a jack cravelle caught while fishing the Cape Lookout shoals with Capt. Noah Lynk.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s we move out of the hottest part of the year and into the month of September, the fishing should really start to pick up as just about every species inshore starts to feed up for the winter months ahead.
In the nearshore waters from Beaufort Inlet to the shoals of Cape Lookout, you’ll start to see the Spanish mackerel get fat and more numerous as they feed up on large finger mullet and glass minnows. Also among the Spanish will be nice sized fall bluefish, false albacore and Atlantic bonito. One method I like best for catching these species during the fall are trolling dusters and small spoons on top (with no planer) using light tackle spinning gear. For those that like to cast to them such as fly fishermen and those using light spinning tackle, baits that best imitate what they are feeding on will work best, such the Salty Bay Glass Minnow or Sea Striker Jig fish, both in the small sizes.
The month of September is also the beginning of the annual flounder migration back to the ocean for winter, and is a great time to catch some of the bigger fish of the year as they move out of the creeks and rivers back into the open water to feed up for the winter. I personally like to fish with live bait for flounder using either mud minnows, killifish (tiger minnows) or finger mullet. My favorite are the mud minnows due to their durability and the fact that they don’t required as much oxygenated water as the other species, therefore you don’t really need a constant supply of fresh water, and an aerator will do the job. As for how I rig live baits, I prefer to use either live bait heads by Salty Bay Baits or the Calcutta Ultra Jigs, or I like to use a white bucktail rigged with a live bait. You’ll find many flounder in the deeper channels, near structure and also up near the creek mouths of the local marshes.
If you’re looking for red drum, this is the time of year that they begin to school up in our area and will stay schooled for most of the fall and winter months. They also really like live bait, especially live shrimp and mud minnows, used in conjunction with a Cajun Thunder popping cork. This is a great set-up for beginners. For those who like to fish artificials, the Salty Bay Red Devil and shrimp patterns are really good, as well as the MirrOlure soft baits and topwater hard baits.
For those who really love to fish, you know September marks the beginning of three to four months of great fishing in the Harkers Island/Cape Lookout area, so get your ready and make sure that your safety products on your vessel are in good condition. As the water temps begin to fall, you want to have everything in good condition in case you might need it.
I still have dates open for fall fishing but they tend to go quickly, so if you are looking for a prime time for a charter don’t wait.
I hope to see everyone on the water enjoying themselves and having a great September!