New Years Eve Fishing Report, Topsail Island

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City! Well, it's almost the new year, and it's getting really cold, but fish are still stirring around in the surf at Topsail Island. Nice reds, and dink trout were active in the surf today. Wind is fierce, and it took a lot of lead to keep your bottom rig down. It was way too windy to fish a mirro-lure without some modifications. I have fished them with a three way swivel and lead, but I didn't do that today. I like to let my bottom rig "wander" in the surf when it's rough unless there are a lot of anglers on the beach. Today, there were a lot of beach combers, but not many anglers. BRRRR! It's getting windy and COLD! Gotta turn on the heat, have a cup of coffee and watch a basketball game. (If I can find one on cable)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny aka "FishinTopsail"

Specks Still Around Topsail

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City! I got a report today from a friend that knows a friend. Ok, so this report is unverified, but it's a report never the less. And this time of year, any report is a good report. So my friend says he and a friend were talking and the friend says he hasn't fished Topsail in years. So my friend suggested he give it a try. So this past weekend, they hit the beach and "BAM" first spot they fished they landed 15 keeper specks! No monsters, but keepers anyway. They move on another spot and land "at least thirty" but most were too small. Anyway, they had a great day fishing on Topsail, and the speckled trout are still around. Better go get them while you can!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
Surf City, NC

Merry Christmas to All!

Hello from Surf City! Donna and I wish you all a very merry Christmas! We pray that you will be healthy and happy, and be blessed this Christmas Season. We would like to thank you all for reading our blog, and for all your kind emails and comments.

Merry Christmas!

Johnny and Donna

Stripers and Black Drum

Is it the first day of winter? It sure feels like spring to me! Let’s not rush things now! The weather has been so up and down lately warm and wet then cold and dry; welcome to North Carolina! I hope everyone has a Marry Christmas and a good fishing new year! To the fishing report we go>>>

Those Cape Fear River stripers are still biting. Most of the stripers have been in the 18” to 25” range with a few bigger stripers mixed in too. We got another very nice cape fear striper yesterday (12-20) the striper was just over 29” and around fourteen pounds. She hit an X-rap in the color blue back, while drifting on a drop-off. The numbers were not as high as other trips but the fish are nice in size.

There has been a few stripers hitting top water in the mornings, I don’t think this will last much longer with more cold air coming our way. We’ve caught a fair amount of stripers on jerk shad soft baits; Saltwater Assassin’s (Blurp) in colors pearl and Elec-chicken have done the trick. We are rigging the shad lures Texas style.

The speckled trout have been hit and miss lately, some days we catching some days we don’t. When we do get them; live shrimp has worked, as well as grubs have. The water has been little dirty from the rains and wind we’ve had. This has changed my color pattern some with the grubs. The colors I like to use when the water is stained; pearl, chicken on a chain and space guppy.

We’ve caught a good amount of black drum and small sheephead around the Masonboro jetties lately. Some of the drum are over ten pounds. They are hitting live and fresh shrimp; using Carolina rigs with EC L42 #1 size hooks and thirty pound mono leaders. We fish for them up and down the jetties; dropping the rigs along the rocks on the bottom.

The Fishing gear we use:

Drum Trout and Stripers: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy. 12 & 20 pound Ugly Braid. Bait cast rod and reel combo Pflueger Supreme low profile with an All Star Platinum P845MC 7’ rod. Great striper set up!

In Other Fishing News: There are some great boat and fishing expos coming this winter to North Carolina. If you like fishing and boats you don’t want to miss these shows and fishing seminars! Here are the one’s that myself as well as other Ranger boats pro staff members will be at this winter.

January 9-11, 2009 - Raleigh Bass & Saltwater Fishing Expo NC State Fairgrounds - Raleigh, NC. http://www.ncboatshows.com/ This is a GREAT show, with over 160 booths offering everything from the latest lures, plastics, jigs, custom rods, apparel, knives, product sample booths, hard-tops, saltwater charters, fresh water guides, cast nets, gaffs.....by far one of the best shows of its kind in the Carolina's and Virginia. I will be there along with other Ranger pro staff members who include; Jeff Cronk of Fish’n 4 Life charters and Capt. Mike Taylor of Taylor-Made charters, as well as many others fresh and salt water pros! I will have tarpon and cobia fishing seminars all three days of this show.

January 23-25, 2009 - Raleigh Convention Center Boat Show - Raleigh, NC. www.raleighconvention.com/boatshow/ One of our top Ranger pro staff members will be at this show; C.A. Richardson of Flats Class TV and team Evinrude. This show will have lots of boats for you to take a look at, get in and get a feel for; “maybe you will find your next boat there!

January 31, 2009 - Saltwater Sportsman National Seminar Series – Wilmington, NC. http://www.nationalseminarseries.com/ Location: Hilton Riverside Wilmington- Grand Ballroom. This is a great day of seminars from local, regional and national fishing captains and guides! You can learn a lot at this great day of seminars.

February 20-22, 2009 - Carolina Power & Sailboat Show NC State Fairgrounds - Raleigh, NC. http://www.ncboatshows.com/ This show will have lots of nice boats to see!

March 21, 2009 Saltwater Fishing School Saturday, 2615 Jefferson Davis Hwy (US 1 South) - Sanford, NC. http://www.northcarolinasportsman.com/
This all-day event will feature successful tournament anglers, prominent charter captains, top notch guides, knowledgeable pro team members, experienced local fishermen, and well-informed industry professionals giving tips, plus explaining lures and techniques used to catch everyone's favorite fish.

If you get a chance you should really take the time to visit some of these shows and seminars. You will learn lots of great info from the fishing seminars and see some great new boats! For more info on these shows and seminars just go to the links on this page.

Thanks for reading this report; I’ll see ya on the water!

Good Luck Fishing,

Captain Jot Owens
http://www.captainjot.com/
910-233-4139



Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!

Christmas Week Fishing Forcast at Topsail

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City! The surf water temps are between 55* and 58*, and we still have a bunch of specks in the surf. They are small, and the bite is mostly at night. The best baits have been black or other dark mirro-lures. In the day time, grubs especially Berkley Gulp Saltwater, are producing some little dinks. A few are biting cut fresh shrimp. Haven't gotten a report on fishing the ICW and creeks, but I am sure they are there somewhere. Just got to find them. The specks will be moving into the deeper holes in the creeks soon as the water temps drop below 50*. I have heard of one slot red drum caught in the surf near New Topsail Inlet early in the morning. The angler said it sure was good eating. He put it on the grill and cooked it really slow. MMMMM! Sounds yummy. While I was throwing a mirro-lure this afternoon, north of Surf Condo's, there were a couple thousand birds, out past the breakers, probably about a thousand feet or so, and they were busting the water so fast I couldn't count them. Don't know what was out there, but I wish I could have gotten out there with a boat or a kayak. There had to be something pushing the bait to the surface to attract that many birds. It could have been a school of stripers heading south. The striped bass are showing up in the Cape Fear. There have been some good catches downtown Wilmington near the bridge. Check out my Fishing Charters page and book your trip now if you want to fish the Cape Fear and get in on this fast and furious action. I hear the guides are filling up their schedule quickly. We don't catch many stripers here on Topsail, don't know why, but they just don't come in close enough here to get a bait to them.

These striper pics are from Captain Jot Owens who posts a regular report on our website www.fishintopsail.com. Thanks for the pics Capt.




Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Cape Fear Fishing

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!
I fished yesterday at Carolina Beach Inlet,weather was just perfect no wind,temperture was right at 70 degrees,great day for December in the Cape Fear Region of North Carolina.
I did managed to catch some live menhaden about 4" to 5" size just right for the red drum to eat.The bite started about and hour before high tide and lasted till the water started to rush out the inlet really fast ! Most of the reds were in the 16' to 17' size,with some black drum mixed in,we did manage to catch several red fish that were 18" to 20".
If you are interested in doing some winter time fishing,pick a day with mild tempertures,for you will be able to enjoy your charter.
Give Capt.Mike Dennis a call at 910-619-0928
Cape Fear Guide
Capt.Mike@charter.net

Seaview Pier Damaged by Fire

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City! The Seaview Pier was damaged by fire. They had closed up for the day. There were 4 fisherman on the pier at the time of the fire. No one was injured. The fire started inside the pier house. I hear there was a lot of damage to the pier house. More info when I get it.

The trout bite in the surf has slowed. There are still a few dinks being caught, mostly on bottom rigs with cut shrimp. I am hearing the bite is still good inside, but I don't have any details right now.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Topsail Speck Update

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City! Rain all day yesterday. I got a report this morning that small "dinks" speckled trout were being caught recently on Surf City Pier. Almost all dinks. Only a very few kepper size trout, maybe about 25 or 30 to one. None reported over 16 inches. There were a few small puffers on the pier and a few in the surf. No word on flounder or sea mullet. A few nice trout and reds found in the inside waters. Thats all for now.

Tight lines!
Johnny
Surf City

YAUPON PIER UPDATE and TOPSAIL TROUT

Yaupon Pier, Oak Island, NC

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!

Check out the post (below this post) from Capt. Jot Owens. Capt Jot has been pulling in the stripers in the river in Wilmington. If you want in on the action, give him a call and he can make it happen. Thanks to Capt. Jot for keeping us informed with his posts to our blog.

I have been getting emails asking about the trout bite at Topsail Island. So here is what I found out today. Not verified, but here it is anyway. Although the water was rough as a cob and the wind was blowing hard near the New Topsail Inlet, trout were busting Mirro-lure baits NON STOP! Almost every cast would result in a legal keeping size speckled trout. The angler I talked to ask not to be identified, so I won't. He says that although the specks were thick, no one was keeping the fish, with the exception of a couple of 16 inch to 20 inch fish. Along with the speckled trout, there were some stray puppy drum, but all on the small size. I am still hearing of a few, now very few, large whiting or sea mullets coming from the surf. Mostly on live shrimp, while fishing for speckled trout. A sea mullet that can swallow a live shrimp has got to be a big 'un! Lots of small puffers (good eating!) can be caught on cut shrimp. The fillets on a small puffer isn't very much meat, just a small bite, but some folks will spend the time to clean even the small ones. Can't much blame them, (I'm just lazy I guess) they are so good to eat, but can be time consuming and uncomfortable in the cold wind with mist and rain. So if you want them, they seem to be there.

UPDATE ON YAUPON PIER ON OAK ISLAND

Here is an article from the starnewsonline.com website. Worth the read.

[quote]
By Shelby Sebens
Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 7:40 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 7:50 a.m.

Oak Island | A divided council on Tuesday night accepted a $300,000 grant from the state to put toward its purchase of the Yaupon Beach Fishing Pier, which closed after going into foreclosure more than a year ago.

The N.C. Division of Coastal Management public access grant requires a 25 percent match by the town, town manager Jerry Walters said after the council's regular meeting.

The council voted 3-2, with members Dara Royal and Bob Seidel dissenting, to accept the grant. The town had already received another $500,000 state matching grant for the project. With both grants in hand the town still needs almost $900,000 to buy the pier from Cooperative Bank and fix it up.

The $1.5 million pier will require $185,000 in repairs.

Seidel said he did not want to appear ungrateful for the funding, but that he could not vote for the resolution to accept the grant, which was a last-minute addition to the agenda.

"I just have a hard time voting for something that I don't have in print in front of me," he said.

Royal said she voted against the purchase, as she has consistently done, because she favors a conservation easement for the property instead.

The town plans to take out a loan for the remaining cost and eventually pay it off with more grants.

Walters said he has met with the Local Government Commission, which has to approve the town's financing. He said the council has the go ahead to look for a loan.

The town plans to lease the pier to a private entity after it's fixed up.

Councilman Jeff Ensminger, who made the motion to accept the grant, said state Rep. Bonner Stiller, R-Brunswick, played a significant role in speeding up the process so the town could get the funding. "You might want to thank him," he said.

Some members of the public have spoken out against the town's pier purchase. At a packed meeting in October when the council voted to buy the pier, many said it is a reckless way to spend taxpayer dollars.

Shelby Sebens: 264-8005

shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com

[end quote]

Thanks for taking time to read my blog, and a special thanks for supporting our sponsors, so I can continue the blog.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna
"Fishin' Topsail"

The Cape Fear River Stripers are Biting!

Well Folks, it seems like one day its winter and the next its fall or spring! The weather has really been up and down; but there have been some very nice days as well! Those days are the ones we look for to get out on the water and catch a few fish! We’ve had some great catches lately; let’s talk about that in this weeks fishing report.

The Cape Fear River stripers are biting well and some days great! We have caught from ten to over thirty some days. The stripers are hitting hard baits as well as “jerk shad” pattern soft baits. The hard baits that are working for us have been X-raps in colors white ghost and green back. Jerk shads that seem to do the trick have been Saltwater Assassin “Blurp” in colors pearl and electric chicken. In the non-scented shad colors chicken on a chain and white. We are rigging the jerk shad Texas style.

The stripers are holding in around creek mouths, sharp drop-offs and docks. You name it there is probably a striper near by! We’ve caught them trolling as well as casting; the bigger striper we are catching while casting. There are a few trout, redfish and catfish mixed in too.

There is still a trout bite going on, most of the trout we are catching are around the inlets. We are fishing the live shrimp on float rigs and light Carolina rigs. Fishing around the Masonboro jetties and Carolina beach inlet; on the falling and raising tides.

Artificial baits that are producing for us have been grubs, shrimp grubs and hard baits. One grub color by Saltwater Assassin that has really been a great one this season is the new color (Chicken on a Chain). Some other colors that are producing well are salt & pepper, chart-diamond, space guppy and pearl. All these grubs are in the (sea shad) pattern. Don’t forget as the water temps drop fast; slow your retrieve on the grubs for the trout.

Thanks for reading this report, if you would like to go fishing give me a call.

The Fishing gear we use:

Reds, Trout and Stripers: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy. 12 & 20 pound Ugly Braid. Bait cast rod and reel combo Pflueger Supreme low profile with an All Star Platinum P845MC 7’ rod. Great striper set up!

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
http://www.captainjot.com/
910-233-4139

Wrightsville Beach NC Charter fishing
Wilmington NC Fishing Charters





Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!

SC Pier Trip

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!
The wind changed today and was coming out of the North East. I fished a bit today from the surf and from Surf City Pier. I saw small puffers, and a bunch of small black drum, We also caught dink trout, but no keepers. I even saw a spot caught on SC Pier. I thought they were all gone by now. There were a surprising number of anglers on the beach today, starting just north of SC pier and up past Surfside Mote, but I didn't see any keepers. It wasn't a bad day weather wise, we had a few really light sprinkles, more like a mist than rain, and was cloudy most of the day. The light wind wasn't real cold, and a sweatshirt is all I needed to stay comfortable. That's all I have for now. Stay tuned!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna
Surf City, NC

Report from Al

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!

Here is a fishing forecast that I received from friend and fellow angler Al from NC Fishing Pier Society

Thanks to Al for this report.

[quote]
Outer Banks: Nag Head area: Good for speckled trout to 7.5 pounds in the surf and at piers. Also good for puppy drum and a few big red drum. Oregon Inlet area: Trophy-sized stripers just offshore and around the bar at the inlet, yellowfin tuna and some king mackerel offshore. Hatteras Island: Blues, speckled trout, puppy drum and a few big drum to 46 inches and whiting in the surf and at piers from Avon to Frisco. Excellent king mackerel action for fish in the 20-pound class off Hatteras Village. Ocracoke Island: Black drum, blues, scattered flounder and puppy drum in the surf; Morehead City area:
Continuing good for gray trout and speckled trout in the marshes and at the Cape Lookout rock jetty; king mackerel to 40 pounds 30 miles offshore in warm water.

Southeastern N.C. Coast: Flounder, puppy drum, trout in the backwaters. Some kings offshore near the Frying Pan Light Tower. Black drum at piers.
[end quote]

I also got a report from Wrightsville Beach today, that any angler that had sand fleas could catch plenty of two pound plus sea mullets (whiting). Sounds good to me.

We will appreciate any reports that our readers will send. It has been hard for me to get out lately due to family obligations.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna
Surf City, NC

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
Surf City, NC

Topsail Island Specks

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!
The specks are still biting, but the bulk of them are small. It's getting hard to find a nice speck (15 inches or better). Mirro-lure still seems to be the best bait, but colors vary greatly from day to day. Also catching are plastic grubs, and Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet and Berkley Gulp Shrimp. Again, I wish I could give you colors, but every day they are different. The water temps are still dropping, and stand in the middle 50's. When the temp drops below 52*, the specks will start to move out. I am still hearing about some black drum, and still hearing of a few very large sea mullets, in the 2 1/2 to 3 pound range. I would love to have about a dozen of those lunkers. The weather was a bit warmer today, wind was lot's more calm, a nice day to throw that mirro-lure or jig.

Check out these pictures. Is it real? If so this is a huge fish, and I would have loved to catch it! If it isn't real, someone is really good with photo-shop!








That's all I have for now.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
Surf City

Big Speckled Trout are biting NOW!

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide



I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. Maybe you got out on the water or in the woods; the weather was pretty good for the most part! The warmer weather should help the local inshore and near shore fishing. I got out on the water before Thanksgiving and those big Speckled trout were biting! Let’s get to that in this fishing report.

I think the trout bite should carry on with this hit of warmer weather; the water temp has come up a few degrees. This is a very good thing; the water temp almost got to low to fast in the last couple of weeks. Here are a few tricks for colder water trout fishing. Work jigs and hard baits slower; use baits that don’t sink as fast. This will keep the lures looking more natural for cold water and slow moving fish.

The real winner for the most part on the Specks has been; you guessed it Live Shrimp, especially the four to over seven pound trout! We are fishing the live shrimp on float rigs and light Carolina rigs. Fishing around the Masonboro jetties; on the falling and raising tides. I know the live shrimp are not cheep, but they really do work! I always have some in the live well this time of year.

We have caught some trout on grubs; numbers has been the deal with the grubs. I had a few charters caught well over thirty trout in less then four hours grub fishing. Grubs colors that have been productive; chart-diamond, silver mullet, salt & pepper-chart tail and chicken on a chain. These grubs are in the (sea shad) pattern and are made by Saltwater Assassin. I’ve really had great luck this season keeping the jig heads light (weight) for grub fishing. We’re using 1/8 and ¼ oz for the most part in colors red and black.

The Flounder have been a nice bonus for us lately while we are trout fishing; most of the fish are in the 15 to 20inch range (good eating size). The flounder are hitting the live shrimp as well as the grubs we are using. We are catching most of our flounder in the creeks and around the inlets; they are usually not far from the trout.

We are starting to see a few stripers showing up in and around the Cape Fear River. Most are in the smaller range two to ten pounds; with the colder water temps bigger ones should start to show up very soon.

Thanks for reading this report, if you would like to go fishing drop me a line!

Fishing Gear we use:

Trout and Flounder: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6030 and 6035. Line: Ugly braid 10 and 15# Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med-light& Med. Another new rod that has just been a treat to use for the trout this season has been the All Star ASR series: ASR844S. This is truly a very sensitive rod for feeling those light trout bites! Check it out at www.allstarrods.com

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Wrightsville Beach NC Charter fishing
Wilmington NC Fishing charters

Cape Fear Guide Fishing

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!
Winter time is upon us now with water temperatures dropping, live finger mullets are hard to come by,shrimp,and cut bait seemed to still be working around the inlets catching red drum mostly in the 14" to 16" size. Black drum are also being caught in the inlets and surf,these fish give a really hard fight,and are very good eating.
Masonboro Inlet along the rock wall jetty are holding bluefish mostly being caught right off the bottom with shrimp and cut bait,with and occasional speckle trout showing up.
I fish 12 months a year so anyone looking to fish should just give me a call,I suggest we pick a day with mild temperature,and light winds to make the day on the water enjoyable,there are still fish to be caught in the winter !
Capt.Mike Dennis
Cape Fear Guide
Capt.Mike@charter.net
www.capefear-guide.com
910-619-0928

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats

2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide for Sports Fishermen


Hello from Surf City! Donna and I would like to thank everyone for reading our blog and message board. It is really a labor of love for both of us. We hope you all have a happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

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

Topsail Island Late November Fishing Report

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats

2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide for Sports Fishermen


Hello from Surf City!
The water is getting cold really fast. The speckled trout and black drum have been biting well in the surf, especially at night. Huge red drum have been caught in the sounds and creeks. Speckled trout near the inlets, both North and South. Yesterday, I got a report of big two and a half pound sea mullets caught on live shrimp! Flounder are still around, but are starting to move into the sound. I prefer sand fleas (mole crabs) for bait, but they are getting hard to find. There are still some finger mullet in the surf, and finger mullets in the sound as well as shrimp. You can use a cast net to get some bait, or buy them at the tackle shops. The speckled trout will be around until the water drops to under 50*. So you should be able to get some dinner in the surf or sound. Good luck!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

RiverJoe's Vinison Chili

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Topsail Area Charter Boats

Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes


2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide for Sports Fishermen


Hello from Surf City! Here is a delicious chili for venison, created by my cousin River Joe. I know this isn't a fish recipe, but it is delicious! Check out more recipes on my recipe page. Click Here

You will soon be able to find RiverJoe's Recipes online. I'll post the link as soon as it is set up. Check back often.

RIVERJOE’S VENISON CHILI

1 bag 15 bean Ham Beens
Water (as needed)
2 lb. ground venison
1 medium onion – chopped
1 quart canned tomatoes (or 1 large can store bought tomatoes)
1 small can tomato paste
1 or 2 large sweet potatoes (cut into ¾” cubes)
2 jalapeño peppers sliced thin ( add as many or few as you like)
2 packets chili seasoning mix
Side meat (3 or 4 small strips)
Bacon dripping (2 or 3 tablespoons)
Salt (to taste)

Wash beans and place in crockpot on low heat. Fry side meat a few minutes until slightly browned. Add about 4 cups of hot water to meat and drippings. Pour into crockpot over beans. Cook overnight or long enough for beans to soften, adding water as needed. When beans are soft add sweet potatoes. Brown venison in bacon drippings and add

both to beans. Pour in 1 quart of home canned tomatoes or 1 large can of store bought tomatoes and 1 can tomato paste. Add chili seasoning packs,onions, Ham Beens flavor pack, jalepenos. and salt to taste.

Stir until well mixed.

Cover and cook until sweet potatoes are soft.

Enjoy with homemade cornbread patties.



RIVERJOE’S BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD PATTIES
(It doesn’t get any simpler than this, and the taste is excellent)

Equal amounts of White Self Rising Cornmeal and Buttermilk.
Fry patties in hot Cooking Oil until brown and crisp on the outside.

ENJOY!



riverjoe

Fishing Slows

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats

2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide for Sports Fishermen


Hello from Surf City!
Fishing has slowed a bit, but there are still fish around. Some puffers (MMMMM Good) are being caught in the surf. Puffer fish, along with speckled trout are the last to leave the surf. Stripers are a cold water fish, but for whatever reason, we don't catch them in our surf in the winter time. They are plentiful at the Outer Banks, and they will move up the Cape Fear River. Stripers are caught from the Cape Fear, right in downtown Wilmington on the waterfront. They will also move farther up the Cape Fear and into the North East Cape Fear River. I haven't been out that much as I am caring for Donna while she rehabs from knee surgery. She is recovering quickly from a total knee replacement surgery. I have caught one flounder this week, and I also landed a few small mullet and a puffer. Still no speckled trout for me, but they are being caught at night. I just can't seem to get myself out of bed in time to find them. It seems that by 6am the bite is over for the day. Some surf anglers on the beach in Surf City have showed me some black drum (some large; 3 or 5 pounds) and some small just barely keepers. I have also seen a couple of red drum caught in the surf this week. There have been lots of black drum, not as many as last week, but enough to keep the anglers happy and well fed. This morning while walking our dogs, I found a half dozen large welk shells, and a huge conk shell. Stay tuned for more, as I can get out to the beach.

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

Big Trout are Biting; more on the Way!

Well folks, it looks like winter is about to really show its face in eastern North Carolina! I don’t like to see such cold air coming in so fast but, that’s fishing and weather for ya. With that said; here is the fishing report pre cold air and forecast for after the cold air.

The Speckled trout fishing has been up and down for the last few weeks. We will catch good numbers of small fish one day, then we will catch a few big fish another day. So far this season we’ve caught as many as 30 plus trout on a half day charter. My charters have caught Specks on artificial as well as live shrimp; the bigger fish seem to be hitting the live shrimp. With that said we have caught a few nice trout on artificial too. I always try both during trout season; you just never know what they want some days!

Artificial baits that are producing for us have been grubs, shrimp grubs and hard baits. One grub color by Saltwater Assassin that has really been a great one this season is the new color (Chicken on a Chain). I don’t know why the trout like it so much but they DO; so I’m using it! Some other colors that are producing well are silver mullet, chart-diamond, space guppy and pearl. All these grubs are in the (sea shad) pattern. Don’t forget as the water temps drop fast; slow your retrieve on the grubs for the trout.

Shrimp pattern grubs we are using; Assassin’s shrimp cock tail in colors bone-diamond, clear and electric chicken. We are rigging the shrimp grubs on light jig heads 1/8oz to 1/4oz; this gives the shrimp a very natural look. When the water cools down, I will put a shot of (Bang shrimp scent). This seems to help with the trout holding on to the grubs a little longer when they hit.

The warmer weather we have had in the last few days gave us a great but quick redfish bite on the docks in the water way (ICW). We fished three to six docks a trip and found reds on every dock we fished; some more than others. The reds were in the 16 to a few over 30 inches, one good pull on light tackle! The reds hit fresh cut mullet and scented (Blurp) grubs. When fishing with the grubs we are rigging them on jig heads for the reds that are in deeper water five to ten feet of water. If the reds are in shallower water; rattling corks are paying off.

The Speckled trout fishing should really pick up with the colder air coming in; also the bigger trout should start show as well! I’m really looking forward to seeing those gators show up on the Cape Fear coast! Thanks for reading this report. If you would like a guided fishing trip drop me a line or give me a call.

Fishing gear my charters use:

Trout and Red Drum: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6030 and 6035. Bait cast reel Pflueger Summit. Ugly braid 10 and 15# Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy. All Star bait cast rod Team series TISCS1 7’6” “Great bait cast trout rod”

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

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Hello from Surf City!

Topsail Report

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Hello from Surf City!
Today was a good day for fishing. Met a family at SeaView Pier that had a cooler full of sea mullets. Most were a pound or more. The guy said that they caught a bunch of black drum also, but didn't keep them. From the surf here in Surf City, everything was biting. Speckled trout, flounder, red drum, black drum, and sea mullets. One angler says he fished all day and caught only two small black drum. Then just at sunset, everything started biting, and he hit the triple grand slam. Keeper flounder, two slot sized red drum, and two speckled trout, all within a forty five minute time period. He also caught four sea mullets in the two pound range. Now that's catching, not just fishing!

I am planning a trip to the surf near our home early tomorrow am if Donna has a good night with her new knee. Thanks to everyone who sent prayers, emails, and get well wishes for Donna. She is making progress with her rehab and improving every day. She is sometimes forgetting to use her walker, and her limp has just about disappeared. Praise God for her quick recovery. God Bless you all.

I wish you all could have seen the moon tonight. It came up in the North East and was huge, with a slight redish silver color. What a beautiful site! Topsail Island has got to be one of the most beautiful places in North Carolina, maybe the world. Hope to see you all soon!

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

Another Flounder

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Hello from Surf City!
Flounder are still in the surf. Dad caught another today using Gulp Saltwater swimming mullet. There was a lot of large pogies in the surf today. I was able to snag one for bait. We thought there may be blues in the water, but we didn't catch any. No mullets, speckled trout, or puffers today. I did get a rumor of some specks on the piers and in the sound. Full moon tonight. I would love to get out there, but prior commitments prevent it. Go gett'um!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Happy Veteran's Day!

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Hello from Surf City!

Happy Veteran's Day!

God bless all our veterans and their families. Freedom is NOT free! It was paid for by our veterans, and is being paid for now by our military men and women. We as Americans should be grateful!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Fishing Slows a Bit

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Hello from Surf City!
I talked to several of my fishin buds about the bite from piers and the surf. It has slowed a bit as far as sea mullets and spots are concerened, but flounder fishing has picked up a bit. Live bait are catching keepers in the surf as well as the piers. Boat anglers are still catching some really nice flatties floating with the current and dragging live bait on carolina rigs. Shrimp and finger mullets are catching more fish, but if you can find any more pogies around, they are catching soem really big flounder off shore and near the inlets. I heard of another doormat was landed in Snow's Cut at Carolina Beach. Speckled trout bite is still "spotty." Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun. There are a few specks biting, but it's hard to get any reliable info on specks from anyone. These guys are really secretive about their beloved speckled trout. All I can say is get out there and give them a try. For you anglers that love puffers, (and I can't think of a reason why anyone wouldn't love eating this fish) the bite is picking up with the cooler water. I had a few reports of a dozen or more nice big ones caught on shrimp in the surf. So, even though fishing has slowed a bit, there are still fish out there for the angler that wants to go after them. Donna is improving after having a total knee replacement last week, so I hope to get back out to the surf soon. Stay tuned.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

The Specks and Grays are Biting!

I hope everybody is enjoying the fall weather, It did get a little to cold for a couple days. I think that is over for the most part; “for now”. Water temps dropped very quickly during the cold snap. Now that the weather is getting back to normal; fishing has really picked up in the last couple of days! With that said here is the fishing report!

Trout has been the story for the most part lately. Grays and Specks are feeding well around in creeks, channels and inlets. The grays are hitting grubs and jigging spoons. Saltwater Assassin grubs in colors Chart-Silver glitter and Salt-pepper with chart-tail have worked well for the grays. The body shape that has worked for us is the sea shad in four inch size. We are using jig heads in colors pink and red; in weights ½ oz to 1 ½ oz. Colors for the jigging spoons that have worked well for the grays are Pink, Green/blue, and gold. Going with bright colors is a good “go too” choice when fishing for gray trout.

The Speckled trout fishing is really getting good and will continue to pick up. We have already caught some very nice trout in the four and five pound range on live and artificial baits. My charters have caught specks on a wide range of lures this season; some new and some good ole’ timer’s. Let’s start with the hard baits. Mirrolures; Catch 2000 jar, 52M and the new 17MR. The best Mirrolure colors that are catching the trout are; pink, chartreuse and silver. Grubs and soft baits; in the grub style baits colors chart-diamond, silver mullet and a new color that is working very well for us (chicken on a chain). Yes that is the real name of this grub color.

In the shrimp style grubs the colors we are using; Arkansas glow, clear and bone-diamond. We are rigging the Saltwater assassin shrimp with worm hooks and Texas style worm weights. To the live bait; it’s hard to beet the good ole’ live shrimp, they just work! Rigging the live shrimp with float rigs and light Carolina rigs has worked for us.

My charters have caught lots of bluefish while we have been Trout fishing; there really has been all the bluefish you can deal with lately!! If you like catching blues; Go Fishing! Flounder are biting as well, we’ve caught a good number while trout fishing. Some of the flounder are in the three to five pound range; a nice bonus while trout fishing. Thanks for reading this report, if you would like to go fishing drop me a line!

Fishing Gear we use:
Trout and Flounder: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6030 and 6030. Bait cast reel Pflueger Summit. Ugly braid 10 and 15# Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy. All Star bait cast rod Team series TISCS1 7’6”

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

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Hello from Surf City!

Whiting and Black Drum in Surf!

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Hello from Surf City!
Huge whiting are biting in the surf at Surf City. I am hearing they are biting on the whole island. Sand fleas are working best if you can find them. Take your shovel, they are deep. Fresh cut shrimp and bloodworms are also producing, as well as the artificials like "Fish Bites." The black drum are also helping to fill coolers on the beach. Go gettum while you can!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Gill Nets

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Hello from Surf City!
This is a post I received from Capt. Chris Medlin at East Coast Sports.

Click on the picture for a bigger version that you can read.

This is a guide for email or postal mail to the powers that be, letting them know your position. Copy and paste it to your email. Thanks

To whom it may concern,

In my opinion, the most important regulation in this plan is to adopt the required attendance of small mesh gill nets within 200 yards of any shoreline of any tributary of the Neuse, Pamlico and Pungo Rivers . This rule has already been endorsed by the Red Drum Advisory Committee and preliminarily approved by the Marine Fisheries Commission.

I strongly encourage you to adopt this rule. Furthermore, the Director of the Division of the Marine Fisheries needs to implement the intent of this rule by immediately issuing a Proclamation which will put the rule into law within the next two weeks.

Mandatory attendance of small mesh gill nets in these areas will:

allow commercial fishing to continue, but

reduce the amount of gear in the water

reduce the amount of soak time

force commercial fishermen to change tactics, less set netting and more strike netting which is less destructive

reduce bycatch

bycatch that is caught can usually be released alive with short soak times.

reduce conflicts between recreational and commercial fishermen


The MFC and the Director need to be reminded how important this rule is when it comes to protecting sub-legal size red drum. The intent of this rule is to protect these fish over the winter and it should be implemented immediately.



Respectfully,

(Insert your Name)



Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Black Drum Make Another Assault on Topsail Island!

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Hello from Surf City!
The black drum pushed in again today and anglers were catching two to five pound black drum most of the day, piers and surf. Mullet, reds, and flounder are still biting. Come get you some!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Whiting Still Hanging Around the Surf and (subtitle) Found Fishing Rods

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Hello from Surf City!

Fishing has improved a bit today. My morning walk was very informing. As I walked the beach and talked to several anglers, I saw several nice whiting, a few up to two pounds. The whiting were biting cut shrimp, as well as sand fleas. I saw a really nice one that I know went over two pounds, that was caught on a Berkley Gulp Saltwater Swimming Mullet! The fleas are getting harder to find, and the folks I talked to had to dig for them as they were too deep for the flea rake. I didn't see any flounder, or speckled trout, but there were still a lot of black drum biting. I mentioned last post that the beach was littered with black drum carcuses, and although there were not as many this morning as yesterday, there were still more than normal. I am planning to fish the incoming tide this evening with Berkley Gulp Saltwater, using my trout rod that my good friend and fellow Surf City Pier angler Bill made for me. Bill builds and repairs fishing rods, and specializes in casting rods for blues, spanish, and trout, along with real sturdy rods for sheepshead. I had given Bill a collection of old and damaged rods, and Bill rewarded me with this new trout rod that he made from a damaged one I had given him. You would be suprised at how many useable fishing rods that are thrown away by vacationers that don't have room or the inclination to transport them back home. I find them in trash cans both on the beach and on the piers, and some in trash bins set out for the garbage trucks. Now I don't "dumpster dive", but if I see part of a fishing rod sticking out of a trash bin, I will investigate if there are any useable parts. I never have to buy line guides, as I always have a supply of found guides on hand. Sometimes the only thing wrong with an abandoned fishing rod, is the tip broken off. An easy fix, and a nice useable fishing rod is added to my collection, which Donna says is way to large. She ask "How can you use all those fishing rods?" Of course, any "true angler" will know that one can NEVER have too many fishing rods! If you would like to talk to Bill about a custom fishing rod, send me an email with your contact information, and I will have Bill call you. Time to get into my waders and head for the surf. Hopefully I will be having flounder or speckled trout for supper tonight. Stay tuned!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Black Drum in Surf!

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Hello from Surf City!
Donna and I walked down the beach about an hour before dark this evening. The beach was littered with black drum carcasses. We also saw several black drum caught while we were out there. Most were big, in the three to four pound range. They were biting cut mullet, cut shrimp, and bloodworms. There were also a few nice sea mullets in buckets and coolers on the beach. We even saw one blow fish. The water temp (WWAY TV 3 in Wilmington) is at 69 degrees and will probably fall a bit over night with the cold front that moved in last night and this morning. The air temperature is 46* at 11 PM this evening. The wind is out of the SW at 20 to 25 knots. No rain in site. Good day for fishing tomorrow. The wind will change to NE early Friday. Just a note, there were tons of finger mullets in the surf. I should have taken my cast net and got some in the freezer for spring. I have an appointment in the morning, but I will probably be surf fishing by 2 pm. Check back tomorrow evening for an update.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Wind Change, Front Moves In

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Hello from Surf City!
Fishing has slowed a bit with the wind change, (SW) and the cold front that moved in last night. The wind has picked up a bit, actually more than a bit, blowing trash containers into the roadways. Early this morning, I saw a surf angler catch two nice whiting, and another catch a puffer (he said, I didn't see it) Surf City Crab had no fresh shrimp this morning. Don't know what up with that. We usually have shrimp this time of year. I haven't tried anywhere else as yet. The weather is forcast to be clear, and cooler, no chance of rain. The wind will change again Friday, and come from the NE. Thats what we like for spots to bite. Maybe the Friday wind change will bring the spot bite back. Still catching some speckled trout in the sounds and creeks. Flounder and red drum continue to be good on the inside. Don't know if there are any shrimp in the creeks, but there should be. Finger mullets are still around and plentiful. Get some for the freezer if you can. They will catch specks, flounder, and red drum when spring warms the water a bit after the winter freeze.
Good luck!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

NC Red Drum Fishing

Red Drum fishing is still a great way to spend a fall day,John Pearson fished with the Cape Fear Guide this past Sunday,catching slot size red drum.Fish were caught on carolina rigs and cut bait,fishing the falling tide.
Capt.Mike Dennis

Capt.Mike@charter.net
http://www.capefear-guide.com/
910-619-0928



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Hello from Surf City!

SPOTS! SPOTS! SPOTS! SPOTS! SPOTS!

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Hello from Surf City!

Spots are biting two at a time on every pier on Topsail Island! BIG Black drum biting well also. Come on down. Don't know how long they will be here! Times uh wastin!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Flounder Action HOT!

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Hello from Surf City!
I went surf fishing this morning. I didn't take any bottom rigs or heavy surf gear. Instead, I opted for my trout rod with jigs and grubs for bait. I had several small flounder and two keepers. They were only 15 and 16 inches, but they were really fat and healthy. Most all of the flatties I have caught this fall have been heavy for their length. MMMMMM! Makes some fine eating! I used Berkley Gulp swimming mullet, new penny color until I found a good flounder hole, then switched to plastics. Got loads of hits, but was having trouble hooking up for awhile. Didn't catch any speckled trout, but I had a fun morning casting the jigs for the flounder. Water is cooling nicely, and fishing should be good for another couple of weeks at least. I don't think the specks are schooling yet, as I have only caught a single speck in some of my surf outings. All have been undersized. I usually don't keep a speck under 15 inches, there just isn't enough meat to make a good fillet. I have heard that some anglers are catching specks using live shrimp and finger mullets. Oh, btw, the water is still full of finger mullets. I plan to take my cast net out this afternoon and get a bunch to freeze for later this winter, or early next spring. As usual, thanks to everyone for supporting our blog, and .......
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Whiting From the Surf!

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Hello from Surf City!
The whiting are getting bigger. Yesterday caught several two pounds and over. We are catching most on fresh shrimp. I don't know why the sand fleas aren't producing as well as previous years. Also catching keeper flounder from the surf. Caught one on a Berkley Gulp and another on fresh cut shrimp. Haven't caught any specks in the surf yet, but they should start to school as the water temp goes down. There are lots of spots around, but the big yellow bellies are not here. An surf angler told me that if they didn't come this week, they may not be here. He says they are off shore, and won't come in until the water cools. We hope the water cools enough before they are all gone. Piers are a little slow, except kings, and they are still biting well. Several have been caught this week off the piers. Inside continues to be good, with specks in the creeks and reds on the grass lines and docks. There are a lot of finger mullets and silver sides in the surf, and plenty in the sound. Banks Channel in Topsail is holding lots of mullets and some pogies, so getting bait isn't going to be much of a problem.
Good luck to everyone!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Fall Fishing is Hot Around Southeast NC

Well Folks, fall is really showing strong this week! One day with warm temps and light winds the very next day very windy, rainy and cold for October! Hey that’s what gets those fall fish biting so we can’t complain too much. With that said lets talk fall fishing!

Last week 10-13 to 10-17 we had some very good Spanish Mack runs. Most of the Spanish hit Clark spoons on number one planners, a few fish hit on top as well. We did get a few on Marie jigs casting when the Spanish got on top feeding. The Spanish were very nice in size; most fish were two to some over four pounds “nice fall size”. They were biting just off the beach to about two miles off the beach. I don’t know how much longer they will be here with this cooler air moving in; will just have to see!

The Flounder fishing has been good for the most part, on some trips we’ve caught over twelve keeper fish. Most of the Flounder are eating Mullet and Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs. The Flounder are mixed in size to just under keeper size to a few over five pounds. We have caught some Flounder on Artificial baits as well. We have had the best luck with Saltwater Assassin Blurp grubs in molting color and “Chicken on a chain” color grubs. Rig the grubs on a red or black jig head for best results.

We’ve caught some bigger bull Redfish in and around the local inlets. We are catching Reds in the 24 to over 32 inch range, some days their over the slot some days their in the slot. Most of the Reds around the inlets are hitting mullets and fresh menhaden on Carolina rigs; using heavier egg sinkers with circle hooks 9/0 to 11/0. On some days we have had some luck on Saltwater Assassin Blurp grubs in colors molting and pearl; using heavier jig heads.

And last but Not lest, Speckled Trout are starting to show and bite! The Speckled trout fishing has gotten better and better around this area every year! It looks like it will be the same this year as well; “I Can’t wait, I love Trout fishing”! The best trout bites lately have been on grubs and hard baits, but we have caught some on the good ‘ole live shrimp as well! The best grub colors for us have been; chart-diamond, greenback shiner and silver mullet. In the Shrimp pattern colors; clear, bone-diamond and root beer. Rig the grubs and shrimp patterns on a red or black jig head for best results.

Hard lure’s that seem to be bringing the trout to the boat are Mirrolures and X-raps in colors pink, chartreuse, and white. Most of the trout we have caught have been in the creeks and main channels connecting to the ICW and inlets. There are still lots of pinfish, lizardfish, and small bluefish around: so we have not jumped in to the live shrimp full force yet.

In other fishing news: The 2008 Cape Fear Red-Trout Celebrity Classic to benefit Cystic fibrosis was held this last weekend 10-16 to 10-18. I really enjoy fishing this tournament year after year. It’s well run and very fun, there are a lot of very good guides that fish this tournament. I had the pleasure fishing with Adam Meyer and Liz Bielski with Charter Lakes Insurance group. I’m very happy to announce that team Charter Lakes took Lady Angler Grand Champion, Liz even caught more fish than Adam! Congrats Liz, great job! I look forward to fishing this tournament next year.

Fishing gear we use;

Bull Reds: Reels Pflueger Contender G15L, Rods Shakespeare Custom “USCB 1166 MH” Penn spinning reels 560L Live Liner with Penn Torque jigging rod 7’ 20 to 50 braids.

Spanish, Trout, and Flounder: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy.

Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

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Hello from Surf City!

Rainy Day Topsail Redfish

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Hello from Surf City!

Today I had Russell and Doug join me for a day of fishing in the rain at Topsail Beach. Knowing that the weather was going to be nasty, I call Russell and ask if they wanted to fish in the rain. They said that they came to fish, so fish is what we did.

The bite wasn't exactly on "fire", but both Russell and Doug managed to catch Redfish in the 5-6lb class. Russell also landed a flounder that was slightly under the size limit. Though the weather was less than perfect, we had a good time and Russell and Doug have some nice fish for their cookout!!! Good job guys!! You deserve those fish for battling the conditions!!

Tight lines and good fishing!!

Capt. Brent

Oct 17 Topsail Report

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Hello from Surf City!

Fishing is good! Dad and I caught so many spots that we were giving them away. We caught flounder, we caught huge whiting, we caught blues, and pompano! I have heard of catches of red fish and spekled trout, in the sound and now from the surf. The water is full of bait. Spanish are still here, but in smaller numbers. Will the king bite on the piers ever quit? Doesn't look like it. Offshore, everything is biting. I'm not going to list them all, but if you have heard of it off the North Carolina coast, chances are it is biting offshore. Baits are the same as all summer. Live shrimp is the most prefered, with finger mullets coming in a close second. Then there is Gulp, all the Gulp baits are now producing. And let's add FishBites to that list. Spots love them especially the bloodworm flavor! If you haven't been to Topsail fishing this fall, why are you waiting? Come and gettum'.

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

Weekend Topsail Report

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Hello from Surf City!

Fishing slowed a bit with the rain moving in, but with winds out of the North East, there are still a few fish around. Lots of pier anglers wearing their rain gear braved the weather and were rewarded with a nice catch of spots, mullets, black drum, pompano, and keeper flounder. The numbers weren't huge, but most anglers were happy with the catch. There will be some good spot dinners as a result. All the piers were reporting small catches of a variety of fish. An angler fishing off the end of Jolly Roger Pier landed a huge red drum. To keep the fish alive, it was returned to the water as quickly as possible, so it was not weighed or measured. The red was almost up to the anglers waist as he held the fish up to return it to the water. A special thanks to the angler for his unselfish actions in saving the fish.
Surf anglers are catching mostly the same as pier anglers, but with a few more puppy drum, some keepers, and larger flounder. The inside continues to produce catches of red drum, flounder, and speckled trout, with the best baits again live shrimp and finger mullets. Just a note, you anglers that can't find live shrimp or finger mullets, give small pin fish a try. I have had success with reds and flounder using the small spiney pinfish for bait. Best size for me have been from two to four inches. Sometimes with the bigger pinfish I will trim the top dorsal fin with a pair of scissors. Seems to get more bites for me. The rain has ended and hopefully the fish will come back in sometime tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who has emailed us with their catch results. I rely on you for a lot of my posts. Keep 'em coming.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Some coastal towns will have to pay for dredging

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Below is an article that appeared in the Star News website. This is important!
All water sports enthusiasts, especially anglers, should contact your representatives in congress to insure that our Intracoastal Waterway stays open. This is vital for our coastal communities who depend on the waterway for the tourist industry and as anglers and boaters, you know how important this issue is. We have to fight for this every year, and the time is NOW! Thank you for your support.

CLICK HERE for the StarNewsOnline.com website:
[quote]
By Gareth McGrath
Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 7:15 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 7:16 p.m.

For the second time in three years, North Carolina and some coastal communities will have to dig into their own pockets to help dredge shoaled-up sections of the Intracoastal Waterway.

But unlike the first time around, this year’s estimated $5 million price tag comes amid the biggest economic meltdown in a generation.

Yet even with tax revenues shrinking and governments contemplating budget cutbacks, state and local officials might find it too costly not to pay for the dredging work.

“If the waterway isn’t passable, every beach community is affected and the whole state is affected,” said Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith, whose town might have to find up to $315,000 to keep the Shallotte Inlet and Shallotte River crossings of the waterway navigable. “And we need all parts of the waterway to be passable, or else it doesn’t really work. We can’t have a disjointed waterway.”

Still, the idea that Washington is again walking away from what historically has been a federal responsibility isn’t sitting well with local officials who suddenly find themselves squeezed between adding yet another funding request or potentially letting an economic and recreational asset sink.

Rick Catlin, head of the New Hanover Port, Waterway and Beach Commission, said the lack of adequate federal funding for the state’s beach and waterway infrastructure projects isn’t something new and probably portends a growing wave of the future.

He said it also highlights the need for North Carolina, both at the state and local levels, to get serious about creating a reliable and renewable revenue source for such dredging projects.

“We have to take a new, hard look at cost-sharing,” said Catlin, who also is chairman of the N.C. Beach, Inlet and Waterway Association. “We have to. We have to be realistic.”

The Army Corps of Engineers, faced with its own lean fiscal times, has said it doesn’t expect to receive enough federal funding this year to do more than simply maintain the Intracoastal, limiting its work largely to surveying the waterway and carrying out mosquito-control work.

That means the agency likely won’t have enough money to dredge several shallow-draft inlet crossings of the waterway, and possibly even Snows Cut, this winter.

Those areas are shoaling “hot spots” where sand quickly accumulates due to strong currents and tidal energy.

So the N.C. Division of Water Resources, in an agreement with the corps, is proposing to split the costs between Raleigh and the communities that would benefit from the dredged sand being placed on their beaches.

“If we don’t come up with the money, they’re not going to do the dredging,” said John Sutherland, chief of the agency’s Water Projects Section. “It’s really that simple.”

Brunswick County, which would pay half the cost of pumping sand onto Oak Island, Holden Beach and Ocean Isle Beach, is being asked to contribute more than $550,000.

County Manager Marty Lawing said coming up with the money won’t be easy, especially considering Brunswick hadn’t earmarked any funds to support dredging in its 2008-09 budget.

“With the economic slowdown impacting revenue fairly significantly and it already being a tight budget year, we might have to get creative,” he said. “But when we have a project leveraged with state and local funds, we really have to take a hard look at taking advantage of it.”

Ocean Isle’s Smith said her town also would likely help pay for the dredging.

“That should be a federal responsibility, or they should be paying for a large percentage of it,” she said. “But there’s just no money in the budget for it. So I guess we’ll have to do what we have to do.”

The dredging work this winter also could include the western part of Snows Cut, the Southport boat basin and Bogue Inlet in Carteret County.

But corps project manager Mitch Hall said disposal and permit issues still need to be worked out for those projects to be included in this round of dredging work.

If the Snows Cut work goes ahead, Raleigh would likely pick up the cost of dredging the estimated 122,000 cubic yards of material.

“We’re not expecting any local cost-share for a project that doesn’t have direct benefits for the local governments,” Sutherland said.

Gareth McGrath: 343-2384

gareth.mcgrath@starnewsonline.com
[end quote]

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

Pompano and Spots!

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Hello from Surf City!
The spots are moving. On Wednesday anglers were pulling them up two at a time from Jolly Roger Pier. Today in the surf Donna and I caught 9 pompano and one spot. [Friday night supper!] Tiny sea mullets were biting hard, but no keeper mullet or whiting took our bait. [cut shrimp] I tried some sand fleas but no hits on the fleas. Fleas were plentiful, but they were deep. Topsail Island piers are busy with plenty of spot with some being caught two at a time. at times. Sea mullet, drum and pompano are being caught on the piers along with flounder and speckled trout. The flounder and specks are biting finger mullets and live shrimp. The Spanish are still biting early in the AM. Bluefish are still biting also. Fall fishing! Gotta love it!



I was shocked to see a four to five foot shark right in the surf today. I could see it's eye! I could have reached out and touched it! I have seen sharks that close only one other time back when Salty's Pier was running in North Topsail Beach. That evening there were at least a dozen swimming around in the surf real close to shore. They were so shallow that their backs, dorcel fin, and tail were all out of the water. Stay tuned for more the spot blitz will come any day now. They are biting steady around Morehead City, heading this way.

Thanks for reading our blog. We appreciate the nice comments and questions which we try to answer to the best of our ability. Keep 'em coming!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Spots!

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I got this alert from Chris at East Coast Sports. Check it out.


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4 Wheel Drive Access to New River Inlet

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Hello from Surf City!

Success! Today the town board voted to take NO action concerning 4 wheel drive access to the New River Inlet. They are keeping the proposal on the table for more study. Everyone keep emailing and writing your objections to this action. This is one of the few access points left in North Topsail Beach, and the only access to the New River Inlet.

My 2 cents.

Fishing continues to get better with more catches of "everything" in the surf. The fall spot run hasn't started yet, but there are plenty of yellow butterflies around, and the spots are biting hard in Emerald Isle. The pier is full tonight, but I haven't been up to see what is biting if anything.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

The Air is Cooling Down but the Fishing is Heating Up!

I’m very happy that fall is really starting show here in eastern North Carolina. This is by far my favorite time of the year for outdoors and fishing in North Carolina. As the air temps Fall the fishing action just heats up more and more every day!

We’ve done a lot of Flounder fishing the last couple of weeks, with some pretty good days of fishing. Most of the Flounder are eating Mullet and Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs. The Flounder are mixed in size to just under keeper size to a few over five pounds. If you would rather use artificial bait, I would try a Saltwater Assassin Blurp grub in molting color. Rig the Blurp on a red or black jig head for best results.

We have found most of the Flounder in the creeks in mixed size but higher numbers. Fishing the drop of the main channel in the creeks, this is where we have found the most fish. The bigger Flounder seem to be around the inlets and just off the beach. There seems to be less action and Flounder but, they are very nice Flounder; in the three the over six pound range. (The creeks have been more fun for Flounder fishing.)

There are still fair amounts of good ole’ Redfish around, some in the creeks and some in the ocean. In the creeks and waterway top water plugs and live baits are doing the trick. We fish top water early in the morning and late afternoon when the sun in low. The ocean Redfish is eating; live bait and Blurp shrimp and or shad grubs. Extra scent never hurts when Red fishing!

The Trout are starting to show up around the area. We’ve caught Trout from right around Wrightsville Beach to down in the Cape Fear River. Most that we have found are in the creeks and channels running along the drop offs to deeper water. The trout that we have caught are hitting grubs in colors Chart Diamond, Pump Seed/Chart tail and sliver mullet on red jig heads. Hard baits getting the luck are Mirrolures redhead silver body and white back white belly.

As water temps drop the Trout fishing will get better and better. The last couple of seasons have been the best Trout fishing I have ever seen around Wrightsville Beach, it seems to get better every year! I do a great deal of Trout charters in November, if you would like to go book soon for I will book up fast!

In other fishing news: I’m proud to announce that myself and Capt. Jeremiah Hieronymus, took second place and First place TWT “largest Redfish” in the Redfish Action Inshore Classic this last weekend. We had a great time fishing this well run event and look very forward to fishing more in the feature! Capt. Lee Willis and the Redfish action crew did a wonderful job running this tournament, my hat comes off to Him and his crew! I will always recommend this series to anyone how enjoys Red fishing and tournaments.

The Fishing gear we use:

Reds, Trout and Flounder: Reels Pflueger Medalist spinning in sizes 6035 and 6040. Rods: Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ Med & Med-Heavy. 20 pound Ugly Braid.

In the Redfish Action tournament I could not have done it with out my: Pflueger Supreme low profile bait caster and All Star Platinum P845MC 7’ rod. This combo gave me extreme casting distance that truly helped us place in this tournament. Check one of those out, you won’t be unhappy!


Good Luck,

Captain Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139

Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington NC Fishing Charters


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NC Red Drum Fishing

The fall weather conditions have just been great the last several days light wind,mild tempertures,and Carolina Blue Skies,here in the Cape Fear Region of N.C.
Red Drum fishing has been steady since the weather has settled down,good sized slot redfish are being caught,and are fighting hard !
Spanish mackerel are biting well just off Carolina Beach,fish are large 3lb.to 4lb. are being caught trolling & casting plugs just beyond the surf in 15' to 20' of water.
A few king mackerel are being caught with live bait right on the beach,a 34lb fish was caught Friday just south of Carolina Beach Inlet.
Give the Cape Fear Guide a call to enjoy this great fall weather we are having !
Capt.Mike Dennis
Capt.Mike@charter.net
910-619-0928
www.capefear-guide.com
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I am starting this report announcing that I recently landed the greatest catch of my life. Karen, my sweetie of 3 years accepted my marriage proposal this past week. This has truly been a great week.

Now for the fishing. The bait fish are abundant and making their fall migrations South. As a result, the predators are feeding heavily and the fishing couldn't be better. My last few trips have mainly been inshore trips targeting Speckled Trout and Redfish and the bite has been quite good. The Redfish have been biting soft plastics quite well. Most of the fish are good slot fish in the 24-26-inch range.

The Specks are also really starting to turn on. This past Friday, I landed a 4lb Speck. on a DOA paddle tail. I also caught another 3lber on a top water plug. There is nothing like catching fish on topwater plugs!!!


I have lots of good falls dates available. Call today and book your trip!!!

Tight lines!!!

Capt. Brent

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