Captain Jot Owens Fishing Report

Good day to everyone.  The weather is starting to finally get right; we are having more warm days than cooler ones.  The forecast has warmer days for the rest of the week, a little cool today though!  Wind wise a little better everyday, we’ve finally started to get out on the ocean and chase those Bonita’s around.  Let’s talk about that. 

Those high speed Bonita’s are showing up, good numbers should show up any day now. The Bluefish are mixed in with them too.  We’re catching them by trolling and casting.  The trolling rigs that we’re using are; a number one planner with thirty to forty feet of forty pound mono leader.  Tied to the leader is a Clark spoon in size’s 0, 1 and 2, I like to use the gold and pink flash Clark spoons.  Troll them about five to six knots. 

If you would like to try casting or jigging for the Bonita’s, I use Maria jigs.  They do have a price tag on them, but when the bite is tough these jigs will pay off!  Maria’s that I have the best luck with are size’s seven and fourteen grams.  The fourteens are easier to cast.  Colors to use; green, blue and pink seem to work the best for me.

The Speckled trout have decided to bite from time to time the last few weeks.  Most fish are coming out of creeks and channels around the waterway and inlets.  Best bet for the trout so far has been grubs, working the grubs slow in holes and drop-offs.   The grubs I like in the spring mouths are Saltwater Assassin sea shad in 4”.  Colors silver mullet, chart diamond, and salt/pep shad. I like to use shrimp (Bang) scent in the spring too, this helps because there is not much bait in the water yet.  I don’t use a lot of scents for Trout, but in the cool spring mouths it can really help.

Redfish are schooling good in the surf and the ICW, when we get a nice day we get out and get’em.  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 seen to be the easy go to bait for the Reds.  Saltwater Assassin (Blurps) in pearl and molting colors work very well.  You can use jigs heads, 1/4 and 3/8 for casting.  Color of the jig heads is not a big deal red and black work just fine.  Hold on tight, they fight great even in cool water!

We are catching a few Flounder as well.  The flounder are biting while we are fishing for Reds and the Trout.  Grubs work just fine to get these guys.   Gear used: Reel Pflueger Infusion 7635SS and 7640ss, Rod: Ugly Stick Lite 7?0? Med light and Med act. Line: Ugly Braid in 15 and 20 pound test.  Thanks for taking the time to read this report, get out there and go fishing!   If you would like to go with me check out my web page www.captainjot.com and or give me a call 910-233-4139.

Capt. Jot Owens
Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC
www.captainjot.com 
910-233-4139 

Hello everybody, I hope spring is treating you well! Not to bad around here, two days warm then one day cool.  Hey that’s spring for ya around the Carolina coast!  One day breezy, two days calm sometime it’s the other way around! That’s why I love the Carolina coast we have real seasons around here!  Enough about weather, to the fishing report we go!

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 coast fishing has been a little hit or miss for the most part. Some days we go out and get over ten Redfish some days it’s less.  The best bait for the Reds lately has been fresh shrimp or live mud minnows.  I have had the most luck rigging the shrimp and minnows on Carolina rigs.  We are using EC L 42 style hooks in number “one” size.  The Reds are running in the sixteen to twenty-five inch range with a few bigger ones mixed in from time to time.

If you would like to go the artificial root, I would recommend using scented grubs.  The best bet is to use Saltwater Assassin “Blurps” in Colors Molting and good penny.  These Blurps are really well scented to put out one great scent trail. Those Reds will find them, trust me!  Jigs heads for the grubs in ¼ to 3/8 oz, colors red and black seem to be the trick. Work’em slow around docks and drop-offs on grass lines.

There are a few trout and flounder around as well, they are not very big, but some times you can pull out a keeper.  Mud minnows and grubs are the ticket for these fish.  Rig the minnows on Carolina rigs, go light on the leader fifth teen to twenty pound line.  Grub colors that we’re using; Chart. Diamond and Silver mullet with red head jigs.  Work’em slow on shore lines and drop off on the grass lines.

Gear used for the last few trips: Pflueger Medalist and Infusion SS spinning reels in size 6035 great for trout and light Red fishing. Rods: Ugly Stick Lite. Med act 7’ Line used Ugly Braid fifth teen and twenty pound test.  Thanks for reading this report, if you have any questions or comments drop me a line at www.captainjot.com

Thanks again,

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

PS: Booking up FAST>>>>>>>>>