Inshore:
While a lot of NE wind has put a damper on much of the offshore fishing this past week, it certainly has not shut down the inshore bite! Trout continue to produce strong numbers of juvenile fish in the 11-13″ range, with some nice 18 and 20″ fish mixed in. DOA shrimp under a popping float, Super Spook Jr’s, Mirro-Lure 17MR’s, and live baits all are producing great numbers of fish. The best numbers of fish have been coming from creek mouths and oyster rakes in 3-5ft of water, but some of the bigger trout are being found on heavy structure in 5-10ft of water. Sheepshead have been fairly sporatic, but still keep hearing some decent reports of 3-6# fish around the jetties and bridges. Reds are still being found in that warm water pattern of locating them on structure around low water and along the grass edges at high water. Get out early in the morning for the reds and they have also been readily taking some topwater plugs…and if you have never seen a big red blow up on a topwater plug, then you have got to try it! The spanish mackerel have finally sown up inside the harbor in strong numbers this past week, prime example is that Thomas DeOgburn and Michael Johnson from the store here went out and caught near 30 spanish in about an hour using small casting jigs and #00 clarkspoons behind a 3/4oz trolling lead.
Offshore:
As mentioned in the above inshore report, an abnormal amount of NE wind has made it tough for many to get out on the big pond, but when the weather has allowed we are still hearing of solid reports of dolphin in as shallow as 120ft and as deep as 1200ft. Most encouraging from the offshore side has been a great bite with Blue Marlin, with most ranging in that 150-300# size class. The wahoo we have heard od lately have been found in shallow the past week, with the better numbers of the ‘hoos coming from 120-180ft of water. Bottom fishing in 70-110ft of water has been producing great numbers of LARGE black sea bass, plenty of vermillion snapper, and some great reports of grouper in the same depth range. cigar minnows, squid, and jigs will work extremely well for the sea bass and vermillions. For the grouper there is nothing more deadly right now than a live pinfish, but a butterfly style jig can also be productive.
Scott Hammond
Manager – Haddrell’s Point
843-573-3474