It is the best month of the year for saltwater fishing in the mid-Atlantic! Here at Cape Lookout we will have the start of the mullet run which seems to set everything into a frenzy. False Albacore showing up, giant Spanish Mackerel, big Bluefish, Bull Drum in the Neuse River, slot Drum on the flats, Flounder season and more!
I found an amazing Drum flat with the cleanest water and best grass I've ever seen. However, seems many others know about it. I'll have to pick and choose the times to fish it. Clients over the weekend hooked six Reds on this flat in a foot of a water. All fish 24-27". Two of them absolutely crushed topwater Zara Spooks. I'll never forget that eat....
As always, share your fish porn, reports, ideas, suggestions and questions!
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The crowded flat was uncrowded for me yesterday. I found a school of drum and promptly caught three before a local netter blew right over them, twenty feet off of my bow. I was furious. There were miles of open water with no other soul on it. No reason to get that close. I put my hands out in frustration and he waved absurdly and then flicked me off. An hour and a half later he returned and did it again, even closer off of my bow and stared me down the whole time while I was on the phone with a client. Speaking to other guides, these pricks do this shit all of the time. Speaking to locals, they are just good old boys out looking for fish. I call bullshit on him just looking for fish, their reputation has matched up with their actions at this point. I've met too many watermen here to think they are stewards of the sea as I was told growing up. They would kill every damn fish in the sea if it meant a buck in their pocket, and toss beer cans overboard every chance they get while at it. I've been told to be careful around them. Time to bring the handgun on the boat because the next time it happens, I'm casting 50 pound braid in front of them to suck up in their prop. I'm sure they will not accept that. Time to join the CCA and help fund the shut down of the archaic netting laws in VA and NC.
On the positive side, I moved to another flat and caught 6 drum total, the biggest at 29" and smallest at 24." Would have caught more but broke off one and was testing the others with topwater and got four eats and two fish landed. That was awesome!
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Hey Fly do you know a guy named Micky Goodman? He's supposed to be a big Walkerton / Matta guy.
I do not. My usual response to these questions is, does he know me? If so, it's all a rumor
Anyone know whats up on the outer banks this week? I'll be by ocracoke for a day or two and might bring some casting tackle to see if I can find a drum or two but anyone know if anything is in the surf?
Lots of spanish in the surf here. I'd imagine its similar up there
I have no idea what I'm doing in the surf so its a miracle but I'll try to snag one or two and bring some gold and silver spoons incase drum are in the chop.
Stingsilvers are never a bad choice. Also, a fishfinder and eight and bait around the shoals at the inlet is an even better choice. Cob mullet or spot head. Fish where you find a rip current/outsuck/break in the bar.
Not sure how the wind would line up on Ocracoke, but it is supposed to be E/NE/NNE from tomorrow through next week on the nOBX, so the local drum should come out of the sound to eat on shoals.
Always have metal- albies show up in the frothy water this time of year.
What size metal is best in the surf for spanish? I've got some 1 ounce ones I've gotten in the past for this but never really used them.
1oz if the wind and current isn't bad. I would have 1 1/2 and 2oz handy.
When in doubt, go faster. Best advice I can give for spanish and albies if they are around.
Rough water- go big. 8 and bait, spot head or cob mullet head on a fishfinder with a very short (3 inches max) bite leader. Relative calm- cast netted shrimp or sand fleas on a double dropper loop rig for puppy drum and pompano.
Echoing what French said, fast as you can retrieve. Look for bait or fishing busting. Like most saltwater fishing, the key is finding them and you should be able to get them to eat.
Yep. Back when I used to surf fish, I had three sand spikes. I had one rod with an 8nbait that I would soak fresh chunks. One "sea mullet" rod to fish in close for spot and sea mullet. And one metal rod. The metal rod stayed in the spike unless I saw fish bombing. Then I would go running.
Granted, I didn't know anything about getting trout and pups, so that was the hole in my game.
Thanks for the info guys I'll do my best. Probably wont have a legit surf rod for throwing and soaking bottom rigs so I'll just carry a metal rod and one with a gulp shrimp or mullet if the surf isnt too churned. However checked the forecast and the forecast for thursday is rough surf and currents from offshore storm. Probably doesnt bode well but we will see when we get there thursday afternoon.
If you can carry a legit surf rod, do it. Thursday at sunset should be as good a chance as someone can have to get a big drum. They always chew in front of a storm.
I managed to borrow a metal casting rod from a friend for 1-4 ounce silver I'll hold a bottom finder rig and some cut bait as well in case we get there early enough to fish today and see what we find. My guess is the surf is gonna be chewed up but with the metal rod I am borrowing I can bomb baits with it.
If the water is clean in the surf, throw metal in early morning for spanish. Drum I'd wade the grass flats in the sound, throw topwater for first two hours of light. After that just throw gold spoons til you find them.
I usually have my kayak so sound is my go to but this trip I wont so I'll be stuck on the beach mostly with the wife so I'm gonna focus on the surf and hope I can find something in the mornings. Got some gold johnson spoons I've used on drum in the past I will give a go again and see if they can work.
FINALLY getting out on October 1. It's been a whirlwind summer!!!! But I'm finally getting out on October 1 adn doing it in style. Wife gave me a charter for 5 trip out of Deale, MD for fathers day. Lined it up for the fall...hoping to just pull anything and everything in the boat, and maybe chase some Rockfish. A buddy's family has a house down in that neck of the woods, and wouldn't you know...it has 5 beds. Perfect. We are planning on going down Thursday night, grilling something, hanging out, playing cards, drinking a few beers, and then we are right there for the 530 dock call. Fingers crossed for decent weather, full coolers, and great memories!!! (Maybe we can even turn this into an annual thing, which would be awesome.)
Not sure how long they stick around, but a couple of years ago the big red drum were hanging around up there until the second week of October.
I heard striper fishing has not been good.
The flounder have been on lately, and I'm not really expecting stripers...they've been later and later as the Chesapeake (and land) has been staying warm longer. Wouldn't mind pulling a ton of seabass and some flounder, and just hanging outside of the office for a bit.
Any reports from around Gwynn's Island, Piankatank River area? Hoping to get out next weekend.
Fish docks with jigs on the bottom. You should be able to come across from reds.
Lots of this going on lately...
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Caught Covid and feel like I'm pulling out of it. Like having a bad cold. However, I'm pretty sure I tore my meniscus. I can barely walk for over a week now. This might put me out of commission for months...
Get well. My knees are starting to feel it and I have barely fished this summer.
Thank you. I'll be ok with the Covid, it's the new surgery I'm worried about
The surgery isn't bad it is just the recovery varies wildly based on what they do. If it is repairable and they go that route you will be down for months. If it is damaged beyond repair or you flat out opt for removal you will be down a few weeks or so.
Thanks, I'd rather have it repaired so I've got it in the future...
Absolutely. Removing it means arthritis and the like at an even earlier age. I tore mine when I was 25-26 so was very relieved they were able to repair it rather than yank it out. Best of luck to you.
Well wishes on the covid and surgery neither are fun. Still cant smell shit since last october when covid kicked me on my ass glad you go through mostly unscathed thus far.
Thanks! I can taste just fine, I'm just over it. The knee issue is worse though, not being able to walk around.
I still can't smell anything either; but it has only been 2 months. Hope you get yours back.
I would give alot of things to get a good whif of a well prepared steak on a grill right now. One day I hope cause man do I miss it, luckily I can taste it but man the smell just makes it perfect.
i can totally identify; that might be the aroma I miss most. that and onions, peppers, and garlic in a hot skillet
once in awhile I think I can smell something for just a micro second, literally the time it takes to blink. but I don't know if it is real or if I'm just remembering how something should smell.
I had a mild breakthrough case this summer; no breathing issues, very little fever. But it absolutely destroyed my sinuses, like someone drilled out my nostrils. For most people, eventually the sense comes back; so I'm hoping.
I've only burned one food item so far (I was making skillet biscuits) because it burned before it smoked.
Welcome to the life with no smell! It sucks and I totally get what you're saying I've had moments over the last year where I swear I smelled it but try again and get nothing. Try vanilla extract and lemons and stuff like that I've found those are easier to pick up at first. I'm slowly getting some things back like I can smell my dogs stinky breath again but most stuff is still blank, I would love to smell a fresh rain again so bad. Get used to the burning food issue I've burned so much crap since I cant smell smoke my wife had me move the smoke alarms.
was in Asheville over the weekend and did a little light hiking around some rhododendron covered streams. My wife was gaga over the mountain air..."it smells so fresh!". I'm like, "yeah, I'm sure it does".
At the hotel, I stuck my nose in an opened packet of hot chocolate and I could legitimately smell the chocolate...but that was it for the weekend...one baby step at a time.
Did you manage any trout on your hike?
I didn't bring a rod. We were gathering with family to do a memorial service and ash-scattering for my in-laws, time was pretty tight. We hiked for about an hour one day and went to the arboretum for a couple hours the next. The rest was like herding cats...figuring out where to eat, meeting with seldom seen relatives coming and going, etc.
Most fun thing we did was hit an apple orchard outside Hendersonville. Daughter and her BF also had their 12 week old pup (hound mix) with them; all it wanted to do was play and sleep. Kept everyones' spirits up.
Makes ya realize how much smell can do for ya am I right? I swear I got a whiff of fresh rain leaving greentop today maybe that was my brain playing tricks but I could swear I got a good whiff.
Got out with IfishVTIam yesterday, pounded docks and caught 15 or small reds (14-18"). He got broke off by an overslot drum in the pilings. He got a solid 18" trout, some more dink trout between the two of us. Hadn't seen him in almost two years so it was great to see him and get on some fish.
Great News! We miss him. Glad he's doing well. Thanks for the note.
Yep, he's doing well. He's been fishing with one of his neighbors at least once or twice a week. He's excited about our start to football season.
He told me my jig head is still hanging off one of the wharves. Hanging right above where I lost a monster the previous cast.
Yep, it was still there. Surprised there aren't more haha
Sharing this here as I did some fishing while in Melbourne, FL helping my daughter move into her 1st bought home. Caught some small reds off the dock of the rental home we used, but nothing to crow about. Ate a ton of great seafood and sushi at various places around town. Went to Meg O'Malleys Irish pub our last night there for dinner. When I went to the head this was my target (Hilarious, great addition for an Irish pub. Goooaaaalllllllllll!!!!!!):
Things have been too quiet here. After missing an optimum weather window last week, I wrapped up work Thursday evening and headed down to Nags Head. I got to the pier at 8:30PM to pick up cob mullet from a buddy and found the fish popping. The pier closes at 10, but on my third cast (9:40ish) I hooked up. Unfortunately, I rushed and tried to lift it into the drop net and broke the line at the shock knot. Instead of going to a pier that was open later, I went to get some sleep to fish the northeaster the next morning.
Spoiler: I didn't sleep much. I got to the room around 10:30, and slept about 2 hours of broken sleep before getting up at 4:30. When I got to the pier, the rain was blowing sideways (luckily it stayed pretty warm. I headed out in my slickers to find a good crowd set up in the south corner. After seeing a couple of fish decked, I got on the board with my first of the year.
After that fish, the bite picked up. It wasn't a splash bite kind of morning, but as the rain eased, it seemed like 2 or 3 fish were always hooked up. I got two on back to back casts around 11AM.
After I got the second one, I was toast. The fish kept trying to swim right into the Northeast wind and even with the help of the wind and current, I had a tough time turning the third fish. My back and arms were burning after throwing 10oz and bait all morning. I slowed down my pace, and the bite started to wane. Around 3:30, I realized that I had not had a real breakfast (Biscuits and Porn and McDonalds didn't open at their 5:30AM and 5:00AM advertised times), and only two packs of peanut butter crackers for lunch. I told the guys I was going to go eat an early dinner and respool, and then make a judgement call on fishing after dark.
Well, by the time I got done with Jersey Mikes, re-spooling, and some calls, I was asleep on my feet. Friday nights usually get a bigger crowd than a weekday, so I decided to get some sleep and fish the end of the wind Saturday morning. Dumb. The blitz hit at sunset, with folks casting underhand and hooking up to avoid putting the people fighting fish at risk. I don't know how many were caught total, but I saw at least 35 caught and I heard the bite was faster in the evening.
Well, despite being exhausted, I was restless. I woke up every other hour and finally just jumped in the shower at 4:00AM and then broke taking my bags and gear down to the car in multiple trips. I was the first at the gate when they opened at six and got out to the end as fast as I could. More fish came up, and I managed to get on the board around 6:45AM.
I kept a line in, but it got stupid crowded (Saturdays). Also, the wind diminished, leaving a mudline and then green water. With the sun up, the bite dried out. I got in the car at 9:30 to try and catch at least three quarters of the game today, but the traffic getting from Nags Head to Chesapeake was brutal. I got home right at halftime. I think I got a better show at the pier.
Awesome job man glad to see you got out and got a few good ones! I was able to pick up the WVU game on norfolks AM ESPN radio station like 750AM I think but it was shotty as shit all the way up the outer banks.
Our game was "shotty as shit" everywhere this past Saturday...
Well done. I am going to get one of these giant fish on fly...
French, Nice monster fish. I am envious. Then again it would take me 5 hours to get to the coast for fishing like that. I will be happy with my Claytor lake pike and bass.
It is about three hours for me.
Damn tough room. Hahaha
Haha great drum french. Hopefully I'll have something to post in a couple weeks.
Wow French, incredible 12 hrs of fishing. Great job, those are some beauties!
Good stuff French, glad you got to stick a few hogs. Those head shakes had to feel good!
Thump thump thump!
Albies have showed up at CALO. They are being picky but if one can cast and strip set, they can catch fish with flies. WVU fan clients caught 8 on spin and fly. These guys had never fished salt but got the fly out 30 feet. It was hard for me to not pick up the rod, I would have crushed them.
Ran up to Ocracoke to see my cousins on vacation. Checked out a flat on the way up and caught one 19 inch Drum blind casting in a hole, on fly. Started tossing a gold spoon and got two more drum blind casting. Cruising to the island and looked in the inlet and birds were everywhere. I started fishing and it turned out to be big blues. Like six pounders everywhere. There were so many mullet running through the inlet. It was insanity. Acres of them. I got numerous on fly. Yesterday it was much the same. We caught blues up to 8 pounds on spin and fly. They were just crushing topwater flies and jumping like tarpon. A school of bull drum appeared all around my boat. I toldmy cousin and his GF to get their spoons in the water immediately. I tossed in the fly right at two montsers and had an immediate blowup. Turned out to be another giant blue. They also ate my cousins GF's spoon and my cousin hooked an upper slot drum. They went down as quickly as they appeared. I felt robbed by the blues! Kept three smaller blues this morning and will smoke them this weekend for bluefish dip.
My covid is gone but I still have a cough. Knee is a problem and I have an MRI in Richmond on Thursday, then immediately back down here to fish again.
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I love the blues when they are thick and that size on the light gear. But they are a giant PITA when you are targeting other stuff. Pretty work.
I talked to Capt. Stevie Wilson of Dream Girl this morning. He said he loves the blues for his clients with no experience, otherwise they are just wrecking his gear. I get it but shit, I am never going to complain about 6-8 pound 25-30" blues. It was just crazy. My biggest to date, I've never seen them that big in my life. I lost a ten pounder, no fishing lies, boatside that broke me off. Another local told me he last saw it like this 30 years ago. Despite them wrecking gear, take them when you can get them!
I grew up with stories of the big ones in Oregon Inlet, and it was all I wanted to catch (my dad mounted an 18 pounder he caught on the beach in Salvo in 1978.) By the time I got to go to the OBX, they were all gone. We got some big ones back in the late 2000s on Bogue Inlet Pier when we were cobia/king mackerel fishing, but those skinny 35 inchers were no match for what basically ammounted to white marlin gear.
It is still a dream of mine to get on a chopper blitz with topwater plugs. I have made the trek to Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park a half dozen times trying to find them, but just ended up having to soak clams for small striped bass.
I think your best bet is to get them in NC in August or September. I pretty regularly find them around Cape Lookout then. Yesterday there were lots of 2-4 pounders for my client. He got numerous on fly on top. Even the small ones will put a solid bend in a 9 weight.
That sounds epic. I would kill for an 18 pounder
Video is awesome. Weather looks incredible.
My only comparison is mullet run on south side jetty sebastian inlet, FL on a full moon with acres of mullet getting slammed by insane numbers of snook and reds. Friend (RIP Jeff Ellison) n I caught our limit of keeper snook and reds that night (one each in slot) and then some. Good memories. Thnx for bringing that memory back.
Edit: We could see sizable sharks by moon light rolling through the acres of mullet. The air just smelled of mullet and blood.....
Bluefish blitz's are a rare thing these days, as a kid I got to witness one on cape cod and it's one of the coolest things but also just the sheer death and destruction a school of bluefish is a kind reminder mother nature always bats last. I personally love fresh bluefish and any time I find a few they go in the cooler if large enough to keep. Never done the dip always fried or cooked that night or the oiliness can be a bit off-putting
Also my wife saw your earrings while in over the moon when we were down there and she said she's gonna wear hers in there next time to show off
My neighbor loves them fried. You gotta try smoking them. So delicious.
Yep, Cathy is selling them now and they are doing well in there. Def tell Sally to rock them!
Sounds like a great time! I'm planning on getting down there first weekend of November. All the albie videos are getting me anxious tho.
My bad luck health month continues. Friday late afternoon I hauled the boat out after fishing with my friend who is visiting. When I stepped down off the boat onto the fender, my flip flop slipped and leg kicked out. I fell completely flat on my side to the pavement from several feet up. I haven't felt pain like this. Definitely broke ribs and can hardly move. Everything hurts. Breathing is difficult but getting better. Slept in the truck the last two nights because I cannot lie down. I couldn't fish yesterday and canceled my trip for today. Was supposed to go to BBurg for the ND game but that is up in the air now. I might be out of commission for a couple of weeks. MRI results on my knee come back Tuesday...
Anyway the weather is good and albies are everywhere. Someone else come on down and catch them.
Damn, always heard breaking ribs are brutal. Hope you heal up soon. The albie action does look amazing. I'll hit you up whenever I make it down.
Get well soon.
Heading down to try for some more early season red drum (and if the water doesn't dirty, albies instead) Wednesday-Friday. Will be back for the Notre Dame game.
If you are still looking for pro spec chrome, Bishop's Fishing Supply (Yorktown) has some spools.
Had a good trip on Friday. Rolled out a little before 6 from Wenona, headed south to Tangier Sound, anchored around 630, and had our limit of Spotted Trout by 745. Then snagged a few blues which were running off the trout. Piddled around for another 4 hours and put 10 kings in the cooler.
Ended up with the majority of the blues, so filleted them up and brined them as soon as I got home. After about 18 hours of brining, smoked them and made some dip. Man, I'll take every darn blue there is from now on. Killer stuff. Lots of work, but just awesome dip.
Was nice to get out and just breathe for a minute. It's been way too long since I threw a line out. Cast well guys. Waiting to see if he has a good open day in November for Rock. Now that's a killer day!