OBX Inshore Fishing – May 2017

 

Bonita Mackerel

by Aaron Kelly, Rock Solid Fishing

Boy-oh-boy! This is the time of year, things get real interesting real quick! You’ll quickly find all kinds of fishing opportunities on surf, sound, and sea. Surf fisherman can find redfish, blues, trout, sea mullet, and more. Fresh bait like mullet or shrimp seem to be winners. Also, quarter ounce jigs on light action spinning rods tapping along the bottom will entice reds, trout, and flounder. Looking for birds in the mornings or evenings there are busting blues, Spanish, and albacore chasing glass minnows. On sound-side, light tackle boats take up residence on various marsh points tossing jigs to little stripers, specs, reds, and phatty flatties! Seaside, boats will be trolling spoons catching blues and Spanish. Also in May, we sometimes encounter the Bonita mackerel. It looks like an albacore but has more of a greenish tint and has little teeth. These taste terrible and you should give them all to your captain… Just kidding! Unlike the strong fishy taste of albacore the “bo macks” are one of my favorites to eat sashimi style. If you look up into the towers of these boats you will find med heavy spinning rods adorned with colorful Meathog cobia jigs. These feather lures hide a big hook and are intended for sight casting to cobia and big redfish cruising along the ocean surface. The season will be open in state waters, which is three miles and closer. These big guys are often over 50lbs! We often run into big schools of black drum pushing their way north in May. So get to one of the fine local tackle shops to get rigged up. Find some water and get hooked up!

Captain Aaron Kelly

Rock Solid Fishing  • www.rocksolidfishing.com  • 252-441-6575