Fish Taco Recipe!

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Hello from Surf City! A new seafood recipe has been posted. Check it out.
Fishin' Topsail's Seafood Recipes

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

Speckled Trout

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Hello from Surf City! I don't think the specks are ever gonna completely dry up here. They are still in the surf and near the piers, although most are too small. (DINKS) They seem to be biting mirro-lure baits best. Time of day and tide vary. Wish I could be more precise. Go Gettum!

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

Early Spring Fishing

Hello to all, I hope everyone is doing well. It will not be long at all before spring will be here and that can only mean one thing “spring fishing”! I can’t wait!! The weather has been really up and down lately, on the warmer and lighter wind are the days to hit the water and do some fishing. To the fishing report we go. >>>

Redfish are biting on those nice warm sunny days. We are looking for them along the ICW and mouths of creeks. The best bet for these guys is to look for them on flats, oyster rocks and grass lines on warm calm days. The Reds will be sunning and trying to find bait that is doing the same thing. Best lures to use; jigs “go light” 1/8 and ¼ oz. jig heads this way you will not spook the Reds in shallow water. Rig them with a good scented grub like Saltwater Assassin Blurps. In the sea shad pattern; colors pearl or molting seen to work the best in the winter mouths.

All so look for big schools of Redfish in the surf on very nice days as well. These schools of Reds will be close to inlets, sandbars and sometimes jetties. Use the same kinds of jigs, but use heavier jig heads like 3/8 and ½ oz. This will make it easier to cast to the Reds. A few Trout are biting as well. A good bet for them would be Mirrolure’s and Grubs. Colors for Mirrolure’s chart back and white on white. Grubs silver mullet and one of my favorites chart diamond. Remember work them slow, during the colder mouths!

In the Cape Fear River there are still a few Stripers biting. The bigger fish for the most part are starting to slow down. We are catching most of the Stripers on jigs, rattle trips and mid diving X-raps. Colors white on white, green back and silver minnow. Just look for creek mouths, drop-offs and docks that hold any kind of bait. Work these areas hard and you will catch a few Stripers, patience pays off! There are some catfish biting in the river now as well.

The large mouth bass fishing has been good the last couple of weeks. We are fishing some of the local lakes and the North East Cape Fear River. Most of the bass are hitting Bass Assassin rubber worms in colors black and red shad “red and black”. Rigging the worms Carolina style seems to work the best.

Fishing gear we use:

Redfish, Stripers and trout: Pflueger Medalist spinning reels in sizes 7035 and 7040. Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ rods in med-light and med action. Bass fishing Pflueger Supreme spinning reels 9030XT and an All Star ASR series rod 7’ ASR844S “great fresh water combo”!

In Other Fishing News: There are a few great boat and fishing expos still coming 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.

February 20-22, 2009 - Carolina Power & Sailboat Show NC State Fairgrounds - Raleigh, NC. 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. 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.

We are booking up for this up coming summer season, book now to get the day you want! Check out our web page for fishing reports and charter specials from time to time. Thanks for reading this report, and Good fishing to Ya.

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

Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Charters
Wilmington, NC Charter Fishing


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Hello from Surf City!

Snow on Topsail, But NO Fish!

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My Pottery Page



Hello from Surf City! OK, so we got more snow this morning. Not as much as last time, but snow it was. covered the ground before the sun came out, now it's all gone. Except for little groups of snowflakes hiding in corners and under steps. Haven't heard of any fish this week on Topsail. It's cold and windy on the beach. I haven't even seen anyone fishing. No one at Surf City Pier or Jolly Roger. We haven't seen many folks walking on the beach. Of course I am sure there are the hard cases, like Donna and I, that still get out there. I hear they [I say they because I am not one of the brave souls that venture out to fish in this freezing wind] are still catching reds from the surf up north. Not sure where, but I am getting some online reports from other websites. Also getting a few stripers at the Outer Banks and in the Cape River. There are still some type of bait fish in the water, not sure what they are but the birds were really busting the water yesterday just out past the breakers. The dark spot on the water [the bait fish school] stretched out for several hundred yards to the north and south. We couldn't see the end of the school to the south. It looked like they stretched out all the way to Surf City Pier. Hope to get out soon and see some fishing buds. That's all for now.

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

Wilmington, NC Winter Fishing Report

Well folks, the days are getting longer and winter is more than half way over. I’m really looking forward to this coming spring! Don’t forget, this is a great time to check over all your fishing gear. Clean up your rods and reels, oil the reels and put a touch of wax on your rods. It also maybe time to put new fishing line on your reels and check those hooks on your artificial lures. A little work now; will make spring fishing a little easier on you! To the fishing report >>>!

With the weather being very up and down lately, the fishing has been that way too! On some of the warmer days we have caught some fish. The large mouth bass fishing has been good the last couple of weeks. We are fishing some of the local lakes and the North East Cape Fear River. Most of the bass are hitting Bass Assassin rubber worms in colors black and red shad “red and black”. Rigging the worms Carolina style seems to work the best.

Redfish are schooling in the surf, we are always looking for a nice day to get out and chase them. They are pretty easy to catch; you just got to find them. That part can be a bit harder, trust me! A sunny, light wind day and good polarized sunglasses are the keys to catching these Reds. Grubs seem to be the easy go to bait for surf Reds. Saltwater Assassin “Blurps” in pearl and molting color work very well. You need to use heavier jigs heads, ½ and 5/8 plus for casting. Color of the head is not a big deal Red, white and black all work just fine. Hold on tight, they fight great even in cold water!

There are still a few Cape Fear River stripers biting. The water is really starting to cool down. Most of the fish are in the four to twelve pound range, with a few bigger ones mixed in as well. We are catching the stripers on hard and soft baits. In the hard bait range; X-raps and mid-water crank baits are working well. As far as soft baits; Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) jerk shads in colors pearl and electric chicken. We are rigging the blurps Texas style, with a large bass worm hook.

Fishing gear we use:

Stripers and trout: Pflueger Medalist spinning reels in sizes 7035 and 7040. Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ rods in med-light and med action. Bass fishing Pflueger Supreme spinning reels 9030XT and an All Star ASR series rod 7’ ASR844S “great fresh water combo”!


I would like to thank everybody that came out to the Saltwater Sportsman seminar at the Hilton hotel this last weekend. We had a sell out show; I really enjoyed speaking with everyone at the show. I hope they bring it back here next year!

In Other Fishing News: There are a few great boat and fishing expos still coming 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.

February 20-22, 2009 - Carolina Power & Sailboat Show NC State Fairgrounds - Raleigh, NC. 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. 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
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139



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


Hello from Surf City!

BRRRRR! It's cold!

Fishing Topsail Message Board
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2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City! Water temp on the beach is now below 50* at 48*. The specks may still be here in spots, but I haven't seen any or talked to anyone who has caught any. I am hearing there are still a few inside, and the ones being caught are small. I am hearing this is the coldest winter in years, and I surely believe it. The wind just cuts through us when we are walking on the beach. Nothing biting, and it's cold on these old bones, so I am getting my reels and rods ready for spring with winter cleaning and guide replacement. Fresh line will go on most, although I think i will leave some backing on most reels and go for topshot of a better quality line, maybe braid. Just a thought, as I haven't used braid since the early 80's and my largemouth bass fishing days. I know it has changed a lot since those times. I don't get to fish for the bucket mouth bass often, but I may try to get to a freshwater lake or maybe hit the New River upstream from J'ville. Donna and I are moving to some new digs late Feb, a larger place in Topsail Beach. I am looking forward to the move, as I will have surf access as well as sound access via Banks Channel, both within walking distance. I will be busy moving, but if I hear something fantastic, like a 20 lb striper in the surf here at Topsail, I will post it. Good luck in the off season. God Bless you all and thanks for making 2008 a great year at fishintopsail.com.

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

No Fish for You!

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Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City! With the recent cold front and resulting snow, fishing is dead from the surf. All the piers are now closed. Haven't seen anyone surf fishing for days. I have seen some boats in the ICW as I crossed the swing bridge, but I haven't had any reports of any catches. Snow blanketed the island for the past couple of days, but most melted today and is now a distant memory. It's still cold though. Too cold for me anyway. Can't wait for spring.
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

These pics are from the 1989 snow on Topsail Island.

Winter Fishing Around Wilmington, NC

(Snow day): A good day to sit at the house; drink coffee and write a fishing report! Well folks here is some of that “you never know weather” in North Carolina. Freezing cold and dry one day; the warm and wet another; bam snow! Go figure!! With all this crazy weather sometimes we ask; are the fish still biting? Yes they are; to the fishing report>>>

I’ve really had a mixed bag of fishing lately; a little fresh, salt and brackish water. We did some Speck fishing on 8-1, with some great success. We caught 16 Specks, 2 grays and a few black drum; two of the trout were over five pounds and one was 6.7. They mostly hit live shrimp and a few hit grubs in colors chicken on a chain and chart-diamond. We fished the falling and raising tides.

There are still some very nice Cape Fear River stripers biting. Most of the fish are in the four to twelve pound range, with a few bigger ones mixed in as well. We are catching the stripers on hard and soft baits. In the hard bait range; X-raps and mid-water crank baits are working well. As far as soft baits; Saltwater Assassin (Blurp) jerk shads in colors pearl and electric chicken. We are rigging the blurps Texas style, with a large bass worm hook.

On some of the windier days when it’s been hard to get out on the coast to fish we’ve been doing a little bit of fresh water fishing. The large mouth Bass have been biting well. Most trips we are catching nine to over fifth teen bass a day. The size of the Bass are running one to over five pounds, most fish are two to three pounds. Bass are hitting Bass Assassin rubber worms in colors black and red shad “red and black”. Rigging the worms Carolina style seems to work the best. On the last trip we caught a nice bream on a bass worm “he was hungry!

Fishing gear we use:

Stripers and trout: Pflueger Medalist spinning reels in sizes 7035 and 7040. Ugly stick lites 6’6” and 7’ rods in med-light and med action. Bass fishing Pflueger Supreme spinning reels 9030XT and an All Star ASR series rod 7’ ASR844S “great fresh water combo”!

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 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!

Topsail Report

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


Hello from Surf City! Not much going on in topsail. Haven't heard of anything caught in the
surf for the last week. Cold front just about stopped everything. I
hear that boats right offshore are catching stripers. We don't seem to
get many here. They are always to the north and south, as close as
Cape Fear. If you are going out, good luck. Stay warm!!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
http://www.fishintopsail.com

SPOTTED SEATROUT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MEET

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Hello from Surf City!
We got this notification from the NC Dept of Environment and Natural Resource today. Thought some of you may be interested.

[quote]
MOREHEAD CITY- The Spotted Seatrout Advisory Committee to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12 at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resource Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington.

See attached agenda.
For more information, contact Beth Burns at 252-473-5734 ext 221 or Beth.Burns@ncmail.net or the Marine Fisheries Commission office at 252-808-8022.


MFC Spotted Seatrout FMP Advisory Committee Meeting

February 12, 2009 at 6 p.m.

NCDENR Regional Field Office – Washington, NC

AGENDA



§ Introduction
§ Modifications to the agenda
§ MFC Update
§ Roles and Objectives, Travel
§ Update Timeline
§ Stock Assessment Executive Summary
§ Public Information Brochure (PIB)

· Goals and Objectives

§ Potential Issues
§ Spotted Seatrout Life History Information
§ Rules and Regulations
§ Meeting Arrangements
§ Next Meeting

· Issues

[end quote]

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

Topsail Report and Flounder Recipe

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Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City! It was too windy for me to fish today, but Donna and I took a long walk on the beach just north of Jolly Roger Pier. The peanut pogies were in the water thick, and the birds were having a feast. We didn't see anyone catch a fish, but we enjoyed our walk. The water temp is back up to 56* today. Good news for our speck hunters.

Check out a new recipe for flounder on our recipe page.

Have a wonderful day, and get out to the beach before the water gets too cold.

The Bigger Cape Fear River Stripers Are Biting!

Folks, it’s a new year! Gas prices are down, weather has been pretty warm around these parts and fishing has been pretty good too! I hope fishing will be as good this year as it was last year; but with better gas prices!! I think that would make a lot of us happy; for this up coming summer fishing run! Let’s talk fishing, to the fishing report>>>

Those Cape Fear River stripers are still biting well. Most of the stripers have been in the 18” to 28” range with a few bigger stripers mixed in too. We caught one of our top three largest Cape Fear Rivers ever just before Christmas Eve; she was 31.6 pounds. We were fishing a drop-off on the edge of the river channel; throwing green-back x-raps 4 3/8”. When my friend Duane’s lure got smacked; the fish about took the rod out of his hand! Fifth teen minutes later he got her to the boat; photo, tagged, weighted, and released. That was one striper I’ll never forget!

The stripers are still biting good ole’ x-raps, “blurp” jerk shad (5”) and swim shads. Colors that seem to catch them, green back, blue back and some white hard lures. In the soft bait colors Electric chicken, Chicken on a chain, pearl and fire tiger seems to do the trick. We are casting on drop offs, creek mouths and turns in the river. You never know where you will catch one, you just have got to go and try!

There has been some rather nice catfish coming out of the river as well. Most of the cats are hitting chicken livers (fresh as possible). The cats are hanging around docks and brush piles. Fishing Carolina rigs with forty pound leader and L42 or circle hooks in sizes 2/0 to 4/0 will work. There has been a few cat fish over twenty pounds and larger caught.

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. Just lately I’ve had a few friends catch some bigger trout around the Masonboro jetties. When I’m looking for bigger trout, I turn too the live shrimp, not to say that big trout will not hit lures; they will! But for ease of fishing with charters; live shrimp do the trick time and time again!

When we are using grubs these are some of the patterns that are catching trout. 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. We rig the grubs on jig heads in colors black and red; in sizes 1/8, ¼ and ½ oz. With a twenty pound fluorocarbon leader, I don’t use a lot of floro, but I do for speckled trout fishing.

The Fishing gear we use:

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: Don’t forget starting this coming weekend; there are some great boat and fishing expos coming 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 or at the shows!

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!

N.C. Aquariums Planning for Piers

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2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide


Hello from Surf City!
Please take time to read this press release from the NC Aquariums. Thank you for your time.


Press ReleasePress Release
North Carolina Aquariums Launch Pier Efforts

[quote]
In order to preserve a coastal tradition that weather and economics have nearly erased from the shoreline, the N.C. Aquariums want to build and run three storm-resistant ocean fishing piers – one near each of the state’s aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island.

"We are losing piers along our coast, and more are likely to disappear,” said Bill Laxton, chief deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “Our goal is to build three new concrete piers that will withstand coastal storms and provide future generations with invaluable ocean access."

Aquarium staff views the proposed educational piers as another avenue to advance the Aquariums’ mission of inspiring appreciation and conservation of North Carolina’s aquatic environments.

Piers provide a vantage of the surf zone to visitors who come just to stroll along the deck. In addition, the Aquariums’ proposed pier complexes will facilitate beach access and other recreational activities.

The interest in recreational fishing presents a wonderful opportunity to teach conservation,” said Division Director David Griffin. “Getting people out into their natural surroundings is the most effective form of environmental education.”

The Aquariums have asked for $4 million from the state’s Waterfront Access and Marine Industry Fund (WAMI) toward the development of the piers. The General Assembly included the WAMI program in the 2007 state budget for projects that improve public and commercial waterfront access. The move came after a committee appointed by the legislature took a broad look at diminishing waterfront accessibility of all types.

Visitors and tourism-oriented businesses have mourned the rapid vanishing of fishing piers in the last decade. A succession of hurricanes in the late 1990s wiped out many of these gathering spots, favored by vacationers and locals alike. Soaring real estate values spelled the demise of others.

Griffin noted that fishing piers have played an important role in the culture and history of the coast, as well as in the tourism-driven economy. The price of oceanfront real estate makes the prospect of private investment in new piers unlikely.

“The North Carolina Aquariums are uniquely positioned to address this loss,” he said. “We already have well-established programs and facilities within an easy drive of all the major tourist beaches.”

The proposed piers will extend 1,000 feet into the Atlantic, with concrete pilings to withstand crashing waves and high winds, and timber decks to reflect tradition. The design will employ “green” building principles and stormwater treatment methods. The facilities also will accommodate people with disabilities.

Anglers and vacationers won’t be the only users. The proposed complexes include pier houses, exhibits, classrooms, meeting and event rooms, accommodations for other water-based activities, and staging areas for data collection and research. The sites also will provide bathhouses, parking and access for beachgoers. Among the many programs planned will be fishing conservation workshops, beach walks, sleepovers, science camps, school programs, kayak excursions and surfing classes.
“With the piers, we’ll be able to bring new programs to more people,” Griffin said.

The Aquariums already have two of the projects underway. Construction is set to begin in mid-2008 on a concrete pier to replace Jennette’s Pier at Nag’s Head, in conjunction with the Aquarium on Roanoke Island. The first fishing pier on the site was built in 1939. The N.C. Aquarium Society, the Aquariums’ member-based support group, acquired the existing pier in 2003, and turned it over to the state in October. The new pier is expected to open in 2010.

The Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores plans to begin design and development on its pier next summer. The Aquarium is partnering with the town of Emerald Isle to build the project at the Eastern Ocean Regional Access . The 4.1-acre site was home to the Emerald Isle Pier until it was torn down after damage from two 1996 hurricanes. The site, eight miles from the Aquarium, stretches across Bogue Banks at about its midpoint. The Aquarium plans a fishing dock, kayak launch area and other amenities on the sound side section of the property in addition to the ocean pier and facilities.

“We are excited about this partnership with the North Carolina Aquariums,” said Emerald Isle Mayor Art Schools. “We believe the project will provide tremendous benefits for North Carolinians for generations to come.”

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is considering various sites for its proposed pier project.

Each pier is estimated to cost about $12 million. The Aquariums plan to pay for the projects with money from Aquarium admission receipts, pier user fees, grants, contributions from other government agencies and donations from the Aquarium Society.

Tourism industry leaders welcome the efforts to perpetuate the familiar and family-friendly coastal icons. “The pier and sound side access here on the Crystal Coast will be a welcome addition to the area,” said Carol Lohr, executive director of the Crystal Coast Tourism Authority in Carteret County, home to the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. “The expanded programs from the Aquarium, and the fact that both will be open to the public, will be another eco-friendly area the tourism authority can market and promote.”
[end quote]
This article can be read on the NC Aquariums website. Click Here

Folks, this is a great idea, and one that as pier fishing enthusiasts, we should wholeheartedly endorse. I am waiting for word from the NC Aquariums as to what we can do to help get this program implemented. I urge you to contact your state reps in Raleigh to urge them to help with this plan any way they can. We can't do a lot as individuals, but together we have a voice. Let's use it.

Thanks,

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny

Red's, Specks, and Dolphin Dip

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


Hello from Surf City! Happy new year! Thanks for all your support last year with the message board and the blog. www.fishintopsail.com
The speckled trout are still in the water and it's cold!!! Water temp 53*, air temp 44* at noon. Water temp is still above 50, so the reds and the speckled trout will still be out there. I've seen mostly dink specks, but there have been some good ones, three to four pounds. Also some slot reds on mirro-lures. I am hearing purple, and pink, don't know the numbers. I might be down at New Topsail Inlet in Topsail Beach on Saturday. I am in a black Chevy Blazer. See you on the beach! Good luck!
Dolphin Dip at Surf City...... My brave wife Donna swam in the Dolphin Dip fund raiser at Surf City today at noon. BRRRRRRRR!! There seemed to be several hundred swimmers, along with at least that many on-lookers. I feel guilty for not swimming with her. I guess I will have to give it a go next new years. Johnny' aka "FishinTopsail"

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

Wrightsville Beach NC Charter fishing
Wilmington NC Fishing charters




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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