Fishing Report

 

January 30th, 2012.....  Ok, we had a chance to go to Snake Creek with our friend Capt. Jack (my good neighbor and fishing buddy) and Jazz and Cooter came with us on a beautiful sunny but breezy day and Snake Creek had some fish.  Bonefish that is... and I hung one which Jazz landed for her first Bonefish on the fly rod.... Not exactly IGFA regulation approved, but she had a blast with a beautiful fish which gave her all she wanted for quite a while... strong and full of vigor, the bonefish took Jazz for a ride and she had a blast trying to figure out which way he was going to go on his next run.  Cooter did a great job of filming her and taking photos and here are a few for you to enjoy.  We ventured up a narrow creek just to explore and found a lot of other bonefish, but we did not try to catch them with all the growth about us.  Just had fun Fish Watching.   They are calling for the winds to subside tomorrow and maybe we can get offshore for some larger eating fish if we are lucky.  More later.

 

January 19th, 2012..... Well boys just arrived on the island here in the Bahamas and have some work to do before the fishing begins since the whole Murphy family (of Murphy's Law) had decided to move into our small island home while we were away this past summer and fall.,... the water pressure tank developed a leak, the toilet had to be rebuilt, the bait freezer would not freeze, the refrigerator would not cool or freeze, and the golf cart would not run properly... and the shower (outside at that) leaked profusely also... and we had to clean up and organize the house after the bugs moved in from Hurricane Irene (which struck our island but caused no structural damage to the house thank the Lord).  So as soon as we get up and running we will start posting some photos and fishing reports from the island.  For the time being thank goodness my number two son Cooter and his wife Jazz came down with us as they have been a tremendous help getting everything up and running and repairing and helping us plumb and fix everything it seems...  It is great to have good help.   And Remember, the closest Home Depot or Lowe's is 200 miles to the West of us and all by water.... if you don't think that matters, next time you need some hardware, drive to Charlotte and buy it!!!!!  Reports to start soon, I promise!!!

 

Happy 2012 to One and  All and Keep your Knots Strong and your Lines Tight!!!  Betty and I are getting ready to head South to the Bahamas again for the Winter and look forward to some warmer weather and the possibility of catching a lot of Big Fish down there and this year I will not be as busy as in the past, so in response to a lot of my friends requests, I am going to be posting a lot of photos of  Island Life in the Abaco Bahamas which will include the water, water sports,  fish and fly fishing for bonefish up in the "creeks" as they are called.  Just a lot of fun photos to keep you warm and up to date on the adventures of the " Lostboy and Windchimes" (that's Betty).  Here are a few of last years photos just to get us started so if you like them, just email me and I will put you on my list of "Raging Characters" as they are known!!!  Nuff said, and before you know it, it will be summer back in Carolina Beach on the Skiff and then just think, in November we get to go vote for something, I just can't for the life of me remember what!  Maybe I will remember what it is we will be voting for  between now and November.  Good Luck Everyone And Travel Safely!

 

 

Late June, 2011 ..... Hey guys, sorry for not posting more reports but I have been very busy running the river and fishing the nearshore waters and it has just been plain old Hott and after a long full day on the water I am just plain Pooped Out!  Hey, some days I am so busy with my friends and families that I don't even get to take some pictures, but that is OK too!  But now I am  taking a day off to do a report and so here we go!

 

Nearshore the Spanish Mackerels and the Sharks have been a blast, just ripping our light tackle apart.  Many days we have catches of over 10 to 12 nice sharks and on the Spanish Mackerels  there are days we limit out at 15 fish per person, and these are not "stick fish" (ones we have to measure to make sure they are legal)!  They have all been really nice fat fish.  We have been blest with some nice south west winds which provide a flat calm ocean for us but it does feel like we are fishing in the hot of summer, but it is the hot of summer so come on down and enjoy it with us.  The King Mackerel bite has not yet happened and they are few and far between.  Bottom fishing the ledges and artificial reefs has steadily improved and now some nice flounder are being caught along with all the other various bottom dwellers there. There have even been a few "over the slot" Redfish caught and that is a great sign of things to come!  Lots of Croakers and Black Sea Bass of action and steady pulling for the kids in your family.  The waters are warm and the fish are here in the nearshore area of our coast.

 

Inshore the river and bays have held some nice Red Fish and Flounder, and it should improve with the coming weeks as the finger mullet are getting thicker in these waters and drawing the fish in from offshore.  We are in a major drought, so our bay and river water has been saltier than normal, but with the bait, this should help our fishing tremendously.  Also, the ban on Speckled Trout has finally been lifted since our major winter fish kill so now we can target and keep these fine eating fish too!  The Reds have been thick but we do have to hunt them.  When we find them, GAME ON!

 

Give us a call and schedule your trip.  And of course, it is not too soon to plan your Fall fishing adventure either.... a lot of dates are already filling up so don't get caught short.  

 

Best to all and tight lines and strong knots....

 

June 15, 2011............School is out, graduations are over and it is vacation time here at the beach. Fishing has been great so book your trip soon. Come on down to the beach and enjoy a day on the water with Captain Charlie.

 

May 20th, 2011.... OK here is a new report from the SENCland area and in particular Carolina Beach.  Nearshore the blues and spanish mackerel have been biting, some days better than others.  And some of the blues have been Chopper blues, really big and fierce.  There have been some flounder but not in numbers yet off the ledges and wrecks, but this is a sign of things to come.  Should get better shortly in the flounder department with the warming water and today was just spectacular!!!!  Also there have been some nice king mackerels caught off the nearshore piers so they too are here, but not in huge numbers yet... and this too will improve shortly.  One of over 40 Pounds has already been landed on the North end of CB Pier.  The Sharpnose Sharks have been thick and providing a lot of fun on light tackle and also excellent eating for many of our clients and friends.
 
The inlets are producing flounder and bluefish also and some are keepers, but with our new 15 inch limit, there have been a  lot of throwbacks.  But the bait moving in has been just great and of good size also.  This is an excellent sign.  And of course there are a lot of fish that stealing our bait, but it is still a lot of fun.  The ICW has held some nice reds and looks like this too should hold up for quite a while.
 
The river is getting better with the water heating up too and the rock wall has produced a lot of nice fish and the bays are doing well with Black and Red Fish and now some nice flounder, up to 4 lbs. are showing up. 
 
Folks, there are fish here waiting on you to tighten the line and the hook on them, so come on down.  Give me a call and I will give you the up to the minute report on what I know is happening and biting.  Best to all and travel safely.

 

End of February, 2011........Well folks, it is that time of year to be getting ready for our upcoming 2011 Carolina Beach Southeastern NC Fishing Season and from what I can see, I expect a better than average year this year.  Just call it a feeling or intuition, but with the weather patterns we have been having it should go from a tough winter to a mild spring to a typical hot summer on schedule if we are lucky.  Hopefully the bait will cooperate and show up on time this year, but the only curve ball or "Wild Card" in the bunch that we see coming is the crazy Oil prices and what fuel (for you to come to the beach or for us to burn in our fuel  tanks while taking you fishing) will eventually cost.  With the Middle East and all the Arab countries in turmoil, the young people there are showing their power and I feel this can only help the world.  The Old School Hard Liners can't control their wives any more than  their countries.  I am Very, Very Optomistic for the future, even though there could be some growing pains in the process.  Talk about the "Good Ole Days," that could be next Tuesday!!!!  Keep the faith and let's go fishing!

So, now is the time to start planning and getting ready to enjoy a very special time of year, the summer and fall in SENCland and its surrounding waters and its fishes...  We will be ready for you but right now my wife and I are still working out of country and getting ready to return later this spring and get all in order for the Summer Crowd and Season.... so you too get ready and give us a call or email and get your dates confirmed.  My son Robert and I both want to hold our 2010 prices if possible, but please understand that to provide you and your family and friends with a QUALITY TRIP we must charge a fair and quality price due to our operating expenses.  Fuel is our Number One expense so we must plan accordingly.  Know that fishing for us is not a hobby or something to do on the weekends... it is our livlihood and our sole source of income.  We are not "Trust Fund Babies" or have wealthy wives... we just work for a living doing what we know and love to do and that is to take you fishing and provide a quality day on the water.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2010.....Well folks, it is almost time for old Captain Charlie to pull the "TAC" out of the water and put her to bed for another year, but this fall has been great and we have caught fish.  And a lot of them.  And just yesterday I got to fish with Sterling and his son William who caught the nice "spotted" trout!  What a hoot!  Just look at Williams face and you can see why I have as much fun as any captain and it was his first spotted, uh, speckled trout ever!  Nice fish William.  Dad had fun and caught a trout also.  Just lots of fun and a great way to close down the NC Inshore season and get ready to head south again hopefully.  I have had a lot of my friends ask that I post photos of the adventures from "down south" so maybe this year if the internet and electricity works I may post some photos from the lower lattitudes.... you just never know.  To everyone every where keep fishing.  Many thanks to all my friends for a great year and I look forward to fishing with you all again in 2011.

 

October 27, 2010...... It has been a while since my last report but the fishing has been all over the place.... from unsettled to fabulous from windy to dead flat calm from very bad thunderstorms in late October to record heat wave and new 100 year weather setting records!  Nuts is the best word to use for the time.  But the fish have been plentiful and the folks with me have had a ball.  More small ones than large, but that is OK as we know there will be a lot for next year. "T man" and Nelson and Steve had a great day on the water and the fish bit two at a time at a spot then quit, so we ran all over.  Everywhere we stopped we got a pair, then moved on.  Next spot, two more!  Quite unusual, but a lot of fun on a full moon flood high tide blue bird calm day.   And T enjoyed running the boat to boot!  Doc and the family showed up and we caught some nice reds that day and a pretty flounder also.  Just a lot of fish and fun.  Water temp is still in the low 70's and needs to cool just a little.  There are some Nice speckled trout in the inlet and the flounder are moving offshore so the fish are here, just unsettled and looking for something to eat.  The Virginia Mullet bite is on and some of these fish are getting close to two pounds in weight... some of the largest I have seen in years and in good numbers also!  The spots have been hit or miss and more miss than hit, but when we find them, they are in good numbers.  Nearshore the flounder are lining the wrecks and reefs but the king and spanish bite has slowed.  Hopefully the kings will return and get the nearshore bite going again.  There are a lot of Big ocean Redfish, just fish hard all over for them.  Off to Hatteras for the Cape Hatteras Fishing Tournament with the Cape Fear Anglers Fishing team next week.... even have Capt. Robert and Capt. Cooter on the team this year.  Will let you know how the 6 of us do in this Invitational Tournament!  Best to all and tight lines.

 

September 26, 2010.....The Spanish are thick and the Kings are no where to be found.  Such is life.  But Mike and Jeremy had a good time and left with a big bag of filets for dinner that evening.  Tough guys camping out in the crazy weather here in SENCland..... and then the rains came MONDAY!!!!!  in 24 hours we had over 10 inches recorded at the airport.  Just unbelievable and with the small system now developing in the Gulf, we will repeat that weather on Wednesday!  Can't get any wetter, just deeper.  But Mike and Jeremy will be back to normal in the Raleigh area and planning another trip soon so come on down and let's go fishing.  Jeremy did a great job handling the boat and helping set the lines... I asked his dad Mike if he would work for free and promise not to eat anything.  Oh well, so much for my future mate.   It was a great trip though and hopefully more to come.  Everyone watch out for standing water and flowing creeks this week.... gonna get interesting with all the rain coming down the Cape Fear River!

 

September 14th, 2010.....Tuesday, I had the pleasure of taking my buddy and dock neighbor Capt. Jeff Peoples fishing for flounder down in the bays.  He is a "Big Boat Captain" and has fished the Southport area for years, but just in deep water.  Today he was nervous as we were fishing in 5 foot or less of water, somewhere he normally does not go, but being a good sport, we had a day with some nice flounder, drum, and other species just to keep us honest.  And yes, he can throw a light weight rod and reel with the best of them!  See Jeff, See Jeff's Flounder, can you say Eat the flounder Jeff!  Lots of fun with a truly unique fellow and good friend.  More later.....

 

September 15, 2010........Robbie, his twin sons Christopher and Matthew, and our good friend Buzz (all from the Southern Pines area of NC) joined me today for a run down the river for Big Reds and Flounder and we scored both.  Matthew is seen holding his just barely legal keeper Red that just whooped him all over the boat till he finally landed it like a pro... which he is!  Just a great family shot with a nice fish to boot out on the water.....  Buzz had some nice fish also and it was a great day with some nice filets to take home and eat later.  I will see these folks soon and maybe even chase a bass with Robbie and Buzz before this year is over!  Lots of fun today with the kids. 

 

September 20, 2010......Man, it has been a while since my last report, but do not worry.... the fishing has only gotten better and the catches bigger and the quality of the fish and bait has drastically improved!!!!  We are now "full on" into our Fall Fishing Season and I am very happy with the catches now.  Overall, the flounder bite so far this year has been slower than the last couple of years.  Blame it on a bad winter, bait not arriving on time, anything, but just know it has not been a banner flounder year YET!  But the flounder size and number NOW have been improving with the coming of fall.  Maybe we will have a good season but just later than normal.  Speckled Trout are showing up and some in very good size.  This too is a good sign of things to come when  the water cools a few more degrees.  But the hit of the season so far has been the Great Red Drum Bite that is going on.  Many fish are over size (bigger than 27 inches) and have to be returned to the water and are here in great numbers.  Some days we are tired from catching Red Fish, and after catching our limit we are just happy to pinch the barb down on the hook so as not to injure our prey and easily return them to the ocean.  Sport fishing at its BEST!  This has been our number one catch this year, both in the bays, river and offshore.  They are all over the place.

Offshore, the Spanish Mackerels are still here in size and number and provide some constant action and of course we are still catching Big SHARKS on days with the shrimp boats leading the way.... great fun on our super light tackle.  The King mackerel bite just has not appeared.  Don't know where they are, but they are not here!  YET!  Bluefish are showing up and providing a lot of fun on the light tackle.  There are flounder to be had on the offshore ledges and artificial reefs, but just not in numbers or the larger size yet.  And we are catching Grey Trout, but the NCDMF Rule change this year is killing us in this fishery..... we can keep only one (1)  Grey Trout per person on a charter.  So if four of you want to charter me for a half day of Grey Trout fishing, we can keep 5 Fish (counting me the captain of the boat)!!!!  This is absolutely ridiculous and will hurt many charter boat operators here in SENCland if we do not get this rule changed!  That is my one rant and rave in the fishing politics world.  So there.

Here are some photos for you and yours to enjoy.  Tight lines and strong knots........

 

August 9th, 2010.....  Hey guys, the fishing is hot and so is the weather!  Sounds familiar?  We have had a lot of Redfish over the slot size (bigger than 27 inches) that we have had to release to breed and fight again another day and lots of nice size flounder, but I am still looking for the large one (over 10 pounds) and just have not found him yet, but the year is still young!  Trout are here too, but we have a really stupid law this year about keeping only 1 Sea Trout per person on the boat per trip.  Go figure.... guess the other boys want all the fish to themselves, but they are only hurting themselves in these ridiculous actions.  They did not learn much in kindergarten and they still do not play well with others.  Oh well, maybe one day they will grow up and mature, but don't hold your breath.  Lots of action in the river,  bays, and ocean.  Spanish Mackerels just offshore are still biting well when we can get to them.  On the nearshore ledges are numerous flounder and other species and we have been catching a lot of nice sharks for the youngsters and young at heart.  This is big game fishing on light tackle and is just a ball!!!  Just look at the pictures and you will understand this practice.  And with sharks, I only practice CPR (catch, photograph, and then release).  Just my way and they do not taste that good unless they are the Sharpnose or Spiney Dogfish, then I will keep them as they make great Fish and Chips!!!!  The Fall fishing season should  be in full swing shortly, so come on down and wet a line and catch some nice SENCland fish!  See you soon!

 

Mid July 2010........ Whew, is it HOTTT!!!!  The past ten days we have been blessed with strong SW winds and terrible heat.  I mean just plain hot.  But the fish have been good and so has the been the fishing when they come out to bite.   There are better days than others, but we still manage to catch enough to make everyone happy and that is how it goes.  Offshore the Spanish Mackerels have been hot to cold, just depending on the day.  Kings have been scarce and the flounder are biting on the offshore ledges along with the sharks.  Inshore the drum and flounder bite has improved and we are beginning to see more mullet minnows everyday.  We just go out and see what we can catch, and work hard.  Lots of fun in the CB Sun!  More later.

 

July 8, 2010...... The fishing season is going well except for the dang HEAT WAVE that has encompassed the whole east coast of the US... and it is hazy, hot and humid here in SENCLand.... with no sign of it ending soon.  Flounder have arrived in numbers and the bait is getting thick.... but the mullet minnows are slow to appear.  All else is normal and the Spanish Mackerels are good sized with some nice Kings thrown in for good measure.  There have been many good days and a few slow ones, but every day here has been great in one way or another.  I have had the pleasure of fishing with some of my old friends and family on some great charters, but I have also met many new and fine friends.  Life is Good!  So come on down and wet a line here at Carolina Beach and have some good old fashioned FUN!!!!

 

July 8, 2010.... Hey, I mentioned all my old friends who have returned and recently Luhrs and Misty were back on the boat and Flounder were not everywhere, but we did get a nice one for Luhrs and various other species for Misty... Wayyy too much fun on the water and that is what it is all about!  Maybe next time we will not complete the Greater Inshore Trash Fish Grand Slam!  Even Bat Rays showed up..... and boy were they fun on the light tackle!  Water temp down in the bay was in the high 80's and even the minnows as my guarantee states were dying trying to catch some nice fish.  Oh well, that is the life of a minnow!  Soon to be better weather and cooler winds.  Best to all.

 

June 26, 2010.... Boy is it Hot, and I mean HOTTT!!!  The weather is beautiful but the heat is on and some of the fish are like big black dogs, looking for a cool spot to hide from the sun, but when they come out to feed it is in Full Force.  The finger mullet have arrived and so have the flounder, but not in numbers yet.  We still have a few days to go before we hit the Fourth of July and really get active.  Red fish are in the river and ICW around the docks and they are still in the bays, though we have had some days where we see a bunch of them but they do not feed.  Minnows and top water baits have been the favorites for them and many have been over the slot (27 inches or bigger) and in the same areas there have been some nice Flounder and a few Speckled Trout, but for me not many of big size.  I have heard of some larger fish, but have not seen them myself.  Just off the beaches we have had a nice bite of some larger for this time of year Spanish Mackerels and some great shark fishing behind the boats and on the nearshore ledges.  Just fun fishing on light tackle gear!  There are flounder on the reefs but they just have been slow to bite so far this season.  Go figure.  AND a news flash here.  I have not caught one myself, but I have heard of Lionfish being on the wrecks 10 to 15 miles offshore.  If you are not familiar with this creature, look him up on line and if you catch one, cut him free into a bucket and destroy him back on land.  Do NOT attempt to handle him unless you have proper teaching and know the technique.... they can be DEAD:LY!!!   No joking here.  They are good to eat though, but you must be knowledgeable in the technique to handle and clean these fish.

We are glad to be busy and fishing this summer and grateful for all our friends and returning clients.  We also have fished with a lot of new folks who normally would be in the Gulf Coast areas on vacation and we feel for our fellow fishermen who are suffering so to the south and west of us.  They are in a mess and we think of them daily.  All we can do is try and help out in any way and I know the Red Cross is already active in many communities there, so keep them in your thoughts and prayers also.

Come on down and enjoy all we have to be thankful for and come for a visit.  My son Robert has relocated his business and boat to the "West Side of the Harbor" and is now my neighbor.... he has found "Z" Dock to be to his liking and I am including some photos of his dock move to the West side.  Lots of fun now on the docks, and fish cookouts are common!  More later.

Best to all and tight lines.  Capt. Charlie

 

June 1, 2010......OK, the heat is on and summer is here!  We have had a nice bite going on a few days ago but this week the little depression offshore broke up and muddied up our waters and seas... just a small setback and now the water is once again cleaning up and the fish are starting to bite again.  In the river and bays we have had some nice flounder, though not in numbers yet and some really nice Speckeled Trout also.  The Drum seem to be everywhere though the other day I found them in schools that were enormous but they all had lockjaw.... they just would not bite.  Talk about going crazy.... but we had a ball chasing and harrassing them!  The following day they would hit anything.  Go figure.  Then a few trips with moms and dads and the kids and we had a great shark bite on the nearshore ledges and wrecks and had fun fishing with our light tackle.  Bear hunting with a switch so to speak.  So if you're ready for some nice summer action  and fun on the water, give me a call and we will do it!  Best to all and tight lines.......