Headhunter Outdoors Report

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 11-17-08

CCCB Press — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:27:49 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. The bite is slowing down a little but there are still plenty of fish biting. The spots are still around in the surf and sound and some are big. Lots of Speckled trout and Redfish are biting in the sound and surf. Just off the beach on the ledges the Gray Trout are tearing it up. Blues are everywhere and all sizes. Use a short wire leader if you keep getting bit off. The water temps are cooling off pretty fast and are in the mid to low 60’s according to where you are fishing. This time of the year a couple of degree’s can be the difference between fishing and catching. Some nice black drum are being caught as well. Offshore the kings are pulling out 20-30 miles but that don’t mean you won’t catch one closer in. I’m hearing the the stream is thick with Wahoo now too. The bottom fishing is still going on but the fish are easing out to deeper water for the winter too. Everything is still around,just farther out.

On the hunting side, one of my readers called the other day to comment on my lack of success in deer hunting so far this year. Well folks it’s not that I ain’t seen any deer,I’m just being a little picky this year. Heck I’ll bet I can shoot a deer in you folks back yard. Deer hunting and harvesting a deer are two entirely different things. It ain’t about the kill,it’s the experience of the hunt! Anyway, duck season is in and about everything else for that matter so go hunting. I haven’t heard of any birds being around except for woodies on the river so lets hope for cold weather to push some down here. On another note: coming up before too long is the Wild Game Cookoff at Poplar Grove Plantation on January 24th 2009 and then the Cape Fear Wildlife Expo in March. Over the winter there are a lot of outdoor shows and seminars to attend and hopefully pick up some helpful tips from. Well I’m going to wrap this up because I’ve got to get my mess together for a mountain hunting trip. Till next week,be safe and take a kid with you.

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 11-10-08

CCCB Press — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:04:33 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. The fish are still biting and I certainly hope you folks have the freezer full for the winter. Reds are everywhere in the surf and sound. Gray Trout are biting in the ocean. Specks are biting in the sound. Blues are thicker than hair on a dogs back. Spots are in the surf and waterway. Pompano are in the surf and the flounder are still biting . Folks trying to tell you where to go is about impossible. The first thing I would advise you to do is find the water. The second thing would be to have a rod with you. Then try baiting a hook and tossing it in the water. It really doesn’t matter where you go you should be able to catch a few fish. Use either live or cut bait and sit back and wait! The water temps are in the 67 degree range and a little warmer back in the sound but the fish know that winter is coming and are fattening up. If you have a 4wd vehicle get a beach permit and head to the inlet. All the fish in the sound are going to be coming out the inlets for the next few weeks and some of the best fishing is on the inlet bars. Either inlet is good just get a permit if you go to the south end.

Offshore things are still happening. Kings are still around as well as a few Spanish. The bottom fishing is hot with the Gray trout and Snapper and Bass on the reefs and ledges. Be careful if you go out. It can get rough in a hurry this time of the year. Be safe, not sorry!

On the hunting side, Deer season is in and the bucks are starting to move folks. Thats good and bad ! The good thing is it ups your chance of getting that big buck, the bad thing is that the deer are moving at all times and up the chance of a late night encounter with a car. Duck season is in from Nov 8-29th. Check online for more specific regulations. at ncwildlife.org or pick up a regulation guide at any local outdoors shop. In the next couple of weeks just about all small game and big game will be in season except for Turkey. Take your kid or the neighbors kid with you out in the woods or on the water folks. The satisfaction of a kid learning to enjoy the outdoors and be successful is overwhelming. A good squirrel or rabbit hunt is a great way to start and progress from there. All the conservation and protection of our outdoors will go to waste if we don’t teach our youth the value of it. Whether you hunt and fish or just like hiking and other types of outdoor recreation we still need to pry them kids away the video games and soccer practice and show them what its all about! Well thats it for this week so be safe and take a kid with you.

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 10-27-08

CCCB Press — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:54:22 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Sorry about the last couple of weeks folks, between fishing and hunting I’ve been a busy guy. Never fear folks we are going to give all of you the lowdown on whats hot and whats not!

Inshore, Specks and Reds are everywhere and are hitting about anything you can throw at them. The Swing bridge and Howards creek are holding lots of Trout, both Specks and Gray’s. The docks along the waterway and Banks channel are holding some nice Flounder and Reds along with Black drum. The inlet bars are a good place to look for some big Reds this time of the year and the north end of Lea island has a good bite going on too. The waterway still has a lot of spots making the fall run and the netters are tearing them up. Folks the best places to catch a mess on a rod and reel seems to be Topsail creek and Banks channel. Anyplace along the waterway is a good spot when a school moves through. Just sit and wait on them, they will be along shortly! Bloodworms and fresh cut shrimp are about the best baits to use. Who knows, a black drum or anything else might hit your bait.

The surf and piers are catching everything from Pompano to Blues now and the guys on the end of the piers are still catching some Kings. Spanish Mackeral are still around and early morning seems to be the best time to catch them. Live bait,cut bait or Mole crabs aka”sand fleas” are the best baits to catch whatever is in the surf. Some big fish roam the wave zone and can be caught now. Lots of fish feed in the white water zone on the beach so don’t try to heave your bait plumb to Europe! Spots,Redfish,Trout,Mullet,Blues,Spanish,all can be caught from shore so go stick a sand spike in the beach,take a chair,wet a hook and relax. Dinner is only a bite away! Don’t forget your beach permit if you drive out on the beach.

Offshore things are still biting and the kings can be found from the beach on out. Spanish are thick around the inlet and bluefish are everywhere. Bottom fishing is still good but the weather here lately has be great one day and miserable the next. Be careful if you go out and keep an eye on the weather.

On the hunting side, My son-in-law and I went hunting last week and he got a deer on Monday and one on Wednesday. That boy has a horseshoe up his-OOPS can’t say that in a family publication.Well anyway, you get the idea. I haven’t had any luck yet so I’m still trying. I even found out that the legendary sportsman Waylan Batson has even gotten 2 deer so far this season. Well thats about it for this week so remember to take a kid with you and be safe.

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 10-14-08

CCCB Press — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:39:22 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Spots are everywhere and judging from what I’m hearing just about every place you can wet a hook, you can catch them. Surf fishing is good with a little bit of everything biting. The Reds are all along the beach and some huge schools are around the inlets. The north end of Lea island and Rich’s inlet are hot if you can find time to get there. Lots of Specks are around and are biting. A fat shrimp under a float will surely tempt a big Trout now. They are also hitting minnows and artificials. It really doesn’t matter what you use you ought to be able to find some hungry fish now. The flounder bite has picked up and some nice fish are being caught in the surf and sound. Back in the sound most of the docks are holding flounder or Reds now. Folks take a couple of days off work and go fishing! Everything is biting.
Offshore, bottom fishing is good with lots of Black bass being caught on the close in reefs and ledges which is good news for small boaters. Farther out, Grouper and Snapper are in the 15-20 mile range on the deep structure. The Kings are all over the place and finding the bait is about the best place to start looking. Mahi and sails are still around but are pulling farther out as the water temps fall. Temperature breaks and current lines are good spots to look for about anything that swims in the ocean. Just remember to hang on when it happens, it can go from tranquil to chaotic in an instant when the fish hits.
On the hunting side, I still ain’t got a deer yet but I’m still trying. Hey, even a blind hog will find an acorn! Hunting is an exercise in patience folks. Most folks who hunt know that it ain’t about the meat cause meat is cheaper at the store. It’s the experience of becoming part of your surroundings that appeal to a lot of folks. Gun season comes in Saturday and the boys are going to loose the hounds. Folks if a deer hound wanders up to your house, don’t run it off. Give the dog some water and call the number on the collar. The owner will thank you and you might make a new friend. Folks have a lot of money in a good dog and do take good care of them. These dogs are lean, running and tracking athletes of the dog world, so don’t think that because the dog is skinny it’s not taken care of. It’s the genetic trait of the breed to be skinny. Well thats it for this week so remember, be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 10-6-08

CCCB Press — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:25:11 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Spots, Spots, and more Spots! The piers are catching them, the surf and sound are full of them. Get your cooler and fill the freezer! If you want to know where to go, Try any place that is wet. Bloodworms and Shrimp are great bait as well as Fishbites and some folks use plain old redworms with sucess. A two hook bottom rig is all you need to catch a mess of these tasty little fish. The sound and surf are also giving up some nice Reds and specks. I’ve heard that Topsail inlet is full of reds but I’m still catching them along the waterway and the creeks. Lots of big Speckled Trout are cruising around too. Howards creek is always a good spot to start looking. Folks the Blues are thick everywhere and some of the ones I’ve caught lately are 4-5 lbs. The docks and bridges are holding some big Flounder and they are hungry. A fat Finger mullet on a Carolina rig can’t be beat around about any dock and who knows what else might grab it. If you find a dock holding fish don’t tell anybody but me! OK! Just tell people that you caught it in the water, right in the corner of the mouth! Offshore the fish are biting good too. Spanish,Kings and a few Tarpon are from the beach on out and the bottom fishing is hot too. Whether you bottom fish or troll find the structure and bait and the predators ain’t far away.
On the hunting side, I went hunting the other evening and was sitting up in my stand and 2 bucks popped out about 10 yards from me. Well I’m going to put it in print, I chocked and missed a 10 yard shot with my bow. I got Buck fever folks. All my years of hunting and I choked! AARRRGGHH! Well maybe I’ll get a second chance soon. It just goes to show you that anything can happen. Well thats it for this week folks. Be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-29-08

CCCB Press — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:01:54 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. I’m going to go ahead and tell you this is going to be short and sweet this week. Redfish on the inlet bars and all along the waterway. Nice Flounder around just about any dock or structure. Specks are in the deep holes and are biting on the high tide. Howard’s creek and the swing bridge are hot. Don’t forget the dredge dock at the south end either. The creeks are full of Shrimp and baitfish and the falling tide at just about any creek mouth is about a sure thing. The spots are starting to bite a little better and should get even better over the next few weeks. Do you hear that Doctor D!
The surf is heating up and the best bite seems to be when I’m not there! Late evening and into the night is the best bite. Lots of Blues around and are all sizes. Lots of Reds running the surf and inlet bars. Get yourself a beach pass and go to either inlet and relax for a while!
Offshore things are still the same,the storm didn’t mess it up too bad. Folks all I can say is to go fishing. Don’t keep putting it off till it’s too late. Procrastination will insure you don’t catch anything! Don’t complain when you don’t have any fish to eat in February, cause I told you to go fishing. Oh, remember that they call it fishing not catching. If they ain’t biting where you are, MOVE!
On the hunting side, I ain’t got one yet but I have seen a few. Between fishing and hunting my wife is getting mad cause my housecleaning duties are getting overlooked. Huh, imagine that!
Folks thats it for this week cause I got fish to catch and critters to hunt! Till next week, be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-23-08

CCCB Press — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:18:46 +0000

Hi folks, Capt.David here with this weeks outdoors report. The Spots are showing up in better numbers this week and it’s none too soon! The waterway and the surf are heating up and everything is biting. Trout are still hanging around the Swing bridge and early morning seems to be the best time to catch a nice Speck. All that structure means that the Flounder are laying on the bottom around the bridge too. If you want to catch a citation size Flounder now,the bridge is the best place I know off. The Reds are scattered all along the waterway and I’m hearing that the inlet bars at both ends are stacked up with some BIG Reds! Now is the time to be fishing folks. Lay out of work and go fishing.
The offshore bite is still going as well. The best advise I can give you is, find the bait-find the fish!
Black Bass are everywhere for the bottom fisherman and some of the ledges in the 10 mile range have a grouper every now and then. Just be careful of the size limit! Flounder are being caught in the ocean and surf and the Blues are everywhere. I didn’t think that the little Blues would be worst bait stealers than the Pinfish, but they are! Kings and Spanish are thick and early morning is the hot time to have baits in the water. Sails and Mahi are farther out but still biting hard when you find them. Be careful and pay attention to the weather this time of the year folks. A fast moving front can make it dangerous in a hurry out there. Slick calm in the morning and BAM! 6 footers rolling 4 seconds apart! Folks the first thing I would advise doing when it gets rough is to put on a life jacket immediately. Rouge waves are not a myth, they do happen! Just be safe folks.
Now on the hunting side. Well I’ve been hunting 3 times and saw deer twice but I still haven’t had a shot. Who says hunting is easy. Early season bow hunting is an exercise in abuse. Whether it’s the heat or the skeeter’s, it makes you question your sanity. What am I talkin’ about,sane people don’t do that to themselves. It’s still a rush when you see a deer. Heck just being outdoors makes me feel good. Friday my daughter called me to invite me to go Dove hunting with her on Saturday morning. Must have done something right! I didn’t go because I didn’t want to get a lesson in wingshooting from her. She gives me a hard time about getting old and missing birds. She did get her gift of good aim with a shotgun from her Granddaddy. Remember to take your kids hunting and you won’t be hunting your kids folks. Well thats it for this week folks,be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-16-08

CCCB Press — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:37:05 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here again. Folks the fishing is hot. The surf action is picking up with a little of everything. Blues, Red and Black drum, Flounder, Pompano, a few Spots and Mullet. The piers are catching the same with Spanish and Kings in the mix. Night seems to be the best time to try these locations now and you can go after work too. That should make the bossman happy!

Offshore, Kings from the beach on out and Spanish around the inlets and behind the breakers. If you do a dawn patrol and troll a 00 Clark spoon on a small planer you can usually catch the limit of Spanish. Black Bass are all over the Topsail ledges and the reefs. I’ve heard off a few Grouper being caught on some of the ledges out 10 miles or so. Mahi and Sails are still in the area and are 10-15 miles out. The deep wrecks and ledges are holding some nice Grouper too. AJ’s are usually close to structure too. Hook a AJ and I hope you got good tackle,because they ain’t nothing but fight. Thats what I like about saltwater fish, they got attitude!

The sound is full of Reds,Flounder and Specks. The Reds are scattered all along the waterway and up in the creeks. The docks are holding Flounder and Reds. Specks are roaming around everywhere and it looks like this fall is going to be a good one for BIG Trout. All these fish are in 4 foot or less, chasing bait. I’m also hearing of a few more spots showing up too. It ain’t the run yet so don’t get all excited. Remember the Spot Festival is coming up as well! Good food and great fun!

On the hunting side, DEER SEASON IS IN! I went Saturday morning and didn’t see anything and it was way too hot for me that evening. Let’s hope this weather will cool off some. Anyway Dove season is still in as well as resident Goose season. The short Teal season is coming in this week and I have seen some birds on the sound. Well thats it for this week so remember, Take a kid with you and be safe!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-9-08

CCCB Press — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:37:07 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Well with tropical storm Hanna blowing through last weekend, the fishing was a little off. Before the storm everything was biting everywhere! Since the storm the water is muddy and the bite is off a little. It won’t take but a couple of days for the water to clear and the games can resume! I certainly hope everyone weathered the storm okay and didn’t have any damages.

It certainly is good to live around here with all we have to do in the outdoors. Go down on the sound and catch Redfish and Flounder in about any creek mouth or on the flats. Specks in the morning and at dusk around the swing bridge. Kings from the beach on out. Black sea bass on the reefs and ledges. Heck everything is biting! I’ve even heard of a few small spots being caught. Now don’t get in an uproar, there’s always a spot or two to be had. Folks it don’t matter what kind of fish you like to catch, It’s BITING! Go fishing. The piers and beach are good at night and will only get better as it cools off.

Remember that you need a beach permit to drive on the beach in designated areas during the fall and winter. Oh, and a good 4 wheel drive vehicle. The fall surf fishing season is a great time to be a fisherman. Drive out on the beach, put a couple of sand spikes down, bait up and sit back and relax. Remember that it can be peaceful with no bite one minute and then all heck breaks loose when a school of fish swim by! It’s also a great way to spend quality time with the family!

On the hunting side, Archery deer season comes in on Saturday and I can’t wait. Dove season is still in as well as resident Canada Goose season. Folks check your treestand for safety reasons and wear a safety harness anytime you are in an elevated stand. Treestand falls are the #1 reason hunters get hurt. Falling 20 feet out of a tree is a good way to end your season. I personally like my harness because I won’t fall when I take a nap! Snoring sounds like a buck grunting I think. Well thats about it for this week so remember be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-2-08

CCCB Press — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:11:20 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. I heard that one of my readers expressed concern that the fish pictured in last weeks column was illegal! Folks let me assure you that the fish in question was over the slot limit and was released unharmed along with several others that were in the same size range. I practice catch and release and that fish has been caught several times in the last few weeks. Folks, my reputation is too valuable to risk a run-in with the Marine Fisheries guys and get a ticket. Not to mention that I can go back the next day with a charter and catch the same fish. Catching an oversize fish ain’t illegal, keeping it is! 90% of the fish caught on my charters are released alive and unharmed!
Now on to other things. The fish are biting everywhere and are hungry. With fall just around the corner, the fish are getting fattened up for the winter. Reds are all along the waterway and Flounder are around the docks in Banks channel and along the waterway. Speckled Trout are hanging around too. Right now Mullet minnows and peanut pogeys are what they are biting and look for some vicious hits too. Topwater baits are working well for both Reds and Specks back in the bays around Permuda Island and Everett bay. Remember dark bait for cloudy days and light colored baits on sunny days. I’ve heard the Specks are still around the swing bridge and some bigger Flounder are laid up under the bridge as well.
Offshore things are still jumping but be careful this week with that storm brewing down south of up cause it’s going to kick up a swell. Kings from the beach on out along with Spanish. Sailfish are still within a couple of miles and the bottom fishing is hot on the ledges and reefs with Black bass and snapper. Grouper are liable to hit your bait as well. Just be careful if you go out this week!
On the other side, Dove season opened on Labor day and I went to stone creek game land and had a great time shooting birds. Wildlife Resources and Quail forever cooperated and planted a couple of fields and birds were flying. I gave those rascals plenty of warning shots too! It’s a darned good thing I can’t shoot as good as I think I can! I saw a couple of guys with their kids out there too. That makes me feel good when I see that. A wise man said, Take your kids huntin’ and you won’t be huntin’ your kids! Sounds good to me folks! Well thats it for this week so remember to take a kid with you and be safe!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818