Captain Jot Owens Fishing Report

Hello folks, I hope everyone is enjoying this fishing season so far; except all the WIND lately!!! Man, one week of light winds and pay with two plus weeks of hard southwest! Take is North Carolina Spring for ya! The big (bar highs) will be here soon: “I hope”! Will let’s talk about the windy weather fishing report>>>

The water has really gotten dirty with all the wind lately; when we find clearer water, we are finding the fish. Most of the Spanish and Blues are biting Clark spoons trolled behind #1 planner’s. The Clark spoons that are working the best for us are sizes; 00 and 0 in plan silver and pink flash. When the Spanish are on top feeding and jumping, Maria jig spoons have been the trick. We have also caught a hand full of chopper blues too. These choppers are running in the six to over fifth teen pound range. The choppers are biting big poppers and mid water stick baits. Color really does not seem to matter to those big blues, just a lot of action from the lure!

I’ve seen a few Cobia around the inlets and near shore reefs. Live bait fishing is the best bet for these great fighting fish. Fishing live baits on top as well as on the bottom will get you the best chance at catching a Cobia. I prefer bluefish, mullet and menhaden for bait; what ever is easier to get. To catch a Cobia you’ve got to put your time in, sometimes you catch one right away; sometimes you don’t. That’s why they call it fishing! The Cobia should keep getting better later in to May. It’s time now to book you Cobia trips.

We are seeing a few more Redfish around; most fish have been in the water way, bays and around some of the inlets. As more live bait shows up, more Reds will come out of the ocean and in to the sounds. This is starting to happen, the fishing should pick up in the next few weeks. The Reds we are getting are hitting fresh cut, bait live and scented Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) grubs in colors; drunk monkey and molting. We’ve been rigging these on weed less hooks for grass fishing in some of the bays and flats.

There are some Flounder around, we’ve not caught any great numbers yet, but this should change very soon with the bait showing up. We’ve caught some small to just over keeper size in some of the local creeks and creek mouths. Most are hitting on a falling tide where the bait comes pouring out of the shallows. Mud minnows are work well now; that is until the little mullets show up in good numbers. We are using light Carolina rigs with #1 L42 Eagle claw hooks; going very light on the egg sinker: ¼ to ¾ oz.

Gear used: Spanish, Blues, Reds and Flounder: reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7?0? Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. Cobia: Penn spinning reel 760L (Live Liner) Rod: Penn Torque 6’6” 30-80 class. Line: forty (40) pound Berkley Big Game braid.

Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing!

Capt. Jot Owens

Ranger Boats and

Pure Fishing Pro Staff

www.captainjot.com

910-233-4139

  

Good day to everyone.  The weather is starting to finally get right; we are having more warm days than cooler ones.  The forecast has warmer days for the rest of the week.  Wind wise a little better everyday, we’ve finally started to get out on the ocean and start looking for those Bonita’s.  Let’s talk about that.  

Those high speed Bonita’s should show up any day now; there has already been a small push of Spanish in the last few days.  I think this is a push of fish and warm water; these fish will probably move out of here.  The Bluefish are mixed in with them too.  We’re catching them by trolling and casting.  The trolling rigs that we’re using are; a number one planner with thirty to forty feet of forty pound mono leader.  Tied to the leader is a Clark spoon in size’s 0, 1 and 2, I like to use the gold and pink flash Clark spoons.  Troll them about five to six knots.  You can also troll small deep diving plugs too, but you need to slow down your speed to around three knots. 

If you would like to try casting or jigging for the Bonita’s, Blues and Spanish I would use Maria jigs.  They do have a price tag on them, but when the bite is tough these jigs will pay off!  Maria’s that I have the best luck with are size’s seven and fourteen grams.  The fourteens are easier to cast.  Colors to use; green, blue and pink seem to work the best for me.  I put a small shot of forty pound mono leader 12 to14 inches.  

There has been a very good Black drum bite the last two weeks, most days I’m catching 14+ plus on a half day.  Most of the drum are biting around docks and creek mouths in the ICW.  The best bait “by far” has been fresh cut shrimp in small pieces.  We are using small two hook drop rig, with a number 2 bait holder hook and one or two oz  bank sinkers. 

The Speckled trout have decided to bite from time to time the last few weeks.  Most fish are coming out of creeks, flats and channels around the waterway and inlets.  Best bet for the trout so far has been grubs, working the grubs slow in holes and drop-offs.   The grubs I like in the spring mouths are Saltwater Assassin sea shad in 4”.  Colors silver mullet, chart diamond, Chicken on a chain and salt/pep shad. I like to use shrimp (Bang) scent in the spring too, this helps because there is not much bait in the water yet.  I don’t use a lot of scents for Trout, but in the cool spring mouths it can really help. 

Gear used: Reels Penn Sargus SG2000 and SG4000 Rods: Ugly Stick Lite 7?0? Med light and Med act. Line: Fire Line crystal in 10 and 20 pound test. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing!    

Capt. Jot Owens

Ranger Boats and

Pure Fishing Pro Staff

www.captainjot.com 

910-233-4139