[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ell, it’s now the dog days of summer and it is hot! On the inshore side of things, a lot of folks tend to put up the rods and take to the beaches of Cape Lookout and Shackleford Island. But for those that watch the water temps and pay attention to the local catch report, you’ll find that the fish are still here…they’ve just moved a little further off shore into deeper or cooler water.
For the flounder on the inside–and this is also true for reds–the best times of day for me have always been in the early morning hours, leaving around 6 am and fishing until around noon. It’s best if you can catch the tide already high and just beginning to fall. Fishing for flounder and reds on my end has been really good on live bait fished on a Salty Bay Baits live bait head, fishing up in the marshes like Middle Marsh, North River Marsh, the Haystacks of the Newport River and the marsh areas of Fishing Creek.
On the outside, looking for Spanish mackerel and bluefish, the Cape Lookout Shoals have been insanely hot with large schools of both species just tearing up huge schools of bait. These fish can be caught by trolling or by casting…my preferred method is to find them in large quantities and cast plugs to them. The MirrOlip crank bait by MirrOlure has been really hot, as it provides plenty of weight for casting…and both Spanish and blues love them! If you’re fishing only the schools of Spanish, the Salty Bay Glass Minnow, BS Sea Sticker Jig Fish have been really good. Also, MirrOlure’s MirrOglass and MirrOminnow have been really hot!
As the month of August nears its end, the large bull red drum will be working out of the Neuse River and out into the Pamlico Sound, so it’s gonna be a good time to go get hooked up onto some of those big boys. For those looking to catch these fish on light tackle, Cajun Thunder popping corks have just come out with the Magnum Popper, just for the bull reds. It’s larger and will hold a bigger bait than most smaller popping corks.
With speckled trout now open again, I have been seeing a few nice fish caught down my way, but only a few. As the month of September gets here we should see more of them as the local shrimp population really begins to explode.
Speaking of shrimp, for anyone interested in getting out of the heat and trying something fun, I am running night trips for ladyfish using live shrimp. If you want a really awesome fight on light tackle, this is your species! They tend to feed best at night and around lighted structure. On the falling tide, you’ll find them tearing up the water, feeding on shrimp as they pass through the local channels.
Looking for a summer charter? I still have dates available, so just give me a shout. I hope everyone is having a great summer…just remember to be safe on the water!