[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ummer has come and gone and fall fishing is in full swing, hard to believe feels just like yesterday we were talking about the Spring Cobia bite. October can be one of the best months to fish in our area as fish are feeding up getting ready to make their way back off the beaches or down the beaches to warmer waters.
The Spanish Mackerel fishing has been going crazy with the fish schooling and feeding up. Most of the action has been at Beaufort Inlet, Bardenâs Inlet and Cape Lookout Shoals. This is the time to get the best action casting on light tackle with small jigs like Sea Striker Jig fish Lures, Kastmasters, Glass Minnows Jigs and Spec-Rigs. When the mullets start coming out of the inlets like weâre seeing the Spanish take full advantage of the bait and go crazy. The time to get the best action is on the North Wind days when the mullet gets moving and the Spanish know it and are ready to feed. Also, weâve been seeing plenty of action trolling Clarkspoons, Mackerel Trees, Squid Rigs and Bird Rigs along the beaches. As far as the larger fish, this is the time youâll see the larger fish of the year. The Shipping Channel, AR 285, Cape Lookout Rock Jetty and AR 315 all have been âHot Spotsâ. The best way to catch these fish is Live Baiting Finger Mullet on a Live Bait Spanish Rig. Plus youâll find plenty of schools of Bluefish in the mix, same as the Spanish theyâre schooling up and feeding like crazy. What weâre seeing now is nice sized fish. This is great for kids because when you find them itâs pretty much non- stop action until youâre tired of catching them.
If youâre out looking for Spanish action this time of year, thereâs a good chance youâre going to run into some Albacore action too. Hard to beat the pull of an Albacore on light tackle, they will light up a drag. The Albacore will stay along the beaches and around the inlets, the best way to find them is look for the birds working the water. If you look up and down the beaches and see a good number of birds working the water thereâs a great chance feeding Albacore is under them. In the fall, itâs hard to miss when you see the birds diving down in the water sometimes fish will be busting glass minnows out of the water. As far as what to be throwing at them, the same lures as casting to Spanish will work but what weâve found the Epoxy Glass Minnow Jigs are hard to beat, they look so real (just like glass minnows) the Albacore rarely turn them down. Also, they are very durable jigs being made out of epoxy, this time of the year we keep a good stock on hand.
Been seeing some Spots and Sea Mullets move into the area, itâs really hard to tell when peak time will be. Weâll have about 2 to 3 weeks of prime Spot fishing from these tasty fish but the Sea Mullets will stay through November. Could be any day or could be the middle toward the end of them month, but we have already seen some good catches. The Sea Mullets will be somewhere between the Shipping Channel back toward the Turning Basin area in the No Wake Zone. For the mullets, we like the Samâs Gitters Spec Rigs tipped with Bait Shrimp or Fishbites.
For the Spots, same area but the âHot Spotâ will be in Gallants Channel back toward the Beaufort Draw Bridge area.  Bottom rigs tipped with Live Bloodworms, Fishbite Bloodworms, along with Gulp Bloodworms is the bait of choice to load a cooler up. So, donât miss the run, keep a look at our weekly fishing reports at www.chasintailsoutdoors.com and our Facebook Page, this way youâll know when the bite turns on.
King Mackerel bite has been up and down for sure this season. Nowâs the time, weâve been waiting on all year to see if we are going to see the epic bite we had last fall repeat itself. This is when weâll see the most numbers of fish and largest fish of the year. North West Places and Big Ten / Little Ten were the hot spots last year. So far, what weâve been seeing is places like AR2815, Shipping Channel, Cape Lookout Rock Jetty, 1700 Rock, AR315, Sea Buoy and Dead Tree Hole. Live Bait will play a big role for the bigger class of fish, but this time of year a Dead Cigar Minnow rigged on a Pirate Plug, Blue Water Candy Dead Bait Rigs and Blue Water Wedgies will work. Thereâs something about when the water cools down the Kings really like Cigar Minnows. This area is known for the fall King Mackerel bite, thatâs why this year the SKA King Mackerel Nationals will be held right here in our area the last week of this month.
Flounder fishing has been pretty good all summer and will get even better this month. Nowâs the time when the flatties will start to stack up in more numbers making it easier to catch more than one in a spot. The Port Wall will be the best place for the inside waters. Each October, it acts like a resting spot for the fish as they begin to make their way back out to the ocean from being in the creeks and shallows all summer. But it can be hit or miss fishing; one day you might limit out then the next not even a bite, so keep that in mind. Live Finger Mullet and Live Mud Minnows both have been working the best on a Carolina Rig and we have both in stock at the shop. Also, the High Rise Bridges will hold fish as they start to make their move out, so donât pass those pilings up. As for the âOcean Flounderâ we have been finding good action at AR 315, AR 320 and AR 285 most of the summer. Spro Bucktails, the 2oz size in White, Glow and Pink seem to be the best colors tipped with a Berkley Gulp 4â White or Glow Shrimp. But itâs always a good ideal to take along some Live Finger Mullet when fishing the reefs. Another area that gets over looked for Flounder is the Inlet, keep in mind when theyâre moving out they will be going through the Inlet so drift fishing there with Live Bait can put some fish in the boat.
Itâs Speckled Trout Season⌠hopefully; things will pick up, just in the last few weeks we have started to see some show up around the Haystacks and Core Creek area. Itâs been slow on them this summer with not all that many fish being caught. But like every fall, itâs like clockwork; the fish will start to push down and come in as we get some colder weather. By the end of the month, we should start to see fish get on the jetties like Cape Lookout and Radio Island. Keep in mind; we wonât start to see fish show up on these spots until the water really cools down. Live Shrimp is always the key to catching jetty fish along with Live Mud Minnows. Artificial lures will be Mirrolure 17MR, 18MR, Berkley Gulp, Rapala Twitchinâ Rap, Z-Man, Vudu Shrimp, Curly Tail Grubs and Yo-Zuri 3D Minnows. These are all big players when it comes to catching Speckled Trout in our area.
Also, our 8th Annual Speckled Trout Challenge has started so make sure you come by the shop or call to sign up. Thereâs still plenty of time to fish as the event wonât end until January 3, 2016.
The Gray Trout fishing has been steady around the Railroad Trestle and the Beaufort High Rise Bridge; also anglers have been catching them in the Inlet back toward the Turning Basin area. Jigging Stingsilvers, Jig Fish Lures and Live Bait has been working well. Also, you can find some luck fishing Spec-rigs tipped with Bait Shrimp or Fishbites.
Red Fish bite still a bit tough; itâs just been an off year for our area. We have seen good numbers of fish down toward Swansboro and few North of us. But, anglers are catching a few around the Haystacks, Core Creek and Middle Marsh area so thereâs a few around. It just seems like itâs a lot of searching to find out where they are holding. Iâve talked to guys that have been fishing the sounds way north this summer seeing and catching good numbers of fish. So, hopefully; when the northern waters get cold some of Reds will move toward our area to improve our quantity of fish.
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