Affordable Charters Fishing Report

This warm weather sure is a pleasant change from some of our past years. I’m still around and Karen and myself sure are enjoying the free time. One of the shrimpers told me he is still catching enough live shrimp to keep Motts Channel supplied and that tells me there are still some fish around.
Down the river you can still find some Virginia Mullet, Black Drum and a few croakers. Get up around the oyster rock and you will still find some Puppy Drum and lots of Speckled Trout.
The surf is still producing some Puppy Drum and Speckled Trout as well. Let’s hope this El Nino sticks around until spring. That would make for a real good spring mullet run.
That usually starts around the middle of March.
Offshore, King Mackerel are still around the 15 mile range and bottom fishing is great when you can run 25 miles or more.
With this warm winter there will probably be an early return of bait to the river and waterway. I know you say it’s only the middle of January but the weatherman at NOAA says El Nino will stick around until mid spring.
It was nice to have the opportunity - thanks to John Carty’s vacation - to write to you all and we miss you all as well.
If you’re out fishing this spring and see that big yellow sea skimmer, come over and say hi! Till then,
Steve and Karen Labanec
Carolina Beach, NC
P.S. Make sure to get that fishing license!

  

Captain John Carty
Affordable Fishing Charters
Carolina Beach, NC
910-616-3957

Offshore some catches of King Mackerel and reports of a few Tuna. On the bottom gag, Red and Scamp Grouper, Ringtails,
Black Bass, and Grunt. Inshore we are catching Virginia Mullet, Trout, Black Drum, Red Drum, Catfish, and Striped Bass.
In the surf speckled trout, a few Flounder, Black Drum, and Virginia Mullet.
This week’s fishing tip: Don’t forget the new fishing license law has gone into effect. You may purchase these at Island Tackle & Hardware. Anything North of Isabelle Holmes Bridge requires a fresh water fishing license also.
Another tip: There are still biting. We have been fishing the Cape Fear
River Inlet with very good catches of Virginia mullet, spots, small black bass, croaker and on the shoals some red drum.
The weather is supposed to cool down some so the water temperature will fall.
This will slow the fishing down some. As long as the temperature warms back up like it has in recent weeks, the fishing should pick back up again. So get out there and give it a shot.
Happy New Year. Keep fishing and stay safe.
Captain John Carty
Affordable Charters

(pictured above) Rick with this large Red Drum caught next to Bald Head Island aboard Affordable Charters.