Top Water Charters Fishing Reports and News Beaufort Morehead City Atlantic Beach Pamlico Sound: 2013 Year in Review

Friday, January 3, 2014

2013 Year in Review

A FEW GREAT PICTURES FROM 2013

3,388 Total Fish Caught by Capt Marty, Clients, and Friends
66 Saltwater Species Represented
14 Freshwater Species Represented
53 NC Saltwater Citations for 10 different species
26 NC Freshwater Citations for 3 different species

Saltwater
Fish of the Year (Client)- Alan and his 130 lb Sandbar Shark
Fish of the Year (Capt Marty)- My career largest 9 lb Spanish Mackerel
Species of the Year- Amberjack. Incredible numbers and Top Water Action
Day of the Year- (Dec 16) Casting light tackle in the Hatteras Surf. Red Drum on every cast

Freshwater
Fish of the Year (Friend)- Jalen and his 4 lb Rainbow Trout on Fly
Fish of the Year (Capt Marty)- My career largest 5 lb American Shad
Species of the Year- Largemouth Bass. Many Bass on Fly and Spin. Lots of 3-5 lb Bass and I caught Bass in every month of the Year
Day of the Year- (Feb 26) Chris and I: 36 Largemouth Bass many 5-6 lbs each and a few huge Golden Shiners

Top 10 Great Days and/or Great Fish

Jan 29- Tuggy and I fished the Shoals and to the East. Pretty day, low expectations and we found a Gold Mine! We caught 14 Red Drum up to 28" on a Wreck. Also Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, etc
Feb 6- Brandon and I fished a Private Pond that he has access to. We caught 110 White Perch and 7 landlocked Red Drum. Many Perch were 12" to 13". Big enough for NC Freshwater Citations
Feb 26- Chris and I fished Amy's Daddy's Pond and whacked the Largemouth Bass. Between the 2 of us we released 36 Largemouth Bass up to 6 lbs. We each caught multiple 5 lb Bass. We also each caught a couple Giant Golden Shiners! Probably the best Freshwater Fishing Session of my Career
March 19- Tuggy and I fished Pitch Kettle Creek and caught 52 Hickory Shad on light spinning tackle. Average size was extremely large. My largest was a 2 lb 9oz Trophy Hickory Shad.
May 18- Joey Bell, Chris, and I on a Slow Cobia Trip "settled" for 2 Red Drum over 40 lbs, 6 Gag Grouper up to 14 lbs, and 8 Amberjacks up to 28 lbs
May 21- Bob Becker and I went on our annual Cobia Trip. We found lots of Cobia on Leatherback Turtles and finished up with 10 Cobia up to 57 lbs.
June 3- Larry and Anne try something different with me every year. This year it was Cobia Fishing. Unfortunately, it was blowing and pouring rain. Terrible conditions. We anchored up at Cape Lookout by default. Amazingly, we caught 7 Cobia up to 43 lbs. Larry even lost a Monster on the motor. Ouch, but it didn't matter on this day!
June 27- Alan and his came a longs way to go fishing. From Colorado. Unfortunately, it was Rough as Hell, so we had to stay inside. So after catching bait, we anchored up inside the Bight at Cape Lookout in an attempt to get a "late season" Cobia. Action was steady with Stingrays, as expected. After a few "big bite" failures, Alan landed a 130 lb Sandbar Shark after a mile chase and 30 minute struggle. Awesome. We also caught a 16 lb Cobia right at the top of the tide for good measure!
July 15- Ryan, Chris, and I caught 21 Amberjacks up to 34 lbs. We caught them on live bait at first as we were hoping for a Grouper. We quickly went to top water plugs and spinning tackle. Great Action
July 25- Jim and Phil wanted to do something different. So we loaded the Top Water Boat down with Kayaks and hauled them offshore. Once we arrived at the "spot", the boys launched their Kayaks and caught and released 10 Amberjacks. Jim also lost a Big Mystery Fish but had a memorable pull from onboard his Kayak
July 27- Bobby's crew started with me running aground hard. It looked bleak. We finally got underway and we found a ton of action. 7 Amberjacks up to 33 lbs, 2 Barracuda over 50", Almaco Jack, Dolphin, Bass, Shark, Porgy, etc etc etc
Aug 24 and 25- Capt Marty was 'boatless" and apparently none of my friends have boats either... Funny, I see boats in there driveways??? Anyway, shorebound and bored to death and took my 3wt fly rod over to the Mung Holes and actually fishing in one that we gave up on 5 years ago, I caught a 5 lb Largemouth Bass and 2 other Bass that weighed 4 lbs each. All on tiny popping bugs and the small fly rod. I loved it!
Sept 4 and 5- Orrin's crew and Johnboy and I. Similar days. Great Great Great Action on light spinning tackle casting metal lures to hordes of gamefish on the Cape Lookout Shoals. Combined: 110 Bluefish, 14 Spanish Mackerel, 7 Albacore, 4 Red Drum. Plus Blue Runners, Crevalle Jacks, and Ladyfish
Sept 6- Capt Marty fishing by himself caught a 37 lb King Mackerel, 7 lb Spanish Mackerel, and a 40 lb Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
Sept 10- Capt Marty fishing by myself caught a New Career Best 9 lb Spanish Mackerel
Sept 21- Parker and Linus and crew had a very good day. Early in the morning we were held up by thunderstorms. While waiting out the bad weather, Parker caught a 36 lb King Mackerel. Later the crew caught Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, and Crevalle Jacks. A couple of the Mackerel were Citations.
Oct 2- Tom's crew always has a great catch. This year was no exception. They caught 6 Amberjacks up to 50 lbs and 8 Red Drum from 6 to 8 lbs each. They also caught Albacores, Barracuda, and Bluefish
Oct 17- George, Antonio, and I had a very interesting trip. We caught 27 Dolphin from 2-5 lbs, 15 Vermilion Snapper from 3-5 lbs, and 12 Triggerfish from 4-6 lbs each. We also caught Jacks and a 150 lb Bignose Shark
Nov 25- Jalen and I fished the Tuckasegee River. Between the two of us, we released 45 Rainbow Trout, 15 Brook Trout, and 1 Brown Trout. I got a Grand Slam and Jalen released a 4 lb Trophy Rainbow Trout
Dec 16- Capt Marty fishing in the Surf on Hatteras Island got in an "every cast" school of Red Drum. That afternoon I caught 24 Red Drum from 23" to 27" on light spinning tackle.

Top 5 Great Failures and/or Fish Lost

May 29- Probably my Worst Charter Fishing Day ever. Dan's charter. Dan was a great repeat customer and unfortunately, I'll probably never hear from again. That hurts. So here goes "Bad Day Part 1"... Honestly, Dan's friends were poorly prepared to catch "big fish". As a Captain, I did a poor job dealing with that fact. Anyway, first thing in the morning, I hooked a 40 lb+ Cobia from the Tower and passed the rod down to an angler other than Dan. As I climbed down, I'm not sure what happened but out of the corner of my eye, I could see an Angler that had never fought a Big Fish. By the time my feet were on the deck of my boat, the Cobia was Gone! Then came "Bad Day Part 2". Not much we could do about this but....... Right out of nowhere, a fully lit up Sailfish swims right up to the Boat. Okay, we are inshore and sight casting Cobia in 74 degree water. We are probably 50 miles from where I'd expect too see a Sailfish in May! Regardless, there HE WAS and just dying to be hooked... Of course, every rod was fitted with a bucktail! Not exactly the ideal "Sailfish Bait". Anyway, I had the Sailfish flirt with MY Bucktail for 90 seconds and I COULD NOT get him hooked up.... Epic Failure..... Finally "Bad Day Part 3", we have now run 75 miles and have nothing to show for it. Running Back towards Cape Lookout there he is.... A stud 75 lb Cobia cruising on top. A Day Saver. I ask Dan to move the Bow to make a cast to this Cobia..... Too bad, Dan's cast sails off target. So I cast. Of course, I hook the Cobia. I need to get the rod on Deck because the Big Cobia is swimming right at the Boat. Dan, of course, is still reeling in his "bad cast". Somehow, the HOT ROD ends up in the wrong hands again. The angler with the Rod freezes and allows the big Cobia to pass under the boat while also angling towards the stern (and motor) I am screaming to PUT YOUR ROD-TIP IN THE WATER AND WALK TO THE STERN. Feet frozen. Angler on Port side, The Cobia lunges out of the water on the Starboard side. Line breaks. It's over. I cuss. I lost a great client. Late that day we released 7 Cobia off Turtles but the damage was done...........

May 31- Bad karma lingers. On another Cobia charter, we fail to find any Cobia. We did find a 12 lb Dolphin very much inshore. A Day Saver on a slow day! We are ready this time. I actually have a live menhaden rigged up. And I swear to God, that Dolphin cannot catch that damn Shad. It chases it all over the Ocean, finally pinning it to the side of my Boat and it still can't eat this menhaden. As we scramble for a back up bait, the Dolphin finally spooks and disappears into the green water. Unbelievable. Later that day, I found a pod of cruising 100 lb+ Tarpon cruising in 4 ft of water. I make perfect cast after perfect cast. Live bait, fresh dead bait, top water plugs, bucktails. Nothing worked. I was not surprised that the Tarpon didn't bite, but it would've been nice if they had!

June 2- Just a continuation of bad luck. But this marked the end of it... Didn't help my client John though... So we ran to the massive baitballs off Emerald Isle where the "monster catches" were coming from. of course, when we arrived the Bogue Inlet Boats had already cleaned up the morning action. So we wandered back to the west. Just west of Beaufort Inlet I saw a Baitball with 2 Cobia on it. I eased the Boat into place. I instructed John to cast.... Naturally his cast was way off base. He cast again. Another poorly aimed cast. I wondered if he even saw what I saw. So, just to make me feel even worse! I cast from the Tower and naturally a 60-65 lb Cobia peeled off the Baitball and followed my bucktail. Not a "bull rush striker", so I hestitated and let my bucktail sink. The big Cobia did a headstand on my bucktail. Experience tells me this is a good thing. One twitch of the rodtip and Ka-Boom. Fish On! I set the hook over and over. Like Sammy Sosa swinging for the fence. Line peeled off my reel. I handed the bucking rod down to John and quickly climbed down from the Tower. When I arrived at Deck Level the fish was GONE. I don't know what to say, Then or Now....

Sept 16- Capt Marty broke off an estimated 16 lb Sheepshead that ate a Sea Urchin in "plain sight", right off the surface, right in front of me! This happened in between Ferry Runs in the middle of the day at South Dock, which is at the north end of Ocracoke Island. This Giant Sheepshead pulled line off the reel at ease despite a locked down drag and 80 lb PowerPro. Wrapped around a 40 piling cluster and cut me off on a barnacle. Ouch!

Oct 18- Capt Marty's haste to land a Spanish Mackerel quickly cost long time client Brent a Real Trophy and a Spanish Mackerel of a Lifetime. My decision to net Brent's Mackerel as opposed to gaff him was based on: #1 The Net is In Hand #2 Spanish Mackerel are traditionally hard to gaff because the 3" gaff hooks commonly "stradle" the Mackerel's flanks and flip them over without gaffing him.... Anyone that spends lots of time King Mackerel Fishing knows what I'm referring too. It happens with Snake Kings and Jumbo Spanish.... Anyhow, in hindsight, I also underestimated the size of Brent's Spanish Mackerel. Absolutely a Top Water Charter's Boat Record and a 10+ pounder! The urgency that I felt was because we were directly over a Wreck and we had a doubleheader of Big Fish hooked up on the live bait rods and the reels were screaming. So when I tried to "net" the big Spanish, his head jammed in the net. Then he flipped powerfully upward. This action ripped the hook out of the fish's mouth and left in hopelessly tangled in the net. Of course, the Mackerel flipped out of the Net and disappeared in a Flash and a Splash...... I suspect long time client and highly skilled angler Brent will be "looking for a new Fishing Guide" next year.....

10 comments:

Anonymous said...: You forgot about the world record spanish that was released boat side.

Brent; January 3, 2014 at 3:27 PM
Capt. Marty said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; January 3, 2014 at 4:13 PM
Capt. Marty said...: Im getting there. That Spanish will easily weigh 13 lbs by now. In our eyes, it will reach mythical status of Bigfoot or a Unicorn ......

Or one-eyed Wilma from the early 90s... One-eyed Wilma was a 30 lb King that I hooked in the eye on a Drone Spoon. Gerald knocked him off with the gaff. Back in our early days. We fished for One-eyed Wilma for the next 14 years. Guaranteed Tournament winner. She must weight 80 lbs by now; January 3, 2014 at 4:41 PM
Anonymous said...: I still can't believe that spanish was feeding on the 20 pound albacore we were catching.

Brent; January 3, 2014 at 8:30 PM
Mike said...: What about my fis......oh nevermind.; January 3, 2014 at 8:59 PM
Capt. Marty said...: Mike.....
You caught a 4 lb Black Drum on a live shrimp in June of 1973. Honestly, how could you retire from Fishing at the ripe old ago of 11 after catching such a signature fish? Were Comic Books that good back in those days? By the way, It took me 33 years to top your Black Drum. Happy New Year Bro; January 6, 2014 at 2:25 PM
Anonymous said...: Why are fishing for goldfish?; January 6, 2014 at 10:33 PM
Anonymous said...: No need to look for a new captain, it will be much more fun to give you hell each time I bring some of my customers to fish with you. I may need to book about 10 trips for the year just so you can relive the story over and over. I'll do that until you stop talking bad about PJ and Julius. OK, PJ was an idiot and Julius will never be a brain surgeon, but Go Heels!

Brent; January 10, 2014 at 4:16 PM
Capt. Marty said...: Sheesh, I'm gonna catch hell. I hope, and pray, that I can put you ON a TROPHY FISH of some sort. The memory of those 80+ pound Amberjacks is getting hazy... How about a huge Cobia this year Brent. If my memory is correct, that is one fishery that we haven't tried yet. Plus, I've had real good luck the past couple years putting my very best customers on Cobia. I'd say Brent and Tom Chesebro would be my "most likely" customers to continue that trend. You guys get ready. May will be here before we know it and the Brown Bombers will have the sky full of bucktails!!!!; January 11, 2014 at 5:58 PM
Capt. Marty said...: Sheesh, I'm gonna catch hell. I hope, and pray, that I can put you ON a TROPHY FISH of some sort. The memory of those 80+ pound Amberjacks is getting hazy... How about a huge Cobia this year Brent. If my memory is correct, that is one fishery that we haven't tried yet. Plus, I've had real good luck the past couple years putting my very best customers on Cobia. I'd say Brent and Tom Chesebro would be my "most likely" customers to continue that trend. You guys get ready. May will be here before we know it and the Brown Bombers will have the sky full of bucktails!!!!; January 11, 2014 at 5:58 PM

Big Fish on Light Tackle

Top Water Charters and Capt. Marty Moore is one of North Carolina's Premier Nearshore and Inshore Big Fish on Light Tackle Fishing Guides. Consistently producing Fish that earn NC Citations is my trademark. Since 1988, I have personally landed 846 NC Citation winning Fish for 34 Different Species. A few of my Personal Top Fish are 10 lb 11 oz and 10 lb 6 oz Flounders, a 83 lb Red Drum, 94 and 83 lb Cobias, a 83 lb Yellowfin Tuna, 96, 85, and 83 lb Wahoos, a 66 lb Amberjack, a 67 lb Black Drum, a 9 lb 6 oz Speckled Trout, a 53 lb King Mackerel, a 33 lb Permit, a 12 lb 8 oz Sheepshead, a 19 lb 4 oz False Albacore, a 11 lb Spadefish, a 12lb 4 oz Bonefish, a 4 lb 8 oz Ladyfish, a 2 lb 14 oz Sea Mullet, a 140 lb Tarpon, a 66 lb Swordfish and a 380 lb Bluefin Tuna.

A few of my Best Light Tackle Catches are a 240 lb Bluefin Tuna caught on a 20# live bait tackle, a 350 lb Blue Marlin caught on a 30# trolling tackle, a 50 lb Yellowfin Tuna caught on 10# spinning tackle, a 34 lb 8 oz King Mackerel caught from the Beach on 10# spinning tackle, 75 lb Cobia caught on 15# spinning gear, 73 lb Cobia caught on 20# spinning tackle, 61 lb Cobia caught on 10# spinning tackle, a 60+ lb Red Drum caught on 10# spinning tackle, 83 lb, 85 lb, and 96 lb Wahoos all caught on 20# livebait tackle, a 46 lb Red Drum caught on 8# conventional tackle, a 39 lb Red Drum caught on a 7wt fly rod, a 7 lb Largemouth Bass caught on a 3wt fly rod and a 135 lb Sandbar Shark caught on 12# spinning tackle.

I also caught a 37 lb 4 oz King Mackerel in 2001 that was worth $52,000 in the Snead's Ferry King Mackerel Tournament

My Clients and Guests have landed over 500 NC Citations since 1998 with Standout Fish like the N.C. State Record 11 lb 3oz Spadefish, a 68 lb Wahoo, a 67 lb Wahoo, a 92 lb Cobia, a 85 lb Cobia, a 84 lb Cobia, a 82 lb Cobia, a 81 lb Cobia, a 85 lb Amberjack, a 83 lb Amberjack, a 80 lb Amberjack, a 375 lb Bluefin Tuna, a 500 lb Great Hammerhead Shark, a 200 lb Sand Tiger Shark, a 62 lb Black Drum, a 24 lb False Albacore, a 15 lb Sheepshead, a 10 lb 8 oz Speckled Trout, 47 lb Striped Bass and too many Red Drum and Flounders to count.

UPCOMING BEST FISHING

In the Boxes that follow are the types of FISHING and varieties of FISH that Capt Marty recommends fishing for! I try to keep this pretty current as we move forward through the calendar year. As the seasons change the Fish available and the methods of Fishing change. I will do my best to accommodate my Clients wishes, but I will also be completely honest about our chances if a Client wants to Fish for a specific type of Fish. I will always recommend what I believe is our "best bet for success" based on the weather, the time of year, and what happened yesterday! This is how I fish and it's based on 30+ years of Experience and Learning the Hard Way

So what's happening NOW or what's coming soon..... Look Below and Keep Reading

Live Bait Fishing for King Mackerel

Live Bait Fishing for King Mackerel is usually done with 20# mono on light rods and small conventional reels. We fish with very light drags and small treble hooks. When a King Mackerel strikes, usually a live Menhaden, you have no idea whether you have 2 treble hooks stuck in the jaw and throat of the King Mackerel, or you could also have 1 prong of one hook snagged into the Mackerel's skin. Therefore, the idea is to let the King burn off line versus a light drag. After withstanding the initial blistering run, we move the angler to the bow of the boat and we track him down! Without a doubt, on pretty days in October and November, this is what we "need" to be doing.... Since I took up this fishery seriously, back in 1988, in addition to the targetted King Mackerel, the potential bycatch is staggering... Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna, Blackfin Tuna, Bluefin Tuna, Sailfish, Barracuda, Amberjack, Crevalle Jack, Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Red Drum, Red Snapper, Grouper, a dozen Shark species, False Albacore, Houndfish, Gafftopsail Catfish, Tarpon have all been hooked and/or landed onboard Boats that I was personally fishing aboard..... Oh yeah, back in 1998 during the Hardee's Atlantic Beach KMT we hooked up 4 Billfish at one time. Two pulled off, and we released a Sailfish and I tried my best to release my catch... Because it was caught on a ribbonfish, it had 4 treble hooks in it. By the time I got him unhooked, he had expired! What was it? It was a 44", 8 lb SPEARFISH! So yeah, when Live Bait Fishing for King Mackerel, anything is possible

Run and Gun Casting.... Spring Summer & Fall

Casting Metal Lures, Top Water Plugs, and Flys in the Spring, Summer, and Fall is one of my all-time favorite fisheries. Our main targets are Albacore, Spanish Mackerel, Red Drum, Atlantic Bonito, and Bluefish. The Red Drum are usually found on the Shoals at Cape Lookout and generally, we are casting into huge schools of fish in crystal clear water. These Drum schools are a year-round possibility. The Atlantic Bonito is a special fish for a few reasons. They are a handsome fish that also happens to be a rugged fighter. Very similar to Albacore, but there's one major difference. The Atlantic Bonito is delicious on the table, it prepares and eats just like Yellowfin Tuna. No Joke! Another thing that makes the Atlantic Bonito so special is that they are usually only around for about a month and on a day to day basis, they are usually only worth fishing for about 2 hours every morning. We really need to be sitting on the spot at first light. Atlantic Bonito are one of the few fish that are worth this kind of trouble! Adult or "Chopper" Bluefish also provide many thrills in the Spring. Finding vast schools of 8-12 pound Bluefish in 2-3 foot of water guarrantees a great day of fishing. Great jumpers and surface strikers, these Chopper Bluefish aren't really that good to eat, however I'd never pass up an opportunity to catch a couple of them! Smaller Bluefish can usually be found at various places and at various sizes throughout much of the year. The 1-4 lb class of Bluefish is often a trip saver from April through November. These smaller Bluefish are still great fighters, but are also very tasty. Spanish Mackererel are very reliable from May through October. These Mackerel are beautiful, sporty, and great eating. Spanish Mackerel tend to get progressively larger throughout their season, and large numbers of 5-7 lb fish are sometimes common. They are a very popular fish. Albacore are a good possibility in the Spring, great in September, and keep right getting better right through November! Albacore are lengendary fighters and they are definitely the best game in town on many windy, cold mornings in the Fall when fishing is impossible for anything else!

Cobia Fishing

Cobia Fishing is one of the most exciting inshore Fisheries that we have here in NC. It offers the inshore angler a chance at catching a tough fighting, great eating gamefish that averages 30 pounds and grows to weights over 100 pounds. Fishing for Cobia is availiable by 2 completetly different methods. The "old way" is to fish with bait on the bottom and wait for a Cobia to find you. This method can produce great fishing at times and there is usually enough bycatch (Bluefish, Sharks, and Rays) to keep you busy. The other method is far more exciting, but can be limited by the weather. In this fishery, we ride around and search for Cobias and cast to them. This is probably the most exciting and suspenseful inshore fishery that we have going right now. Delivering a bucktail to a cruising 50+ pound Cobia is very exciting. This method also allows us to fish with much lighter tackle since there is usually no anchor lines and other boats in the immediate vicinity. By either method, catching a big Cobia is a fish that will always be worth bragging about and provide lots of great fish dinners.

NIGHT (and Day) FISHING for GIANT RED DRUM

In August and September we have a very reliable and outstanding fishery in the Southern Pamlico Sound and Neuse River for Trophy Red Drum. These fish will average from 30 to 50 lbs. My personal best came in August of 2000. Caught just a couple hundred yards off the Beach at Cedar Island, this huge Red Drum was 59" long and weighed 83 lbs. I started fishing for these Red Drum in the Cedar Island area back in 1997 and since that year, my success rate has hovered around the 90% mark. Catches of 20-30 Red Drum per night isn't all that uncommon.... I offer this type of fishing from mid-August through September. I fish out of Cedar Island, right by the NC Ferry Operation. The hours for this trip are usually 6pm until midnight. Cost is $350

In addition, Red Drum commonly "turn up" in the Ocean as I run my regular trips out of Beaufort Inlet. Sight casting when conditions are good and fish are avaliable is a Fantastic Fishing Experience! If I had to generalize, I'd say March through June is our best bet for sight casting to Large Red Drum. Then I would guess that August through December are mt best months to find schools of Slot-sized (18" to 27"). Red Drum also turn up while fishing for other fish. They are a distinct possibility 12 months of the year!

Sight Casting to Red Drum

This is why I bought the Tower! I feel like for the first time, I will be able to consistently sight cast to schools of Red Drum in the Ocean nearly year round. These Drum will average from 7 to 15 pounds and when we find them it will be a very memorable fishing experience. I expect that I will be able to target these Red Drum consistently from April through May and again from August through mid-November. Possibly even on into January and beyond! Finding schools of Giant Red Drum is also becoming more common at Cape Lookout! Sight Casting for Red Drum is something that we can easily combine with other types of Fishing trips such as Cobia, Albacore or Speckled Trout. It would usually only take an hour or so to determine if the schools of Drum that I like to target are availiable.

Wreck Fishing

Wreck Fishing is a great way to spend a day on the water. Two of my all-time favorites, Amberjack and Barracuda, are very exciting and fun fish to catch. Amberjacks can be caught on Top Water Plugs, Bucktails, Metal Jigs, or Live Bait. Top Water Plugs draw awesome surface strikes and provide a great visual experience. Live Bait would be my second choice. Watching a pack of aggressive Jacks chase a 2 pound Bluefish down is incredible. Either way most people who haven't fished a Wreck before have never experienced seeing dozens of "big" fish swimming around the boat. Amberjacks frequently do this! Barracudas are another great fish. They respond best to live baits and tube lures. They are awesome jumpers for both height and distance, easily out-performing King Mackerels and Wahoos in this department. They have blinding speed and are also rugged fighters. Bigger Cudas fall for live baits more frequently, but the ones that chase down and bite tube baits are amazing too. You simply CAN NOT reel these baits too fast. It is impossible. Other Wreck Fish include: Flounders, King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Spadefish, Crevalle Jacks, Cobia, Sea Bass, Sharks, and others. Anything is possible on a Wreck off Beaufort Inlet!

Dolphin Fishing

The traditional "Big 3" of the offshore meat fishing world is Wahoo, Dolphin, and Tuna. Of these 3, Dolphin are the most common and readily accessible to the Small Boat, Center Console Fleet. From early summer until mid-October I am able to target for Dolphin with some degree of consistency from Boat and I can usually do this within 25 miles of land. Wahoo and Tuna are also possible, especially later in the season. Giant Wahoo actually are fairly common catches among the small boat fleet in late October and early November. My 3 career largest Wahoos all came within 10 miles of land and were all caught close to Halloween. I would never claim to compete with the regular Charter Boat Fleets in the offshore trolling game, but I do offer this type of Fishing at half their price and lots of "hands on action" for my clients. Of course, great weather is absolutely necessary!

Bottom Fishing

Bottom Fishing or Jigging with Metal Jigs or Bucktails off Beaufort Inlet is a great way to spend a day on the water. This is a Year Round fishery, only affected by NMFS closures. On pretty days, it is possible to fish farther offshore in deeper water and catch a variety of Groupers, Snappers, Amberjacks, Porgys, Black Sea Bass, Grunts, and Sharks. This type of Fishing is for Full Days only and very weather dependant on my 25 foot Center console for obvious reasons, but the fishing can be awesome when conditions are favorable.

A totally different fishing experience can be had by bottom fishing or jigging speck rigs much closer to the Beach. This fishery is best during Fall and Winter. Staying within 3-4 miles of shore allows me to fish many more days with type of weather that is common in winter. Fishing can be excellent for Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, Gray Trout, Sea Mullet, Black Drum, Croaker, Hogfish, Dog Sharks, and many other varieties.

Bottom Fishing in the Sounds and Inland Waterways can be fantastic from September through November. This is a great way to introduce children to fishing. Our most commonly targetted fish is the small, but tasty Spot. If we can find a Spot we jusy might find a cooler full! Other fish caught while "Spot Fishing" include Croakers, Sea Mullet, Gray Trout, Bluefish, Flounder, Black Drum, Red Drum, Hogish and more.

Capt Marty's Top 15 Catches

1. 50 lb. Yellowfin Tuna (my 1st Tuna) caught on 10# and a stingsilver while casting to Albacore 5 miles off the Beach on 9-19-1988. Amazing.
2. 240 lb Bluefin Tuna caught on 20# and a cigar minnow light line while Grouper fishing on 11-28-1997. I fought this fish for 4 hours and covered 7 miles.
3. 83 lb. Wahoo caught while King Mackerel fishing by myself out of a huge fleet of Carteret County's best fishermen on 11-8-1995. This story is too long to tell here...
4. 66 lb. Amberjack caught on a #00 Clark Spoon on 6-24-1988. The Amberjack swallowed a 2 lb. Mackerel I was reeling in. This fish really got me "HOOKED".
5. 96 lb. Wahoo caught on 15# and a boston mackerel on a light line while Grouper fishing on 10-2-2001. I hooked this one seconds after Gerald Currin had decked a 67 pound Wahoo and was still "bragging".
6. 10 lb. 11 oz Flounder caught in Taylor's Creek on a windy day on 10-18-2003. My career largest Flounder was caught in a place I'd ignored during 20 years of Flounder Fishing!
7. 83 lb. Cobia caught off Cape Lookout while fishing by myself on 5-15-2002. I hate to admit this, I actually tried to break this one off because I was convinced it was a Stingray!
8. 350 lb. Blue Marlin caught on 30# while Dolphin fishing off Ocracoke on 5-20-2001. I rigged the baits, set out the lines, hooked the fish, fought the fish, wired the fish, tagged the fish, and released the fish!
9. 7 lb. 4 oz. Largemouth Bass that I caught on 5-2-09 on a 3 wt fly rod and a tiny rubber-legged spider. I hooked a tiny Bream that the Bass swallowed. I knew when she jumped, she'd throw the Bream... When she did, as the Bass re-entered the water, line started to peel off my reel again. the tiny fly was somehow lodged in the Bass's lip! Caught in a tiny pond at MHC Wal-Mart. Unbelievable!
10. 3 lb 8oz Spanish Mackerel caught on the Morehead Ocean Pier in August of 1974. My first "REAL" fish. I turned down a trip to the movies so I could stay out on the Pier that afternoon.
11. 37 lb. 4 oz. King Mackerel (combined with a 30 lb.4 oz the day before) that won $52,900 in the Snead's Ferry KMT on 8-12-2000
12. 34 lb. 8 oz King Mackerel caught from the Shackleford Banks surf on a peanut shad rigged up on a Penn 440SS (small spinning reel) with 8# on 7-14-2001.
13. 12 lb. 8 oz Sheepshead that ended a 10 year quest to catch a Citation Sheepshead on 8-12-2007.
14. 24 lb Blackfin Tuna that ate a stingsilver one mile off Atlantic Beach on 5-6-2010. I was casting for Bonito with a 10# spinning rod and had chased some Albacore inshore of AR-315. The Tuna was a blind strike and took an hour to land!
15. 67 lb. Black Drum caught on 5-3-2011 that outweighed my previous best Black Drum by 62 lbs and made me actually believe (for the first time) that I might actually accomplish my life's mission of collecting all the NC Citations!

Capt Marty's Personal NC Saltwater Citation Tally

All Fish caught by Capt Marty on Rod n Reel
Starting with a 66 lb Amberjack caught on June 24, 1988 in Beaufort Inlet
Species / # Citations / Largest Wt
1. Red Drum / 363/ 83 lbs
2. Flounder / 70 / 10 lb 11oz
3. Speckled Trout / 68 / 9lb 6oz
4. Cobia / 67 / 94 lbs
5. Amberjack / 48 / 66 lbs
6. Sheepshead / 34 / 12lb 8oz
7. Spanish Mackerel / 31 / 9 lbs
8. King Mackerel / 30 / 53 lbs
9. Bluefin Tuna / 21 / 380 lbs
10. Wahoo / 21 / 96 lbs
11. Barracuda / 15 / 36lb 8oz
12. Shark / 8 / 241 lbs
13. Black Drum / 8 / 67 lbs
14. Sailfish / 7 / 88"
15. Striped Bass / 7 / 35lb 8oz
16. Grouper / 5 / 35 lbs
17. Florida Pompano / 5 / 2lb 9oz
18. Black Sea Bass / 5 / 4 lbs
19. Crevalle Jack / 4 / 28 lbs
20. Red Snapper / 4 / 15lb 6oz
21. Tilefish / 4 / 12lb 8oz
22. Atlantic Bonito / 3 / 25"
23. Yellowfin Tuna / 3 / 83 lbs
24. Sea Mullet / 3 / 2lb 14oz
25. Triggerfish / 3 / 7lb 15oz
26. Blackfin Tuna / 2 / 24lb 8oz
27. False Albacore / 2 / 19lb 3oz
28. Gray Trout / 2 / 6lb 2oz
29. Blue Marlin / 1 / app 400 lbs
30. White Marlin / 1 / app 60 lbs
31. Spearfish / 1 / app 8 lbs
32. Dolphin / 1 / 40 lbs
33. Spot / 1 / 1 lb
34. Porgy / 1 / 6lb 7oz
TOTAL 849
Citation Saltwater Fish from other States
Snook / 4 / 35" (Texas)
Striped Bass / 1 / 47 lbs (Virginia)

Capt Marty's Personal NC Freshwater Citation Tally

Starting with an 8" Flier caught in a Wake County Pond in July of 1982
Species / # Citations / Largest Wt
1. Hickory Shad / 38 / 2 lb 9oz
2. White Perch / 25 / 1 lb 4oz
3. Blue Catfish / 6 / 42 lbs
4. American Shad / 6 / 5 lbs
5. Rainbow Trout / 5 / 21"
6. Largemouth Bass / 3 / 8 lb 4oz
7. Bluegill / 3 / 2 lb 2oz
8. Bowfin / 2 / 33"
9. Chain Pickerel / 2 / 28"
10. Green Sunfish / 2 / 10"
11. Pumpkinseed / 2 / 11"
13. Yellow Perch / 2 / 1 lb 6oz
12. Brook Trout / 2 / 20"
14. White Catfish / 1 / 4 lbs
15. Bullhead / 1 / 2 lb 8oz
16. Redfin Pickerel / 1 / 14"
17. Flier / 1 / 8"
Total 102
Citation Freshwater Fish from other States
Brown Trout / 2 / 16 lbs (NY)
Walleye / 6 / 28 7/8" (Ohio)
Freshwater Drum / 3 / 24" (Ohio)

2001 NC Citation Count

Citation sized fish caught by Capt Marty or Top Water Clients and Guests
1. Blue Marlin 1
2. Bluefin Tuna 4
3. Cobia 4
4. Dolphin 1
5. Flounder 2
6. Grouper 1
7. Pompano 1
8. Red Drum 70
9. Red Snapper 2
10. Sailfish 2
11. Speckled Trout 7
12. Spot 1
13. Wahoo 5
Total 101
***I spent 45 days in South Padre Island, Texas from early October until Thanksgiving catching Mangrove Snapper (up to 3 lbs), King Mackerel (up to 19 lbs), Spanish Mackerel, Hardhead Catfish, Pompano, Speckled Trout (up to 3 lbs), Red Drum (up to 5 lbs), Ladyfish (up to 5 lbs), Palometa, Gulf Sea Mullet (up to 2 lbs), Little Tunny, Bluefish, Sand Sea Trout, and (finally) SNOOK (up to 9 lbs). Of course, I fished every day or night possible.***.