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Catching Report 5-22-08

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Springtime fishing is in full swing!  Unfortunately so are the spring time winds.

If you can find a place out of the wind or on those days when the wind gives us a bit of a break, the fishing has been awesome.  Typical of this time of year, the mornings are often a bit calmer.  As the airs warms in the late afternoon and interacts with the cooler sea water, it produces a lot of wind.  Then in the late evening it often dies down again.  It looks like relief is in sight.  The marine forecast for the entire Memorial Day week-end is looking NICE!

The piers are reporting good catches of blues.  Some chopper blues are still lurking around but most that are being caught are in the 1- 2 pound class.  Those are the best eating size if you like blue fish.  They are being caught on most anything but the most effective method and maybe the most fun is plugging.  The Gotcha lure and small diamond jigs are popular lures for plugging.  Some nice flounder are also being caught, live or fresh shrimp is workign best.

Some Spanish are mixed in with the blues with the best bite being in the early morning light and the late afternoon.  The Sea mullet are still biting best at night.  Some flounder, pompano and croakers are also being caught.  A few kings have been caught and I had one report of a cobia hooked but lost at the gaff.

Inshore the drum bite has been good with top water lures working quite well in the mornings.  The speck bite has been good in the New River with fish being caught all the way up into Jacksonville. 

Near shore the fishing is similar to the piers.  Anglers are catching lots of blues with some nice Spanish in the mix.  Work the tide line for good results around low tide.  Clark spoons and Yo-zuri deep divers are working well.  Small kings are out in force between the “E” buoy and Christmas rock.  Most are being caught on downriggers in the 30 – 40 foot range.  Blue Water Candy skirts in green or pink seem to be working well.  A few Cobia have been caught near New Topsail Inlet and the near shore ledges.

The bigger kings are still further out and scattered.  Try out in the 20 mile range on some of the patch reefs and ledges.  The dolphin fish should be moving in closer soon but this past week they were still in 180 – 250 feet of water.  Some nice Wahoo have been caught in that range as well.  Plenty of amberjacks are being caught in those waters as well.

Tight Lines and Happy Memorial Day to all!

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