglers and fish a bit confused. In the Cape Fear River the Striped Bass (Bass, Striped) bite has been good. Capt. Jot is mostly throwing Berkley Havoc Grass Pigs swimbaits in hot pink, swamp gas, and chartreuse. Down at the coast we are finding Reds (Drum, Red) in the shallows. They have been pretty spooky but prefer Berkley Gulp 2 or 3 inch Shrimp on light jigheads or fresh cut Shrimp on a light carolina rig when they are being picky. Around the inlets we are seeing small to medium Bluefish on sting silvers and jigging spoons. They are just beginning to show up. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Off the beach the Black Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) are good to 10 miles. The farther you go, the bigger and more plentiful they are. Jig for them on 5-6 inch Berkley Gulp Jerk Shads or double bottom rigs with cut Squid.




Capt. Jot Owens
910-233-4139
captainjot@yahoo.com www.captainjot.com

March 14, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Speckled Trout have been caught the past few days with scattered Flounder and a handful of Drum (Drum, Black). The Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are mostly oceanside at this point however a few are making their way into the creeks. Artificials are key as bait is scarce. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are preferring Zman Trout Tricks. The surf is holding Drum around the inlets along with some Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern). PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – There has been a strong Wahoo bite the past week, pull Ballyhoo at normal speed. Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) have also been caught along with African Pompano (Pompano, African) on the bottom. Jig them up and you may even hook a Blackfin with it. Roscoe Jigs or long high speed jigs are best.

BAIT REPORT – Ballyhoo is a good bait to use when trolling at the gulfstream.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
www.texstackle.com

March 7, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – The Wahoo bite has been really good the past few days since we have seen some nice, sunny weather. Islanders with Ballyhoo rigged behind them has been your best bet hooking them on the troll. Dark colors such as black/blue, black/purple or black/red are key. No one has been high speed trolling just yet however a moderate speed around the temperature change may also hook a Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin) or two as well.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

March 1, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The water is warming up really quick which is firing up the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) in the rivers and creeks. Bradley Creek, Pages Creek and Hewitt’s Creek are on fire. Drum (Drum, Red & Drum, Black) fishing has turned on around the docks. Anglers are using cut Shrimp to hook them. They are schooled up on the beach around the inlets on the shoals, Figure 8 and Carolina beach Inlet. Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) fishing off the beach and piers is doing well on Shrimp with a two drop bottom rig. Stripers (Bass, Striped) are great in the river. Shad are making their way to the dam so the fish are following them and fattening up. Check out the Spring Sale beginning April 15th at Intracoastal Angler! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – The Stream is hit or miss for big Wahoo. A few Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are also still around. Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) is decent about 10-23 miles offshore.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

February 21, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Scattered Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are here and there. Most of the bite is Red and Black Drum (Drum, Red & Drum, Black) around docks and holes. A few Drum are left on the surf with the Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) that are beginning to show up. Most anglers are using cut bait to hook fish. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – This week around 8-10 miles anglers are starting to see keeper Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black). Tautog and Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are mixed in. Kings (Mackerel, King) are out at 20-25 miles. Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) and Wahoo are steady around the gulf stream. The Sailfish have been caught incidentally while trolling for Wahoo.

BAIT REPORT – Bait is still pretty scarce this week.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
www.texstackle.com

February 14, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – February in Southeast NC is one of the tougher months to get out and fish, the weather windows are much smaller and the temp can be downright cold some days. But it’s not all doom and gloom, fishing can be great during February especially when we have mild runs of weather. So far this year we’ve had a very up and down weather pattern so when the mild runs are here; that’s the time to go fishing! Here are a few species I target around Wrightsville Beach other areas of Southeast NC. Cape Fear River Striped Bass (Bass, Striped) are one of my favorites for Winter fishing in our area. I look for the Stripers on drop offs, around pilings and creek mouths. Working baits like Berkley Gulp five and six inch jerk shads and Berkley Havoc grass pigs should get you a bite or two from a Striped Bass. I prefer white and chart pepper neon for the jerkshad and pink, swamp gas and chartreuse silver flake in the Havoc grass pig. I rig my jerkshad and grass pigs on swimbait hooks, in 1/4 oz weight. Mid water crank baits work too, try lures that dive from three to eight feet deep for best results, Rapala X-raps work well. If the crank bait starts to hit the bottom let it float up a bit or trust me you’ll lose it to a log! Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass fishery is a closed fishery and is catch & release only; you must release all Striped Bass. Keep your eyes out for tagged Stripers there are a lot of tagged fish out there. Another fish that can bite well in the River during the winter months is the Blue Catfish. If you would like to give the Catfish a try, use baits like cut mullet, chicken livers and cut eel. I use heavy Carolina rigs when I fish for catfish. Try a TroKar Circle hook in 4/0 to 7/0 depending on bait size with fifty or sixty pound mono leader to make your carolina rig. Look for the catfish on drop-offs from five to twenty feet of water. We have seen some blue cats over thirty pounds caught in the river so try not to use to light of tackle; these are not always your farm pond channel cats! There is one fish that can be caught very easily during the winter months if you find them! This Redfishing (Drum, Red) can be some of the best of the year for catching numbers of fish the deal breaker for this fishery is you have got to good weather, calm seas and bright sunny skies for the ocean schools. I use Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet in colors Pearl/chart tail, New Penny and Rootbeer gold/chart tail also the Berkley Gulp 2 inch & 3 inch Shrimp work well too. Also MirrOlure Catch 2000 Jr lures work well for winter Redfish. On warmer light wind days you can also find some nice schools of Reds in shallow water oyster flats and rocks. The Reds will sun on these dark colored bottom areas for a little extra warm up; this is also where you’ll see some bait fish doing the same thing (warming up). Work these baits slowly in front of the Redfish schools; not right through the school, all this will do is spook the Reds and will make it very hard to catch them. If the Reds are hungry they break away from the school and eat your bait! With the late fall we had, water temps are a bit higher this winter than past winters and the Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) bite has been a good pick most of the Winter! Here are some ways I like to target Speckled trout into later Winter months. A lure that always comes to mind for winter Speckled trout is the MirrOlure in the 52M, 52 MR and TT series. MirrOlure color codes I prefer are – 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP AND Capt. Jot Custom color (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop). Most any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes (a lot easier than spelling them all out here). Working MirrOlures slowly in deeper water breaks and drop offs can produces some very nice trout. If the water gets a bit dirty due to winds or rain/ice/snow, give Berkley Gulp 3 inch shrimp, fire tail Shrimp and Jerkshad a try. Rig the Gulp or Saltwater Assassin Sea shads on lighter jig heads, here too for the trout so you can work them just a bit slower due to the colder water temps. Don’t rule out a nice Gray Trout (Seatrout, Silver) mixed in during the winter while Speckled Trout fishing. Look for the bigger trout to be sitting close to the current, but just off and out of it. Remember these fish are not going to burn calories they don’t have too swimming against the current. Tackle run down – PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes 2500, 3000 & 4000 for the Redfish, Speckled Trout and Striped Bass. Battle II or Clash 5000 & 6000 for Catfish. PENN Battalion in 6’6 inch & 7′ medium and med/hvy action and Battalion 7′ 15-30 class for catfish line Spiderwire Ultracast in ten, fifth-teen and twenty pound Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader for leaders. Capt. Jot’s Inshore Fishing schools are sold out, but I’ll do them again next year so keep your eye here for the announcement during late November 2017. Thanks for reading, stay warm or cool and good fishing to ya! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Capt. Jot Owens Capt. Jot Owens Inshore And Near Shore Guide
910-233-4139
captainjot@yahoo.com www.captainjot.com

February 8, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – A few Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are moving back into the creeks and deeper holes. They will be swimming dock basins and marinas as well. Live Shrimp is the best bet along with slow presentations of MirrOdines and soft plastics. Work it as slow as possible. Black and Red Drum (Drum, Black & Drum, Red) have been caught on the docks, flats and bays. Your best bet will be to concentrate on the docks. Use Shrimp or Paddle Tails with slow presentations. Natural colors are the best right now. Striper (Bass, Striped) fishing in the Cape Fear River has been good from downtown to the cuts. Most anglers are fishing weedless jerkbaits, deep divers and swim baits around creek mouths and bridges. Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) and Dogfish (Dogfish, Spiny) are on the surf. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Kingfish (Mackerel, King) can be caught around the power plant. Bluefin (Tuna, Bluefin) are closer in to the beach and can be found all the way down to the shoals. Wahoo are being caught towards the stream with a few Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin).




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

January 31, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Stripers are in the river. Black Drum (Drum, Black), Redfish (Drum, Red) and Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are scattered throughout the same areas. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Bluefin (Tuna, Bluefin) were just off the beach recently. Wahoo and Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are farther out towards the stream. Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) are good on the reef. They can be found in 75 ft. The numbers are great. Triggerfish (Triggerfish, Gray) and Beeliners (Snapper, Vermillion) are in 110 ft. Cut Squid or cut Mullet is your best bet to hook bottom fish.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763

January 24,2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Redfish, Black Drum (Drum, Black) and Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are still biting. MirrOlures and Rapala X Raps are working well to hook them. Look for the Trout in the creeks or stacked up on the jetty rocks. The Reds (Drum, Red) are mixed in but haven’t schooled up yet. It won’t be unusual to catch a Drum while fishing for Trout. Dogfish (Dogfish, Spiny) and Gray Trout (Weakfish) are on the reefs. Most of the reef action is about a mile off the beach. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Commercial anglers are reporting a great King (Mackerel, King) bite around 30-40 miles. Wahoo are out at the gulf stream. There has been some low numbers of Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) hitting on the troll in the same area.

BAIT REPORT – Pogies (Menhaden) are swimming around this week.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763

January 18, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Stripers (Bass, Striped) have been great in the river despite the seasonal slow down. Jerk Shads rigged weedless have been most productive along with deep divers around the creek mouths and structures. Rattle Traps are best around bridges. Bluefin (Tuna, Bluefin) have moved in to feed on the Pogies. Search for them up to 3 miles off the beach in 30-50 ft of water. They move from day to day but will hopefully stick around. Grab some heavy gear and head out! The Red Drum and Black Drum (Drum, Red & Drum, Black) continue to do well in the creeks and around the docks. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – There are still some Wahoo, scattered Sails (Billfish – Sailfish) and lingering Mahi (Dolphin) around for anglers who can find a nice weather window to get out.

BAIT REPORT – Pogies (Menhaden) are on the beach.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

January 11, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Hey anglers! In order to bring you valuable, up to date content such as regulations, GPS Hotspots, and BRAND NEW features the Pro Angler App Pro Reports will be returning the week of January 16, 2017. Please feel free to take a look at last week’s reports for an idea of what’s biting or give your favorite local bait shop a shout! The Pro Angler App looks forward to bringing you lots of exciting changes as we kick off 2017!






Pro Angler Team

January 3, 2017

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There has been plenty of Red and Black Drum along the docks. Dead Shrimp on a jighead is your best bet to hook them. A few Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) have been caught in the deeper creeks. Fish slow with MirrOlures or live Shrimp to hook them. Along the jetties at the inlet we are seeing Red Drum, Black Drum (Drum, Red & Drum, Black) and Sheephead taking Gulp Shrimp and live Shrimp. The smaller Shrimp in you bait well will work for the Sheepshead. Along the downtown stretches of the Cape Fear river there are Stripers (Bass, Striped) and Drum swimming. Weedless Soft Plastics and Bomber deep divers are the key to hooking them. Check out the great seminars in store at Intracoastal Angler! See store for details. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) are biting about 10 miles out in the nearshore waters. The Kings (Mackerel, King) are being caught about 35 miles out. Troll Cigar Minnows or Drone Spoons to hook them. In the gulf stream we continue to see Wahoo, Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) and Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) on trolled Ballyhoo or purple/black lures. The high speed troll is definitely productive for the Wahoo.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

December 27, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Barring any major change in weather we expect to see the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) and Black Drum (Drum, Black) turn up through to the end of the year. The Flounder (Flounder, Winter) have become sporadic so you may need to put some time in to hook them. Reds (Drum, Red) can be found up higher in the creeks along with deeper pockets and holes in the river. The piers, surf and jetties have all been holding fish fairly consistently. If you are able to make it offshore you can expect a good catch of Sea Bass, Black and Grouper (Grouper, Gag). Start around 10 miles and move out as far as 25.

OFFSHORE – Farther out towards the stream we continue to see a nice mix of fish offshore when anglers can make it out. Wahoo, Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin) and Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) are turning up.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

December 19, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) continue to bite into this week. A few Black Drum (Drum, Black) are around. Flounder (Flounder, Winter) are slow. Redfish (Drum, Red) are in the same places and pushing back into the creeks and deeper holes. Trout can be found in the surf. Redfish and Black Drum are hanging around the piers. Trout have been caught off the rock jetty.

OFFSHORE – Wahoo are hit or miss. Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are being caught with them but not consistent. Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) are sporadically mixed in. It hasn’t been as good as the past years however when anglers can get out they are catching some fish. Black Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) and Grouper (Grouper, Gag) are closer in around 10-20 miles. King Mackerel are pretty well gone. If there are some kings around, they’re likely down by the tower.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

December 15, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Black (Drum, Black) and Red Drum (Drum, Red) are showing up. Cut Mullet is their preference. Pompano (Pompano, Florida) and Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) are on the beach. Bluefish are mixed in. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) is producing the biggest bite inshore. They are on the beach and in the backwater. MirrOlures and soft plastics will do well. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Kings, Wahoo and Blackfin Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin) are swimming offshore. Kings (Mackerel, King) are roughly 20 miles out. Wahoo and Tuna are more towards the gulf stream. A few Bluefin (Tuna, Bluefin) have been sighted but none have been caught just yet.

BAIT REPORT – Schools of Menhaden are still running the coast.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
www.texstackle.com

December 7, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Really? Thanksgiving is over here comes Christmas??? Yes it’s December and December can be a good fishing month. Pick your days and the fish will bite! If we get a big cool down, give it a day to moderate a bit to a warmer trend; this will greatly help you to get more bites! I look for warmer days, sunny days and less windy days during December if possible for better bite rates around Southeast NC. In December I catch some of the biggest Speckled Trout(Seatrout, Spotted) all year, but you need to know which lures work better for bigger Trout. Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big Trout in the boat for me and for many other anglers over the years. MirrOlure’s 52M, 52MR and TT series are great big trout baits. Try these lures in colors – 11 (Redhead), 11FGO (Flo.orangehead), 21 (blackback), 26 (redback), 51 (white/white), 704 (pink/yellow), 808 (black/gold/orange), CFPR (chart/pearl), HP (hotpink), Capt. Jot Custom color only available at Tex’s tackle and for great night fishing – PD (purple demon). Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me are Berkley Gulp’s three inch shrimp and there newer four inch Ripple mullet. All the colors have worked well for me, but here is a few that I like for Trout (shrimp pattern) – Sugar spice glow, rootbeer/gold, pearl white and new penny. Berkley Gulp’s Ripple Mullet in colors glow/chartreuse, pearl, rootbeer gold/chart, and Chart pepper are all good trout baits. All of these baits have Gulps great scent, great action and come in some great colors too! Don’t forget the good ole five inch pearl white jerkshad as well. The grub (soft plastic) has been around forever in the fishing world! These days they come in so many different colors, here are few that work well for me when trout fishing. Saltwater Assassin makes a load of different grubs. I prefer the sea shad four inch pattern in colors chicken on a chain, rainbow trout, copperhead, green moon, sweet pea, pink diamond and silver phantom/chart. I rig all these grubs with 1/8oz, Quarter oz and 3/8oz jig heads in colors gray, red and brown. Don’t forget that I rig all of my Speckled Trout lures with fluorocarbon leaders – Trout have very good eyesight and later in the season like December the water can get very clear! Get yourself a good fluorocarbon like Berkley Pro Spec or Berkley Vanish – both of these work great in twenty pound test. Don’t count out live bait if you enjoy fishing with it. Try live smaller Mullets, mud Minnows and live Shrimp. In shallow waters of two to five feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook. In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small number one J-hook (EC L42). Just wait until you feel that Trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook, remember trout have very soft mouths slow hook sets work best! In December another fish I really like to hunt for on sunny, warmer and light wind days is schooling Redfish. I find these schools on oyster rocks/flats, sand bars in the surf and shallow flats on the ICW. In December the Reds are not hard to catch when you find them, but some times finding them can be a challenge. My go to bait for the winter Redfish are scented grub like the Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet or fire tail shrimp; Redfish love these things. Rig grubs with thirty or forty pound mono or fluorocarbon and a darker colored jig heads like red or brown should get the redfish to bite for you. Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historical downtown Wilmington runs the Cape Fear River and in the Cape Fear there are some cold weather biting Striped Bass (Bass, Striped). These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs and grass lines on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures and Berkley Power Bait, Berkley Havoc Grass pig lures and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on you line. Rig these lures on swimbait hooks for weedless fishing, (lots of hangs in the river). Fishing areas with not so many hangs, try a Rapala X-Rap X-10 size in colors Ghost white or green back. Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only! Tackle run down: PENN Battle II, Clash Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 for the Redfish (Drum, Red) & Speckled trout 2500, 3000 & Slammer III 3500 for Striped Bass Rods: PENN Battalion 6’6 inch & 7′ med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound or in eight, ten or twelve pound test for Speckled Trout fishing. Thanks for reading Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and good winter fishing to you! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!



BAIT REPORT – Live bait will be harder to get and keep alive during later December, but on warmer days it will be a little easier to find and fish it.


Capt. Jot Owens Capt. Jot Owens Inshore And Near Shore Guide
910-233-4139
captainjot@yahoo.com www.captainjot.com

December 1, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are biting strongly inshore, especially around the jetties. Black Drum (Drum, Black) are becoming more residential around the jetty rocks and under docks as the temperature cools down. Bluefish, Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) and Pompano (Pompano, Florida) are swimming the surf. Shrimp is working well along with Squid and cut Mullet. The fish are still eating well when you can find them. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have moved a little offshore to structured areas. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – The Grouper (Grouper, Gag) bite is good all around offshore. Search the shallows within 5 miles and progress out. Kings (Mackerel, King) have moved to 12 miles and are still pushing farther out. Anglers are pulling Cigar Minnows on dead bait rigs. The rough weather has hindered offshore fishing a bit.

BAIT REPORT – Shrimp are still lingering into this week.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
www.texstackle.com

November 23, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Trout and Drum (Drum, Black & Drum, Red) are biting. Black Drum are along the jetty taking live or dead Shrimp. Red Drum are taking live Shrimp or artificial plastics. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are good near the inlets, around deeper creeks and oyster rocks along with the jetties along Masonborough. Live Shrimp, Zman Trout Tricks or 18 MirrOlures are working best. In the Cape Fear river we are seeing Stripers (Bass, Striped) and Trout from the downtown stretches of the river using jigheads and soft plastic paddle tails in chartreuse and white. Storm Swim Shads are working well for the Stripers too. Check out the great Black Friday sales at Intracoastal Angler! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – There has been a good King (Mackerel, King) bite in the 10-20 mile range. They are taking cigar Minnows or Drone Spoons. The bite is progressively getting further offshore as the water cools. The farther offshore, the warmer the water. Look for 68/69 degree water. The Grouper (Grouper, Gag) fishing has been good from 80-90 ft. Nice sized Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) are mixed in taking dead Cigar Minnows or Vertical jigs. Great Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) have been caught trolling and jigging at the gulf stream. Big Wahoo have been caught but they are scattered. You can high speed troll or troll Ballyhoo for them.

BAIT REPORT – Bait has pretty much left at this point.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

November 16, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The main bite inshore is Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) on the beach. Zman Trout Tricks on a jighead are working well to hook them around docks and marshes. Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) and Drum (Drum, Red) are on the surf. Kings (Mackerel, King) are within 5-6 miles. Cut Bait is best for the Drum on the surf. Cigar Minnows or Spoons are working well for the Kings. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Wahoo and Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are at the Gulf Stream this week at roughly 50 miles out. Anglers are catching them on the troll using skirted Ballyhoo.

BAIT REPORT – Mullet, Shrimp and Sand Fleas can be caught this week.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
www.texstackle.com

November 9, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Anglers are still catching big Drum off the beach. Anglers are going South to Bald Head Island for big Drum around the schools of Pogies. Slot Reds (Drum, Red) are turning up around the jetty. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are on fire around the Inlets from Masonville to Carolina Beach. They are evening biting off the surf on MirrOlures, DOA Shrimp, jerk baits and Trout Tricks. Any time of day is best to fish them with a moving tide. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are still around a swell but are not the main focus for most anglers. They are in the inlets and adjacent creeks.

OFFSHORE – The Wahoo fishing has been slow into this week. There has been a good sign of some Sails (Billfish – Sailfish) out there. Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are mixed in. If you put some time in you’ll catch some decent fish. In the nearshore from 7-10 miles we are seeing a great King (Mackerel, King) bite on live or dead Cigar Minnows. Grouper (Grouper, Gag) are productive from 60-100 ft of water. They are also taking Cigar Minnows. The best time to get out is when you find a break in the weather.

BAIT REPORT – There are still some Mullet around which may move out with the next cold snap. You can find them any time of day. Pogies (Menhaden) are schooled up around Bald Head Island.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

November 2, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – November is the gateway to winter but don’t let that get you down! November is my month to really get some big ole Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) to bite! Weather in November can be tough some days, cold and rainy or sometimes just to warm. Only time will tell as far as the weather goes, but no matter what happens with the weather it’s a great month to fish around Southeast NC! In early to mid November I look for Speckled Trout in the creeks and channels just off the ICW – any where water is moving with tide flow and bait. Speckled Trout like current – weather it’s hard current in a main channel or light current up a creek. You need current flow to catch Trout – rising and falling tide can be good for Trout don’t let the tide keep you from going trout fishing! Marsh grass lines, oyster rocks that run into a channel and drop-offs in channels are all good places to find Speckled Trout in November. Almost any grass lines with oysters will hold some trout! Look for places where there is a slight current break and those trout will be close by! Later in November all of the above places will still hold trout and the inlets will start to hold more trout as the month goes on. One key point to Trout I’ve found is that most days Specks will bite, but what are they hitting that day is the question. I’ve found that in early November hard baits work well. This is when you need to know where to start – what lures should you try. One of my favorites is the good ole MirrOlure – it’s been around a long time and it is still catching lots of big fish. The patterns I prefer are the 17MR, 18MR, 27MR, 52M and 52MR. Colors – MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go to colors around Southeast NC area waters. MirrOlure color codes – 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP and Capt. Jot Custom color in 17MR & 52MR (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop) Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes. Fishing Depths to use these lures – 17MR, 27MR and Catch 200 Jr. use these lures in two to six feet of water. 18MR, 52M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth-teen plus feet of water with current. If your lure is hitting the bottom a lot go to a shallower running lure. If you have ever done any Trout fishing at all you know that a grub (soft plastic) lures work very well for Speckled Trout too! Berkley Gulp three inch Shrimp pattern is one of my go-to lures. I prefer colors sugar spice glow, pearl white and pearl white/fire tail. Saltwater Assassin 4 inch sea shad in colors chicken on a chain, sweet pea, Mullet, rainbow Trout and cantaloupe are all good choices in November as well. I rig all of my Trout grubs on 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1 /4 oz jigs heads in colors red, gray or black – always use a fluorocarbon leader when trout fishing, I use Berkley Pro Spec twenty pound in clear, thirty pound if the blues show up in numbers. Don’t count out live bait if you enjoy fishing with it. Try live smaller Mullets, mud Minnows and live Shrimp. In shallow waters of two to five feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook. In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small number one J-hook (EC L42). Just wait until you feel that Trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook, remember trout have very soft mouths slow hook sets work best! Here is one of my best tips I can give you for Speckled Trout fishing around the Wrightsville area in November. The water gets clear, sometimes very clear around Southeast NC in November. I always use Fluorocarbon leaders for Speckled Trout fishing – for artificial as well as live bait fishing! You will catch more trout using fluorocarbon leader – trust me! I use Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material in twenty and thirty pound test. Give it a try – you’ll be happy you did! PS – Also keep your eyes peeled for Trout with yellow or red belly tags, I’ve tagged a fair amount from south Topsail to Carolina beach inlet this year and last. Yellow tags are worth $5 and Red tags are worth $100! The bigger Reds (Drum, Red) start to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets during September and run until late November; this year has been a epic early fall Bull Red bite. You never know when you might hook one of these hard fighting fish. When I fish for bigger Reds, I use fresh cut or live Menhaden and Mullet. I use fish finder rigs with a TroKar AP 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook and eighty pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do their job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull Reds, is don’t use to light of tackle for these bigger Reds. If you fight them to long, there is a chance you can tire them out too much and kill them. Try a med/heavy rod and a reel with at least thirty pound mono or braid, this will help you get the fish in quicker; with a better chance of a good release. Check to see if the Red has a yellow tag in its back there are a fair amount of tagged Big Reds out there. If you like to catch Bluefish there are just about as many as you like around during November. Fishing around and just outside of the inlets you can catch just about all the Blues you want in the one to four pound range. Casting metal jigging spoons or diamond jigs is a no brainer for getting some Bluefish. Just look for the birds working and cast in that area. Watch those teeth Blues they do bite hard! Tackle run down – PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500 and 3000 for the Speckled trout. Rods PENN Battalion in 6 ft 6 inch & 7 ft med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultracast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound. Bull Reds PENN Fathom 20LW and PENN Rampage Jigging Rods. Keep your eyes on my Facebook page for I’ll be releasing the two dates of my inshore fishing school this month. I’ll have one school day on a March Saturday and one on an April Saturday. This school is limited to 32 anglers each date and it will sell out within two days of release date. Thanks for reading, good luck fishing and have a Happy Thanksgiving! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Reels Elite Staff
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com

October 26, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) bite is on fire this week. The creek mouths are a great place to look where there is depth and current. The inlets are productive as well. CB and Mason’s are great. The river is still dirty. The Drum (Drum, Red) bite has been good. They can be found at the jetties under the Menhaden. They are mostly a bycatch in the same areas as Trout. Trout Tricks are the main bait as there are tons of Glass Minnows in the water and the slender profile is effective. DOA Shrimp and Xrap in Glass Ghost color are also working. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are still being caught into this week. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Plenty of False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) can be caught on casting jigs. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Bluefish are mixed as well. They will hit jigs or troll with Clark Spoons and Deep Divers for them. King Mackerel (Mackerel, King) are at 5-15 miles. They can be caught on Cigar Minnows on the slow troll as well as Deep Diving Plugs and Drone Spoons. There are still a few Grouper (Grouper, Gag) around, as close as 10 miles. Farther offshore we are seeing a hit or miss Wahoo bite. Mahi (Dolphin) and Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are mixed in. Anglers are slow trolling Ballyhoo to get them.

BAIT REPORT – Glass Minnows and Shrimp are swimming. Menhaden are off the beach.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

October 19, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Inshore fishing has been good. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are heating up well. The numbers are great and they are everywhere. Creeks, inlets and surf are great areas to look. Redfish (Drum, Red) are still around. They are mixed with the Specks. A handful of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have been caught. There are still Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) near the beach. Fall fishing is good overall. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – At the stream, the daytime Swordfish (Billfish – Swordfish) bite has been good. Wahoo, Mahi (Dolphin), Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) and big Kings (Mackerel, King) can be caught on the troll despite the churned up water from the storm. Generally Grouper (Grouper, Gag) will be biting closer to the nearshore structure.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

October 12, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Conditions are messy following the recent storm. Inland is still fairly unfishable. Expect a slow bite until conditions clear up. There are some Bull Reds (Drum, Red) taking bait in the dirty water for determined anglers. Fresh cut bait will find them. On the rising tide in clear water we are seeing fall Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) turn up on MirrOlures fished deeper. Saltwater Assassin Grubs and Berkley Gulp 3 inch Shrimp are working as well. In the shallower water you can use Top Dog Topwaters in the morning. Look for the cleaner water. Trips are firing back up this coming weekend. The bite was great before the storm so we hope to see it pick back up in time for the fall trend. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!



BAIT REPORT – When the tide falls and the water is dirty you can find baitfish for the Drum.


Capt. Jot Owens Capt. Jot Owens Inshore And Near Shore Guide
910-233-4139
captainjot@yahoo.com www.captainjot.com

October 5, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – This week we are seeing a nice bite of BIG Redfish (Drum, Red). They are loving fresh, cut Menhaden. I use Trokar hooks and love them. Mullet or Green Shad on a Carolina Rig will be a great alternative. There are a good amount of keepers along with plenty of oversized fish. We hope to see this bite continue after the upcoming hurricane conditions subside. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Capt. Jot Owens Capt. Jot Owens Inshore And Near Shore Guide
910-233-4139
captainjot@yahoo.com www.captainjot.com

September 28, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Fishing has been good inshore, with most of the same warm water patterns still persisting. We are waiting for the water temperature to tick down a few more degrees before we start to see a bigger fall transition. Nonetheless, anglers have been seeing more Sheepshead and Black Drum (Drum, Black) being caught around docks and oyster bars, live Fiddler Crabs and Shrimp are going to be among the best options for these fish. There are some Red Drum (Drum, Red) in the docks as well, but there are also plenty of reds still being caught in the marsh. Topwater plugs are always worth trying especially early, late, and on overcast days. The YoZuri 3DB Pencil and the Mirrolure Top Dog Jr. both mimic an injured finger mullet very well. Anglers fishing soft plastics like the Berkley Gulp Jerkshad, ZMAN EZ Shrimpz, or Bass Assassin Sea Shad fished on an un-weighted weedless hook or lightly weighted jig head have been having some success with Flounder (Flounder, Southern), Drum, and the occasional Trout (Seatrout, Spotted). Because the water is still warm the best reports of Speckled Trout have been coming from anglers fishing very early in the day and at night. These fish will become more and more active as the water cools. For the Trout, suspending baits like the Rapala X-Rap and Mirrolure MR 17’s are always top producers. The Cape Fear River north of snows cut and further north to downtown is still providing decent fishing for Flounder, Striped Bass (Bass, Striped), and Red Drum. Look for fish around pilings, and shallow to deep transitions with a current break or eddy. The Speckled Trout bite has been decent to the south around buzzard bay and Southport. Anglers fishing the river between Buzzard Bay and Southport and the ocean around Oak Island have still been catching a few Tarpon and bull Drum. Most of these fish are being caught on live or cut bait like mullet, Menhaden, or Bluefish fished on a large Carolina rig. The run of smaller Mullet has started in the surf, and there are plenty of Bluefish and Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) Mackerel waiting to intercept them. The Blues and Mackerel will readily bite metal casting jigs pulled through the surf as well as cut bait fished on the bottom. A handful of nice Pompano (Pompano, Florida) have been caught in the surf, larger Sea Mullet, Black Drum, and Croaker (Croaker, Atlantic) are also being caught by those bottom fishing with Shrimp or Sand Fleas. Flounder have been mostly small but, are being caught on live bait and artificial baits. There have been scattered reports of slot- sized drum working up and down the beach, fresh cut bait on a bottom rig is the best way to get a bite from one of these fish. Anglers fishing large cut bait have been catching Sharks and Skates (Skate, Winter), with a few large Drum coming from the piers and the surf around fort fisher. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – It’s officially fall and with that we can announce the False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) are back! The falsies have started their fall run in solid numbers right off the beach. The schools are scattered, but following birds or tide lines is a sure fire way to find them. They may also hold on some of the nearshore AR’s and ledges. The best way to target these fish is by casting 3/4oz-2oz Gotcha Jigfish lures and Hogy Epoxy Jigs on a 30lb fluorocarbon leader. Once the bait hits the water, reel it back in at a high rate of speed. If that doesn’t do the trick, try letting the jig sink down and then incorporate some pauses and quick jerks as well. The Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) bite is still on in full force as well. Many anglers are catching them while casting to the Albacore. Trolling is still producing solid numbers of Spanish and a few Albacore if you don’t want to mess with the casting jigs. Pulling the tried and true Number 1 clarkspoons trolled behind a Number 1 planer rig is still the best method. The Spanish and Falsies are not the only species to target near the beach. There have been numerous reports of tarpon rolling down the beach on their southern migration. These fish are hard to hook while traveling but they may be tempted with a large live Mullet or Menhaden. The Flounders (Flounder, Southern) are still hanging around the nearshore structure. 2oz SPRO bucktails paired with Gulp are still working for the Flounder when jigged along the bottom near the structure. If the artificial aren’t getting the job done, a live bait fished on a Carolina rig with a 1/0-2/0 hook may help improve results. Live Mullet or small Menhaden are perfect baits for this style of fishing. While fishing the bottom for the flounder, don’t be surprised if you hook into a large Red Drum (Drum, Red). There have been reports of large over slot Red Drum occupying the nearshore structures on their trip to the Pamlico. To target them, most anglers adopt a similar tactic to live bait Floundering, but use a larger hook (7/0-8/0) and a bigger piece of cut bait. This week some of the anglers that have been going for these Reds have ended up catching some large Cobia. The Cobia will eat the cut or live bait on the bottom as well as a live bait on the surface. Bucktails are effective tools when seeing a cobia on the surface, but this time of year the cobias tend to spend less time on the surface. Along with the false albacore, the Kings (Mackerel, King) have followed the bait back towards the beach. The best of the bite remains in the 6-15 mile range. Many of these fish are schoolies in the 10-15lb weight class, with some larger fish travelling right along the beach. The piers have been seeing some good Kings lately with many of the bites coming during or just after a school of Menhaden passes the pier. Pulling live baits is the best bet for catching some of these bigger fish near the beach. Menhaden work well, and bluefish are an excellent bait as well. If live bait isn’t available, trolling dead cigar Minnows on dead bait rigs and BWC Wedgies is another method that has been providing some success. To target the Kings, fishing in areas with bait in essential! To find the bait try checking the artificial reefs as well as ledges and patches of live bottom. If you’re after the schoolie Kings try pulling some larger planers followed by drone spoons or a strip bait behind a sea witch. Larger Mann’s and YoZuri Deep divers work as well. The bottom fishing has been difficult lately due to the large swell thrown from these tropical storms, but if you can get a day without too much swell and get a bait to the bottom, hold on! The Gag (Grouper, Gag) bite has started to improve as these fish begin to head in towards the beach to spawn. Dropping frozen cigar Minnows or Spanish Sardines has been a very effective method for catching the Gags. If neither of these seem to be drawing strikes, try fishing a live Pinfish or a live bait you jig up with a sabiki rig. Along with the Gags, big Seabass (Sea Bass, Black) and sizeable Grunts (Grunt, White) have been biting well. Dropping a 2 hook rig with cut Squid or Albacore chunks has been working to put Bass and Grunt in the cooler in a hurry. The bite has pushed into the 70ft range, but the fishing is still very solid out to the 130′ area. Out in the deeper 120′ plus range, Red and Scamp Grouper (Grouper, Red & Grouper, Scamp) have been keeping anglers busy, generally with the same baits as the Gags. These deeper fish are also more likely to fall for vertical jigs like Barefoot crab decoy jigs or Bluewater Candy Roscoe Jigs. In this deeper water anglers are seeing some Triggerfish (Triggerfish, Gray) and Beeliners (Snapper, Vermillion) as well as pinkys on the bottom. The gulfstream fishing has been solid lately whenever the weather has allowed anglers to make the run. The Wahoo bite has improved in the past weeks with many boats being able to scratch out at least a few sizeable fish. Some days have been red hot for the Wahoo with boats reporting catches of 11-12 fish. Along with the Wahoo, the Blackfin Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin) have made a good showing. There have been some quality fish in the mix with many of the bites coming on the baits furthest that are furthest from the boat. Some anglers have been reporting Skipjacks (Tuna, Skipjack) mixed in with the Blackfins, they will usually eat the same things and can be identified by the straight black lines running down their body. Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) are still around and being encountered fairly regularly. Most of these fish have been falling for skirted Ballyhoo with some of the Tuna coming on cedar plugs. Sometimes switching to fluorocarbon leaders can give you an edge on the Tuna. If the Tuna are making deep and won’t come to the surface, vertical jigging with spike jigs can usually entice a bite.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
www.texstackle.com

September 21, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Trout (Seatrout, Spotted), Drum (Drum, Red) and Flounder (Flounder, Southern) being caught. Trout are biting early in the day or late in the evening during low light hours. Anglers are throwing X-Raps and Yo-Zuri Crystal Shrimp. Soft plastics are also productive. With the cooling temperatures they are beginning to heat up. Albies (Bonito, Little Tunny) are on the beach with Spanish and a few Kings that are moving closer. Kings are out to 10 miles. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – A few Wahoo were caught recently however the storm seems to have slowed the bite down. We hope to see it heat back up soon. Some Sails (Billfish – Sailfish) and Mahi (Dolphin) are out at the stream. Grouper (Grouper, Gag) was good prior to the weather and remain decent. They are within 15 miles. Farther out the Reds and Scamps are hot (Grouper, Red & Grouper, Scamp).




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

September 14, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Flounder (Flounder, Southern), Drum (Drum, Red) and some Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are beginning to show up. They are all over Buzzard’s Bay and surrounding area. Near the beach we are seeing plenty of Spanish Mackerel (Mackerel, Spanish), a few King Mackerel (Mackerel, King) and some Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) off the beach. Trolling Spoons or Planers will work however casting metal jigs will also be productive. Pompano (Pompano, Florida) and Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Northern) can be caught from the surf. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Wahoo are being caught out in the gulf stream this week. Anglers can high speed lures or slower troll Ballyhoo to find them.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763

September 6, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Redfish (Drum, Red) are stacked at the end of the jetty taking live Finger Mullet or small Pogies. Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) have been showing up off the beach busting the surf around the breakers. Small Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are being caught here and there on artificials including Blue Water Candy. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are beginning to bite as well. A few Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are scattered. The water is surprisingly clear this week. Daiwa Sweetfire Reels are Buy one Get one Half Price! Stop in and check out the great deals! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) are biting in the 30 mile range this week. Wahoo have also been brought in. They are biting around the stream at 50 miles. They are mixed with Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin). The water is beginning to cool down.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

August 31, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – September is the start to Fall and one of the best times of the year to go fishing around Wrightsville Beach. When cold fronts start to make their way across Southeast North Carolina, fishing really picks up. Most of the fish we catch around Wrightsville in the summer are still biting during September but they are biting better. Nice cool temps and light morning breezes; make for some great fishing weather. Another great thing about September is much less boat traffic! When the water starts to cool down the Redfishing (Drum, Red) will heat up. Look for the Reds to be in the creeks, along the ICW docks and oyster rocks. Carolina rigs with live bait or fresh cut bait is a good bet to catch a Redfish. If you want to go the artificial root, try Berkley Gulp three inch in color sugar spice glow or molting rigged on a 1/8oz or 1/4oz jig head should get’em to bite. Early mornings or late afternoons the top water bite should be good, cast MirrOlure Top Dog Jr’s and Top Pup’s for the best bite. Look for the top-water Reds to be along marsh grass lines and shallow oyster rocks. You can also use rattling or popping corks in the same areas you use top-water plugs, just rig them with eight to fourteen inches of forty pound fluorocarbon, 1/0 hook L42 Eagle Claw and a live finger Mullet. The bigger Reds are starting to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets. You never know when you might hook one of these hard fighting fish. When I fish for bigger Reds, I use fresh cut or live menhaden and Mullet. I use larger Carolina Rigs with TroKar 7/0 or 8/0 circle hooks and eighty pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do their job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull Reds, is don’t use to light of tackle for these bigger Reds. If you fight them to long, there is a chance you can tire them out too much and kill them. Try a med/heavy rod and a reel with at least thirty pound mono or braid, this will help you get the fish in quicker with a better chance of a good release. Check to see if the Red has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Big Reds out there. The Flounder (Flounder, Southern) fishing has been good this season so far, with this said it looks like September should be a great mouth for Flounder too. We look for Flounder in the fall around the inlets, in the creeks up and down the ICW. We also will find some very nice Flounder just offshore of Wrightsville/Topsail on live/hard bottom as well artificial reefs. Mud minnows and small finger mullet will be the best live baits for Flounder in September. Rigging the live bait on carolina rigs with EC 042 1/0 hooks is a good choice of rigs for Flounder. If you prefer to use artificial baits scented and unscented grubs will do the job. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in six inch with colors chart pepper neon and pearl white seem to work the best for me. Rig these on jig heads with longer hook shanks with will help with a better hookup ratio. Spanish Mackerel (Mackerel, Spanish) fishing can be great during September. The Spanish run the biggest all year during the fall. You can cast or troll for them and the fly fishing can be great as well. The Spanish will be around the inlets and near shore artificial reefs. Look for jumping Spanish and diving birds; that is where you will find the Spanish mackerel. Casting small spoons or jigs on light spinning tackle will put some Spanish in the boat for you. If you would rather troll, give a Blue Water Candy Daisy Chain a try on top and a 1 planner down deep with a Clark spoon. If you would like to give fly fishing a try, use a five to eight weight set up with floating line with a small minnow pattern fly or epoxy minnow pattern; my favorite! Shark (Shark, Blacktip & Shark, Sandbar & Shark, H.H. – Great Y Shark, Tiger & Shark, Atlantic Sharpnose) fishing will be good until late September. We see lots of different kinds of Sharks in September. Best baits for the near shore sharks are fresh/live Bluefish, Mullet and Menhaden. We use spinning reels for Shark fishing with 300 plus yards of thirty and fifty pound Spiderwire Ultracast braid. Rigging the baits; eight feet of 80 pound mono leader; some will wind on to the reel. Connected to the 80 pound mono is a fifty pound swivel, then Two to three foot of 9 SS wire and an TroKar 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook. (I push down the barb for easy release) If you prefer Fly fishing, I like Striped bass flies in Menhaden patterns with 4/0 and 5/0 hook sizes. We use ten to twelve weight set ups have lots of extra flies with you! Good September fishing to you, don’t forget to take a kid fishing and thanks for reading! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Tackle Elite Staff
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com

August 24, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are happening this week. Most of them are small below 15 inches but there are some fish over 5 lbs mixed in. Anglers are fishing shorelines, docks and creek mouths. Live Finger Mullet on a Carolina Rig are working best. On the nearshore wrecks a bucktail with a 4 inch gulp will do well. There is also a good Redfish (Drum, Red) bite around the docks. They are taking Mullet as well. There are some over slot sizes as well as keepers. Most of the large sizes are out on the ocean and on the nearshore wrecks. Some Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are still around however they have slowed a bit. Anglers are trolling clarkspoons off the beach. Check out Intracoastal Anglers’ new Stradic products in store this week! PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – There have been some Sails (Billfish – Sailfish) hooked in the area. They are in roughly 80 ft of water. The beginning of the Wahoo bite is happening. Boats are getting a handful of decent sizes. The fall bite should be hot soon.

BAIT REPORT – Plenty of Pogies (Menhaden), finger Mullet, Killies and Mud Minnows are running. There is bait everywhere.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

August 17, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The surf is productive early in the morning for Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Blues (Bluefish) throwing Spoons. Daybreak is best. Pinfish, Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern) and Croaker are biting at night. Drum (Drum, Red) are around the inlets. Small Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are in the surf. Nearshore the bite is similar with scattered Spanish and Blues. The wrecks are holding Flounder but it hasn’t been great. Kings (Mackerel, King) are swimming above them but the best sizes are farther offshore. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Kings (Mackerel, King) are the main target for a lot of angler offshore. The sizes are decent so far.

BAIT REPORT – Pinfish and Croaker can be caught this week.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
Texstackle.com

August 9, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Tons of Mullet are around in the creek mouths. Pogies (Menhaden) are a little scattered.

OFFSHORE – The fish are scattered however Kings (Mackerel, King) have just shown up. There are some keepers but you’ll have to put some time in. The best sizes are just outside the inlet and they are biting fast. A lot of small Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are on the inside. Gulp on a jighead or Mud Minnows are getting them. There are some keepers mixed in. Redfish (Drum, Red) are doing a bit better on docks. The bigger fish are in the inlet. Reds and Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are picking up in the river. The best Flounder are also in the river. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

August 3, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – August fishing around Wrightsville Beach can be pretty good, but with hot temps and little rain most years you need to change up things just a little to get more bites. Going earlier in the morning or later in the day will make a difference, cloudy days or even those light rain days can be the key to more bites! Remember fish get lethargic from hot water temps just as much as cold water temps. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are a great hot weather fish because it really does not seem to matter how hot it gets they still bite! Live bait can be a good choice for catching higher numbers of Flounder, but if you want to catch bigger Flounder try artificial bait. Mud minnows, small Menhaden and small finger Mullet will be the best live baits for Flounder in August. Rigging the live bait on carolina rigs with Eagle Claw L42 number 1 or 1/0 hooks is a good choice of rigs for Flounder. If you prefer to use artificial baits scented and unscented grubs as well as spinnerbaits will do the job. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five and six inch and colors of new penny, pearl white and chart pepper neon are all my go to flounder lures. Also try Berkley Havoc Grass Pig lure in colors, chartreuse, pearl white silver and swamp gas. I rig these lures on jig heads in 1/4oz, 3/8oz, 1/2oz and 3/4 oz (ocean) weights in colors red, gray or white. Look for the bigger Flounder around deeper water docks with good current, bait fish and lots of structure inshore. The inlets, offshore reef and ledges are all good places to find hot weather Flounder. What do all these places have in common deeper water (may be close to shallow water), current and structure, hint. One fish that is always on my hot weather list is the Sheepshead. The Sheepshead is a good challenge to catch and they fight hard, but they are also good to eat! Another great thing about Sheepshead fishing when it’s hot outside is that you can hide under a bridge out of the sun to catch them. Just think; fishing somewhere out of the sun and you’re catching great eating fish! All you need is some fiddler Crabs or sand fleas for bait. A medium/heavy action spinning or casting rod with Spiderwire twenty or thirty pound braid for line will help you bring in that big Sheepshead in. Tie on a short Carolina rig with forty or fifty pound fluorocarbon leader and a small live bait J hook (sharp/strong)! Drop that fiddler Crab down beside a piling on the carolina rig and when you feel that little bump; set the hook and hold on! PS they are great eating in the two to six pound range! North Carolina is not really known for Tarpon fishing but we do see a few pushing just off Masonboro inlet and the lower Cape Fear River from time to time. If you want a good challenge, give Carolina Tarpon fishing a try this August. The best times are very early morning or late afternoon and into the night. I fish for Tarpon on the bottom or free lining, using live and fresh dead baits like Spots, Mullet and Menhaden. I rig these baits on fish finder rigs, with three to five feet of 80 to 100 pound fluorocarbon leaders. Circle hooks are the best bet for good hook ups and landings for Tarpon in hook sizes 7/0 to 9/0 depending what hook series you like. I prefer TroKar TK3 or TK5 9/0 circle hooks, super sharp and super strong! It not easy to catch a NC Tarpon, but I promise if you do or even just jump one off it’s still really cool to see! I also enjoy Shark (Shark, Bull & Shark, Blacktip) fishing later in the summer (late July to early September). Sharks on light tackle are always a good pull and boy the kids love to catch’em! I drift live and fresh dead Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel (Mackerel, Spanish), Mullet or Menhaden in thirty to forty five feet of water offshore. I rig these baits with a 7/0 to 9/0 TroKar circle hook (barb pushed down for easy release) with one foot of ninety pound wire and six to eight feet of eighty pound mono leader. You can free line the bait and /or put a small egg sinker on to keep the bait close to the bottom. You’ll know when you get a bite! Most Sharks are in the ten to one hundred pound range, with a few bigger ones mixed in! Last but certainly not least is Bull Redfish (Drum, Red). The Bull Reds will start showing up in good numbers around inlets and hard/live bottoms just off the beach to about ten miles out in early August. Live or fresh dead bait is the key to catching these brutes. Most fish will be twenty-eight to over forty inches in length, very fun to catch size! It’s not hard to rig for the Bull Reds, short Carolina rigs with a 7/0 to 10/0 TroKar circle hook will do the trick. Remember if you’re catching larger Drum, please use heavier tackle, these Drum will work so hard when the water is hot and it is easy to kill them using to light of tackle (fighting them to long). PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Fishing Tackle Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

July 27, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are a lot of small Flounder (Flounder, Southern) from 14-16 inches caught. There are some good sizes mixed in. Red Drum (Drum, Red) are schooled up and they are nice sizes if you can get them to bite. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are right outside the inlet near the sea buoys to the North and South. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – Mahi (Dolphin) are showing up 15 miles out towards the 23 mile rock. The Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are a bit slow however they are there if you are targeting them. Not many anglers have been heading offshore however it looks like there is some nice weather coming up.

BAIT REPORT – Mixed sizes of Pogies (Menhaden) are around WIlliams landing. Finger Mullet are in the intracoastal waterway and into the creeks.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

July 20, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Drum (Drum, Red) and Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are swimming with Bluefish and Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish). The Spanish are also in the back bay and can be caught on topwater plugs. Virginia Mullet (Kingfish, Southern & Kingfish, Northern) have been swimming the beach. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) have been found in the river with Flounder. The piers are reporting Tarpon, Cobia, Kings (Mackerel, King) and Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish). PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – A bit farther offshore the Mahi (Dolphin) are swimming this week. They are about 20-25 miles out. Blackfins (Tuna, Blackfin) are mixed in. At the gulf stream there are reports of Wahoo on the high speed troll with pink or purple lures.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
Texstackle.com

July 15, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are a bunch of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) being caught on a jighead with a 3 inch Gulp. Pearl white and new penny are the best sellers on a Blue Water Candy jighead. They are also near the nearshore wrecks. Bucktails with a 4 inch gulp have been catching them. Over slot Redfish (Drum, Red) are towards the jetties. Puppy Drum are around the docks inshore. Live baits have worked best. There are still a few Cobia and Tarpon around working their way down the beach. PRO ANGLER APP USERS – Tap a fish listed below the report for more angling tips and tricks!

OFFSHORE – It’s been pretty windy as of late. Mahi (Dolphin) have been caught around the 23 mile mark. Smaller Kings (Mackerel, King), Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) have been mixed in however the bite is not hot.

BAIT REPORT – There are plenty of Pogies (Menhaden) around in various sizes. Finger Mullet have also arrived in great numbers. They are filling the creeks, especially near William’s Landing. If you can throw a cast net, you will catch bait. Intracoastal Anglers has all the live bait you’ll need to catch fish this week!


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

July 6, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Good reports of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) and Reds (Drum, Red) being the hot bite inshore this week. Soft plastics are working well however now that the Mullet have shown up they are working as well. Sheepshead and Drum (Drum, Black) have been holding up on structure taking Shrimp, Sand Fleas and Fiddler Crabs. Off the beach the Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are still biting along with some Kings (Mackerel, King).

OFFSHORE – Ocean Flounder (Flounder, Southern) fishing is great using bucktails or live bait. The Grouper (Grouper, Gag) bite is decent but you have to find the nice days to hit the water. Scattered Mahi (Dolphin), and a few Kings (Mackerel, King) are swimming this week. The bottom bite is fair for Grouper and Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) in roughly 80-90 ft.

BAIT REPORT – Mullet are pretty thick in the marshes and creeks this week.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
Texstackle.com

June 28, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are some nice Flounder (Flounder, Southern) being caught on the inside. Drum (Drum, Black) have also been brought in while the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are slowing down. Whiting (Kingfish, Southern) are still biting well along with some great Croakers off the beach. Fresh Shrimp has been working well. Live Minnows are also doing great. Jigging with Gulp bait has been very productive for the Flounder.

OFFSHORE – Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish), Kings (Mackerel, King) and Mahi (Dolphin) can be caught anywhere from 3 miles and out. The Spanish can be found right off the beach moving outwards. The Dolphin are as close as 15 miles out this week.

BAIT REPORT – A lot of Porgy are in the river this week. There is a lot of Menhaden in the backwater. Calcutta and Orca coolers are on sale this week along with Yo Zuri Fluorocarbon in all sizes!


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

June 21, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – A lot of Reds (Drum, Red) are biting around the docks. They are up to about 33 inches so far. Shrimp has been working well, along with being a key bait for Black Drum (Drum, Black) in the same area. The early morning bite has been great for Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) using topwaters. They are great sizes this week. Plenty of Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are being caught right outside the beach. We expect to see some Cobia in this area as well. They are holding up on the reefs along with some Flounder (Flounder, Southern) on bucktails or Carolina rigged with a Pogie. Search in 20-35 ft of water. The shop has 15% off Calcutta Coolers and 30 % off Orca Coolers this weekend!

OFFSHORE – Mahi (Dolphin) can be caught around the 23 mile range. There may be some Kings (Mackerel, King) mixed in as well.

BAIT REPORT – Finger Mullet have started to show up near Whiskey Creek. William’s Landing has plenty of Pogies and a few small numbers of Mullet.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

June 7, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Flounder (Flounder, Southern) and Drum (Drum, Red) are biting well on soft plastics but live Bait is working well too. Generally first thing in the morning and last part of the afternoon has been great for working Drum. Move with the tide to find them. Sheepshead are coming off the bridges and docks as they typically love structure. If you can get Fiddler Crabs, use those or smaller Shrimp. Nearshore the Cobia are hot on bucktails and live bait. They are also hitting right off the beach. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Blues (Bluefish) are a couple miles out in roughly 50-60 ft. They are running thick. Conditions are great this week.

OFFSHORE – The offshore bite is great this week. Kings (Mackerel, King) are biting from 8-10 miles. They have been consistent so far. The Grouper (Grouper, Gag) bite has been steady. They are loving the Blue Water Candy Roscoe jigs. Mahi (Dolphin) are out towards the 30 mile range. They are quite consistent and biting various colored skirted Ballyhoo. Blue water candy wedgies with a cigar Minnow has also been productive to hook them.

BAIT REPORT – A lot of Shad are on the beach. Menhaden are here and there. Mullet are beginning to show up inshore. There are a few schools here and there.


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
Texstackle.com

June 1, 2016

Wilmington

INSHORE – The Redfish (Drum, Red) bite has been really good on the docks using live Mud Minnows and Finger Mullet. Cut shrimp has been working for the Drum (Drum, Black) that are still around. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are really good in the mid to lower river. The jetties are seeing a bunch of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) moving in. Flounder can also be found in Snow’s Cut and on the nearshore wrecks. Bucktails and Gulp is where it’s at for the Flounder. Tons of Cobia are being caught on bait in end of jetties. Fish the bait down deep or up top with balloons. There has also been Cobia on the bait balls that have been showing up sporadically. Plenty of Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish), Bluefish and Kings (Mackerel, King) are inshore and nearshore.

OFFSHORE – Kings (Mackerel, King) are taking bait anywhere from 5-23 miles out. Gags (Grouper, Gag) are good around 100 ft deep which is around 23 miles. Mahi (Dolphin) are still on fire in stream. There has been Mahi hooked around 20-30 miles but the 40-60 mile range holds the best fishing. Simply pulling naked or skirted Ballyhoo will get it done. Blackfin(Tuna, Blackfin) are thick out there too. Wahoo have definitely slowed a little but Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) and Marlin (Billfish – Marlin, Blue) have been making an appearance while Mahi fishing.

BAIT REPORT – We are seeing some sporadic balls of Menhaden inshore and nearshore.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
www.intracoastalangler.com

May 24, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – We are starting to see some small Flounder (Flounder, Southern) this week. You have to pick through them to find the bigger ones. Most of the good sizes are on the nearshore wrecks. The morning is producing a few Specks (Seatrout, Spotted). Reds (Drum, Red) are in the typical places in the back creeks. Most of them are caught on Mud Minnows and soft plastics, a few are hitting topwaters. Massive amounts of Bluefish are swimming the inlets. Gotcha Plugs or any kind of metal is working well. A good showing of Cobia are at the inlets and right on the beaches. The nearshore wrecks are holding some as well. Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) are hitting from the beach this week along with snake Kings (Mackerel, King) from 5-10 miles. Trolling dead Cigar Minnows or Spoons and deep divers is working well to hook them.



BAIT REPORT – We are beginning to see nice Menhaden just off the beach. Stop in to Intracoastal Angler for some great deals on Fly Rods this week! Select Mirrolures are also on sale for 4.99 and select Gulp packages for 5.99!


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

May 18, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – It’s been picking up inshore this week. A lot of Flounder (Flounder, Southern) have been coming in from the offshore. A lot are undersized but will take live Mullet or Berkley Gulp. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are getting better as well. They are in deep water closer to the inlets in the Cape Fear river. Topwaters are working well to hit them. Reds (Drum, Red) are anywhere from the inlets and coming into the docks, shallow bays and into the Marsh as more bait arrives. Sheepshead are on the usual structures – bridges or rock pilings. Fiddler Crabs or small fresh Shrimp are always the best. The surf is producing Sea Mullet (Kingfish, Southern), Pompano (Pompano, Florida), Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) and Bluefish. Cobia are coming off the pier. Off the beach the Spanish and small Kings (Mackerel, King) are hitting from 2-10 miles. A lot of False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) are in the same range. Trolling small spoons and deep divers are best. We expect this to continue into the weekend. Check out Tex’s Tackle and Bait Shop’s huge PENN sale happening this weekend May 21-22.

OFFSHORE – Mahi (Dolphin) has been good most days with good Wahoo and Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) mixed in. Sails (Billfish – Sailfish) and White Marlin (Billfish – Marlin, White) are being hooked farther out. Blue Marlin (Billfish – Marlin, Blue) are always a possibility as well.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
Texstackle.com

May 12, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Everything is going on now, Spring fishing is here. In the waterway there are decent catches of Reds (Drum, Red) along the flats around the inlets as well as the docks. Topwaters are working well in the morning and live bait or plastics are better once the sun gets up. Drum, Black, and Sheepshead are also around the docks. Live or dead Fiddler Crabs are working well to hook them. From the surf there are still a few Whiting and plenty of Bluefish and Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish). Pier anglers are reporting similar catches as far as using Gotcha Plugs. A few Cobia have been seen as well. There are still some Bonita (Bonito, Atlantic) around for the nearshore guys. Spanish, schoolie Kings (Mackerel, King), False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny), and bigger Bluefish are mixed in. A few Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are holding up on the nearshore reefs. Better Kings and a few Cobia are from 10-20 miles. We expect this bite to continue into the weekend. There is tons of gear for all your fishing needs at Intracoastal Angler!

OFFSHORE – This week there is some great action offshore. Grouper (Grouper, Gag) fishing has been best 90 ft or deeper. In the gulf stream we are seeing good catches of Blackfin Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin), Gaffer sized Dolphin and Wahoo. Some Blue Marlin (Billfish – Marlin, Blue) and Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) have also turned up this week. Trolling Ballyhoo or smaller skirted lures have done well to hook them.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

May 3, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – May around Wrightsville Beach in my mind is when ‘summer’ fishing really gets going. Warmer days and most important less wind, we hope! May brings new fish species to target and also the fish start to settle in their summer locations. Here are some of my favorite fish to target during the month of May around Wrightsville Beach. As the weather stabilizes and the temps go up in May we see a lot more days where we can get out in the ocean and look for those high speed, and good eating Bonita (Bonito, Atlantic) in earlier May (even later April this year) and Spanish mackerel (Mackerel, Spanish) all May long. These fish are a lot of fun to see busting the surface of the water and even more fun to see on the end of your line! Casting small spoons or using fly gear in weights six to eight can make for a great challenge on this light tackle. Look for these fish to be hanging around nearshore artificial reefs, ledges and inlets. Trolling Clarkspoons and small deep diver lures can be the key to success some days for the Bonita and Spanish mackerel. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash spoon in sizes #00, #0 and #1 the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat. You might come over a few False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) and Bluefish mixed in with the Bonita and Spanish from time to time, sometimes too many bluefish mixed in! Redfish (Drum, Red) and May go hand and hand, this month is a favorite for casting artificial lures to them. Reds really start to settle down in their summer spots by early May. Casting Berkley Gulp Shrimp in three inch size on light jig heads is one of my go to baits for May Redfish. My go to colors are sugar spice glow, new penny, Rootbeer gold/chart tail and natural. Saltwater Assassin Sea shad lures in colors copperhead and 10W40 chart tail work well too. Another fun way to catch Redfish is casting topwater plugs like MirrOlure’s Top pup or the new Poppa Mullet. You can also cast popping or rattling corks in these shallow areas with a Berkley Gulp three inch which will catch the Redfish too. If you would rather go the bait route, try some fresh cut Mullet or Menhaden on a light Carolina rig. Try fishing fresh cut bait around docks in the ICW or along creek mouths when the tide is moving. May is a great month for gator (bigger) Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) some of my personal largest Specks have come in May! Most of the bigger trout I see in May come off topwater plugs. My favorite is the MirrOlure Top dog, She dog and Poppa mullet, these noisy baits really make the trout come right out of the water after them! Another great bait for bigger trout is the Berkley Gulp five or six inch Jerkshad in colors pearl white and new penny, rigging on light swimbait hooks. Live Shrimp, small Mullets and Menhaden on float rigs or very light Carolina rigs will also catch those gators! By mid May the Cobia start to show up around Wrightsville, one of my favorites! I forecast that the Cobia will be here a little early this season. I look for Cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools, near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are also a good place to look too. With the water being so clear it has been easier to see those brown logs in the water. We are throwing bigjigs (Blue water candy), swim baits and live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter but ‘go bright’! When I’m not sight casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. I float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live Menhaden, Blues, Pinfish and Mullet as bait. Sometimes a great bonus fish when fishing for Cobia is a nice bull Redfish. You can chum if you like, but the Sharks (Shark, Bull & Shark, Blacktip) and Rays (Stingray, Atlantic) will come and they will come in numbers! With the warmer weather the Flounder (Flounder, Southern) will finally start showing up in better numbers, there are still a lot of smaller ones inshore, but the bigger ones will really start showing up in May! Most of the Flounder fishing I’m doing is just off the beach and around the inlets. I’ve caught Flounder on both live and artificial baits in May, what I have seen is more numbers on live bait, but more keepers on artificial baits. Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs with One L42 Eagle Claw hooks will catch the numbers of Flounder. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five & six inch sizes will get the most keeper Flounder. I rig these Jerkshad on 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz, 3/4oz (ocean) jig heads with longer hook shanks in red or gray color. Tackle run down – PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels 2000, 2500, 3000 and 4000 sizes. Rods: PENN Battalions 6’6 inch and 7′ Med-light and Medium rods. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound. Cobia Reels PENN Fathom 20LW or 25LW casting or Clash & SpinFisher V in sizes 5000, 5500, 6000 or 6500 spinning reels, with a PENN Rampage Jigging rod 50 to 100 pound class.






Capt. Jot Owens Capt. Jot Owens Inshore And Near Shore Guide
910-233-4139
captainjot@yahoo.com www.captainjot.com

April 26, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Reds (Drum, Red) and Drum (Drum, Black) are in the ICW this week. You won’t find them in the surf. Bluefish have come in and are hot. You can catch them anywhere. Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are beginning to come in however they are not super hot yet. They are being caught down south towards the beach. Bonito (Bonito, Little Tunny) are about 5 miles offshore if you are targeting them. Casting jigs and Clark Spoons will do well to hook them. We expect these conditions to continue into the weekend.

OFFSHORE – Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) are hitting offshore so far this week. Grouper (Grouper, Gag) opens May 1 so everyone will be eagerly waiting to hit ’em. Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) and Wahoo are both in the gulf stream. Dolphin are just beginning to show up for anglers targeting them.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
Texstackle.com

April 20, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Anglers are catching a lot of Redfish (Drum, Red) and Drum (Drum, Black) around the docks. Cut or Frozen Shrimp has been best to catch them. They are bottom fishing with Carolina Rigs. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) are swimming the inlets. Anglers are throwing MirrOdines and MirrOlures. From the beach the Bonita (Bonito, Little Tunny) are popping up here and there. They are scattered throughout the area and can be hit or miss. Glass Minnows are working well to hook them. There are a lot of Bluefish being caught on metal Jigs. This means the Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) can’t be far behind. April 30th is Intracoastal Angler’s Spring Sale with great deals on inventory and some awesome free food.

OFFSHORE – Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin), Wahoo, and Mahi are all hitting when the weather is good. The Wahoo are beginning to slow down however the Tuna and Mahi are picking up. Anglers are heading to 50-60 miles to find them.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

April 13, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Winter really has been pretty good overall and things are running a week or two ahead of most springs around our area. Fishing looks to be pretty great this spring and if it stays spring for a while, I believe it could be an epic spring fishing season! Here are some of the fish I target around Wrightsville Beach and some other close areas too. Another fish that really starts to show up around the inlets of Southeast North Carolina is the good’ole Bluefish and during April you can catch some bigger Bluefish too. These blues will hit Berkley Gulp 7 inch jerk shads in colors pearl and pearl/chart pepper, hard baits like big poppers and spoons like a Sea striker Jig-fish one ounce or bigger will also get these choppers to bite. Don’t forget the steal leaders for these fish or they will get a free lure form you every time! Try light single strand wire in numbers 2, 3 or 4 will keep your lures on the end of your line and not in a Bluefish’s pocket! I catch Blues in the one to fifteen pound range during April. Towards early to mid April the Bonita (Bonito, Atlantic) and False Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) should show up just offshore of Wrightsville. Trolling Clarkspoons and small deep diver lures can be the key to success some days for the Bonita and Albacore. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash spoon in numbers 00, 0 and 1 – the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat. A bird rig on top with a Clark spoon about five to six feet behind it or Blue water Candy Spanish daisy chain (blue, silver, pink) have worked very well for me on top too. Look for birds working or marking bait on you fish finder is the way to find the feeding fish. When the fish are not on top, I’ve caught some nice Blues and a few Bonita by casting a spoon out and letting it sink down before reeling is in. I’ve found that some times these fish are deeper and you can get them by getting down to deeper water. I know I talk about the Redfish (Drum, Red) a lot, but hey they are one of my favorites to catch! In April we are going to see the Redfish really start to move around and one thing I’ve found is if they’re moving around they are looking for food. If they are looking for food then they are probably going to bite your hook! In April I rely on artificial baits or fresh cut bait to catch spring Reds. You cannot go wrong with Berkley Gulp three inch Shrimp in colors molting, sugar spice glow and new penny. Rigging the Gulp baits on light jig heads (1 / 8 oz and 1 / 4 oz) in colors reds and gray should get the Reds to bite for you. If you would rather use cut bait, rig fresh shrimp or mullet on a light Carolina rig with a L42 number one size hook. Look for the Reds on the edges of oyster rocks, mash grass edges, ICW docks and creek mouths. There is one fish that a lot of anglers over look in April and that is the Black Drum (Drum, Black). What I love about these fish is you can catch them in good numbers this time of year and there great to eat! On top of all that they are also easy to catch – use a light two hook bottom rig with number two or number three size eagle claw baitholder hooks. I make my own rigs with thirty pound fluorocarbon leader by making two overhand knots to put the hooks on. I prefer as fresh as I can get shrimp for black Drum fishing. Fish these rigs around docks, oyster rocks and inlets for Black Drum – you might even get a Redfish mixed in as well. I will sometimes catch two Black Drum at the same time on the same rig – that’s what I call good fishing! Cape Fear River Striped Bass (Bass, Striped) can bite very well in April too, but the fish move around a lot more during April, you’ll find them at one spot one day and the next day they have moved on. In April the Stripers will start to move into shallower waters, I look for the Stripers in three to ten feet of water in the early spring. This is when you need to also shallow up your presentation, go lighter with you tackle. I prefer Berkley Gulp jerkshad six inch and Berkley Havoc grass pig lures – I use colors pearl, chart pepper neon and new penny (swamp gas). Using swim bait hooks size 5 / 0 in 1 / 8 to 1 / 4 ounce made by Moaner hooks should put a Striper on the end of your line! Look for Cape Fear River Stripers around mud-flat edges, bulk-heads and shallow reed-grass edges on sunny warmer days. Also in the Cape Fear River I really enjoy heading to Lock & Dam 1 on the Cape Fear River during April to catch large American shad on light tackle and Fly tackle. Casting shad darts in bright colors and shad fly is the way to catch the shad. I use a double shad dart rig, this makes it easier to cast the light darts and sometimes you get two shad at the same time! The shad run in the one to a few over four pounds- super fun on fly and light tackle setups ‘poor man’s Tarpon’! Tackle run down – PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels (1000 shad fishing), 2500 & 3000 sizes. Rods – PENN Battalion rods 6’6 inch & 7′ medium and med/heavy action. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in (six pound shad fishing) ten and fifteen pound. Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material for all my leaders. Thanks for reading, good spring fishing & weather to you!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Tackle Elite Staff Ranger Boats Pro Staff
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com

April 5, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – We are starting to see more Redfish (Drum, Red) coming in from the surf. They are being caught on the flats and creeks close to the inlet. We have also seen Redfish and Drum (Drum, Black) along the deeper docks on the waterway. Anglers are throwing artificial Shrimp, gulp or cut Shrimp on the docks. There are a few Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) on deeper marsh banks. Mirrolures and Trout tricks are great to hook them. Smaller Flounder (Flounder, Southern) are starting to show up but the sizes aren’t there yet. The beaches along the surf are holding some Bluefish and decent sized Whiting (Kingfish, Southern & Kingfish, Northern). The Bluefish are preferring Gotcha Plugs, Casting Jigs or cut bait. Throughout the nearshore we are seeing a few signs of Spanish (Mackerel, Spanish) but it’s a bit early get. From 2-5 miles we are seeing Bonita (Bonito, Atlantic). Anglers are trolling clarkspoons, deep divers or casting Epoxy Jigs.

OFFSHORE – The Wahoo bite has been great so far in the stream. This is roughly around 30 fathom line. We are also seeing Blackfins and Sailfish mixed together. The Blackfins are deeper from the 40-60 fathom range.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
Texstackle.com

March 29, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Redfish (Drum, Red) have been in the surf this week as well as some Drum (Drum, Black). They have also been holding up on the inside throughout the docks on Shrimp. We have seen some Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) in the inlet this week and there have been some Bluefish moving into the same area. This is a great sign of the Spring pattern and we expect things to heat up once the temperatures increase a bit. Keep an eye out for the big Spring Sale coming up at the end of April!

OFFSHORE – Anglers are dropping for Sea Bass (Sea Bass, Black) in 35-40 ft and out. There have also been some Wahoo up to 80lbs weighed in lately as well. The offshore has produced some AJs (Jack, Amberjack Greater) on structure by the Wahoo grounds. The bite has been consistent this week.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

March 21, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Everything is pretty much the same as the water temperature increases a bit. There is a bit more Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) caught in the creeks on mirrolures and soft plastics that are Shrimp imitations. Redfish (Drum, Red) are still being caught around the docks but are beginning to disperse into their Spring pattern. Drum (Drum, Black) are also around the docks this week. Flounder (Flounder, Southern & Flounder, Winter) are being caught from the docks as well. They are small so far and the bite is scattered but they are there. Soft plastics on a jig head are working well to hook them. White and natural color gulp will be productive. They have been found around the jetties as well. Keep an eye out for the big Spring Sale coming up at the end of April!

OFFSHORE – From 10-23 miles there are still Sea Bass, Black being caught off the bottom. From 23-35 there were some Kings (Mackerel, King) being caught as they move in towards the nearshore. The Wahoo bite has slowed down a bit but they are still out there for anglers who put their time in.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

March 16, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – It’s been a good Spring and the water is heating up nicely. There are a few good schools of Redfish (Drum, Red) and Drum (Drum, Black) along the docks. They have not moved into the marsh yet but it won’t be long. A few Flounder (Flounder, Winter) are being caught on mud Minnows and Gulp with a jighead. This is not the big push of Flounder yet, we expect this to heat up more. Specks (Seatrout, Spotted) have also been popular this week along with some decent Stripers (Bass, Striped) in the rivers. There was a report of Shad, American from Cape Fear this week. Bluefish are expected to show up in April in the inlet and the Whiting (Kingfish, Southern & Kingfish, Northern) to still be on. The first weekend in April Tex’s Tackle and Bait will be having a huge sale! Stop in and check out the great deals!

OFFSHORE – Offshore has been quite productive this week. Wahoo continue to bite really well along with a handful of Tuna, Blackfin. The bottom has been great for Triggerfish (Triggerfish, Gray) and Beeliners (Snapper, Vermillion). Squid on small hooks has been the key to catching them. Sea Bass, Black can be caught 15-30 miles off the shore. This is where the best sizes are but there are some keepers closer to shore. Anglers are using Squid on bottom rigs or vertical jigs. Bucktails with gulp are working as well. Bonito (Bonito, Little Tunny) are about 15 miles off as well.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
texstackle.com

March 9, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Can you believe it’s already March??? I have to say this winter has not been to bad overall, fingers crossed we make it through April mild and that would be a great start to the summer! The fishing has already been a little better with the milder weather and it really is looking good for this spring! Here are the fishing opportunities for March that I like to target. In March the Redfish (Drum, Red) finally start to move around a little more than they have all winter. Not that they don’t move around in the winter, they just start to show up in places they like more during warmer times of the year. This is the time of the year you need to get out and find where the Redfish are going and showing up. In the cooler months I’ve seen crustacean patterns work better for Redfish due to the fact that these baits are a little easier to catch, than say baits like fish patterns. The bait fishes are not really moving yet, but the crustaceans are coming out of the mud and the Redfish know it! On warmer days the crustaceans will move more and these are the days you need to look for Redfish during March. Working scented baits like Berkley Gulp and Gulp Alive in patterns two and three inch shrimp, two inch peeler crab and 3 inch ghost Shrimp should get the Redfish to bite. These baits don’t have paddle tails so you can work them very slow, which is still very important because the water still be pretty cool in March. Find those banks where the sun can warm up shallows just a little more than other places. Look for dark bottom banks and places with less current these are the areas where the water will be warmer and the Redfish will be feeding. Remember to keep your eyes peeled in the shallow water areas for Reds, March can be a very good sight fishing month; just make sure you work the baits a little slower with a fluorocarbon leader for those clearer spring waters. March can be another mouth when Cape Fear River Striped Bass (Bass, Striped) fishing will pick up. You usually do not see as big of fish in March, but the numbers can be good some days. In March the Stripers will start to move into a little bit shallower waters, I look for the Stripers in three to eight feet of water in the early spring. This is when you need to also shallow up your presentation, go lighter with you tackle. I prefer Berkley Gulp jerkshad and Berkley Havoc grass pig lures. I use colors pearl, chart pepper neon and new penny (swamp gas). Using swim bait hooks size 5/0 in 1/8 to ounce should put a Striper on the end of your line! You can also cast mid-water crank baits that dive three to eight feet, don’t let them drag the bottom to much or you will lose your lure to a stump or log! Look for Cape Fear River Stripers around mud-flat edges, bulkheads, creeks and shallow reed-grass edges on sunny warmer days. Don’t count out a nice Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) during the month of March! But what is a trout going to hit in March? This is when you need to know where to start, what lures to try? One of my favorites is the good ole MirrOlure. It’s been around a long time and it is still catching fish, but it’s cold so work them SLOW! The patterns I prefer are the 17MR, 18MR, 52M and 52MR. Colors – MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go to colors around Wrightsville Beach area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP AND Capt. Jot Custom color (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop). Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes. Depths to use these lures – 17MR use these lures in two to six feet of water. 18MR, 52M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth-teen plus feet of water. There is another kind of fishing I like to try in March but there is no saltwater involved. I like to hit the upper Northeast Cape Fear River and Sutton Lake the do a little Large-mouth bass fishing. If you want to try something different try some bass fishing, they are a lot of fun to catch on lighter tackle. Most of the time I use heavy sink worms from Berkley Powerbait in colors black, red shad and blue-flick. Work these worms very slowly off banks and stump beds. If you like to fly fish, try slow sinking small minnow patterns along the grass flats in Sutton Lake on cloudy or foggy days. Tackle run down – PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes2500, 3000 & 4000 for the Redfish, Large mouth Bass and Striped Bass. PENN Battalion rods in 6’6 inch & 7′ medium and med/hvy action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound, Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon for my leaders in twenty to thirty pound. Thanks for reading, get outside and I hope March fishing is good to you!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Fishing Tackle Elite Staff Ranger Boats Pro Staff
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com captainjot@yahoo.com

March 2, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are a lot of Drum, Red and Drum, Black that can be caught fishing Shrimp around the docks. This is where most anglers are fishing this week. Reds can also be found in the surf and the inlet on gulp and spoons. There is a spotty bite in the backwater but this area is not the focus of most anglers. Tons of NEW Spring inventory has arrived, stop in to Intracoastal Angler and check it out!

OFFSHORE – Anglers continue to look for Sea Bass, Black around 10 miles out. The Wahoo bite is on fire around 60 miles. Anglers are pulling Ballyhoo with Blue/White skirts and Islanders. Red/Black is a hot color as well. They are weighing in up to 80 lbs.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

February 24, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Stripers are in the rivers this week. We are also receiving some reports of Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) in the same areas. The Trout are mostly taking soft plastics this week. Drum (Drum, Black) and Reds (Drum, Red) throughout the inshore. The sizes are great so far this week.

OFFSHORE – Anglers have been going out to 45 miles to find Kings (Mackerel, King). There have also been reports of Wahoo and Tuna, Blackfin by the stream. Sea Bass, Black are turning up right offshore so anglers don’t have to travel far to find them on the nearshore wrecks. Chunks of Squid on jigs will do well to hook them.




Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
texstackle.com

February 16, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – It has been a bit cold and rainy in the past few days however we expect to see some nice weather set in by the second half of the week. After the water settles down the shallow water Redfish (Drum, Red) will be biting and a 3 inch berkley gulp Shrimp on a jighead will do the trick to hook them. They will also be schooled up in the creeks, as well as the surf. From the beach or the boat you can search to find schools from 30 to 300 fish, closer to the inlet. This area has been more productive on a 5 inch gulp on a jighead. There will be a Speck (Seatrout, Spotted) bite in the channels and inlet on small, light grubs or mirrolures in 17 or 18 MR patterns. Brighter colors will work better in the clean water and darker colors for muddier water.






Capt. Jot Owens Capt. Jot Owens Inshore And Near Shore Guide
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com captainjot@yahoo.com

February 10, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are some Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) and Redfish (Drum, Red) way up in the back creeks. There are some bigger sizes of Reds here and there however they are spotty and not easy to get on to. They are difficult to get to this time of year but are there for determined anglers. Most people are waiting for more Spring weather to bring them out. Things are quiet in this area, which is typical of this time of year.






Capt. Kyle Hughes Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters
910-840-7186
http://www.oceanislefishingguide.com/

February 4, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Striper bite has been good from the river this week. A lot of anglers are targeting them with deep diving crank baits, fluke style jerk shads rigged weedless as well as swim baits. The Drum, Red and Drum, Black are being caught by docks on cut Shrimp. The Reds have been biting in the surf on soft plastics and gulp on jig heads as well. The marsh has also been holding both Drum that will bite the same baits. When the water warms up is the best time of day to fish. This is anywhere between 9am and 4 pm when the morning chill moves out and the fish are more active. There are some great Winter Clearance sales to be had at Intracoastal Angler. Stop in and check them out.

OFFSHORE – Lots of anglers are heading out to bottom fish for Sea Bass, Black this week. They have been on ledges and wrecks, from 10-15 miles off. They have been hitting cut Squid or jigs off the bottom. Cigar minnows will be productive as well. Things are slowing down however there is still a decent bite to be had.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

January 22, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The inshore has been productive for a great Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) bite this week. Mirrolures are their preference this week so anglers have been choosing either those or artificial Shrimp such as an Egret Vudu Shrimp. There have also been some Reds (Drum, Red) turning up on the same bait this week. There sizes have been moderate so far. Stripers (Bass, Striped) are being caught down the river. There are also some reports of Bluefish coming in on jigs too.

OFFSHORE – Anglers heading offshore this week will have a great time going after Sea Bass, Black in 30-40 ft of water. Dropping cut bait has been the most productive means of attracting them, especially if you are using Squid. There is also a decent King (Mackerel, King) bite this week around the same area. Throughout the gulf stream anglers are still finding Tuna, Blackfin and Wahoo in great sizes. A skirted Ballyhoo or small lures in blue and white seem to be getting the most action so far.

BAIT REPORT – There have been no reports of bait swimming this week.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

January 15, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Anglers are still seeing some good sizes of Drum (Drum, Black) and Reds (Drum, Red) hanging around this week. They are schooling up around the docks and hitting cut Shrimp on a Carolina Rig. The marshes are also holding the same fish but they seem to be preferring Gulp. The surf are producing similar results however Reds are more prominent in this area. There are also some Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) swimming the surf and the beaches. They can be caught on mirrolures and grubs. The bigger sizes are hitting off the beach. Some of the inlets and creek mouths in the back water are also producing Trout on live bait. They are various sizes so far this week.

OFFSHORE – There have been reports of some great bites throughout the offshore this week. Wahoo, Tuna (Tuna, Blackfin), and even a few Mahi (Dolphin) are swimming as the conditions have not changed into their natural patterns yet. The stream has not moved too much.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

January 6, 2016

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There is still some solid action from the inshore this week. Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are swimming both the surf and the sound so far. They are hitting Mirrolures in 808 as the preferred color. There are also some big Drum, Black moving in the surf as well. Most anglers are using dead Shrimp to find the most success. There are no reports of Reds (Drum, Red) or Flounder so far this week. 40% all clothing sale on NOW at East Coast Sports. Stop by and check out the great deals!

OFFSHORE – The Tuna, Bluefin have a great bite so far this week. They can be found around the 15 mile mark in Moorhead and down off the cape. There are no signs of Kings (Mackerel, King) so far this week.




East Coast Sports
910-328-1887
www.eastcoastsports.com

December 29, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There are both smaller and big sized Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) turning up in the surf and the sound. Trout in the surf are preferring Mirrolures while the Trout in the sound are loving live Shrimp. There have also been some Reds (Drum, Red) biting in the surf mixed with some Drum (Drum, Black) too. Reds are hitting redfish magic gulp on a jighead while fresh Shrimp are working well for the Drum. This bite has been steady so far this week and so far the weather has produced great fishing conditions.

OFFSHORE – There has not been a ton of action in the offshore this week due to the unfavorable weather however a few anglers have managed to make it on the water so far. There have been reports of Wahoo biting along with Tuna, Blackfin in the stream. This bite has been steady and is expected to continue throughout the week.




Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

December 21, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – December; can you believe it? November’s Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) fishing was GREAT! I’m guessing December will be great too and the trout will be bigger! We’ve had a pretty mild fall and it looks like this December should be very good Speckled trout fishing along with a few other species around Wrightsville Beach, NC. In December I catch some of the biggest Speckled trout all year, but you need to know which lures work better for bigger trout; bigger lures equals bigger trout! Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big trout in the boat for me and for many other anglers over the years. MirrOlure’s 52M, 52MR and TT series are great big Trout baits. Try these lures in colors: 11 (redhead), 11FGO (Flo.orange head), 21 (blackback), 26 (redback), 51 (white/white), 704 (pink/yellow), 808 (black/gold/orange), CFPR (chart/pearl), HP (hotpink), Capt. Jot Custom color only available at Tex’s tackle and for great night fishing; PD (purple demon). Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me are Berkley Gulp’s three inch Shrimp and there newer three inch Ripple Mullet. All the colors have worked well for me, but here is a few that I like for trout (shrimp pattern); Watermelon red glitter, rootbeer/gold, pearl white and new penny. Berkley Gulp’s Ripple Mullet in colors glow/chartreuse, pearl, rootbeer gold/chart, pink and goby magic/chart are all good trout baits. All of these baits have Gulps great scent, great action and come in some great colors too! The grub (soft plastic) has been around forever in the fishing world! These days they come in so many different colors, here are few that work well for me when trout fishing. Saltwater Assassin makes a load of different grubs; I prefer the sea shad four inch pattern in colors chicken on a chain, rainbow trout, copperhead, new moon, sweet pea, pink diamond and silver phantom/chart. I rig all these grubs with 1/8 oz, Quarter oz and 3/8 oz jig heads in colors gray, red and brown. Don’t forget that I rig all of my Speckled trout lures with fluorocarbon leaders; trout have very good eyesight and later in the season like December the water can get very clear! Get yourself a good fluorocarbon like Berkley Pro Spec or Berkley Vanish, both of these work great in twenty pound test. In December another fish I really like to hunt for on sunny, warmer and light wind days is schooling Redfish (Drum, Red). I find these schools on oyster rocks/flats, sand bars in the surf and shallow flats on the ICW. In December the Reds are not hard to catch when you find them, but some times finding them can be a challenge. My go to bait for the winter Redfish are scented grub like the Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet or fire tail shrimp; Redfish love these things. Rig grubs with thirty or forty pound mono or fluorocarbon and a darker colored jig heads like red or brown should get the redfish to bite for you. Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historical down town Wilmington runs the Cape Fear River and in the Cape Fear there are some cold weather biting Striped Bass (Bass, Striped). These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs and grass lines on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures and Berkley Power Bait, Berkley Havoc Grass pig lures and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on you line. Rig these lures on swimbait hooks for weedless fishing, (lots of hangs in the river). Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only! Tackle run down – PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500& 3000 for the Redfish, Speckled trout and Striped Bass Rods: PENN Battalion 6’6 inches & 7′ med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound or Berkley NanoFil (trout fishing) in eight, ten or twelve pound test. Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and good winter fishing to you!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Reels Elite Staff Ranger Boats Pro Staff
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com

December 14, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – December; can you believe it? November’s Speckled Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) fishing was GREAT; I’m guessing December will be great too and the trout will be bigger! We’ve had a pretty mild fall and it looks like this December should be very good Speckled trout fishing along with a few other species around Wrightsville Beach, NC. In December I catch some of the biggest Speckled trout all year, but you need to know which lures work better for bigger trout; bigger lures equals bigger trout! Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big trout in the boat for me and for many other anglers over the years. MirrOlure’s 52M, 52MR and TT series are great big trout baits. Try these lures in colors: 11 (redhead), 11FGO (Flo.orangehead), 21 (blackback), 26 (redback), 51 (white/white), 704 (pink/yellow), 808 (black/gold/orange), CFPR (chart/pearl), HP (hotpink), Capt. Jot Custom color only available at Tex’s tackle and for great night fishing; PD (purple demon). Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me are Berkley Gulp’s three inch shrimp and there newer three inch Ripple Mullet. All the colors have worked well for me, but here is a few that I like for trout (Shrimp pattern); Watermelon red glitter, rootbeer/gold, pearl white and new penny. Berkley Gulp’s Ripple Mullet in colors glow/chartreuse, pearl, rootbeer gold/chart, pink and goby magic/chart are all good trout baits. All of these baits have Gulps great scent, great action and come in some great colors too! The grub (soft plastic) has been around forever in the fishing world! These days they come in so many different colors, here are few that work well for me when trout fishing. Saltwater Assassin makes a load of different grubs; I prefer the sea shad four inch pattern in colors chicken on a chain, rainbow trout, copperhead, new moon, sweet pea, pink diamond and silver phantom/chart. I rig all these grubs with 1/8oz, quarter oz and 3/8oz jig heads in colors gray, red and brown. Don’t forget that I rig all of my Speckled trout lures with fluorocarbon leaders; trout have very good eyesight and later in the season like December the water can get very clear! Get yourself a good fluorocarbon like Berkley Pro Spec or Berkley Vanish; both of these work great in twenty pound test. In December another fish I really like to hunt for on sunny, warmer and light wind days is schooling Redfish (Drum, Red). I find these schools on oyster rocks/flats, sand bars in the surf and shallow flats on the ICW. In December the Reds are not hard to catch when you find them, but some times finding them can be a challenge. My go to bait for the winter Redfish are scented grub like the Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet or fire tail shrimp; Redfish love these things. Rig grubs with thirty or forty pound mono or fluorocarbon and a darker colored jig heads like red or brown should get the redfish to bite for you. Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historical down town Wilmington runs the Cape Fear River and in the Cape Fear there are some cold weather biting Striped Bass (Bass, Striped). These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs and grass lines on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures and Berkley Power Bait, Berkley Havoc Grass pig lures and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on you line. Rig these lures on swimbait hooks for weedless fishing, (lots of hangs in the river). Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only! Tackle run down: PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500& 3000 for the Redfish, Speckled trout and Striped Bass Rods: PENN Battalion 6’6 inch & 7′ med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound or Berkley NanoFil (trout fishing) in eight, ten or twelve pound test. Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and good winter fishing to you!






Capt. Jot Owens PENN Reels Elite Staff Ranger Boats Pro Staff
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com

December 9, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Weather has been mild in this area lately which has pushed the fish schedule behind. This is great as the bigger sizes of Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are beginning to show up now. The numbers have been good and there have been tons of smaller sizes however they have been getting bigger. There are far more keeper sizes this week, seeing them on mostly higher tides. Grubs and jigs as well as some Mirrolures in patterns such as 17MRs, 18MRs, & 5200s are producing the best results. Some anglers are using a saltwater assassin sea shad on the jigs, or alternatively live Shrimp. They are floating them in shallow water or light lining them on a carolina rig with a split shot in the deeper water. This helps them get a bit further down. Artificial Shrimp are also working well. There have been no reports of fish coming off the beach yet this week.



BAIT REPORT – There are still some Finger Mullet swimming this week mixed in with some thick Mud Minnows as well.


Capt. Jot Owens
910-233-4139
www.captainjot.com

December 3, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There have been a lot of reports of Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) biting in the waterways and on the docks. Trout has been plentiful this week and anglers have not had any trouble hooking them with live Shrimp. As far as artificials, anything like a Shrimp in Chartreuse has been doing well along with gulps. Off the beach there are also some reports of Bluefish and Mackerel, Spanish biting as well.

OFFSHORE – About 20 miles off the beach there is a strong Mackerel, King bite that has been consistent over last week. Spot the birds, find the bait, catch the fish. The weather has not been great enough for anglers to get out to the gulf stream yet this week however expect that there are still some Billfish – Sailfish and Wahoo that can be caught in the area.

BAIT REPORT – Bait are running thick this week. Menhaden are just about everywhere and live baiters should have no trouble stocking up.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500
http://www.oceanislefishingguide.com/

November 26, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – The Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) have moved in really well at this point. They are hitting 17 MR mirrolures, imitation Shrimps, and soft plastics. The Opening Night color seems to be the most productive this week. Flounder (Flounder, Northern) have been hit or miss this week. If anglers can find them they are not hard to catch, however the activity has slowed down with the cooler weather. On the beach and surf there are still some Bull Reds (Drum, Red) as well and can be hooked on topwater plugs, live bait or cut bait on a carolina rig. Trout is the main target for most anglers this week.

OFFSHORE – The bite offshore has slowed down quite a bit this week. Kings (Mackerel, King) have been hitting around 10-12 miles off the coast. Anglers have been trolling with Cigar Minnows or Live Pogies. The birds are still giving their locations away. Grouper, Gag have also been biting along the bottom in the same places. They are loving Cigar Minnows as well along with Squid on jigs.

BAIT REPORT – Finger Mullet and Pogies are both running in the inlets this week. Pop in and check out Tex’s Tackle and Bait for their big Black Friday weekend sale from rods and reels to hats and sunglasses. It’s definitely worth checking out!


Tex’s Tackle and Bait
910-791-1763
texstackle.com

November 17, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Inlets and creeks are full of Seatrout, Spotted around the oyster beds. They have been moving in the surf as well and anglers are hooking them off the piers. Xwraps, hard jerk baits, crystal Shrimp and DOA Shrimp jigheads are all producing great results. Live Shrimp are working phenomenally under a cork. Lots of Reds (Drum, Red) continue to show up on topwater plugs, and alternatively live or cut bait on a Carolina rig. The Reds are being caught off the piers and bigger sizes along the nearshore wrecks. There have been reports of Flounder, Summer (Fluke) in this spot as well.

OFFSHORE – The offshore bite has been great this week. Wahoo have been biting in the stream on Skirted Ballyhoo. They have been coming up in some great sizes. Tuna, Blackfin have been caught as well using the same methods. The King (Mackerel, King) bite has been great for anglers trolling cigar minnows or live pogies from 5-10 miles out. Anglers have been looking for the birds to find them. Gags (Grouper, Gag) have been showing up in decent sizes that are expected to increase. 10-15 miles out is the best location for Gags using Squid or Cigar Minnows on jigs.

BAIT REPORT – Anglers continue to see a thick Mullet and Menhaden run in this area.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

November 13, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

“November; Fall has officially arrived at Wrightsville Beach and that means great fall fishing! When I think of November I think of Speckled trout (Seatrout, Spotted) fishing; November is the peak month around Wrightsville for trout! Here is the way I target Speckled trout and a few others during the month of November. In early November I look for Speckled trout in the creeks and channels just off the ICW; any where water is moving with tide flow and bait. Speckled trout like current; weather it’s hard current in a main channel or light current up a creek. You need current flow to catch trout; rising and falling tide can be good for trout. Don’t let the tide keep you from going trout fishing! Marsh grass lines, oyster rocks that run into a channel and drop-offs in channels are all good places to find Speckled trout in November. Almost any grass lines with oysters will hold some trout! Look for places where there is a slight current break and those trout will be close by! One key point to trout I’ve found is that most days Specks will bite, but what are they hitting that day? I’ve found that in early November hard baits work well. This is when you need to know where to start; what lures to try? One of my favorites is the good’ole MirrOlure; it’s been around a long time and it is still catching fish. The patterns I prefer are the 17MR, 18MR, 27MR, 52M and 52MR. Colors; MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go to colors around Wrightsville Beach area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP AND Capt. Jot Custom color (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop). Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes. Depths to use these lures; 17MR & 27 MR use these lures in two to six feet of water. 18MR, 52M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth-teen plus feet of water. If you have ever done any trout fishing at all you know that a grub (soft plastic) lures work very good for Speckled trout too! Berkley Gulp three inch shrimp pattern is one of my go-to lures. I prefer colors like sugar spice glow, pearl white and pearl white/fire tail. Saltwater Assassin’s 4” sea shad in colors chicken on a chain, sweet pea, mullet and cantaloupe are all good choices in November as well. I rig all of my trout grubs on 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1/4oz jigs heads in colors red, gray or black; always use a fluorocarbon leader when trout fishing, I use Berkley Pro Spec twenty pound in clear. Don’t count out live bait if you enjoy fishing with it. Try live smaller mullets, mud minnows and live shrimp. In shallow waters of two to five feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook. In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small number one J-hook (EC L42). Just wait until you feel that trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook, remember trout have very soft mouths slow hook sets work best! Here is one of my best tips I can give you for Speckled trout fishing around the Wrightsville area in November. The water gets clear, sometimes very clear around Wrightsville Beach in November. I always use Fluorocarbon leaders for Speckled trout fishing; for artificial as well as live bait fishing! You will catch more trout using a fluorocarbon leader; trust me! I use Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material in twenty and thirty pound test. Give it a try; you’ll be happy you did! The bigger Reds (Drum, Red) start to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets during September and run until later November; this year has been a epic early fall Bull Red bite. You never know when you might hook one of these hard fighting fish. When I fish for bigger Reds, I use fresh cut or live menhaden and mullet. I use fish finder rigs with 7/0 or 8/0 circle hooks and eighty pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do their job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull Reds, is don’t use too light of tackle for these bigger Reds. If you fight them too long, there is a chance you can tire them out too much and kill them. Try a med/heavy rod and a reel with at least thirty pound mono or braid, this will help you get the fish in quicker; with a better chance of a good release. Check to see if the Red has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Big Reds out there. Tackle run down: PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 for the Speckled trout. Rods PENN Battalion in 6’6” & 7’ med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound. Bull Reds PENN Fathom 20LW and PENN Rampage Jigging Rods. Thanks for reading, good luck fishing and have a Happy Thanksgiving!”


Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

November 6, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – Most inshore anglers are concentrating on the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) at this time. The inlet, adjacent creeks and docks as well as oyster points and currents are providing great numbers of Trout using jerkbaits or DOA shrimp. Drum, Red continue to bite topwaters in creeks and flats as well as along the docks using a Carolina Rig. Anglers can also find them off the piers in bigger sizes. There are still a few Bluefish and Mackerel, Spanish off the beach, and even some Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny) swimming.

OFFSHORE – There has still been a pretty good bite offshore in this area. At about 5-10 miles all the way to the beach, anglers have reported lots of Mackerel, King biting. There is also plenty of bait like Menhaden swimming as well. Farther out at 10-15 miles Grouper, Gag has been caught in solid numbers off the bottom in about 100 ft. of water. There are still some scattered Wahoo and Tuna, Blackfin to be found and maybe even a Dolphin or two. Anglers are pulling skirted Ballyhoo in blue and white. The Islanders have been working well as. Best colors right now are white and blue, or black and purple.

BAIT REPORT – Live shrimp are doing very well on a popping cork or regular float. There are also lots of Mullet and Glass Minnows running so there is no shortage of bait here. OF NOTE – Intercoastal Angler’s annual Fall Sale begins this Saturday the 7th where you can take advantage of great specials and free food.


Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

October 28, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

INSHORE – There has finally been some unbelievably good weather in this area and the fish are loving it. The cooler water and air are promising for anglers as the Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are really picking up. Anywhere from creeks to channels and inlets you can find Trout in shallow water from about 3-6ft deep. A number of artificial lures are working well such as 17MRs and Catch 2000 Jrs. Being that the water is shallow you won’t need anything heavy. Berkley gulp 3 inch Shrimp have also been good in sugarspice glow on the ⅛ ounce jigheads or even a little lighter. Mirrolure colors to have on hand are chartreuse and white. Shads are also working well in sweetpea and rainbow trout. Where there is more current you can add hot pink to that list as well as a slightly heavier jighead due to deeper water. The water is quite clear and since Trout have great eyesight it is a good idea to use a fluorocarbon leader to add a bit of stealth to your setup. Trout season will continue to pick up as November rolls in and we should be seeing some big fish due to the healthy and fatty sizes already. Trout aren’t the only fish biting either. Cobia, Albacore (Bonito, Little Tunny), Mackerel (Mackerel, Spanish) and Bluefish are all doing very well casting small jigging spoons or casting spoons. Look for the birds and they will lead you to the fish below them. Using Proxy Minnows or small jigs in blue, green or pink are a good bet. Weather conditions are expected to turn for the next few days bringing some rain however this should not affect the fishing once it passes.

BAIT REPORT – We are currently seeing the tail end of the Mullet run. There are still some Finger Mullet and big Mullet in the surf if you are looking. In addition, there are lots of micro Silversides and Anchovies in the shallow water as well. Shrimp are starting to move in the big weather patterns which will be perfect for the Trout season.

Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

October 23, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

Fall is trying so very hard to show up around the area but, with these weather changes comes ‘weather’ and for the last few weeks it’s been in the form of rain and thunderstorms! Hopefully the rains will slow down and we’ll start to see some breaks of cooler weather! I’m sure ready to see some cooler fall weather!
With all this talk of cooler fall weather, one fish that pops up on my radar is the very fun to catch Speckled trout and will not be long before they are here in good numbers! My easy break down of what lures I use are by current flow and water death. I prefer baits like MirrOlure’s 17MR and catch 2000jr in waters of two to six feet deep with light or no current. In deeper waters of five to fifteen plus feet with or without current I prefer MirrOlure’s 18MR and 52M & MR (slow sinking) As far as colors go try this rule of thumb; lighter colors in clearer blue & green waters and darker colors in river, tannic or stained waters.
I will use grubs in any water death or current when trout fishing, but I’ll adjust the weight of the jig head for the death or current of the water I’m fishing. Try lures like the Berkley Gulp Fire Tail 3” shrimp or the newer 3” Ripple Mullet for Speckled trout. Another lure that works well for trout is Saltwater Assassin’s Sea shad series, try colors like chicken on a chain, chart/diamond, copperhead, rainbow trout or 10w40 with lime tail. One thing I really believe in is using fluorocarbon leaders for Speckled trout fishing; these fish have very good eyesight. Using fluorocarbon will help you catch more trout; try Berkley’s new Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material. As the local waters cool the trout fishing will only get better!
The Bull Reds (over slot) are really starting to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms, shoals and around the inlets. You never know when you might hook one of these giants! When I fish for Bull Reds, I use fresh cut or live menhaden and mullet. I use fish finder/carolina rigs with 5/0 to 8/0 circle hooks and eighty pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do there job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull Reds, is don’t use to light of tackle for these bigger Reds. If you fight them to long, there is a chance you can tire them out too much and kill them. Try a med/heavy rod and a reel with at least thirty pound mono or braid, this will help you get the fish in quicker; with a better chance of a good release. Check to see if the Red has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Bull Reds out there.
This has been a good Flounder season for me and for that reason I’ve run a lot of Flounder trips this season with good success. One thing we have seen this year is that the Flounder fishing has been good inshore but better in the ocean this season, giving us lots of opportunities to flounder fish. Live bait as well as artificial lures has put lots of flounder in the boat for us. Carolina rigs with Eagle Claw L42 1/0 size hooks and forty pound clear fluorocarbon leader works well. Small finger mullets, small menhaden and mud minnows are our choice live baits. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in 5” & 6” colors pearl, chart pepper neon or new penny and 4” Ripple mullets if you would like to use artificial baits. The flounder are hanging around inlets, channel drops and creeks inshore. In the ocean nearshore artificial reefs, ledges and hard/live bottoms are holding some nice numbers of flounder too. During September the fall southern bait run will start to crank up, when this happens the Flounder will turn up a notch or two!

Fishing Gear I use:
Reels:
Speckled trout and Flounder: PENN Battle II spinning in sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 sizes.
Bull Reds Fishing reels: PENN Battle II 6000 & 7000, PENN Fathom 12 & 15 or Torque 12 & 15.
Line: Spiderwire Ultra-cast 10 and 15 pound.
Bull Reds Line: 30 or 40 pound Berkley Big Game Mono.
Rods: (Inshore) PENN Battalion.
Bull Reds Rods: PENN Rampage jigging series in 30-80 class spinning and casting.
Leader material: (inshore) Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon in thirty to forty pound.
Bull Reds: Berkley Big Game mono & Fluorocarbon in eighty to one hundred pound.

*Are you on Facebook? Check out my page Capt. Jot Owens/Jot It Down Fishing Charters LLC for lots of good info on local fishing, fishing tips, detailed live reports, photos and tackle giveaways; yes free stuff!
Thanks for reading, if you have any questions or comments just let me know. Don’t’ forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
PENN Tackle Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Sept.1, 2015

Wilmington Fishing Report

Fall is trying so very hard to show up around the area but, with these weather changes comes ‘weather’ and for the last few weeks it’s been in the form of rain and thunderstorms! Hopefully the rains will slow down and we’ll start to see some breaks of cooler weather! I’m sure ready to see some cooler fall weather!
With all this talk of cooler fall weather, one fish that pops up on my radar is the very fun to catch Speckled trout and will not be long before they are here in good numbers! My easy break down of what lures I use are by current flow and water death. I prefer baits like MirrOlure’s 17MR and catch 2000jr in waters of two to six feet deep with light or no current. In deeper waters of five to fifteen plus feet with or without current I prefer MirrOlure’s 18MR and 52M & MR (slow sinking) As far as colors go try this rule of thumb; lighter colors in clearer blue & green waters and darker colors in river, tannic or stained waters.
I will use grubs in any water death or current when trout fishing, but I’ll adjust the weight of the jig head for the death or current of the water I’m fishing. Try lures like the Berkley Gulp Fire Tail 3” shrimp or the newer 3” Ripple Mullet for Speckled trout. Another lure that works well for trout is Saltwater Assassin’s Sea shad series, try colors like chicken on a chain, chart/diamond, copperhead, rainbow trout or 10w40 with lime tail. One thing I really believe in is using fluorocarbon leaders for Speckled trout fishing; these fish have very good eyesight. Using fluorocarbon will help you catch more trout; try Berkley’s new Pro Spec fluorocarbon leader material. As the local waters cool the trout fishing will only get better!
The Bull Reds (over slot) are really starting to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms, shoals and around the inlets. You never know when you might hook one of these giants! When I fish for Bull Reds, I use fresh cut or live menhaden and mullet. I use fish finder/carolina rigs with 5/0 to 8/0 circle hooks and eighty pound Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so they will do there job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull Reds, is don’t use to light of tackle for these bigger Reds. If you fight them to long, there is a chance you can tire them out too much and kill them. Try a med/heavy rod and a reel with at least thirty pound mono or braid, this will help you get the fish in quicker; with a better chance of a good release. Check to see if the Red has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Bull Reds out there.
This has been a good Flounder season for me and for that reason I’ve run a lot of Flounder trips this season with good success. One thing we have seen this year is that the Flounder fishing has been good inshore but better in the ocean this season, giving us lots of opportunities to flounder fish. Live bait as well as artificial lures has put lots of flounder in the boat for us. Carolina rigs with Eagle Claw L42 1/0 size hooks and forty pound clear fluorocarbon leader works well. Small finger mullets, small menhaden and mud minnows are our choice live baits. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in 5” & 6” colors pearl, chart pepper neon or new penny and 4” Ripple mullets if you would like to use artificial baits. The flounder are hanging around inlets, channel drops and creeks inshore. In the ocean nearshore artificial reefs, ledges and hard/live bottoms are holding some nice numbers of flounder too. During September the fall southern bait run will start to crank up, when this happens the Flounder will turn up a notch or two!

Fishing Gear I use:
Reels:
Speckled trout and Flounder: PENN Battle II spinning in sizes 2000, 2500 & 3000 sizes.
Bull Reds Fishing reels: PENN Battle II 6000 & 7000, PENN Fathom 12 & 15 or Torque 12 & 15.
Line: Spiderwire Ultra-cast 10 and 15 pound.
Bull Reds Line: 30 or 40 pound Berkley Big Game Mono.
Rods: (Inshore) PENN Battalion.
Bull Reds Rods: PENN Rampage jigging series in 30-80 class spinning and casting.
Leader material: (inshore) Berkley Pro Spec fluorocarbon in thirty to forty pound.
Bull Reds: Berkley Big Game mono & Fluorocarbon in eighty to one hundred pound.

*Are you on Facebook? Check out my page Capt. Jot Owens/Jot It Down Fishing Charters LLC for lots of good info on local fishing, fishing tips, detailed live reports, photos and tackle giveaways; yes free stuff!
Thanks for reading, if you have any questions or comments just let me know. Don’t’ forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Jot Owens
PENN Tackle Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

August 25, 2015

Carolina / Wrightsville Beach / Wilmington Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – The Gulf Stream is starting to see an improved Wahoo bite. For the Wahoo: reds, blacks, purples, blue and white are going to your go to colors for skirting when trolling Ballyhoo. The haul to the “Stream” is about 60 to 65 miles. There’s some Mahi out there as well. Look for weedlines or watch for the birds. If the weather holds, you can expect to see similiar conditions through to the weekend.

INSHORE – There’s lots of Red and Black Drum around the docks. The bite has been pretty good in the backwater as well. Early in the mornings or late in the evenings anglers will find great topwater fishing for both. Soft plastics on jigheads like Gulp are working really well pitched around docks in the backwaters. Since the fish are starting to be more comfortable with the temperatures we expect to see the fishing continue to improve.

BAIT REPORT – The couple of cold fronts seen in the area have helped the baitfish situation. Finger Mullet are right on time and the past couple weeks have seen a good number of them rolling in. Pogies are on the beaches and in the back waters.

Intracoastal Angler
6332 Oleander Dr.
Wilmington, NC
910-392-3500

August 18, 2015

Carolina / Wrightsville Beach / Wilmington Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – The Gulf Stream has been fishing well for Wahoo. Most anglers are finding that trolling various artificial plugs isn’t producing quite as well as trolled Ballyhoo. There has also been a pretty steady amount of Mahi Mahi and Blackfin Tuna with Ballyhoo still being preferred over trolling lures.

INSHORE – Quite a few flounder are being caught on cut bait along with Sheepshead, Red Drum, and Black Drum. The Pompano have been fishing really well in the surf, and again, cut bait is often easier to manage in close and in the surf.

BAIT REPORT – Mullet is going to be the easiest bait to get your hands on. Cast netting has been much more productive than the Sabiki Rig as of late.

Intracoastal Angler
6332 Oleander Dr.
Wilmington, NC
910-392-3500

August 14, 2015

Wrightsville Fishing Report

Are YOU fishing or running charters the waters around Wilmington / Carolina / Wrightsville Beach and want to join the ProAngler team? Drop us a line at tips@proangler.us

July 31, 2015

Wrightsville Fishing Report

As with a few years back this august looks like it’s going to be great for Cobia. To target them, anchor or drift around the local inlets and nearshore artificial reefs and ledges. Use a large carolina rig with 3-6 ounce weights and 80 pound liter and circle hooks that are 6/0 -8/0 . The best bait is live Pinfish, Shads, Menhaden or Mullet. Make sure you have a rig with a bright colored Cobia jig when you spot one cruising around the surface. August fishing around Southeast NC can be great, but due to a few different weather scenarios; high heat, super dry, super wet etc… you may need to tune how you fish during August. Go earlier or much later in the day, if we have had lots of rain, look for cleaner waters to fish etc… By making adjustments will increase your chances of catching more during August hot dog days!

Flounder are a great hot weather fish because it really does not seem to matter how hot it gets they still bite! Live bait is the key for catching higher numbers of Flounder, but if you want to catch bigger Flounder try artificial bait. Mud minnows and small finger mullet will be the best live baits for Flounder in August. Rigging the live bait on carolina rigs with Eagle Claw L42 1/0 or 2/0 hooks is a good choice of rigs for Flounder. If you prefer to use artificial baits; scented and none scented grubs as well as spinner baits will do the job. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five and six inch and colors of new penny, pearl white and chart pepper neon are all good. Also try Berkley’s Havoc Grass Pig lure in colors, chartreuse, pearl white silver and swamp gas. I rig these lures on long hook shank jig heads in 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz weights in colors red, gray or white.

One fish that is always on my hot weather list is the Sheephead. The Sheephead is a good challenge to catch and they fight hard, but they are also good to eat! Another great thing about Sheephead fishing when it’s hot outside is that you can hide under a bridge out of the sun and catch them. Just think; fishing somewhere out of the sun and you’re catching great eating fish! All you need is some fiddler crabs or sand fleas for bait. A medium/heavy action spinning or casting rod with Spiderwire twenty or thirty pound braid for line will help you bring in that big Sheephead in. Tie on a short carolina rig with forty or fifty pound fluorocarbon leader and a small live bait J hook (sharp/strong)! Drop that fiddler crab down beside a piling on the carolina rig and when you feel that little bump; set the hook and hold on!

North Carolina is not really known for Tarpon fishing but we do see a few pushing just off Masonboro inlet and the lower Cape Fear River form time to time. If you want a good challenge, give Carolina Tarpon fishing a try this August. The best times are very early morning or late afternoon and in to the night. I fish for Tarpon on the bottom or free lining, using live and fresh dead baits like; spots, mullet and Menhaden. I rig these baits on fish finder rigs, with three to five feet of 80 to 100 pound fluorocarbon leaders. Circle hooks are the best bet for good hook ups and landings for Tarpon in hook sizes 7/0 to 9/0 depending what hook series you like. It not easy to catch a NC Tarpon, but I promise if you do or even just jump one off; you will try again!

I also enjoy shark fishing later in the summer (late July to early September). Sharks on light tackle are always a good pull and boy the kids love to catch’em! I drift live and fresh dead bluefish, Spanish mackerel, mullet or menhaden in thirty to forty five feet of water offshore. I rig these baits with a 7/0 circle hook with one foot of ninety pound wire and six to eight feet of eighty pound mono leader. I push down the hook barb on my shark hooks for easy release of the shark if you like. You can free line the bait and /or put a small egg sinker on to keep the bait close to the bottom. You’ll know when you get a bite! Most sharks are in the ten to one hundred plus pound range.

Last but certainly not lest is Bull Redfish (big Red Drum). The Bull Reds will start showing up in good numbers around inlets and hard/live bottoms just off the beach to about ten miles out in early August. Live or fresh dead bait is the key to catching these brutes. Most fish will be twenty-eight to over forty inches in length, very fun to catch size! It’s not hard to rig for the Bull reds; short carolina rigs with a 9/0 to 12/0 circle hook will do the trick. Remember if your catching larger Drum, please use heavier tackle; these Drum will work so hard when the water is hot and it is easy to kill them using to light of tackle (fighting them to long). Have a good August, stay cool and thanks for reading!

Capt. Jot Owens
PENN Tackle Elite Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Wilmington / Carolina Beach Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – Offshore fishing for Captain Robbie has been enjoying some good offshore fishing. There has been Spanish Mackerel, King Mackerel, Grouper, Mahi, and Sailfish. If you are trolling for the Mackerel, troll live bait like ballyhoo, or drone spoons if you are specifically targeting kings. Alot of fish that you catch trolling move with the weedlines, and following those weedlines is your best bet for finding fish like the Mahi. Mahi and Sailfish are also known to like the water of the gulf stream, so expect to go further out for them. The bottom fishing for grouper is good right now on Cigar Minnows and Sardines. You want to find a hard bottom, rock pile, wreck, or other structure and drop them down to the bottom.

INSHORE – There have been a few Red Drum and Flounder on the inshore. On a 4-6 hour trip expect 4-5 drum at the best. The Flounder are the best bite right now. Captain Cord at Hieronymus Fishing Charters has been catching Spanish Mackerel on Clarkspoons on the beach. Few red drum, flounder are strong. Flounder is best bite right now. There has been a lot of success fishing for Spanish Mackerel by trolling clarkspoons. clarkspoons Spanish mackerel on clarkspoons on the beach. 4-6 hour trip expect 4-5 drum at the best. There have been a few Grey Trout, but the water is a little to warm for the Speckled Trout. Live bait fishing is the way to go right now, especially if you can get your hands on live Mullet. There are a few artificial baits, like the Bass Assassin and other Paddle Tail Swimbaits.

BAIT REPORT – Bait isn’t strong now, but it is starting to come back.

Capt Robbie (Offshore)
Whipsaw
910-791-0555
info@whipsawfish.com

Capt. Cord Hieronymus (Inshore charters.)
FIshing Charters
910 231 6133
cord@carolinafishingcharter.com

July 22, 2015

Wilmington / Carolina Beach Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – Captain Trevor Smith over at ProFish NC Charter has been targeting the King Mackerel and Cobia offshore. There is a good deal of Mahi-Mahi being caught as well. Live bait has been working the best for him, especially the live Menhaden because they are around right now. If you have to go with dead, you can’t beat a Ballyhoo. He usually fishes in the 7-14 mile range anywhere from 40-60 feet. Sometimes if things aren’t as turned on as he likes he will head out to the 70 foot range. 

INSHORE – Captain Trevor has been seeing the usual inshore. More Red Drum and Flounder. Both of which are best caught on live bait. The live Menhaden and Finger Mullet work excellent. Take one of those and drop them on an inlet, flat, or deep water dock. If you plan on fishing the inlets, the best time to fish is when the tide is moving. 

BAIT REPORT – There is a good deal of bait. Some people will say this is the most bait they have ever seen, but Captain Trevor has seen more before – people just get glass eyed when they see that many fish in one place. 

Captain Trevor loves to run charters so give him a call and drag up some of the best fish you can find.

Captain Trevor Smith 
ProFishNC Charter 
910-547-0000 

July 8th, 2015

Wilmington / Carolina Beach Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – Blair over at Intracoastal Angler has heard that the Grouper are around bottom fishing. Where there are grouper there are also going to be all of the fish that come with them – the Black Sea Bass, Grunts, Pinkies etc. Drop down some local cut bait for them and you should do alright for yourself. Trolling is slow right now – there are a few Mahi being caught in the 20-30 mile range but the water was messed up earlier this week and some people have had to go 40-50 miles out. The Marlin bite further offshore in 100 fathoms or more is hit or miss.

INSHORE – There are Flounder, Drum, and Sheepshead being caught right now. It’s all happening right now. The key to successful fishing is going to be figuring out which fish you want to target and tailoring your bait and tackle accordingly. Live bait has been really good recently; and there is tons of it around. Plenty of Mullet and Menhaden, but if you want to go artificial the Drum and Flounder will eat Gulp bait all day long. If you are targeting the Flounder they are along the bottom of all the inlets right now, there are a lot of small ones down there that might steal your bait but there are big ones mixed in too. If you are targeting Redfish, they tend to hang out more around the structures and Mason’s Inlet on either side of the rocks, just make sure the winding isn’t beating you to death. The docks adjacent to the inlet are also good right now.

BAIT REPORT – There is plenty of bait running up and down the water way. The key is to edge up onto the edge of the water and get one person in the boat at the front with a net, and the schools of Mullet will find you. Pogies are different, however, they like to hang out in less current so check places like boat and yacht basins.

Blair
Intracoastal Angler
910-392-3500

July 3rd, 2015

Wilmington / Carolina Beach Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – If you run to the Gulf stream you’ll find a good bite on Mahi and Billfish. The Mahi love frozen Ballyhoo so grab some before they head out. There are also some Kings on the beach. For the Kings you’ll want to slow troll some Menhaden. If you’d prefer to bottom fish there is a good Grouper and Snapper bite. Lots of anglers have had success dropping Pinfish. At the wrecks you’ll also find a good bite on Flounder.

INSHORE – The Speckled Trout bite is really good inshore. You’ll find them in the river and around the bridges. They are biting well on topwater plugs and live Shrimp. Zero Spook Juniors are great topwaters especially in bone colour. Morning tide is good and the morning bite is always good in summer time. There are also some Flounder inshore around the bridges. Red Drum  are also really heavy on the shoals. You can run up 2-300 of those at a time in a foot of water.  Use a top water bite for them.

BAIT REPORT –  There is a lot of bait around. You’ll find lots of Mullet and Menhaden which is also great for the Trout.

Captain Ricky Kellum Specializes in big speckled trout check out some of his photos below!

Captain Ricky Kellum
Speckled Specialist
910-330-2745
 

June 20th, 2015

North Topsail / Surf City / Wilmington Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – Offshore you’ll find the bit on Kingfish is hot! You’ll want to troll for these with Ballyhoo which you’ll want to buy frozen from your local bait shop, or Cigar Minnows. There are also lots of King Mackerel and a mixed bag out there if you go a little further out.

INSHORE – A lot of anglers in the area are targeting Flounder. The Flounder are found near structure like bridges. They love to bite on live Shrimp and live Mud Minnows. Inshore you’ll also find Drum, Pinfish, Spot and Mullet. The Bluefish have also been particularly active right around the pier. Everyone has an opinion about the tide so it’s really more about preference and making sure the water is moving.

BAIT REPORT – You’ll find baitfish like Pinfish just about everywhere but they do move around so some days might be better than others.

One Stop Bait & Tackle.
805 Rolan Ave Surf City, NC.
910 328 1161

June 10th, 2015

Surf City / Wilmington Fishing Report

OFFSHORE – Offshore you should use live bait to go after Grouper, King Mackerel, and Drum and Mahi Mahi. Gotcha lures also work well, especially if trolling for Mahi Mahi with frozen Ballyhoo, Spanish Sardines, Ribbon fish or Cigar Minnows. If you want to go out a little further to the 30 or 40 mile mark you’ll find Grouper and Vermillion Snapper, Black Bass, Grunts.

INSHORE – Blues and Mullet are biting well right now. Not the best time of the year, but as soon as it heats up there are more people swimming than there are fish. However you can expect to see some Flounder, Drum, Trout and Spanish.In the Inlets you’ll find some Cobia. If you can find a good weedline off the beach you might  find some Mahi Mahi. Inshore trolling is particularly effective on a flat bottom. Shrimp and Bloodworm are excellent for everything and  anything especially so for Blues.

BAIT REPORT – You’ll find plenty of Menhaden using a Sabiki.

Jeff
One Stop Bait & Tackle
805 Rolan Ave Surf City, NC.
910 328 1161










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Since fishing conditions change from minute to minute we try to keep our reports as updated as possible. The United States is a large country, so we try to keep our Wilmington Fishing Report updated once a week. If you would like to contribute to the Wilmington Fishing Report, feel free to email your fishing tips to mike@proangler.us. We rely on even small contributions to inform us that fishing conditions have changed so we can update the Wilmington Fishing Report.

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