Headhunter Outdoors Report

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 10-6-08

SFTC Press — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:35:42 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Spots, Spots, and more Spots! The piers are catching them, the surf and sound are full of them. Get your cooler and fill the freezer! If you want to know where to go, Try any place that is wet. Bloodworms and Shrimp are great bait as well as Fishbites and some folks use plain old redworms with sucess. A two hook bottom rig is all you need to catch a mess of these tasty little fish. The sound and surf are also giving up some nice Reds and specks. I’ve heard that Topsail inlet is full of reds but I’m still catching them along the waterway and the creeks. Lots of big Speckled Trout are cruising around too. Howards creek is always a good spot to start looking. Folks the Blues are thick everywhere and some of the ones I’ve caught lately are 4-5 lbs. The docks and bridges are holding some big Flounder and they are hungry. A fat Finger mullet on a Carolina rig can’t be beat around about any dock and who knows what else might grab it. If you find a dock holding fish don’t tell anybody but me! OK! Just tell people that you caught it in the water, right in the corner of the mouth! Offshore the fish are biting good too. Spanish,Kings and a few Tarpon are from the beach on out and the bottom fishing is hot too. Whether you bottom fish or troll find the structure and bait and the predators ain’t far away.
On the hunting side, I went hunting the other evening and was sitting up in my stand and 2 bucks popped out about 10 yards from me. Well I’m going to put it in print, I chocked and missed a 10 yard shot with my bow. I got Buck fever folks. All my years of hunting and I choked! AARRRGGHH! Well maybe I’ll get a second chance soon. It just goes to show you that anything can happen. Well thats it for this week folks. Be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-29-08

SFTC Press — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:00:12 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. I’m going to go ahead and tell you this is going to be short and sweet this week. Redfish on the inlet bars and all along the waterway. Nice Flounder around just about any dock or structure. Specks are in the deep holes and are biting on the high tide. Howard’s creek and the swing bridge are hot. Don’t forget the dredge dock at the south end either. The creeks are full of Shrimp and baitfish and the falling tide at just about any creek mouth is about a sure thing. The spots are starting to bite a little better and should get even better over the next few weeks. Do you hear that Doctor D!
The surf is heating up and the best bite seems to be when I’m not there! Late evening and into the night is the best bite. Lots of Blues around and are all sizes. Lots of Reds running the surf and inlet bars. Get yourself a beach pass and go to either inlet and relax for a while!
Offshore things are still the same,the storm didn’t mess it up too bad. Folks all I can say is to go fishing. Don’t keep putting it off till it’s too late. Procrastination will insure you don’t catch anything! Don’t complain when you don’t have any fish to eat in February, cause I told you to go fishing. Oh, remember that they call it fishing not catching. If they ain’t biting where you are, MOVE!
On the hunting side, I ain’t got one yet but I have seen a few. Between fishing and hunting my wife is getting mad cause my housecleaning duties are getting overlooked. Huh, imagine that!
Folks thats it for this week cause I got fish to catch and critters to hunt! Till next week, be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-23-08

SFTC Press — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:20:15 +0000

Hi folks, Capt.David here with this weeks outdoors report. The Spots are showing up in better numbers this week and it’s none too soon! The waterway and the surf are heating up and everything is biting. Trout are still hanging around the Swing bridge and early morning seems to be the best time to catch a nice Speck. All that structure means that the Flounder are laying on the bottom around the bridge too. If you want to catch a citation size Flounder now,the bridge is the best place I know off. The Reds are scattered all along the waterway and I’m hearing that the inlet bars at both ends are stacked up with some BIG Reds! Now is the time to be fishing folks. Lay out of work and go fishing.
The offshore bite is still going as well. The best advise I can give you is, find the bait-find the fish!
Black Bass are everywhere for the bottom fisherman and some of the ledges in the 10 mile range have a grouper every now and then. Just be careful of the size limit! Flounder are being caught in the ocean and surf and the Blues are everywhere. I didn’t think that the little Blues would be worst bait stealers than the Pinfish, but they are! Kings and Spanish are thick and early morning is the hot time to have baits in the water. Sails and Mahi are farther out but still biting hard when you find them. Be careful and pay attention to the weather this time of the year folks. A fast moving front can make it dangerous in a hurry out there. Slick calm in the morning and BAM! 6 footers rolling 4 seconds apart! Folks the first thing I would advise doing when it gets rough is to put on a life jacket immediately. Rouge waves are not a myth, they do happen! Just be safe folks.
Now on the hunting side. Well I’ve been hunting 3 times and saw deer twice but I still haven’t had a shot. Who says hunting is easy. Early season bow hunting is an exercise in abuse. Whether it’s the heat or the skeeter’s, it makes you question your sanity. What am I talkin’ about,sane people don’t do that to themselves. It’s still a rush when you see a deer. Heck just being outdoors makes me feel good. Friday my daughter called me to invite me to go Dove hunting with her on Saturday morning. Must have done something right! I didn’t go because I didn’t want to get a lesson in wingshooting from her. She gives me a hard time about getting old and missing birds. She did get her gift of good aim with a shotgun from her Granddaddy. Remember to take your kids hunting and you won’t be hunting your kids folks. Well thats it for this week folks,be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-16-08

SFTC Press — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:37:16 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here again. Folks the fishing is hot. The surf action is picking up with a little of everything. Blues, Red and Black drum, Flounder, Pompano, a few Spots and Mullet. The piers are catching the same with Spanish and Kings in the mix. Night seems to be the best time to try these locations now and you can go after work too. That should make the bossman happy!

Offshore, Kings from the beach on out and Spanish around the inlets and behind the breakers. If you do a dawn patrol and troll a 00 Clark spoon on a small planer you can usually catch the limit of Spanish. Black Bass are all over the Topsail ledges and the reefs. I’ve heard off a few Grouper being caught on some of the ledges out 10 miles or so. Mahi and Sails are still in the area and are 10-15 miles out. The deep wrecks and ledges are holding some nice Grouper too. AJ’s are usually close to structure too. Hook a AJ and I hope you got good tackle,because they ain’t nothing but fight. Thats what I like about saltwater fish, they got attitude!

The sound is full of Reds,Flounder and Specks. The Reds are scattered all along the waterway and up in the creeks. The docks are holding Flounder and Reds. Specks are roaming around everywhere and it looks like this fall is going to be a good one for BIG Trout. All these fish are in 4 foot or less, chasing bait. I’m also hearing of a few more spots showing up too. It ain’t the run yet so don’t get all excited. Remember the Spot Festival is coming up as well! Good food and great fun!

On the hunting side, DEER SEASON IS IN! I went Saturday morning and didn’t see anything and it was way too hot for me that evening. Let’s hope this weather will cool off some. Anyway Dove season is still in as well as resident Goose season. The short Teal season is coming in this week and I have seen some birds on the sound. Well thats it for this week so remember, Take a kid with you and be safe!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-9-08

SFTC Press — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:41:16 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Well with tropical storm Hanna blowing through last weekend, the fishing was a little off. Before the storm everything was biting everywhere! Since the storm the water is muddy and the bite is off a little. It won’t take but a couple of days for the water to clear and the games can resume! I certainly hope everyone weathered the storm okay and didn’t have any damages.

It certainly is good to live around here with all we have to do in the outdoors. Go down on the sound and catch Redfish and Flounder in about any creek mouth or on the flats. Specks in the morning and at dusk around the swing bridge. Kings from the beach on out. Black sea bass on the reefs and ledges. Heck everything is biting! I’ve even heard of a few small spots being caught. Now don’t get in an uproar, there’s always a spot or two to be had. Folks it don’t matter what kind of fish you like to catch, It’s BITING! Go fishing. The piers and beach are good at night and will only get better as it cools off.

Remember that you need a beach permit to drive on the beach in designated areas during the fall and winter. Oh, and a good 4 wheel drive vehicle. The fall surf fishing season is a great time to be a fisherman. Drive out on the beach, put a couple of sand spikes down, bait up and sit back and relax. Remember that it can be peaceful with no bite one minute and then all heck breaks loose when a school of fish swim by! It’s also a great way to spend quality time with the family!

On the hunting side, Archery deer season comes in on Saturday and I can’t wait. Dove season is still in as well as resident Canada Goose season. Folks check your treestand for safety reasons and wear a safety harness anytime you are in an elevated stand. Treestand falls are the #1 reason hunters get hurt. Falling 20 feet out of a tree is a good way to end your season. I personally like my harness because I won’t fall when I take a nap! Snoring sounds like a buck grunting I think. Well thats about it for this week so remember be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 9-2-08

SFTC Press — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:13:07 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. I heard that one of my readers expressed concern that the fish pictured in last weeks column was illegal! Folks let me assure you that the fish in question was over the slot limit and was released unharmed along with several others that were in the same size range. I practice catch and release and that fish has been caught several times in the last few weeks. Folks, my reputation is too valuable to risk a run-in with the Marine Fisheries guys and get a ticket. Not to mention that I can go back the next day with a charter and catch the same fish. Catching an oversize fish ain’t illegal, keeping it is! 90% of the fish caught on my charters are released alive and unharmed!
Now on to other things. The fish are biting everywhere and are hungry. With fall just around the corner, the fish are getting fattened up for the winter. Reds are all along the waterway and Flounder are around the docks in Banks channel and along the waterway. Speckled Trout are hanging around too. Right now Mullet minnows and peanut pogeys are what they are biting and look for some vicious hits too. Topwater baits are working well for both Reds and Specks back in the bays around Permuda Island and Everett bay. Remember dark bait for cloudy days and light colored baits on sunny days. I’ve heard the Specks are still around the swing bridge and some bigger Flounder are laid up under the bridge as well.
Offshore things are still jumping but be careful this week with that storm brewing down south of up cause it’s going to kick up a swell. Kings from the beach on out along with Spanish. Sailfish are still within a couple of miles and the bottom fishing is hot on the ledges and reefs with Black bass and snapper. Grouper are liable to hit your bait as well. Just be careful if you go out this week!
On the other side, Dove season opened on Labor day and I went to stone creek game land and had a great time shooting birds. Wildlife Resources and Quail forever cooperated and planted a couple of fields and birds were flying. I gave those rascals plenty of warning shots too! It’s a darned good thing I can’t shoot as good as I think I can! I saw a couple of guys with their kids out there too. That makes me feel good when I see that. A wise man said, Take your kids huntin’ and you won’t be huntin’ your kids! Sounds good to me folks! Well thats it for this week so remember to take a kid with you and be safe!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 8-27-08

SFTC Press — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:15:36 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with the scoop on whats biting! The sound is full of Redfish and they are all along the waterway in 1-3 feet of water. Here is a tip for finding a school of Reds. Watch the baitfish schools as they move down the edge and look for swirls or bait jumping in the air. I have also found fish by looking at where the baitfish are swinging out away from the bank as if they are circling around something. A fat 4 inch Pogey or Finger mullet on a Carolina rig or float rig will do the trick. Lots of the time I find Flounder and Speckled trout this way too. Think about it folks they all eat the same thing and like the same kinds of areas to feed. Points, docks, creek mouths, and oyster bars along the waterway are prime spots to look. Be easy and quiet when you move into a spot to keep from spooking any fish present. If they are there you should know in less than 30 minutes. No fish = Move to another spot. The spots should start to run before too much longer and it will be time to fill the freezer with fish.
The surf is giving up a little bit of everything now and the bite is only going to get hotter as fall comes. The piers are catching a mixed bag as well. After dark seem to be the best time in the surf and on the piers. Offshore, Kings and Spanish are from the beach on out. Black sea bass are on the close in ledges and reefs. Flounder are a possible catch as well! Mahi are still around and some are still in the area. Folks right now it doesn’t matter what your favorite fish is, grab the wife and kids and go catchin’.
Folks, in this high stress,fast paced, high tech era we live in now, take time to unwind and enjoy the simple things. Quality time in the outdoors with family and friends is time well spent. Whether you hunt and fish or not, the outdoors is a grand and wonderous thing meant to be enjoyed by everyone so get off your duff and take a kid fishing. Capt. David

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Casey Shaw of Hampstead with a 301/2 inch Redfish caught with Capt. David

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 8-18-08

SFTC Press — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:30:29 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Well the fishing is hot and so is the weather. Let’s hope this tropical storm won’t mess it up to bad. Redfish are all along the waterway and biting just about anything. Now I’ve seen a lot of boats anchored up along the waterway and folks fishing. The only problem that I see is the people are still fishing too deep. Folks this time of the year you ain’t going to catch much in the waterway channel. The Flounder, Trout, and Redfish are in 1 FOOT of water. I don’t catch Redfish out of water more than 3 feet deep. The reason for this is the bait! Where is the bait you may ask, up next to the grass. Folks it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the fish are feeding on the baitfish this time of the year so look for the bait. If you don’t know what to look for,look for the funny ripples next to the bank and if you see the bait jumping out of the water,something is after them. Fish where the bait is. A wise man told me once that a fat man don’t get far from the buffet! Big fish don’t either. Predator fish are looking for an easy meal and will use every opportunity to work less and eat more. That’s how they get big!
Offshore the fish are biting in all the usual places and probably on your secret spot too. Remember to guard those gps and loran numbers , don’t get caught sitting on your sweet spot either. Heck I know guys who won’t even let their wives have that info! Spanish are thick, the Kings are 1-2 miles and on out, Mahi are 10 or so miles with Sailfish mixed in. The deep ledges and wrecks are holding some fat Grouper now and the bite will get hot once the water starts to cool a couple of degree’s.
On the hunting side, Dove season comes in on the 1st of Sept. and is in till Oct 4th. The daily limit is 15 birds and season don’t open till noon on the 1st. After that it’s an all day season. If you ain’t ever tried Dove hunting, you might ought to. Try hitting a missile going 50 MPH with the sun in your eyes! Folks it ain’t easy! Resident Canada goose season comes in on the 1st as well till the 30th with a daily limit of 8 and Teal season comes in Sept. 20-30 east of Hwy 17. The daily limit is 4 birds. Sept. 13 also is the opening day of Deer bow season. Well folks thats it for this week so remember to take a kid with you and be safe!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 8-12-08

SFTC Press — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:20:32 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Folks the fishing is hot! Lots of Redfish all along the waterway and they are hitting just about anything. The Speckled Trout are biting too. The swing bridge seems to be the hotspot now especially at night and early morning. Some of the Trout are real big but the majority are in the 2 lb class. Heck I’ve been catching them on a float rig while fishing for Reds. The way things are looking we are going to be in for a wild fall fishing season. That suits me just fine too. The flounder are around and are rather plentiful but most of them are on the small side. Look at it this way, that 13 inch fish will be back next year and be bigger! This time of the year folks most of the big fish are prowling around looking for something to eat and there ain’t no better place to look than at a creek mouth on the falling tide. If you find fish, remember what the tide is doing and be there when the tide is the same the next day. I’ve actually caught Flounder, Trout, and Reds from the same spot at the same time. Those fish are using spots like this as feeding stations and will lay there and pick off the bait as the tide sweeps it by. The two rigs I use regularly is the Carolina rig and a float rig. If you are wondering what a float rig is, it’s the same thing you use for panfish in freshwater. Just hang a minnow on it and let the current do the work. Now a lot of you folks are still using j-hooks and they work great,but you ought to give circle hooks a try. You don’t have to set the hook and they are hooked right in the corner of the jaw. It takes a little getting used to but once you get the hang of it you will catch more fish when they bite.
Offshore things remain the same with all the fish where they should be. From the beach on out something is biting. It’s just a hard decision what to target! Spanish, Kings, Tarpon, Sails, Mahi, Marlin, Grouper, Black bass and the list goes on! The most important piece of advice I can give you is to go fishing.
Hunting season ain’t far off now boys and girls and I hope that the feeders are full and your gear is ready because it is less than a month off. YEEHAA! I love living here because of all we have to enjoy in this area. Some of the best hunting and fishing in the eastern US is right here folks and if you ain’t taking advantage of it,sorry about your luck! Well thats it for this week so be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

Topsail & Surf City Outdoors-Fishing Report 8-4-08

SFTC Press — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:58:32 +0000

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Last weeks column was missing because one of those afternoon thunderstorms hit a tree beside the house and Deep-fried my computer. Anyway, the fish are biting and if you ain’t fishing,you are wrong!
Inshore the Redfish are everywhere and the Flounder are plentiful. Now most of the flounder are small,but you can find a keeper. The Reds I’ve been catching are upper and over slot limit fish and are hanging around the creek mouth’s on the falling tide. A fat Finger mullet or Pogey on a Carolina rig will work for all the BIG three. Redfish, Flounder, and Trout. Folks I ain’t going to sit here and tell you that you can’t catch fish on artificial bait, cause you can! Anything that will work on a Largemouth Bass will catch a big Red! Topwaters, Jigs, Jerkbaits will all catch a fish this time of the year. Just remember that saltwater will rust rubber,so clean your stuff good.
Offshore the fish are biting as well. Kings are from the beach on out,with the 45-60 foot depths being the hotspots. Spanish Mackeral are just behind the breakers in the morning and will tear a Clark spoon up. The Silver King is here as well, yes folks you heard me right, Tarpon are running the beach’s now. If you plan on fishing for them the best thing to do is be outside the inlet, running the beach at daylight. Oh, bring your A game when you do! They ain’t the Silver King for nothing.
The ledges and reefs are giving a lot of Black Bass and Snappers and farther out the Grouper bite has been good! Ain’t caught none, Guess you ain’t on the right ledge. Folks I can’t tell you enough,If you ain’t catching fish,Move! 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. Don’t waste you time sitting somewhere all day and come home with nothing. It’s hard to explain to the better half why you need a boat when you ain’t catching fish!
On the other side, Bow season starts the 13th of Sept. and Dove season comes in Labor day weekend, so let the games begin. Hot diggity dog! I’m as excited as a Beagle in a brier patch and my stuff is ready. Well thats about it for this week so remember, Take a kid with you and be safe!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818