We finally got a few days in a row of nicer weather and many fishermen used them well. The long range forecast shows the wind calming back down a bit about the time this reaches the newsstands and going into a more typical summer pattern. This is the pattern we all like, where the winds are from the southwest and light early in the morning and then increase a little during the day as it gets warmer and the sea breeze begins. This allows for a following sea and wind on the way home and that’s okay. Summer officially arrives on June 21 and it’s about time to see some summer weather.
Unfortunately, this summer equinox also denotes the peak of our hours of sunlight for the year. June 21 is the longest day of the year, with sunrise at 6:29 a.m. and sunset at 8:16 p.m. for 13 hours, 46 minutes and 42 seconds of sunlight. When you take into account that astronomical twilight extends roughly an hour before sunrise and an hour beyond sunset, that makes for a long day. The very next day, June 22, the days begin getting shorter. This is only a few seconds a day for most of the rest of the summer, but the change increases as we taper down to the short winter days in December and January.
This edition will be distributed to area newsstands and go online the afternoon of June 14. This is Flag Day. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the design for the U.S. flag to show the unity of the colonies. It’s time to proudly display your American flag.
The U.S. Army also celebrates its birthday on June 14. According to Wikipedia, Congress adopted “the American Continental Army” after reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775. This was two years prior to having a U.S. flag. Happy Birthday to the U.S. Army and our thanks and best wishes to all who serve and have served in the Army.
This Sunday, June 18, is Father’s Day. It’s time to remember all your dad has done for you. Take dad fishing, clean the boat and fish by yourself when you return and either cook some fish or take him out for a great seafood meal. I can remember fishing with my dad at four years old and I’m still doing it. Thanks Pop!
Having ridden out more hurricanes than I have fingers to count, I keep a pretty good eye on the tropics once the weather starts warming. We are now in hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) and there are good sources of information, unlike 50 plus years ago when a day or two was advance notice. We have good news this week as neither the National Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov) or my favorite secondary tropical weather source, Mike’s Weather Page (www.spaghettimodels.com) show any current systems. However, Mike pointed out that the southern Atlantic Ocean is warming quickly and this could provide fuel if a storm forms early.
Bob Timson and Hiroki Toma are at it again. Regular readers may remember that Toma has carried several area fishermen to state and world record catches of deepwater bottom fish offshore of Frying Pan Tower and Bob Timson has caught several of them. This week they teamed up for Timson to catch a marbled grouper that weighed 21.5 pounds and was 33 inches long (see the attached picture). N.C. currently doesn’t have a state record for marbled grouper and Timson was going to begin the process to have it certified this week. Nice catch and good luck!
I thought it was pretty extreme when the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission asked people to report any chipmunk sightings east of I-95. Their curiosity comes from a verified sighting in Wilmington three years ago. Well danged if my wife didn’t see something cross Oak Island Drive one morning this week that fits the description of a chipmunk perfectly. She said it was smaller than a squirrel, with a shorter tail than a squirrel, more brown than gray in color and very fast as it crossed the busy road. I don’t know and wasn’t there to see it, but the description fits and I believe that if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and quacks, then it’s most likely a duck. If you see something you think is a chipmunk, visit the Wildlife Resources Commission’s eastern chipmunk species page, www.ncwildlife.org/eastern-chipmunk and report it.
Once again, we are hoping the dates and limit for the 2023 flounder season will be announced this week. The director of the Division of Marine Fisheries has the authority to set the flounder season(s) and regulations by proclamation, but has not yet. There has been plenty of time to analyze the catch from the 2022 season and set the 2023 season accordingly. A source at NCDMF said to expect a shorter flounder season than in 2023 because of catching more during 2022 than the allocation. One option mentioned was a two-week season in September, with a single fish limit and a 15-inch tail length minimum size. Another skeptical fisherman commented that if they are waiting this late to make the announcement, it’s going to be bad news. Hopefully this announcement comes soon and we know and can plan. The DMF/MFC website is www.mfc.net.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is launching a new license and vessel registration system July 1. As part of the transition to the new system, hunting and fishing licenses — including Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses — and vessel registrations will be unavailable for purchase from 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, to 8 a.m. Saturday, July 1. License and registration purchases must be done by June 27 or they will have to wait until the new system goes on line on July 1.
License and vessel registration renewals may be purchased online through the Wildlife Commission website (www.ncwildlife.org), in person through a wildlife service agent, at most Division of Marine Fisheries offices, and by phone (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) at 888-248-6834 (for licenses) or 800-628-3773 (for vessels).
Several fishermen have said and posted on Facebook that they are using Lockwood Folly Inlet even though the dredge is still working and the inlet has not been surveyed and the buoys put back out. Several have said there is plenty of water, but my advice would be to avoid using this inlet until the buoys have been reestablished. One marine insurance expert said that boaters should check their insurance policies and see if there is an exemption in coverage when using unmarked inlets. A mistake might not be covered.
We hope everyone is finding some time that coincides with nice weather and calm sea conditions to go fishing. Reports are that fishing in pretty good in many places. Scales and Tales always welcomes pictures and fishing reports from readers. If you had a great fishing trip and or have a picture of a fish that makes you smile, send the picture and some details on the trip. Send them to sports@stateportpilot.com or captjerry@captjerry.com. We look forward to highlighting outstanding reader catches.
The Fishing Report
Fishing was different and the same this week as the water began to warm again and the prevailing winds were much more friendly. The cobia catches continued at a good pace and ocean fishermen also caught a lot of king mackerel, dolphin, assorted offshore bottom fish, plus some tuna, wahoo and billfish. Let’s hope the winds remain friendly.
Cobia and king mackerel were caught from just a little off the beach out to near Frying Pan Tower. There were a lot of kings in the 10-20 pound range, but tournament fishermen found a bunch in the 30s and several in the 40s over the weekend. The cobia catches seemed to be either just long enough to be legal (36 inches fork length) or of citation size, which is 40 pounds minimum. Most were caught either slow trolling or drifting live baits, but some hit baits fished under a balloon behind anchored boats and some hit dead natural baits.
As was noted last week, cobia can be secretive and just suddenly appear right behind a boat. It pays big dividends to always have a heavy spinning outfit rigged and ready to cast to these targets of opportunity. If the cobia acts shy, put the rod in a rod holder and hold the line to move the bait around, teasing and aggravating the cobia into biting. Cobia that suddenly appear right behind the motor(s) can be a bit like cats at times and have to be teased to get them to bite.
Spanish mackerel are also biting from just beyond the breakers to a handful of miles offshore. Usually, they prowl the tidelines out to around the Sea Buoy and west to Yaupon and McGlammery Reefs (AR 425 and AR 420), plus just outside Lockwood Folly Inlet. Wherever they are, Spanish mackerel usually are willing to hit small flashy lures and jigs. They like these trolled or retrieved quickly too.
Moving a bit farther offshore, ocean bottom fish are biting. They can be caught drifting, but anchored over structure usually produces better. The new electric trolling motors with Spot-Lock GPS technology make this easy as they do away with the need to figure out the anchor course and then retrieve the anchor after fishing. In addition to the usual black sea bass, grunts, porgys, triggerfish, grouper and beeliners, this week several fishermen reported catching mutton snapper and one lucky fisherman caught a potential state record marbled grouper. Bottom fishing begins at around 60 feet, improves at around 100 feet and there are more fish from 150 – 200 feet.
It is wise to always float a light line back when bottom fishing. It can be baited with live or dead bait, but it will draw strikes. Many of the bottom fish regurgitate on the way up and this makes a natural chum line. Light line catches may include king mackerel, dolphin, wahoo and even occasionally a sailfish.
Gulf Stream trolling has been good. The key is finding a color change, temperature break, rip, weed line, upwelling, school of bait or something floating. Tuna, dolphin, wahoo, billfish and all the offshore species will work the edges of all of these eating baitfish that are sheltering there. Dolphin are particularly attracted to floating objects, even many that seem small and inconsequential.
The excellent billfish action continues from Hatteras to Georgetown. The ladies in the Keli Wagner Lady Angler tournament that kicked off the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament Saturday caught and released 51 billfish. The week-long main Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament began Monday and there were already multiple billfish release reports and several fish headed to the scales at our deadline. If you have a hankering to go toe to fin with a Carolina billfish, now is a good time.
There was only a single king mack catch reported from the piers this week, but it was a nice one at 31 pounds. Fishermen there were catching speckled trout in the mornings and sometimes in the late afternoons, with bluefish and others biting during the middle of the day. The setup for catching these specks is to fish live shrimp suspended above the bottom under a cork. The trout will move with bait and may be anywhere from just beyond the breakers to the end of the pier.
Bluefish (and Spanish mackerel too) like Got-Cha plugs and other small lures cast and retrieved. Bluefish usually respond best with a medium speed retrieve, while Spanish macks like their lures moving quickly. Other pier catches include pompano, flounder (must be released), red drum, black drum, blowfish, croakers, whiting, sand perch, small sharks, skates and rays.
Don’t overlook fishing in the surf. Oak Island isn’t a heralded surf fishing location, but there are fish to be caught. The action isn’t hot, but is slower unless there is a school of something moving by. The most popular surf dweller currently is pompano. Many times, pompano will be feeding right where the farthest out wave breaks and stirs up the bottom. Other surf catches include red and black drum, whiting, bluefish, croakers, blowfish, small sharks, skates, rays and more.
Fishermen are also having some luck from the docks and bank along the Intracoastal Waterway, Big Davis Canal, the Southport Municipal Pier and the Southport waterfront. Many of the ICW and Davis Canal docks are private, but the town of Oak Island also owns a few the public can use. There is a list of these in the parks listing in the Parks and Facilities section of the Town of Oak Island website (https://www.oakislandnc.gov/residents-visitors/parks-facilities). There is a lot of variety in the catch at these locations, but a rod and reel, two drop bottom rig and some shrimp or cut bait is all you need to give it a try.
It’s difficult to believe speckled trout need to be protected as we continue to find them in so many places. Not only are there numbers of them, which results in limits being caught, but there are some big ones in the mix. June is the peak of the spawn for specks and it isn’t unusual to catch fat sow trout that are loaded with eggs. Much like at the piers, the top way to catch trout is suspending a live shrimp under a cork. About a foot or so above the bottom is ideal, but you may have to raise it higher to avoid all the bait thieves. Trout will also hit live minnows and a variety of hard and soft lures.
Red drum are the next most fun inshore fish, but they often get spread out once the water warms. Black drum still gather in holes in the creeks and marshes and in the shadows under docks and often make up a larger part of the catch. Both drum will eat live and dead natural baits and red drum will hit a variety of lures. Black drum aren’t so fond of lures.
There are flounder inside the inlets, but the season is closed and they must be released.
Look for things that will concentrate bait or interrupt current to find inshore fish. Creek mouths and points are the most obvious, but exposed and underwater oyster rocks and sand bars also affect the movement of bait. Red drum typically stay a bit shallower, but black drum and trout will feed with them early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Trout and black drum typically prefer water a bit deeper, especially when the sun is overhead in the sky.
Some of our summer only fish are beginning to arrive. There have been reports of ladyfish in the creeks and bay behind Bald Head and upriver, but no reports of tripletail or tarpon yet. With the sunshine and warm days warming the water, it won’t be long before they also make their annual appearances.
Sheepshead are becoming a weekly addition to this report, even without a lot of pictures. If you know a successful sheepshead fisherman, you probably already know his favorite spot is in Hushmouth Creek. They don’t talk much… It is amazing how easily sheepshead can remove a bait from a hook without the fisherman feeling it. That’s the most frustrating part of the learning curve to catch them.
Pilings, bulkheads, bridge abutments and other vertical structure are great places to find sheepshead. They feed on the barnacles, sea urchins and small crabs that grow there. Locally, fiddler crabs are the most popular sheepshead bait and most of the local tackle shops carry them.
Summer returns at the middle of next week and summertime fishing is already here. Scales and Tales reports has returned for the season and will appear weekly until Thanksgiving. Remember that we like to fill the page with pictures from readers and take a camera or have your phone ready. Send those pictures of you smiling wide and holding your latest catch to us at sports@stateportpilot.com or captjerry@captjerry.com. Include a few details of your catch and we’ll gladly share them with all our readers.
NOTE: Size and number regulations for all coastal species may be found in the Hot Topic links at the top right of the Division of Marine Fisheries home page at www.ncdmf.net. This page also has links to DMF news releases and fishery proclamations. There are provisions on each of these pages to register to receive e-mail notification of fishery management issues and changes.
Tournament Tidbits
The Junior Jolly Mon King Mackerel Classis was held at Ocean Isle Fishing Center in Ocean Isle Beach on Friday, June 9, before the main Jolly Mon King Classic over the weekend. The weather cooperated and the youngsters had a great day to fish. There were 18 boats with 32 kids in the tournament.
Reel Heel, with Madden Ward (14), Sam DeRemer (13) and Fisher Welborn (13) scored the win with a 30.45-pound king. Mini Mackerels, Kalia Lawson (10), AJ Truluck (12) and Weston Truluck (11) finished second with their 25.3-pound king and Fin-Addict, David Whitaker (15) caught a 23.65-pounder to finish third. Full Scale Fishing, Conner Young (16), Olivia Young (13) and Reagan Hinson (14) topped the cobia category with a 45.55-pound catch and Lookin’ 2 Hookup, James Peele (3) caught a .7-pounder to top the Spanish mackerel category.
The Jolly Mon King Mackerel Classic was held Saturday and Sunday at Ocean Isle Fishing Center in Ocean Isle Beach. Participants could choose to fish either Saturday or Sunday, but not both. The tournament drew 285 boats and 240 of them chose to fish on Saturday. Fishermen brought four kings heavier than 40 pounds to the scales, plus a bunch in the 30-pound range.
The lead was held by Damon Dawson and the Double Down crew after Saturday with a 46-pounder and there were only 45 boats eligible to fish Sunday. The Sunday fishermen caught two of the 40-pounders, but didn’t displace the Double Down crew or Edward Julian and the Troublemaker crew who spent Saturday night in second place with a 41.05-pound catch. Wesley Campbell and the Plane to Sea crew caught the largest king of Sunday, a 41.05-pounder, but finished in third place as the Troublemaker’s king had been caught earlier. Chad Barnes and the Stocks and Blondes crew caught their 40.65-pound king on Sunday to finish fourth with the last of the 40-pound kings.
The Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament kicked off the week for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament on Saturday with a smooth ocean and great fishing for the ladies. The Big Rock, which started Monday, fishes through this Saturday from Big Rock Landing on the Morehead City waterfront. This was the largest Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament ever with 266 boats and approximately 1,500 lady anglers participating.
The ladies represented themselves well too. They released 51 billfish – 38 blue marlin, two white marlin and 11 sailfish. Grand Slam scored the win with two blue Marlin and a sailfish release for 925 points. There was a four-way tie for second place with two blue marlin releases and 800 points. Weldor’s Ark finished second, thanks to their 9.8-pound dolphin kicker. Magic Moment was awarded third place based on releasing their second marlin earliest in the day. Triple S and Kilo Charlie finished in fourth and fifth places.
The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament began Monday and by our deadline multiple marlin had been released and two brought to the scales hoping to win the $739,500 prize for the first blue marlin weighed to surpass 500 pounds. The Dancin’ Outlaw reached the scales first, but their fish only weighed 396 pounds. The C-Student weighed right behind them and their marlin almost made it but was a few pounds short at 470.2 pounds. The C-Student became the first leader of the 2023 tournament, but there was a half day of fishing remaining on Monday and five more days through Saturday. Just as the C-Student weight was announced, there was a second announcement that the Wolverine had boated a marlin and was heading in. There will be a bunch more releases and a few more fish weighed before this tournament concludes.
Childswish Fishing Day
The United Special Sportsman’s Alliance will be hosting a free fishing day for children aged 6-18 with permanent disabilities and life threatening illnesses on June 22 and 23 in Southport. The event is being held with support from Morningstar Marina Southport, Comfort Suites, Morehead City Open, the participating captains and many Southport area businesses. The children and their families will arrive Thursday, June 22, and stay at the Comfort Suites, then fish from Morningstar Marina Southport on Friday, June 23.
If you are a captain interested in taking some of the kids and their family fishing or a volunteer interested in assisting otherwise, or a family with a child who has not previously attended a USSA event, call 800-518-8019, text 715-937-0310 or email childswish@gmail.com. More information is available at www.childswish.org.
Red snapper season
In late May, the National Marine Fisheries announced there would be a very short season for American red snapper in the Southeast Atlantic during 2023. This was good news as there were concerns there had been enough over catch during the 2022 season that fishing for the tasty red fish wouldn’t be allowed in 2023. The 2023 American red snapper season will open at 12:01 a.m. on July 14 and close at 11:59 p.m. on July 15. The limit will be a single red snapper per fisherman and there will not be a minimum size. For more information visit https://safmc.net/posts/noaa-fisheries-announces-limited-openings-of-recreational-and-commercial-red-snapper-seasons-in-south-atlantic-federal-waters-5-23-2023.
Surf fishing seminar
The Oak Island Recreation Department will offer their popular surf fishing class three more times this year, with the next one being this Friday and Saturday, June 16-17. The classes are two parts, with a short classroom session on Friday evening at the Oak Island Ocean Education Building, 4700 E. Oak Island Drive, that is followed on Saturday, with an in-the-surf session whose time and location will be announced.
The instructor for the surf fishing classes is Capt. Ian Sands, an avid local surf fisherman. Participants will learn everything you needed to catch, clean and cook their catches. This two-day course, which is specifically tailored for Oak Island fishermen, will highlight the different fish in the Oak Island surf and discuss the right rig and bait for the fish you want to catch.
Some participants find the information about tackle and tactics to be just what they need to catch supper in the surf, while others find the section on cleaning and cooking their fish to be the highlight of the class. The bottom line is that by the end of the weekend participants will have a great basic understanding of fishing the surf and preparing a delicious meal from catch.
The remaining 2023 dates are: June 16-17, September 15-16 and October 13-14. For more information or to register, visit http://bit.ly/OKISurfFishing2021 or call 910-2785518. These classes fill in advance and it is wise to register as soon as you decide which date works best.
Good fishing!
