Daily Bible Verse

December 30, 2010

NC Coastal Fishing Report

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Donna and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and you have our best wishes for a happy and blessed New Year! I am still on an anti-biotic, so Donna says I won't be doing the Dolphin Dip at Surf City this year. I cant say I am too disapointed, since the surf water temps are in the low 40's. I don't know if Donna is "Dipping" this year. We'll see. She hasn't missed for several years now, and the weather is supposed to be beautiful, so come on down to Topsail, watch the crazies dressed up in costumes go swimming in the frigid surf! And get the T Shirt, or Sweat Shirt! They are usually really nice. It will be much fun!

Fishing reports from the Topsail area have been scarce recently. Well, practly non-existant. So I have gathered a few Eastern North Carolina Reports from the internet.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010
A Puppy Blitz continues at the point at Cape Hatteras, One angler reported catching them till he got tired. They continue to bite on grubs.Heard of stripers up north around Kitty Hawk. The weather ls looking good for the week-end Posted by Red Drum Tackle, Cape Hatteras. http://reddrumtackle.com/


Thursday, December 30, 2010

Fishing Report: They had a good run of Puppy Drum at Buxton yesterday. Anglers were using artificial lures. Most were not keepers, but enough keepers to make it interesting. It is a beautiful day. Water temp is 39 ...
Posted by TW's Bait and Tackle, Nags Head, NC; Kitty Hawk, NC; and Corrola, NC.
http://twstackle.com/index.php

Ocean Isle Fishing Center  Ocean Isle Beach, NC     Report 12-30-2010 "Update"

OIFC World Cat / Carolina Cat
Several boats fished yesterday. They found the kings and a couple of mahi east of the Frying Pan Tower. It seems the warm water has pushed out. Captain Brant and some others are out again today.
Inshore, the water was in the 30's. The trout were very lethargic. (Didn't know I knew words like that did you?) Flounder were seen in very shallow water laying on the black mud. Some of this info was courtesy of Captain Mark Dickson...thanks. Mark. Captain Jeff Beck and Capt. Brandon Sauls may give the in shore fishing a shot today.
I hope to give you an update this evening.
-Capt. Rickey Beck

Capt Jot Owens
Southeastern NC Inshore Fishing
"Cold Weather but the Fish are Biting; Wrightsville Beach, NC"

This report filed by Capt. Jot, in The North Carolina Sportsman who posts to this blog as well as several others in SE North Carolina.

(quote)
"Cold Weather but the Fish are Biting; Wrightsville Beach, NC

It’s been cold around here lately, where did fall go? We have had some kind of weather around here in the last; oh-I’ll say over a year! Cold, hot and cold again, what a year!?!? It has played havoc on the local fishing but I’m not one to set around and wait for it to warm up, I like to fish! So here is the fishing report of what I’ve been trying to catch (with some success) during this cold December we are having.
Speckled trout fishing got a little harder in the last few weeks and I’ve caught a few but worked hard to catch’em. Working baits like MirrOlures and Berkley Gulp very slow has been the best success lately. The trout seem to be sitting deeper whether it’s in the creeks or around the inlets; the trout are feeding in the five plus feet of water. When the trout starting doing this, it’s usually a little later in the year; I use baits that sink very slow. The MirrOlure 52M, 52MR and TT series are some of the best for the slow pattern I look for during the cold fishing mouths. When I use soft plastics like Berkley Gulp I use lighter jig heads in weights of 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1/4oz. This lighter jig heads make it much easier to work grubs much slower when trout are lethargic form cold water. Any days when we have mostly sunny skies or warmer air temps; these are the winter days you need to try to go Speckled trout fishing.
When the cold weather hit us and decided not to leave, I knew it was time to go try for some Cape Fear River Striped Bass. Cape Fear Stripers can be a hit and miss fishery but not to say you can’t go catch a few most days. I look for the Striped bass in the CFR to be in around five to twelve feet of water; when its warmer they are shallower and when it’s colder they are usually deeper. Casting soft baits like Berkley Gulp jerkshads and pogy patterns are a good choice for the Stripers. Colors I prefer are pearl, new penny and Arkansas shiner. When the CFR Stripers are very active, I like hard baits like MirrOlures L29M in colors 11, 18 and 808. Always with any winter fishing, work baits slower in cold water for better results.
One thing we have not had much of this season is nice enough weather to get out and chase the winter Redfish, one of my favorite winter pass times! The Reds are there all we need is the weather to go get’em. When I fish for winter Redfish I use lots of Berkley Gulp! You can’t go wrong with scented lures when the water gets cold. Berkley Gulp Ripple Shad, 3” Shrimp and five inch Jerkshad should do the trick. Another trick for winter Redfish is to look for dark/black mud bottoms in creeks; on warmer sunny days the Reds love to get on these flats to warm up a bit. We all know if a fish warms up any at all they will usually bite a hook!"
(end quote)

Read the entire post at North Carolina Sportsman Reports
Captain Jot Owens

Ranger Boats Pro Staff
Penn Reels Elite Staff
http://www.captainjot.com/
910-233-4139




Thanks to everyone for their posts.
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Kayak Adventure

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Cool Fishing Video by fellow angler known as O Shin Rin.... Originally posted on http://www.pierandsurf.com/. Here is his post and video....
(quote)
"The Ditch fri 24
Report :
Well the plan wasto get there around 9am ...launched at 12pm wind out of the NW and cold / tide peaking and moving. Paddled to the cove where 6 boats where spaced out and bobbers everywhere. Made a drift back to the ramp......... small nibble by the ramp. Trolled our way to the ditch , just pass the bridge Jason hooks a nice 20 1/2 speck, a couple small ones pulled by jason and I drift trolled back to the bridge ....
fish on a small 10in , 3 fish for me 14in the biggest ....set up near the bar between the ramp and overpass a Jon boat was slaying them nothing big but where pulling them in on minnows and gulps ..... Had family plans at 5 so around 4 I called it ..... Not alot of time on the water but fun none the less
Got to try out my new Playsport so as I figure out how to download and make vid I'll post it up

Oh on a side note THEY UPPED THE FEES TO $10 FOR PARKING AND $10 PER BOAT
prob put in at Tops for now on "
(end quote)

O Shin Rin, Thanks for letting me re-post this video.

Jennettes Pier at Nags Head, NC Update

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Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 21, 2011, when the new state-of-the-art, 1,000-foot concrete pier and 16,000-square-foot pier house will be christened and reopened to the public. The pier will be operated by the NC Aquarium Society as an educational center. Jennettes Pier will boast alternative energy demonstrations, live animal exhibits, meeting facilities, a snack bar and tackle shop, and a host of other displays and yes,  great fishing too!


"Right now a day fishing pass at Jennette’s is $12 ($6 for kids under 13). King fishing rates are not set yet, but we are considering $15 for a day pass. There are not going to be live bait tanks on the end of the Pier for king fishermen. If we see a strong need in the future we may consider adding them later."  says Mike Remige, the Pier Manager.


Michael P. Remige
Pier Manager
Jennette's Pier at Nags Head
425 Health Center Dr.
Nags Head NC 27959
Phone: (252) 480-8582 ext. 230
Fax: (252) 480-0719
http://www.jennettespier.net/

Visit the website above for more information.
 
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

December 29, 2010

Braid? or Not Braid?

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I have seen an increased use of braid line in recent years. I can understant how it would make a difference fishing in fifty to a hundred feet of water setting the hook is a twenty five pound grouper, but does is treally make a difference catching two pound mullets,  three pound trout, or five pound reds and blues? To me it's expensive and I have not bought it yet to try. I don't  seem to miss a lot of bites, or could it be that I just don't feel some of the bites because of the stretch of the mono?  I would really like to hear some opinions, to help me decide if the extra bucks will actually get me more fish in that cooler.

It was really a nice day. I had to baby sit a sick dog, so I didn't get to go out. Did anyone get out in the surf, on the pier, or on the water today?

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Southeast Fishery Bulletin; Snapper-Grouper Fishery

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Southeast Fishery Bulletin

National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL
December 29, 2010
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Michie, or Kate.Michie@noaa.gov
FB10-112
727-824-5305, FAX 727-824-5308


NOAA Announces the Publication of a Final Rule to Establish Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures for Nine South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Species NOAA Fisheries Service has published a final rule implementing Amendment 17B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17B). This final rule, establishes annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for nine snapper-grouper species (golden tilefish, snowy grouper, speckled hind, warsaw grouper, gag, red grouper, black grouper, black sea bass, and vermilion snapper) as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. ACLs are set at levels that prevent overfishing (when the rate of removals is too high). AMs are management controls established to ensure that ACLs are not exceeded, or they may correct for overages if ACLs are exceeded during a fishing season.


In addition to specifying ACLs and AMs for nine snapper-grouper species, Amendment 17B allocates 97 percent of the golden tilefish ACL to the commercial sector and 3 percent of the ACL to the recreational sector, and specifies management measures intended to address overfishing, including:


• A prohibition on harvest and retention of speckled hind and warsaw grouper in federal waters of the South Atlantic.
• A prohibition on harvest and retention of snowy grouper, blueline tilefish, yellowedge grouper, misty grouper, queen snapper, and silk snapper, beyond 240 feet (73 m) in federal waters of the South Atlantic.
This species prohibition is intended to reduce incidental catch of speckled hind and warsaw grouper.
• And a bag limit reduction for snowy grouper from one fish per person per day, to one fish per vessel per day.
Effective Date: All measures in Amendment 17B will be effective January 31, 2011.
Addresses Electronic copies of the final rule may be obtained from the e-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov/, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Web site at http://www.safmc.net/, or:


NOAA Fisheries Service
Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701


More information: Information on these and other actions contained in Amendment 17B can be found on the Council’s web site at http://www.safmc.net/, in the Amendment 17B Frequently Asked Questions, and at the following NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Region web site http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/SASnapperGrouperHomepage.htm.

Cheryl Gilgo
Public Affairs Assistant
252-808-8137


E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
______________________________________________


DENR.DMF.NewsRelease mailing list
DENR.DMF.NewsRelease@lists.ncmail.net

Weather is nice today. I am babysitting a sick dog, but it's a nice day to see if there is a stray red or gator trout roaming the surf this afternoon. Get some finger mullets out of the freezer or head to your local tackle shop and get some roe mullets for cut bait, and head for the surf. Today, with all the sun, might just be a good day to check out the shoals at the New Topsail Inlet. The water is really shallow here, water will warm a bit and maybe a red will hang out and cruise for dinner. Or launch the boat and head up your favorite creek or flats oyster beds for some schooled red drum. Catch 'em up!!!

Till next time...
Tight lines!
Johnny

December 28, 2010

Bottle Cap Fishing Lure?

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Ok guys and gals, hears a new one on me. The guys that told me about this say they really catch fish, specifically blues, speckled trout, flounder, and even spanish mac. I don't know about this. Anyway, I think I am gonna try is out in the spring. Below is the YouTube video of how to make a bottle cap lure.



Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas from Topsail Beach

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It's a beautiful day at Topsail Beach. Mid 50"s, plenty of sunshine, cool ocean breeze. Birds are diving into the surf. Waves are rolling in. Beautiful day! If you aren't here, believe me, it's worth the drive.
 
Till next time....
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Johnny and Donna
 
 
Luke 2:10-14
King James Version


And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas


The Birth of Jesus
Mt. 1.18-25

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyre'ni-us was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David,) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.


Donna and I would like to thank all our family, friends, contributors and readers for another great and Blessed year. We sincerely hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year!

Merry Christmas!
Johnny and Donna

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December 21, 2010

Tex's Tackle Wilmington, Break-In

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Hello from Topsail Beach!  Below is an email I received from Tex's Tackle.

Tex's Tackle Break-in    12/21/2010

Dear Customers,


I want to thank all of you for your business in the past as well as during this holiday season, and I apologize for the flurry of e-mails/notifications. This morning, Tuesday December 21, 2010, our shop was broken into. Aside from numerous damages, many high-end conventional and spinning reels were stolen, including two very identifiable items. These were a Daiwa Saltiga Dogfight spinning reel, which there are only 400 in this country, as well as a special edition Shimano Calcutta 250 that is a wood grain pattern finish. I would first like to apologize for our shortened inventory due to this incident, and if there is something we don’t have I am very sorry. Second, I would really appreciate any help at all in recovery of these items, but more importantly that the people responsible for this are brought to justice before they harm any other local businesses or individuals. Please do not hesitate to contact us or the proper authority with any information you may have. Thank you for being great customers as well as great people.
TEX


(910) 791-1763
 

Fishin' Report

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Hello from Toposail Beach. I have some scattered fishing reports for you this morning. All these are from trusted sources, or as much as any angler, especially speckled trout anglers, can be trusted. There is no order to them, but here they are. A recent outing to the swing bridge in Surf City resulted in no bites. Angler said not even a bump. Same guy fished near shore with the same results. The latest report from the New River reports no bites or bumps, but also no floaters in the 38* to 44* water. Alway good to hear. We always worry about speckled trout kills in this area. A report from the Outer Banks says the stripers are getting closer to the Oregon Inlet. The trip netted some nice stripers. The fishing party hooked 6 fish, one citation at 37lbs and the others were in the low 30's. Pamlico Report; The speckled trrout are still hanging around even with 38 degree water. Angler and his daughter braved the cold and caught and tagged three. He reports that the Pamlico bank guys are still catching a few, but it takes a lot of patience but pays of if you slow way down with your retrieve. That's about all I can tell you right now. If you want to give them a try, just remember, SLOW is the key. Good luck!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

December 16, 2010

Ocean Isle Fishing Report

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Topsail Fishing reports are a bit scarce right now. And the weather is to bad for an old angler like me to stand in water. I got this one from the Ocean Isle Fishing Center.

Inshore Report: by Capt. Jacob Frick
Click Here to view the original post.




Water temperature this past week has dropped into the low 50's. The redfish have gone very shallow for the most part. Two reasons they go shallow this time of year. One they are seeking warmer waters on black mud flats, which warms up much quicker with the help of the sun. Two the dolphin hunt them very hard this time of year and will push these fish way back into shallow creeks. With that said, be quiet and sneak up on a school to have a field day. These fish will bite all year long and can range from 14" to 25" with an occassional 30" hanging around. The most exciting part is they will be in 1 to 3 feet of very clear water, so you can see all the action!
The trout bite remains strong at the Little River jetties. Dr. Wallen and myself fished on Dec. 4th with a mixed bag of 8 trout, 3 redfish, and 2 black drum. The trout were good size ranging from 2 to 4 pounds. The best technique out there is floating live shrimp. However, if you are up for a challenge artificials will work. Both Dr. Wallen and myself landed trout on artificials. The challenge is keeping the bait in the strike zone and not hanging up. A few redfish are still hanging out at the jetties. Dr. Wallen landed a nice 26" red that went 8 pounds on the bogy grip. Well, there you have it folks. Yes, it is very cold, but the fish are still biting. If the water temps fall into the upper 40's this week, which I expect with the forecast. You will need to target low tides in the middle of the day to be successful. As water drains from the flats and creeks it will usually warm a few degrees. If it warms to 50 degrees the fish will bite. Keep it very slow and quiet! Hang on! See you on the water!

A very interesting post from OIFC.  I'll post more local reports when I get them.


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

December 10, 2010

Donation helps Audubon buy, preserve land on Lea Island

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The Audubon Society has purchased a thirty six acre tract on Lee Island, and will preserve the land as a shore bird and Turtle sanctuary. This will protect this part of the island from development.

Read More at http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20101208/ARTICLES/101209672

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

December 9, 2010

Bill Lakey

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Thanks to Surf City Pier for the picture.

With much regret, I have to announce the passing of one of our fishing pier friends, Bill Lakey, who worked and fished at Surf City Pier. Bill passed away Tuesday morning at home. No services are planned at this time. Bill built a trout rod for me last year, and it remains my favorite fishing rod. Bill was a talented rod maker and a dear friend.... I will miss his company. Our thougthts and prayers go out to Linda, Bills wife, who fishes at Surf City Pier. May God give you peace.

December 7, 2010

Winter Fishing

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It's not officially winter yet, just over another week, but it sure feels like winter on the beach. Wind and near freezing temps are making fishing a very uncomfortable activity. But for the brave anglers who brave the cold, there are some catching opportunities. We are getting reports that fishing on the sound side is producing catches of speckled trout, flounder and bluefish. Red drum are still schooling around Lea Islaned. The piers are still open, and are reporting catches of large sea mullet, tons of puffers, occasional bluefish. Small speckled trout are abundant. There have been a few reports of flounder and even a few spots. Brave souls that are surf fishing, are being rewarded with some of the biggest winter sea mullets I have seen. One angler reports catching six over two pounds on bloodworms. There are some large keeper size specks in the surf, but they are scattered. MirrOlure 808 seems to be the best bait, but some are being caught on grups. When the small specks are found, it really doesn't matter what bait you throw. If you are fishing from a boat, try your favorite spots in and around the ICW. Live shrimp under a cork could get a nice speckled trout. That's all I have for now. Reports are getting slow.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny