Specks at South Topsail

Just got back in from a two hour walk on the beach with Donna. Beachcombing, not fishing. There were several different groups of anglers, some bottom fishing, some throwing plugs or grubs. One was fishing with a carolina rigged shrimp, whole but not alive. I didn't see a fish. None of the anglers I talked to had caught fish or even had a bite. I talked to Mr. Nick who had fished at Surf City Pier about everyday this week, and caught small trout, a few keepers, all on grubs. He said that bottom anglers were catching a few sharks and rays. Got word from Tommy that an angler limited on speckled trout south of Jolly Rodger Pier at Topsail Beach early this morning. No word on size, but this time of year, I would settle for ten 13 inchers for supper. Don't have any information on anything inside at this time. I am expecting word from fishin bud Caro17. I think he had planned to head out this morning, and he usually lets me know what he catches. I talked to a guy this afternoon that has just bought a kayak at Herring's Outdoor Sports. Jason is taking her out for her maiden voyage right now. He has his fishing rod, and hopefully he will bring back something to brag about. If you have never ridden or fished from a kayak, you are missing one of my favorite experiences. Go by Herrings Outdoor Sports and talk to Steve or Jesse, and check them out. You can rent a kayak and try it out before you buy. I am sure you will enjoy the time on the water.

The sun is shining, and it's almost 70. Might be 70 by now. Donna and I started our walk wearing sweatshirts, but were down to short sleaves before the walk was finished. So, it appears that fishing is slowing, but what a wonderful day for a walk on the beach.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

What I Did, What I Heard

What I Did

I went out in the kayak today. I fished grass banks on the west side of the ICW. I caught five puppy drum from 17 to 22 inches. Released all. I was hoping to find some speckled trout, but they gave me the slip today. I caught the reds on a 1/16 oz jig and Berkley Gulp Shrimp (new penny). All were in relatively shallow water. I saw a nice speck caught in a creek mouth that was about 2 1/2 or 3 pounds. I think the bait was live minnows.

What I Heard

I heard that there were a couple of nice specks caught from the surf today along with a keeper flounder, don't know the size. I heard that Chuck, from East Coast Sports caught a nice speckled trout in the surf today. Good job Chuck. Also, a big sea mullet was beached before noon today on cut shrimp. I heard that a few small specks were caught from Surf City Pier in the AM.

And that's about the information I have today. I am thinking about giving surf fishing another try in the morning. The water temp is still hovering in the upper 50's, and I haven't given up on trout in the surf yet. Think I will take some fresh shrimp and give bottom fishing another try.

Is anyone getting live shrimp with cast nets now? I haven't seen any in a while. Are they all gone out or burried? Do they stay around all winter?

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Inside Fishing Report and Gulp Tips

I went out to the surf today, but there was nothing out there. I didn't hear of anything being caught, surf or pier. The bottom has changed a lot from before the latest front. So if you are headed out in the next few days, better scout your locations so you won't be fishing in unproductive territory.

Got an email from fishin bud and blog reader Caro 17 today. I have posted it in full. Give it a read. It has some good tips about Berkley Gulp.

email follows:

> WAS HAVING WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS FROM NOT FISHING FOR 5 DAYS HAD TO GET
> OUT THIS AFT FOR 3 HRS, FISHED SOME OF MY HOLES AND THE RESULTS WERE 4
> LITTLE DRUM AND 3 FLOUNDER ALMOST LEGAL, DON,T THINK FLO GROW PAST 13 1/2
> ".
> BUT IT WAS FUN ,STARTED OUT WITH 3" NATURAL SHRIMP. NOTHING ON IT WENT TO
> 3"
> NEW PENNY THAT IS WHAT I CAUGHT THEM ALL ON .
> TIP FOR YOUR READERS IF YOU WANT TO PRINT IT. GULP SHRIMP IS VERY
> EXPENSIVE, AND WHEN YOU CATCH A COUPLE OF FISH ON ONE IT STARTS TO PULL
> DOWN
> ON THE JIG AND WON,T STAY UP, SO I HAVE BEEN CUTTING THE HEAD OFF AND
> USING
> ABOUT 3/4 OF IT , THE FISH HIT IT JUST AS IF IT WERE A WHOLE ONE . ALSO
> WITH
> THE GULP SHRIMP THEY SAY THE SCENT IS WATER ACTIVATED AND NOT TO PUT A
> USED
> SHRIMP BACK IN THE PACK AS IT WILL ACTIVATE THE WHOLE PACK, SO I HAVE BEEN
> PUTTING MY USED ONES IN A SEPERATE PACK AND USING THEM LATER. THIS ALWAYS
> WORKS I HAVE CAUGHT FISH ON ONES THAT HAVE BEEN IN MY USED BAG FOR A WEEK
> .
> PLUS WHEN I EMPTY A BAG OF GULP BAIT I PORE ANY LIQUID INTO MY USED BAG.
> JUST FOR THOUGHT USE IT IF YOU WANT . LATER CARO 17


Thanks to Caro 17 for this fishing report and tips on saving money on Berkley Gulp. It is a great bait, but a bit pricy. So we need to save all we can.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Surf Still Rough

A morning trip to the Surf City Pier proved to be fruitless. The surf is still churning and a steady 15 mph wind is blowing from the southwest. The sun is out, and the temp is comfortable, so we are just waiting for the wind to lay down. There were several folks fishing from the pier and no one was catching anything or getting any bites. I didn't see anyone fishing from the surf in the Surf City area. I haven't heard anything from inside today, if I get word I will post asap.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Wonderful Christmas Day, But Not for Fishing

Christmas is always a wonderful day, celebrating the birth of Jesus. But the weather today was anything but wonderful at Topsail Island and Surf City. Windy with gale warnings and bands of heavy rain throughout the day, and surf breaking eight or nine hundred feet from shore. Not ideal conditions for fishing. Not even ideal conditions for ducks! The couple of times I went out and looked at the surf, there weren't even any surfers out in the ocean. Now, if it's too rough for Surf City surfers, it's rough. The rain is supposed to stop tonight, but it will still be windy tomorrow and tomorrow night. Wednesday hopefully, will be a better fishing day. Maybe the speckled trout will still be around. I am not finished catching trout this year. I try not to be greedy, but I just love them. I don't take more than a couple a day when I fish, if I catch any. On occasion I will keep my limit, but not often. We will see if the specks are still out there as soon as the weather clears. Dad is here and we will be hitting the beach, or maybe the pier, as quick as the wind and rain will cooperate.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I would like to wish all the blog readers a very Merry Christmas! Thanks for all your prayers and kind notes of support throught the year. I started this blog as a record for myself of my fishing trips. It has grown larger than I ever imagined. We had over 25,000 unique hits this year, and the number of hits are growing daily. I really enjoy the feedback from you readers, and I am glad when I can answer questions and help out a bit. Please feel free to continue to send the emails, questions, and comments, as these help fuel the blog fire! Thanks for your continued support, and Merry Christmas!

I didn't fish today, I was getting ready for Christmas Eve suppper. But I talked to several folks that did fish, and the news isn't too good for surf casters. I haven't heard of anything at all coming from the surf. "Not even a bump." As my fishing bud Tommy put it. My dad who is visiting for Christmas, fished in the surf for trout for a couple of hours this afternoon and he had no luck either. However, on Surf City Pier, the few who ventured out there were catching small throw back speckled trout. Fishing bud Tim hung onto a nice trout, but was on the pier alone and couldn't get the beast into a net before it pulled loose. Tomorrow doesn't look too good because of the weather. It's already windy, and it's only going to get worse. The rain is coming in the morning, and from what I hear, a lot of it. But hopefully, it will be gone Tuesday. Maybe we will be able to get back on the beach soon before the specks and sea mullets move out.

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny
Merry Christmas!

Elmer Fudd says, "Be Vewwy Quiet, We're Hunting Muwwets."

It's just a few days until Christmas, and the fish are biting in the surf like it's fishing season! Speckled trout are still biting in the surf today. Even though a front has moved in and the surf is angry. The waves are high and small craft warnings have already been issued. And the specks are still biting. Friend Tommy caught a nice two and a half pounder today in the surf. But specks aren't all that is being pulled onto the sand by a good number of anglers daily on the beaches of Topsail Island. Blues, yes I said blues, they should have been gone a while ago. And Tommy's wife Susan caught a big spot a few days ago. Black drum are in the surf, they are not huge, but they are edible. And sea mullet, big sea mullet, also known as whiting, some up to two pounds, a few bigger than that, are being caught on cut shrimp and ........ you guessed it.... sand fleas! Sand fleas are being found on the beach. You have to dig for them, but they are there. If you watch the shore birds, you will see them picking up small fleas in the suds. Ken and I are planning to give the sea mullet a try in the morning. We are taking fresh shrimp and a shovel to dig fleas. We are looking for a good day on the beach. The sky is supposed to clear tonight, and the temps should be in the middle to high 60's. Two days before Christmas. I love this weather.
Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny
Merry Christmas!

Keeper Trout

The speckled trout were in the surf thick Tuesday morning. I caught no less than 20, probably more. Only problem, they were small. I kept three that were a bit over 13 inches for supper last night. The specks were biting Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet, three inch in smoke color. I got them at Herring's Outdoor Sports, but I am sure that they carry them at the other tackle shops at the beach. I know they have them at East Coast Sports. I fished them with a slow retrieval, pick up the rod tip, then lower and reel, pick up rod tip then lower and reel. I couldn't entice a bite by bouncing on the bottom like I usually fish a jig. The bite seemed to come as the jig was falling back to the bottom. I tried fishing mirrolures, but had only a couple of small bites. Small trout are still being caught from Surf City Pier in the daylight hours. As you probably know the pier is closed after dark. I had a report of several black drum and some sea mullet being caught in the surf just north of Surf City Pier. Don't know what the bait was. I talked to a couple of guys digging for sand fleas (mole crabs) yesterday afternoon. They were actually finding a few fleas, but they were deep. They had to do a lot of digging for just a few fleas, but when fleas are your bait of choice, then digging is what you do. I still haven't gotten out in the kayak. It seems that every time I get ready to go, something comes up, and I have to reschedule my trip. Maybe I will get out soon. I really miss my little outboard skiff, this time of year. There are a lot of good winter fishing spots that I just don't have the energy or time to paddle to, and with the little skiff I could motor up and go. I hope this wonderful weather continues. Donna and I am having a great time walking on the beach in our shorts and t-shirts at Christmas time. If you can get here, the weather is great, the fish are biting, the restaurants and bait shops are still open, so load the car and head this way! We would love to have you for Christmas.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Merry Christmas!

Grand Slam!

I received another email from a cyber fishing bud Jim. I haven't met Jim face to face, but have chatted with him via emails for a time now. Jim fishes mostly from his boat behind Topsail island in the creeks and flats. I posted a picture of one of Jim's catches recently on the blog. Jim hit a "Grand Slam" Monday on a fishing trip to one of his "honey holes". Part of Jim's email follows.


"CONGRATS ON YOUR TROUT CATCHIN IN THE SURF . GOOD JOB. FISHED ANOTHER HONEY HOLE TODAY FOR 5 HRS. BOATED 5 DRUM, 3 FLOUNDER AND 4 TROUT , ONLY 2 LEGAL FLOUNDER. AS THE OLE TIMERS SAY I GOT THE GRAND SLAM A LEGAL TROUT , DRUM AND FLOUNDER ALL IN THE SAME FISHING TRIP, HAD TO WORK HARD TO FIND THEM TODAY THEY WERE ALL SPREAD OUT. YOU WERE TALKING ON YOUR BLOG A WHILE BACK ABOUT HAVING A LOT OF BREAK OFF'S WHEN YOU FISH FOR DRUM IN THE OYSTER BEDS, I ALSO HAD THAT PROBLEM AND WHAT HAS WORKED FOR ME IS I STARTED USING A HEAVIER BRAIDED LINE 20 LB, AND A BLACK STEEL LEADER, HASN,T EFFECTED THEM HITTING IT , WHEN I GO AFTER THE BIG REDS I GO UP TO 40LB . READ YOUR BLOG TONIGHT AND I DOUBT I KNOW MY STUFF, THEIR ARE A LOTS OF GUYS OUT THEIR THAT OUT FISH ME EVERY DAY. GO GET UM"

Jim, Congratulations on the Grand Slam. Rewards like that come to anglers that deserve them. You have to spend a lot of time on the water and pay your dues. Thanks for the tips on fishing around oyster beds. It's uncanny how reds know exactly where to run when they get hooked up.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny



_________________________________________________________________

Fishing on the Inside

I received this email from a reader who fishes a lot on the "inside", which is the creeks, sounds, and flats off the Intracoastal Waterway behind Topsail Island. This guy really knows his stuff and catches a lot of fish pretty much all winter long. So you don't have to quit fishing just because is is cold. You just have to know where the fish are. Here is the email and a picture of the fish he caught Sunday.





fished one of my honey holes today from 12 till 4 ,boated 17 fish , 12 drum, 5 trout, kept this one drum, he was throat hooked would have died anyway so he won,t go to waste. same proceedure, 1/16th jig , 3"new penny, fished very slow. go get um.
caro 17


Thanks to the reader for sending the email and the picture, and for allowing me to publish it.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Merry Christmas

Sunday

I didn't fish today, but I did yesterday. I caught trout. Not many keepers, but I had fun catching trout all day. The single speck I caught Saturday morning early, and the others were caught later in the morning when friend Tommy and I were out south of Surf City Pier. The specks were biting all up and down the beach. I heard of specks being taken in the surf from New Topsail Inlet to New River Inlet. I can personally vouch for a dozen keepers caught south of Surf City Pier. Most of these were caught on grubs, but a few were caught on Rainbow MirrOlures. That's what I caught my keepers on. Except for one that bit a Berkley Gulp 3" Shrimp in the New Penny color. I tried bottom fishing for a couple of hours late in the afternoon, but didn't catch anything. I had planned to take out the kayak, but that didn't work out. I may go out tomorrow after the sun is up for a while. I have a few "honey holes" that I want to try for red drum. I am hearing that they are biting really well on the inside. Also the speckled trout are biting on the inside near the inlets, both north and south. I have a couple of pictures of yesterdays catch that I will post when I get them downloaded to my computer.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Merry Christmas!

Speckled Trout Still in Surf

I finally got a chance to go fishing yesterday. I went to the Surf City Pier for a couple of hours before I had to make a trip to Sneads Ferry. I caught several specks, all of which were too small, but I was delighted to catch them. It proves that they are still in the surf, and haven't been run out by the cold. Friend Tommy caught a nice one yesterday. The keeper speck bit a green grub. He said a friend he was fishing with caught four specks, all keepers in the surf, south of Surf City Pier. I know that's kind of general, but I can't divulge another anglers honey holes. I don't mind giving up mine, but some trout anglers are funny that way. I saw an angler stuffing trout in his waders so his bucket would be empty as he walked back to the truck. These guys will do anything to protect their domain! There are still flounder in the surf also, Tommy caught one this week, only to have it stolen off the back porch by a pretty smart racoon, by moving a bucket, and unhooking a bungee to get the cooler open. I can see what's left of the flounder carcus in the creek from my elevated back deck. These racoons around here are really crafty. Several weeks ago, three speckled trout were stolen from the cooler on the back porch. They have learned who catches the fish on Topsail Island!

My trip out this morning to the surf netted one 17 inch keeper trout. I kept it too, I have some mussels in the fridge that will be good grilled up with the speck for supper along with some fried grits. (maybe potatoes tonight) I plan to go out in the kayak later, the puppy drum have been biting all up and down the waterway in the creeks and flats after the sun warms the water a bit. I will be using 1/16 oz jig and gulp saltwater baits. I am going to start out with the homemade (by Chris Medlin at East Coast Sports) jig baited with the gulp. This is a fantastic jig, and doesn't ever miss. Well almost never. Good job Chris! Go by East Coast Sports and ask Chris about the jig.

My cousin, Joe Kimball, from Robins, NC. is an avid hunter, and has challenged me to a duel of sorts. He and his friends are hunting today, and will email pictures of the days bag. I will email pictures of todays stringers of my friends and myself as we fish. Bragging rights go to the winner! Kind of like apples and oranges, but it will be fun anyway. Well, time is a'waistin, got to get back out there, Joe and Cuz Terri are coming to visit after Christmas, and I would love to be able to brag a little when they get here. I only hope Joe's son Josh isn't hunting today, if he is, I am doomed already. This kid is a dead shot, and seems to have a horse shoe hidden somewhere on his person. LOL Just kidding Josh. Scroll down a bit and check out one of Josh's latest trophy's. Ok, enough. Gotta go fishing!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Rough Surf

I haven't been watching the weather, so I am not sure where it is coming from, but the surf is really rough. The surfers are out in force, and the waves are breaking half way out the pier. I didn't see or hear of any fish being caught anywhere in the surf, but inside in the sound and creeks off the ICW, now that's another story. I am hearing from a reader that he is catching red drum and speckled trout everyday on Berkley Gulp baits and light weight red head lead jigs. He says fish the creeks after the sun has warmed the shallow water. So tomorrow, I plan to hit the creeks and flats with the kayak. I'll keep you posted.
Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Saw One Speck On Beach

Not much to report today. I saw one small speckled trout that was caught in the surf today on a green grub. It was just barely a keeper, but the angler threw it back to grow a bit more. That's all I have seen. The bait shop guys tell me they are hearing of a few here and there. Information is getting harder to get. The die hard speckled trout anglers are so secretive, they won't share information, and there aren't many others out there. Again, I haven't caught anything in a while.
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Trout Still Around, Along With......Mullet?

Got a report last evening that a few speckled trout were caught in the surf somewhere north of Surf City Pier. So the cold weather hasn't run all the specks off the beach. The trout were small, but they were keepers. I was out on the beach for a while yesterday in the am, I didn't get any trout, and only saw two anglers on the beach. I went out in the kayak after that. I didn't get any hits, didn't even see a mullet minnow. But I did collect some nice oysters and mussels for a delicious gas grill oyster roast for supper last night. Dipped them in butter and homemade coctail sauce. (ketchup, horseradish, texas pete) Had fried grits along with them. MMMMMM good.

Also heard of a big whiting caught in the surf on a piece of cut shrimp. That's encouraging. Black drum, sea mullet, and trout still in the water along with the toads (puffers). Better get down here and wet a line while the fish are still here.

Thanks to all the readers who sent emails and posted get well wishes on the message board during last weeks migraine. It's nice to know you all are concerned about my well-being. I sincerely appreciate your concern.


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Black Drum in Surf

Migraine eased up a bit this morning, so I went fishing in the surf. I tried casting MirrOlures and several different grubs for trout, but had no bumps. I had a few frozen shrimp that I had left from a previous trip, and I had them with me, so I tied a bottom rig and after a few minutes I had caught a small black drum. Not a big deal, except that it tells me that the water is still warm enough for speckled trout. The black drum will leave before the water gets too cold for trout. So, even though I didn't get a speck today, I am sure they are still around. I just didn't fish in the right spot today. Had I felt better, I would have made a couple of moves and tried to find them. Maybe tomorrow.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Migraine

Apologies to everyone. This has been a bad one, going on since last Sunday evening. I don't have any fishing info. My phones have been off the hook. Can't stand the ringing. Please be patient.

Tom Still Catching Trout

Friend and neighbor Tom is still catching trout in the surf, somewhere south of Surf City Pier. He is using MirrOlures and green grubs. The lead heads are red or white, doesn't seem to make much difference. I haven't heard anything else. I am still having headache pain, and I haven't been out since Sunday. I will get out some more info as it becomes available.

I have added a message board as an experiment. If it is something the readers like, I will continue it, as it doesn't require much upkeep. I guess the usage will let me know if it is a success or not.

I am also activating the comments option on the blog. I had de-activated it because of the spam that was being posted. So let's try it again. Just use the links on the post to post a comment.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Still Out

Migraine still bad. Talked to Tom this afternoon. He caught one nice speck on a grub. Says the water looks great, but nothing much is biting near Surf City. He heard that the specks were really biting up north near Seaview Pier today.

Bad Weather, Migraine

We have had some wind and rain the last few days, and today I have had a bad migraine. So I have no report for you, other than the weather has cleared. It is still cold, lows at the beach tonight are supposed to be in the upper twenties. Wind should be light out of the north to northwest. I don't have an updated water temp, last I have was 62 degrees. More as I have it.
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

17 Spot Red Drum

This picture is a proud Jacob showing off the beautiful 17 spot puppy drum caught by Jacob and his dad David. These two savy anglers pulled in this beauty on the south end of Topsail Island just north of the inlet. It has eleven spots on one side! What a fish! I would like to see a fish like this one on the wall in my living room. Wouldn't that be a nice piece to have? And the bragging rights? Man, they will never end! Be proud Jacob! Keep up the good work. If you decide to give fishing lessons, let me know. I want to sign up!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Trout Limit, Huge Whiting

The pictures here are another of Michael Makowetski's fantastic stringers of speckled trout and whiting. He was helped out by his father-in-law Richard, who caught a lot of the big whiting on live shrimp. Michael limited out on specks two consecutive days. The trout were caught on MirrOlures and jig heads with grubs. Colors varied, but I think mostly it was MirrOlure 52-18, and green grubs. If I am wrong on this, Michael will let me know. If you scroll down a bit on the blog, you can see another nice stringer of trout and whiting, and even a big flounder that these two master anglers managed to bring in last weekend. Congratulations again Michael and Richard, well done.

UPDATE: I mentioned a white MirrOlure that was really working well in the muddy, murky water the other day. Well the number is TT-51, and it works well at night also. I have talked to several Ol'Timers who like to use this lure for night time trout fishing, especially during the full moon. Give them a try.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Rough Surf

The surf has laid down a bit today, but Thursday and Friday it was a bit rough. Actually more than a bit rough. A mirrolure cast up current, was completely downcurrent before the slack could be reeled in. There was a couple of small specks caught near me on tandem jigs, but even the rigs with the large jig up front and the smaller one in the rear were washing downcurrent really fast and wouldn't go to the bottom. I fished this morning for a bit before I had to stop and work on my fishing Blazer, but I didn't catch anything. I didn't see anything caught either. There were lots of people bottom fishing, but I only saw one medium sized whiting, about 12 inches long. Hopefully fishing will pickup tomorrow.

The water is looking better. It has cleared up a lot since the "Swamp Water" post. It has also warmed a bit. According to the Wilmington TV station, the local water temp is now at 62 degrees, up 4 degrees from last weeks low of 58. If this water temperature stays up like this, we may be catching speckled trout at the end of January. The weather at Topsail Island is wonderful. I can't believe I am still wearing shorts and T-shirts on the first day of December. It was 73 degrees today, with lots of sunshine. We have cold weather on the way, so we are enjoying this weather while we can.

Thanks to those who have sent pictures in. I am having trouble with the blog. The link I am supposed to use to upload the pictures has mysteriously disapeared from the blog control panel. The folks at tech support are working on the problem. I will get these pics posted to the blog as soon as it is up and running correctly.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Swamp Water

I went fishing today, all fishing, no catching. The water in the ocean looks like swamp water. Dark and murky, about the color of strong coffee. I have never seen the ocean water this bad. And the experts say the mighty Cape Fear will will not crest until sometime over the weekend. I am not sure if we will get the effects of the Cape Fear this far north, but I am afraid we will if the wind is out of the south. I haven't been to the north end of the island, but I have heard that the New River is where all this bad water is coming from. About the only fish coming out of the water today, that I have seen, are toads. But if you are a toad eater, the puffers I saw being caught were huge. The water is about 58 degrees. Still not too cool for specks. So we are just waiting for the water to clear a bit. It doesn't have to be perfectly clear, as we proved last week, catching plenty of specks in the murky, dingy water. So we aren't asking for perfect conditions, just a little better than they are now. So......
Until next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

UPDATE: I JUST GOT WORD FROM A FRIEND THAT IN THIS DIRTY WATER THAT A WHITE MIRROLURE IS CATCHING BIG SPECKLED TROUT. I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER, BUT I WILL POST IT WHEN I GET IT. SUPPOSEDLY AN ANGLER CAUGHT HIS LIMIT THIS MORNING WITH A WHITE ONE, WHEN NO ONE ELSE COULD GET A BUMP.

Trout Action Slows

The ol' timers say it's the influx of fresh water from the recent nor'easter, resulting in muddy, murky water, that has slowed the speckled trout bite Monday and Tuesday. Anglers are still picking up one here and there, and there are still some small ones in the surf, but the big ones we have seen recently are no where to be found. Anglers are jumping from trout hole to trout hole searching for the specks, and if they are finding any, they are being even more secretive than usual. I am hearing nothing, and I am catching nothing. I ask for information on fishing in the backwaters, and received an email from an angler from Wilmington. He said he caught one nice one Friday, and lost a couple more. He didn't say what he caught it on, only that it wasn't a MirrOlure. Thanks to the reader for the information. I heard today that specks were biting again at the end of.... wait for it...... Trout Street, down south at Topsail Beach. They bit really well there last year.

I haven't bottom fished at all in over a week, and I have seen a few nice whiting yesterday and today, caught mostly on fresh cut shrimp, as sand fleas are getting almost impossible to find. An surf angler today said he dug for two hours Sunday afternoon and found only eight fleas. On a positive note, it seems that most of the sea mullet and whiting being caught are keepers, so bait isn't being wasted on the little fish. A few black drum are still in the surf, but the size of the fish being caught is decreasing a bit. For you angles that love puffers, or toad fish, they are starting to bite. I have seen several in the last week. Nothing real big yet, but I am sure they are on the way in.

Recently, I have had a few problems with the pictures on my blog. Blogger has made some changes that I had no control over. If you wouldn't mind sending me an email, let me know if you can see the pics, and what browser you are using. Some friends using INTERNET EXPLORER are having problems getting the pics to load. I am using MOZILLA FIREFOX and they are loading fine on my computer. I need to know this information, so I can get the tech's at Blogger to work on the problem. Thanks for your help.

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Michael and Richard Fishing Bonanza!

Check out the whiting that my friend Richard caught. Two pounds and eleven ounces. And that was about three hours after it was caught. What a beautiful fish. The 18 inch fish was thought to be a puppy drum when it was first caught. And check out this stringer of trout. These guys can reel them in. These were caught in Surf City, in the surf. There were no tricks used to catch this stringer, just the love of fishing. Michael and his father in law Richard will come down Friday, and will be on the beach most of the time until they have to make the trip back home late Sunday. I am not sure if they even stop to eat. They are fishing when I get to the beach, and they are fishing when I leave the beach. This stringer is typical of most weekends with these guys. You have seen their work here before. This isn't the first stringer I have posted on the blog. Michaels catches include one of the most beautiful red drums I have ever seen, a slot beauty with fourteen spots! Ten on one side! I am sure this isn't the last stringer that I will post. As a matter of fact, the pictures he sent last week have been lost somewhere in cyberspace. Maybe I can find them and post them sometime. Congratulations guys on a job well done. Keep up the good work. I have heard from my friend Tommy, that Michael has been up to his tricks this weekend also. Tom says Michael caught a "bunch" of trout, and was throwing back "keepers" because he wanted the "big ones". Go Michael!

I talked to Steve at Herring's Outdoor Sports this afternoon, and he tells me that he has been getting reports of limits all up and down the beach. One HOT TROUT HOLE that I will give you a hint about is in Surf City, and you old timers will know what I am talking about! The hint is "Sunny Bee". That's all I can say. haha! My trout fishing bud's are about to string me up for talking too much about where the specks are biting. So if you want specifics, email me.

The black drum are still everywhere, and if you bait up a bottom rig, you are going to catch them. Most are not real big now, but they are plentiful. These fish don't have a lot of meat on them when they are small, but if you cook them whole and don't try to filet them, they are really good.

I haven't heard anything recently about fishing behind the island. If anyone has been fishing in Banks Channel, the ICW, Turkey Creek, or anywhere behind Topsail Island, or has any information, please email me so I can post it. Thanks in advance.

Until next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Trout, TROut, TROUT!!!

Speckled trout are still in the surf. High tide seems to be the best time. Two hours before and two hours after peak high. I can't tell much difference between rising and falling in the ocean surf. There are holes all up and down the beach. Find one and get you some specks!
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope all our readers has had a wonderful and "filling" Thanksgiving. I didn't fish today, although the water looked good for trout. I am going out in the morning. I'll let you know how it goes. The specks are still biting, and should be biting even better after the water temp was lowered by the noreaster that we just had. If any on you did any fishing or catching today, let me know.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Rain, Wind, Sea Mullets on SC Pier

Believe it or not, there were anglers on the Surf City Pier today, braving the wind and rain, to catch a nice stringer of sea mullet. Actually whiting, I think. Tim and a couple of friends were out in the elements reeling in the fish. Congratulations, and ATTABOY! for having the guts to brave this weather to fish. This report is second hand, or maybe third hand. I will let you know if I hear more about today's activities on the SC Pier.

Till next time.....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

More Specks!

More speckled trout were caught today in the surf, with a few caught from Surf City Pier.I got out to the surf about 8am, and caught another beauty, a 20 inch fighter that jumped all the way out of the water when she was hooked! Oh yea, first cast. I had great expectations for a quick limit and an early breakfast, but it was not to be. I didn't catch another one. I saw another dozen on the beach most about the same size as mine. The trout were hitting MirrOlures and grubs, and seemed to like the "Purple Haze" grubs best. That is what I caught mine on, and I know of at least three more large specks caught on the same lures. I am not sure of the number MirrOlure the trout were hitting, but it looked like the plain mullet, just black on top, with silver sides. I have one in my box that's been there for a long time. I fished with a "rainbow" MirrOlure today, but didn't have any bumps. A doormat flounder was caught right beside me on a mullet colored MirrOlure by friend and fishing bud Michael. You have seen Michael's stringers on these pages before. I have more pictures of his to post, I just have to get to them. Richard, a fishing bud, and Michael's father-in-law, caught a huge 20 inch whiting, which had to be at least two and a half pounds, on a live shrimp! At first they thought it was a puppy drum. I'll let you know more when I get the details. They will be sending pictures when they get back home to the computer.
News from the Surf City Pier.... The spots were really biting today around noon, two at a time! Spots in the middle of November? What's going on here? With these fish runs occuring so late, are we going to have the trout schooling all the way through December? Could be. Stay tuned..........

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Saturday Morning

I didn't get a speck from Surf City Pier this morning, but I did see a couple of beauties caught on bottom rigs and cut shrimp. The water is muddy, and that may explain why the grubs and MirrOlures aren't working that well. All the rigs I saw had the red beads or red skirts. Maybe the color or the flash attracted the fish, maybe not. The spots are biting shrimp also. They are nice size, and are biting on the south side of the pier. It seems they were pushed in by a school of bottle nose dolphins. I caught a 13 inch flounder using a Gulp Swimming Mullet Chartreuse with the first cast this morning. FISH CANDY! But that was the last hit I had on the Gulp except for very small blue fish that kept biting the tails off my grubs. It is low tide now, and I am going back for a couple of hours after I put supper in the crock pot. I heard of some nice ones coming from the surf this morning, all up and down the beach at Surf City, and from the surf at North Topsail Beach. They are also biting around the inlets, north and south. MirrOlures in clear water, if you can find it, and live shrimp which are always good. I have been having great luck with the Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet in Chartreuse color, even in dingy water, if I can keep the blues off it. I stopped by a couple of surf holes on the way home and saw another big speck being pulled in on a bottom rig. The angler said cut shrimp was the bait. Come and Get'um!!!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny


21533

Speckled Trout

There were more speckled trout caught today from Surf City Pier. I didn't go anywhere else, so I can't say if any were biting in the surf. The bite was slow, but one every now and then was brought over the rail. The picture above is the speck that I caught today. It bit a chartreuse Berkley Gulp Saltwater Swimming Mullet, (4 inch) on a red jig head. I lost a couple more before I got them into the net. The water was still pretty rough and extremely muddy, and I was suprised that any trout at all were caught. They seemed to be biting only jigs and grubs, and bottom rigs baited with cut shrimp. I didn't see any caught on MirrOlures. Most anglers were fishing the grubs really slow. There was no one trout fishing from the surf near the pier with the exception of a few bottom fisherman. I also caught a nice whiting on a short stint of bottom fishing from the end of the pier. I had a gulp saltwater bait to get bit in half by a ?????, and so I cut what was left into chunks and baited a bottom rig with it. The whiting bit a chunk of gulp saltwater bait. FISH CANDY! EVERYTHING LOVES THIS BAIT! I also saw quite a number of black drum thrown in coolers, some two pounds or more. It was also a good morning for puppy drum, and Dad caught one on a tandem bucktail that was just under the slot, and was released. As I was heading into the pier this morning, someone gave me a bag of bloodworms. I gave them a try for a bit, but all I could get was tiny spots that were small enough to use as flounder bait. So I gave up on that idea after about ten minutes, and went back to casting my jig and gulp. It was a beautiful day at the beach, rough and muddy water, but a great day of fishing!

Until next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Bad Storms, Rough Surf, Tornados

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims of the tragic tornados in the eastern part of our state today. Reiglewood suffered some of the worst damage, and the last I heard, there were eight fatalities. God Bless you all.

Bad weather today has kept most everyone from fishing. The surf was really rough, with high winds, gusts to 40 mph and driving rain. I looked at the surf several times during the day, and there was no hope of doing any fishing. The storms passed later in the day, and things calmed a bit. The rain has stopped. Donna and I walked on the beach this evening about 8:30pm, and the wind and surf had laid down a lot. It's going to be cooler tomorrow, but it should be nice for fishing. Hopefully the trout will be back. Water temp is in the low 60's, which is perfect for speckled trout. I have heard from several folks that the whiting bite has been good at other parts of the beach, places where I normally don't fish. So I guess I just missed it this year. There is talk that lots of the huge two pounders were brought in using fresh ocean shrimp, mole crabs (sand fleas), and blood worms. The talk is that they will be moving out when the water cools below 60. So the speckled trout and toads, or blow fish, will be the fish of choice for anglers for the next month. So feed the need! Come on down and get that last fishing trip in while you can. I haven't heard of any stripers being caught around Topsail Island in many years, so you will have to head north after next month if you get that fishing bug. Well, let me get to bed, so I can drag out in the morning and get some of the specks while they are still hanging around! Oh, baits...... MirrOlure 808, and the new MirrOlure holographic series are doing great, as are Berkley Gulp Shrimp, and Jerk Shad in the new Rootbeer color. Give them a try, and don't forget to buy them at our local tackle shops.

Thanks, and until next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny



21434

Curse Broken, SPECKLED TROUT CAUGHT!

THE CURSE IS BROKEN!!! I have never fished for speckled trout so hard, or so often ever before in my life. It almost became an obsession, to catch that first speck. Everyone else was catching them, why couldn't I? What was I doing wrong? I started to question my techniques, and abilities. I mean, when the guys standing in the surf on both sides of me are catching trout day after day, and I can't get a bite..... And when my friends and neighbors are bringing speckled trout home everyday, and I can't get a bite.....But I was catching other fish, I lost four MirrOlures to big drum in the darkness, and one to a blue that cut my line like it was cooked pasta. (Actually, I only saw one of the drum, I am only guessing that the others were drum.) But that speckled trout that I wanted so badly eluded me for weeks. Anyway, I caught my first keeper speck of the season just after daylight Tuesday morning, so I can stop thinking about getting skunked this year. She was a 17 1/2 inch beauty that ate a gulp swimming mullet. Not surprised at the bait are you? I'm not. Fish Candy! Dad caught a nice black drum before we came in about 9 am. There were several specks caught, but not "The Blitz". I still haven't seen "The Blitz" this year, but I have heard of several, always where I fished the day before, or where I left just an hour before "The Blitz" started. Reports are that the specks are biting steady from New River Inlet to New Topsail Inlet. They are biting MirrOlures, jig and grubs, tandem jigs, and of course live shrimp. That's what catches the largest ones. I have tried to catch some live shrimp with my cast net, but I haven't found any in a couple of weeks. I guess they have gone deep or buried. But the trout are finally here, they may not be here long. So if you are a trout person. If you love standing in the surf in your waders with the freezing cold wind blowing, get on down to Topsail Island, because the winter trout season is underway.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Speckled Trout Are in the Surf! Expect More to Show Up As Water Gets Colder

Speckled trout are in the surf from Surf City Pier to the old Barnacle Bills. They are hitting most any MirrOlure, and they seem to be biting mostly before daylight, with a secondary run at dusk. I have seen several limit stringers which included some nice fish. There are still some puppy drum being caught, although specks and red action slowed somewhat for today due to the weather. The windy conditions made fishing tough and keeping a tight line was next to impossible. Close to 7:30pm this evening the wind changed, and the water calmed a bit, but by that time the tide was so low that there was not much water. Weather should be a little better tomorrow, although colder. But that's ok, after all, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER! I tried but had no luck with some Berkley Gulp Saltwater 3" Shrimp, bought from East Coast Tackle, and the Berkley Gulp Saltwater 3" Swimming Mullet in new penny, which came from Herring's Outdoor Sports. Both local tackle shops which is where I buy all my fishing tackle, bait, and supplies. I support all the local tackle shops and bait stores, just doing my part to make sure they will be able to continue in business and be here when I need them. It is getting harder for them to compete with the super stores in the big cities. Other local stores that I shop at include Doug's Tackle, near Holly Ridge; Surf City Crab, and Thomas' Bait and Tackle. Please join me in supporting our local bait and tackle shops. I am still blank when it comes to keeper specks this year. I have tried everything except live shrimp, and I am just about ready to go get some. Oh, I almost forgot, get bloodworms for big, BIG whiting. Big two pounders are pouncing on bloodworms like they haven't eaten in weeks. Fill your coolers!

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


21115

Bite Good in Surf

Trout are in the surf before daylight, and in good numbers it seems. Still, I have been skunked, although I hooked up with two rather large reds before dawn Friday. Both broke my line taking my MirrOlure with it. I saw one limit of trout that was caught before I got to the "hole" at 5:15am. After that, I saw only one nice speck caught. The weather is wonderful for people, but not so good for fishing. The water is way to warm. It is November 11, and I fished in shorts, a tee shirt, and bare feet. My feet should have been numb with cold. But not so. It is just too warm. Don't get me wrong, fishing is good, fishing is always good. But catching could be better this time of year. There have been a lot of fish caught, but everyone isn't catching them like like normal. Waiting for the water to cool.
The large whiting that we anticipate every fall and early winter are finally showing up, but they are not biting fleas (mole crabs)like they usually do, or even fresh ocean shrimp. It seems this year the white monsters prefer bloodworms. Fresh bloodworms, not artificials, even Berkley Gulp SW bloodworm aren't working like the real thing. You know how I hate to spend ten or even twelve bucks for a dozen live bloodworms, but maybe I will splurge and buy a bag tomorrow. Donna is going to fish with me in the morning, and she loves to catch the big whiting as much an I do, maybe more! I know she usually outfishes me. She did today, pulling in an almost keeper flounder, short by less than 1/8 inch! We started to keep it, thinking it would grow another 1/8 inch in about twenty minutes, but we decided against it, lest the "man" make his weekend walk down the beach checking coolers before flattie had a chance to grow that 1/8 inch. Donna also pulled in a big whiting, almost two pounds, which I happily devoured for supper, and another shorter flounder. I had a small black drum. It was a beautiful day on the beach, fishing was good, but catching wasn't much to brag about unless you had the bloodworms, or got out of bed before 4am. We fished with some old friends, had some good conversation, met some new friends. All in all, a wonderful day on the beach! God has blessed us!
Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


21068

Michael Makowetski Fourteen Spot Red

Pictured here is the beautiful fourteen spot red drum caught last Sunday by my friend and fellow angler Michael Makowetski. Michael was fishing with light spinning tackle looking for flounder when the lunker hit a Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet. After a good five minute battle and numerous long drag screaming runs, Michael landed the red in rough surf on 8lb test line. This has got to be the most beautiful redfish I have ever seen. As you can see in the other picture, Michael not only caught the red, but also caught a nice stringer of keeper flounder. Nice stringer Michael, I look forward to fishing with you again. Maybe I can learn something!


Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


20968

Not Fishing, but Nice Buck from Moore County, NC

My fishing trip this morning was a bust, but my family in Moore County, North Carolina had better luck with their hunting Saturday. Josh Kimball, straight shootin' son of my cousin Joe Kimball from Moore County, North Carolina killed this nice buck at 6:25am Saturday morning with one shot from a muzzle loader. Josh is the handsome young man on the left. His daddy Joe, known locally as RiverJoe, is the not so purdy one on the right. haha! Josh is known around the county as a straight shooter, and always gets his share of big bucks. Hunting is a family affair around the Kimball household, as RiverJoe's oldest son Joey Kimball also joined in the Saturday deer hunt as well as RiverJoe's brother Dan Kimball. Congratulations to Josh for a job well done, and my love to the rest of the family. Hope to see you all soon.

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Black Drum Flounder Reds Trout

What would you call the list in the above title. A winter mix? Well that's what was biting this morning when I went for an early morning surf fishing outing. I personally caught the black drum and mullet in the picture above, but the other fish were coming in around me. A friend, Mike, that fishes here most every weekend caught his first and second red drum today. The first was caught on a slider drum rig with live shrimp, and the second hit a Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet (white) while Mike was casting in the surf for flounder on a falling tide. It took Mike every bit of five minutes to land the 23 1/2 inch red with the light spinning tackle and 8 lb test line. The red was the most beautiful redfish I have ever seen, with four spots on one side and ten on the other for a total of fourteen spots. It was fat, and must have weighed eight or nine pounds. Mike also caught a couple of keeper flounder. He started his day about 5am, and was still there when Donna and I left the beach about one in the afternoon. Great job Mike. Hopefully Mike will send me a picture and I will post it to the blog.

Speckled trout have also been biting. I still haven't caught a keeper, but it seems everyone else that has wet a line has. They are biting everything from cut shrimp to mirro-lures and especially live shrimp. I have seen some huge ones, six and seven pounders! I will keep getting out there early in the am, and I will eventually hit the run and get my limit. Trout isn't my favorite fish to eat, but I love to catch them, they are so elusive.

The large whiting are still slipping away from me this year also. I have caught some, but not the large "over two pounders". A couple folks have said that they have caught some "whoppers" on bloodworms, and this year they aren't feeding on mole crabs (sand fleas) like normal because the fleas are buried so deep. Could be, I guess, but I have found lots of fleas right near the top on the incoming tides, and still haven't had much luck with the big whiting.

The piers are doing about the same, with small spot runs now and then, but nothing major. There are some big sea mullet and whiting being caught near the end, but not in big numbers. Black drum and puppy drum are the big guns near the surf, and are keeping most anglers busy. There have been some nice ones brought over the rails. The die-hard flounder anglers are still catching nice numbers of flounder, but keepers are not talked about much. I suspect that just like the speckled trout there are more being caught than are being reported. These guys and gals just don't like to advertise their success.

So winter fishing is heating up. Pardon the pun. Things are looking good. If you know where you can net some shrimp, live shrimp, even in the surf, is a good bet for large fish. Live mullet minnows would be my next choice, but they are hard to find in the surf right now. Make a trip down south to the inlet where they are easier to find. Next comes FRESH FRESH FRESH cut shrimp and cut mullet for large catches. And for you anglers that like the artificials, it's got to be the Berkley Gulp Salt Water baits. The swimming mullet seems to be the hot one right now, with white the color for bright sun shine days and new penny, orange, or pink the color for overcast conditions.

Remember to buy your bait and tackle at our local bait and tackle shops. Your continued support will assure that they will be able to compete with the large "Bass Pro Shops" and stay in business to be here for your next fishing trip to this fishing paradise. In addition to the piers, of which Surf City Pier is my personal favorite, there is Herrings Outdoor Sports, and East Coast Sports. Off the island there is Thomas Bait and Tackle, One Stop Bait and Tackle, and near Holly Ridge there is Doug's Tackle. No matter which is your favorite, you will walk away with your fishing needs satisfied, and probably have a new fish tale to share with your friends back home. There seems to always be someone hanging around these shops eager to talk fishing with visitors.

So till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny




20564

First Red Drum in Surf

Friend Susan with her first red drum.
23 1/2 inches long weighing almost 6 lbs
Caught on 8 lb test line with cut shrimp.
Congratulations Susan! Well Done!

Spots on Wrong Side of Pier!

Something new for me. The spots were biting today, sometimes two at a time, but from the south side of Surf City Pier. Something I have never seen in the fall and winter. I didn't see the first fish come over the north pier rail. Someone said the wind pushed them in on the south side, but the wind is from the north west, which here on Topsail is off the land. So the wind is not responsible. The spots were huge. They were biting on the farther out half of the pier in the deeper water. In the surf, the black drum still rule the day, with lots of them being caught. Mullet are starting to bite fresh shrimp, but are still shying away from sand fleas. (I still don't understand why they aren't biting fleas) The flounder are still biting well, but not many keepers are being caught. Puppy drum around 20 inches are coming in regularly on cut shrimp. Blues are small but plentiful. And last but certainly not least, speckled trout are in the surf early in the am.

Please join me in supporting our local tackle shops and buy your bait and fishing tackle from the local stores here on the beach. You will get personal one on one service and help from the folks at each shop, and the experiences you get at these local tackle shops are unforgettable and will be cherished for years to come. It is getting harder for these local shops to compete with the mega stores in the big cities, and they need your support. Remember, Shop Local! This is just my humble opinion, and was not solicited by any business on or off the island. Thanks for listening.

Tomorrow's Tides
High 04:34AM Low 11:17AM High 05:10PM

Here is the weather courtesy of Topsail Weather.com

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 41. North wind between 10 and 13 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North wind between 9 and 13 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 34. North wind between 8 and 11 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59. North wind around 11 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. North wind between 9 and 11 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Thursday: Clear, with a low around 41. North wind between 10 and 13 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North wind between 9 and 13 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 34. North wind between 8 and 11 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59. North wind around 11 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. North wind between 9 and 11 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


20356

Surf Fishing Picking Up

I didn't fish yesterday or today due to a migraine, but I got a call from Ken today and he says the fish bit well in the surf. He saw keeper puppy drum, large black drum, and keeper flounder all being caught by surf anglers this morning and early afternoon. Tommy caught a big black drum this afternoon, but said that after the tide started to fall, the fishing slacked off. I don't have a report from the piers tonight. The weather for the first part of the week is going to be beautiful. Clear and temps in the 70's. Hope the fishing holds. I'm looking for the speckled trout. I still haven't caught my limit this year. Still looking for my first keeper flounder also.

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


19935

Vinita Says Spots at SCP

The Surf City Pier website says the spots were biting last night. Big ones. Also puppy drums. This has been a good year for puppy drum. Also black drum. Best year for black drum I have ever had. Speckled trout are here and there in the surf, but not in large numbers yet. Flounder are still biting well, but not many keepers. There are huge numbers of 13 inch flounder in the surf. Maybe a change in the size limits are in order? What about keeping one or two over 12, then the others must be over 14. Just a thought. Let me know what you think.

I had a conversation with an angler about stripers in Surf City. Has anyone caught one here in the last ten or so years? I would like to hear from you. Also, if you have a favorite method of surf fishing for these fish, drop me an email with the info. I may try it here this winter.

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Water Cools-Trout Start to Show

The water is finally under 70. The exact temp depends on who you get the reading from. They range from 69 to 67. But, the much loved and sought after winter game fish, the speckled trout is finally showing up in the ocean. There have been some caught from the piers as well as the surf. Although not in large numbers, they are being drug up on the sand on the beach. North Topsail, south end, and Surf City, a few specks have been caught everywhere. Try your mirro-lure, or jig and grub, it's still too early to predict what the "hot" bait will be this year. Well, except for live shrimp. These are always "hot"! Float them under a cork, just off the bottom, if you can figure out where that is from the surf. Sometimes it's difficult, and a guess is in order.

The flounder are still biting in the surf. The "fish candy" Berkley Gulp Saltwater Swimming Mullet in various colors are hot right now. I've had the most luck with white, but keep in mind that I haven't caught a keeper! That's right, at least a hundred flounder hooked up this year, and not a keeper landed. What's up with that? Any suggestions from my readers?

There are some large, really large whiting in the water, but they are way out. I haven't seen many come from close in like I normally catch them. I always fish right behind the breakers for whiting and red drum, but this year, my strategies aren't working for the whiting. The only large ones I have seen caught are from rigs that have been "heaved" way out beyond the continental shelf.

Spots are being caught from the piers, but the bite is "spotty". Sorry. Couldn't resist. It seems that the spot bite is even more unpredictable this year than ever before. We have been waiting for the NE wind to cool the water, well it's cool and still we haven't had the day's long spot bite that we usually have in the fall. When they are in, the bite is fast and furious, and the spots are nice.

There have been some nice kings caught at Surf City Pier. Only one now and then, and not every day. But they are catching them. And blues, and as I mentioned before, speckled trout, but just a few.

Winter fishing is gearing up.

Tide Predictions
Tide predictions for any location in the U.S. or Canada.

For NEW TOPSAIL INLET, NORTH CAROLINA (edit)

Time Tide Height Tide
5:43 a.m. EDT 0.56 feet Low Tide
11:37 a.m. EDT 3.56 feet High Tide
6:55 p.m. EDT 0.69 feet Low Tide
12:06 a.m. EDT 2.75 feet High Tide
NOT FOR NAVIGATION

Sunrise, Sunset, Moonrise, Moonset
For HOLLY RIDGE, NC

Rises Sets
Sun 7:26 AM 6:22 PM
Moon 12:45 PM 10:15 PM
RISE AND SET TIMES ARE EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME

This Afternoon: A chance of rain, then periods of rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 62. East wind between 9 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 62. Breezy, with a southeast wind 17 to 25 mph becoming southwest. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday: A chance of showers, mainly before 8am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Breezy, with a west wind between 15 and 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 43. West wind between 10 and 14 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 68. West wind around 10 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny



19788

Morning Trout Outing Nets Nothing

I tried surf fishing for trout this morning at dawn, but got nothing. I had one fish on about 7am, but it got off before I saw what it was. Around 8:30 I switched to flounder grubs, (berkley gulp) but only got a few bumps and no takers. Tide was full high at 10:07am, water temp is 72 degrees, air temp is 45 degrees, barometer is at 30.12 and rising slowly. The wind is from the west at 5 mph, humidity is 62%. Check out the full weather forcast at TopsailWeather.com.
Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Cold Weather, Water Getting There

I haven't posted in a while. Migraines have been bad. I haven't fished in two weeks until today. Didn't have much luck. But the water is cooling. I think it is about 72, thanks to Chris at East Coast for that reading. Just a few more degrees cooler and the speckled trout should start showing up. The spots are running off and on. I have reports of catches ranges from a few dozen to six hundred. But there still hasn't been that two or three day constant spot run that gets everyone so excited this time of the year. There are still lots of black drum in the water. This has been the best black drum year in recent memory for me. Sea mullet and whiting are still slow. There are some nice ones being caught, but the numbers aren't there like last year. Gary, a friend from Mebane, NC. caught a couple of really nice ones (over two pounds) from near the end of Surf City Pier Monday. He had several others that weren't so large, and released a bunch of smaller ones. The flounder are still biting in large numbers, but not much big enough to keep, just one here and there. Red drum are in the surf. Fish the suds, in really close. You will over throw these fish if you are not careful. They are only a few feet out. Remember these are slotted keepers, and only fish that are over 18 inches and under 27 inches are legal to keep, and the fish and game folks are checking the coolers on the beach and piers regularly. More this year than I have ever seen. Keep up the good work! The boats in the backwaters are still picking up puppy drum in the flats and shallow creeks. In windy conditions, check behind the islands and grassbeds where the water is still. They are still hitting the Berkley Gulp Saltwater Shrimp baits, but as the water cools they may prefer the darker colors such as the copper penny. You can get these at East Coast Sports, Herrings Outdoor Sports, or Surf City Pier. The speckled trout are biting well in the New River, but I can't give you the specific locations, and there is a lot of river there around Sneads Ferry and Jacksonville.
That's all I have for now. Don't forget to Support our local tackle and bait shops to insure they will be here for your next fishing trip. Wallmart don't need our business, but these local business' survival depend on us. Thanks.
Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny



19584

Black Drum and Flounder

I am still not feeling well, so this is short. There are big black drum and small flounder everywhere in the surf and from the piers. The wind is changing from the NE, so maybe the other fish will start biting also.

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Thursday Migraine

Migraine all day and night. Be back.

Surf Catch and Release Exercise

My surf fishing expedition today turned into a practice session for catch and release for undersize flounder. I caught nine that were between 12 and 13 1/2 inches length. Most were really hefty. I fished the entire tide from high to low, hoping to pull in a keeper. Flounder were not the only undersize fish that found my bait today. I also caught two puppy drum, one fifteen and the other sixteen inches. I was fishing a hole at Topsail Beach south of Jolly Rodger Pier that held fish throughout the afternoon. I also caught a large mullet, almost two pounds, best whiting catch of the year for me, and a couple of really nice spots. Throw-backs included lots of small sea mullets, pompanos, snapper blues, and lizard fish. I had the whiting and spots for supper with fries, cooked up at Batt's Grill in Surf City. They do a really good job, but they were so busy tonight that service was lacking, and I had refill our tea.

The spots are still hit and miss at the local piers. An all day outing could net you a medium cooler full, and except for a few small flounder and pompano that's about all that is coming over the rail. We are expecting a cold front to pass through our area this weekend, and hopefully, it will cool the waters, and blow the spot schools back in.

That's it for now. Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


18457

Spots Slow as Wind Changes

The spots have slowed a bit. They are still big, but not as many. The wind change has pushed the schools back out and we are getting the outer edges of the schools. We can see the net boats off shore working the schools of fish. There are still enough spots to fill your coolers if you plan to stay for the day, so head on down for a day of fishing. Doesn't seem to matter what bait, shrimp, bloodworms, fishbites, they are hitting them all equally well. Ed at the Surf City Pier has a good selection of all these baits. Make a stop at your favorite bait shop here at the beach for the freshest bait possible. Your continued support of our local bait shops will assure that they can stay in business. On the beach I like to shop at Surf City Pier tackle shop, East Coast Sports, and Herrings Outdoor Sports. Off the beach there is Thomas Bait and Tackle, and on Hwy 50 near Holly Ridge, is Doug's Tackle. All these local shops carry anything you will need for your fishing trip. Drop in and talk to one of the local anglers that hang out at these shops and make your fishing trip a memorable one.

There are a few black drum, puppy drum, speckled trout, and croakers being caught as well as spots, but not in numbers. Lots of flounder are in the water, but most are under size. For the pluggers, there were a couple of kings caught last week, I think about 25 lb., and a spanish or two every day. Blues are out there, but small.

Today's Weather, TopsailWeather.com

6:am: 59°F Today's High: 61°F Today's Low: 59°F
Wind Dir: NW Calm Gusting to: 2.0 mph
Surf Temp: Upper 70s
Humidity: 87%
Barometer: 29.815 in
Falling Slowly
Sunrise: 7:12a
Sunset: 6:41p
Moon: Waning Gibbous

Tide Predictions The Old Farmers Almanac
Tide predictions for any location in the U.S. or Canada.

For NEW TOPSAIL INLET, NORTH CAROLINA

Time Tide Height Tide
5:44 a.m. EDT 0.14 feet Low Tide
11:40 a.m. EDT 3.94 feet High Tide
6:50 p.m. EDT 0.36 feet Low Tide
12:03 a.m. EDT 3.00 feet High Tide
NOT FOR NAVIGATION

Rises Sets
Sun 7:12 AM 6:41 PM
Moon 10:00 PM 12:31 PM



Until Next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny



18377

Spots R Us! Surf City Pier Pulling 'Em In!

Alert! Alert! Alert!

The spots are biting hard at Surf City Pier today. They were pulling them up two at a time, and some were reall nice size spots. I was hoping the Nor'easter that blew through this past weekend would blow the fish in, and it seems that I may have been right this time. They are here now, and I hope they stay for a while. The water is full of mullet minnows of all sizes. I caught 15 flounder in a couple of hours Saturday afternoon, casting a jig and grub from the sand bar. None were keepers, but it was fun anyway. I got broke off a couple of times, and saw one that was a definite keeper. I am still looking for those speckled trout.

Here is the weather report for the next several days, from Topsailweather.com.

Overnight: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 61. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a high near 79. North wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. North wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Wednesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. North wind around 6 mph becoming south. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, then a chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 70.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Monday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 61. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a high near 79. North wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. North wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Wednesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. North wind around 6 mph becoming south. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, then a chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 70.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Monday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 75.

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

18246

Migraine, Not fished this weekend

Here is the weather for this week and tomorrow's tides table. Good Luck!

Monday's Tides For NEW TOPSAIL INLET, NORTH CAROLINA from
The Old Farmer's Almanac


Time Tide Height Tide
4:08 a.m. EDT -0.15 feet Low Tide
9:58 a.m. EDT 4.37 feet High Tide
5:01 p.m. EDT -0.00 feet Low Tide
10:19 p.m. EDT 3.44 feet High Tide
4:55 a.m. EDT -0.03 feet Low Tide

Weather from Topsailweather.com

Overnight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 60. North wind between 7 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Columbus Day: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. North wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Monday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. North wind between 9 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 78. North wind between 6 and 9 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. East wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Wednesday: A chance of showers after 8am. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.

Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 60. North wind between 7 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Columbus Day: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. North wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Monday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. North wind between 9 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 78. North wind between 6 and 9 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. East wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Wednesday: A chance of showers after 8am. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.


Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Weather Change Brings Cold Wind

We had heavy rain last night accompanied by hard wind. The temperature has dropped drastically. The high today will be around 68 and the wind will be out of the N. at about 10 mph. Fishing will be messy today for the angler, but they may be out there. Gear up!

Here is the 5 day forcast from Topsailweather.com

Today's Topsail Weather Forecast
For all of Topsail Island including Surf City, Topsail Beach, Holly Ridge, and Hampstead.

Updated: 7:06 am EDT Oct 7, 2006

Today

Chance Thunderstorms. Chance for Measurable Precipitation 30%
Chance
Tstms
Hi 68°F Tonight

Chance Thunderstorms. Chance for Measurable Precipitation 50%
Chance
Tstms
Lo 56°F Sunday

Showers. Chance for Measurable Precipitation 80%
Showers

Hi 71°F Sunday
Night
Chance Showers. Chance for Measurable Precipitation 40%
Chance
Showers
Lo 61°F Columbus
Day
Slight Chance Showers. Chance for Measurable Precipitation 20%
Slight Chc
Showers
Hi 73°F Monday
Night
Partly Cloudy
Partly
Cloudy
Lo 60°F Tuesday

Mostly Sunny
Mostly
Sunny
Hi 80°F Tuesday
Night
Mostly Clear
Mostly
Clear
Lo 62°F Wednesday

Partly Cloudy
Partly
Cloudy
Hi 79°F

Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 68. North wind between 9 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 56. North wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday: Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly between 11am and 3pm. High near 71. Northeast wind between 11 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 61. North wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Columbus Day: A slight chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 73. North wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 79.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 68. North wind between 9 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 56. North wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday: Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly between 11am and 3pm. High near 71. Northeast wind between 11 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 61. North wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Columbus Day: A slight chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 73. North wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 79.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 72.

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


18059

Flounder Bite Picking Up in the Surf

Haven't been out this morning. I am getting a few reports that the flounder bite is getting good in the surf. And I am starting to hear about a few speckled trout being caught with live shrimp and float rigs, not many, but at least it's a start. I am still hopeful that the front that is moving through the area this weekend will push the fish in. Make plans to be here for the start of the fall fishing frenzy. Get your cast nets and head for the tidal creeks and flats or tackle and bait shops and get those finger mullets and live shrimp before heading for the beach.

Be sure to visit the local tackle shops and stock up on fresh shrimp, blood worms, Berkley Gulp Saltwater Baits, red head jigs, white and green grubs, hooks, storm weights, bottom rigs, mirro-lures, and anything else you might need. If you are gonna be here Saturday and Sunday, bring your rain gear. Don't get caught on the beach without the tackle and bait you need when the fish are biting hard! Be prepared!

Here is the weather and the tides for today.

Check out the weather at Surf City and Topsail Island at Topsailweather.com by clicking on the link below. Bookmark this site. It is excellent site for local Topsail weather.

Topsailweather.com


Tide predictions at New Topsail Inlet.

Time Tide Height Tide
1:51 a.m. EDT -0.05 feet Low Tide
7:31 a.m. EDT 4.18 feet High Tide
2:25 p.m. EDT -0.08 feet Low Tide
7:53 p.m. EDT 3.85 feet High Tide
2:36 a.m. EDT -0.16 feet Low Tide
NOT FOR NAVIGATION

Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

New Gulp Bait May Be Outlawed By Marine Fisheries!

There is a rumor going around that the new Berkley Gulp Saltwater Swimming Shad is so deadly on flounder that it will soon be outlawed by the NC Marine Fisheries! NAW, just kidding, but from what I am hearing this new gulp is really hot with the flounder. I haven't tried it, but I bought two bags tonight. I will get out as soon as I can and give them a cast or ten. So if you are arriving at Topsail for a weekend of fishing, stop by East Coast Sports or Herring's Outdoor Sports and pick up a bag or three. You don't want to run out. Oh yea, I know it's been a while since you limited out on flounder, so remember the limit is eight!

Please join me in supporting our local tackle shops and buy your bait and fishing tackle from the local stores here on the beach. You will get personal one on one service and help from the folks at each shop, and the experiences you get at these local tackle shops are unforgettable and will be cherished for years to come. It is getting harder for these local shops to compete with the mega stores in the big cities, and they need your support. Remember, Shop Local! This is just my humble opinion, and was not solicited by any business on or off the island. Thanks for listening.

The red drum are still biting in the flats and creeks off the waterway. I had two seperate reports of nice red drum being caught today on spinner baits and grubs.

We have some storms coming through this weekend. I am hoping that this weather will bring the fish on down. It seems that they are hanging around Morehead. I have heard from several sources that spots and speckled trout are biting there. The temperatures are supposed to drop, and this should drop the water temp of the ocean on down.

Below is the weather report from The Old Farmer's Almanac, and Weather.com.

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny




Conditions at NEW RIVER MCAS as of 8:00 p.m. (ET): temperature 73° F; windchill 73° F; relative humidity 73%; wind, south 7 mph; pressure 30.05 inches; visibility 7 miles; ceiling unlimited; scattered clouds.

Tide Predictions
For NEW TOPSAIL INLET, NORTH CAROLINA

Time Tide Height Tide
1:04 a.m. EDT 0.12 feet Low Tide
6:40 a.m. EDT 3.89 feet High Tide
1:31 p.m. EDT 0.06 feet Low Tide
7:03 p.m. EDT 3.86 feet High Tide
1:51 a.m. EDT -0.05 feet Low Tide
NOT FOR NAVIGATION

Weekend Forecast for
Holly Ridge, NC (28445)

Friday Oct 6

Scattered T-Storms

High 72°F
Low 52°F
Precip: 40%

Wind: NNW at 11 mph
UV Index: 4 Moderate
Humidity: 79%

Sunrise: 7:09 AM
Sunset: 6:47 PM

Scattered thunderstorms. High 72F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Saturday Oct 7

PM Showers
High 64°F
Low 56°F
Precip: 30%

Wind: NNW at 11 mph
UV Index: 4 Moderate
Humidity: 70%

Sunrise: 7:09 AM
Sunset: 6:46 PM Full Moon

Showers possible in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 60s and lows in the mid 50s.

Sunday Oct 8

Showers
High 76°F
Low 62°F
Precip: 60%

Wind: N at 8 mph
UV Index: 7 High
Humidity: 80%

Sunrise: 7:10 AM
Sunset: 6:45 PM

Chance of showers. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the low 60s.

Yet Another Kayak Red Drum

Congratulations to fellow kayak angler Reggie Whaley for landing a whopping 31 inch red drum from a tidal creek off the ICW this morning near the turning bridge. Reggie caught the fish using a Drum Buster Spinner bait. The drum was released unharmed. Reggie hooked another red drum later in the morning in a tidal flat but was broke off over an oyster bed loosing his spinner bait. That one will have to be replaced. Congratulations again Reggie for a job well done!

Fishing Tuesday Night and Wednesday

Fishing trips to the Surf City Pier Tuesday night, and Topsail Beach surf Wednesday morning netted Ken and myself little more than some nice fresh air and some good friendly conversation. Oh, and a couple of good golden delicious apples that Ken brought with him. The fish were not biting very well, but as in every situation in life, there were good things that happened also. On the pier, someone caught a really nice pompano, probably weighed between two and a half, and three pounds. There were some mullets, we didn't see any really large ones, and we saw some spots. We ever caught a few ourselves. But not enough to make us want to stop and spend time cleaning them.

Wednesday morning's trip was much the same, we used sand fleas, fresh cut shrimp, and fish bites for bait. We beached a few small pompano and a small sea mullet. We were fishing at almost low tide, but both of us had things to do later in the day, so we fish when we can. The skies were clear, and the temp was cool early, but warmed up nicely by eleven when we left the beach.

Tonights Tides;
6:11 p.m. EDT 3.80 feet High Tide
1:04 a.m. EDT 0.12 feet Low Tide

Today's Weather
Conditions at NEW RIVER MCAS as of 1:00 p.m. (ET): temperature 80° F; windchill 80° F; relative humidity 47%; wind, north 0 mph; pressure 30.2 inches; visibility 7 miles; ceiling unlimited; few clouds.

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


17835

RUMOR: 21 SPANISH IN ONE HOUR

I am sad to report that fishing is s-l-o-w ! Well, it's hard to be sad when I am fishing, even if I'm not catching anything.

I finally got Donna in a kayak yesterday morning. She enjoyed the scenery, but says she likes the beach better. We didn't fish, just paddled and enjoyed the wildlife, and harvested a few clams and mussels which I had for lunch. This was a first for me. I love these shellfish, but have never harvested them myself. I have to say that the mussels were delishious, but the clams were gritty. If anyone can tell me how to prepare the clams, send instructions.

Donna and I went fishing in the surf yesterday, and caught a couple of small pompano and one small whiting. No keepers. I did get two really big bites on sand fleas (mole crabs) but didn't hook up either time. My 10 foot baitcaster surf rod doubled over and by the time I got to it, nothing. I changed the #4 2x long shank hook to a 2/o circle hook, but got no more bites.

The local old timers tell me that we need a couple of days of hard (15 to 20 mph) NE winds to drive the fish in. Checking my notes from last year, I am finding that it was pretty much the same as this year. The fish didn't really start the fall bite until around the middle of October. I am hearing that the spots are biting in Morehead, which is what was in my October 1 notes from last year. So we are right on schedule.

I have heard a rumor that 21 spanish were caught from Surf City Pier a few days ago at about 5 in the afternoon. Several pluggers pulled in the spanish during a feeding frenzy that lasted about an hour. I have not been able to confirm this with pier employees, but it sounds like someone has some serious fun if this rumor is indeed true!

Weather Conditions at NEW RIVER MCAS as of 7:00 a.m. (ET): temperature 50° F; windchill 50° F; relative humidity 96%; wind, north 0 mph; pressure 30.27 inches; visibility 7 miles; ceiling unlimited; clear.

Tide schedule today;

Time Tide Height Tide
4:47 a.m. EDT 3.19 feet High Tide
11:29 a.m. EDT 0.47 feet Low Tide
5:14 p.m. EDT 3.70 feet High Tide
12:15 a.m. EDT 0.34 feet Low Tide
5:47 a.m. EDT 3.54 feet High Tide

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny