Top Water Charters Fishing Reports and News Beaufort Morehead City Atlantic Beach Pamlico Sound: April 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Rainy Day Notes

One really crazy thing we saw yesterday was very noteworthy. After I spent all winter griping that "Unless Mary Lee (the tagged 3500 lb Great White Shark) swims up to my boat, I probably ain't gonna see anythjng out there that I haven't seen a thousand times before. " Well, I was wrong! Yesterday Rhino and I saw a Freak Show. One in a Million here in NC! We saw a Gannet surface with a fish in his beak. A menhaden in all likelihood. Then, to our amazement, a 7 foot Shark surfaced and attacked the Gannet. Probably in effort to get the Shad. All we saw was the Sharks tail whipping, his dorsal fin high and erect, and his eyes above the surface and his jaws snapping at ghe Gannet. The Gannet was backpedaling and squawking up a storm. I turned Thr Top Water towards the scene and the Shark quickly spooked. The Shark may have succeeded, I'm not sure. In my experience, that size Shark doesn't spook so easily. Regardless, it was quite a sight. It just ended too quickly!

Captain Marty's Bonito Ceviche. Awesome Boat Food. Appetizer Food. Main Course even.

Grilled Bonito. Absolutely Delicious Grilled Fish!

As for the Bonito that Rhino and I caught 7 and I made a killer batch of Ceviche. As my Ceviche "cured" in the refrigerator, I cooked up four of the largest loins on the Grill. Lightly marinated and cooked medium rare and this Sarda Sarda was every but as good as any Yellowfin Tuna has ever been. No Shit..... Now today (May 1st) I ate some delicious Ceviche while I was fishing on the Sea Spray. It was kick ass as well and tomorrow my brother and I will be eating some Bonito Toro as Sashimi. I already know how good this is gonna be! Long Story Short..... Atlantic Bonito is THE INSHORE TUNA on the US East Coast. It is everything Yellowfin Tuna is except the size of the Loin and the "Flake" size of the meat..... Awesome Fish!

Indigo Bunting. Rare Bird sighting at Ferry Dock over at Ocracoke Island

Finally, the other day at South Dock on the Eastern End of Ocracoke Island I noticed a very unusual bird. Dark Blue. Almost "Duke" blue. He also had black wings. It was asmall bird, the size of a true Bluebird. His color caught my eye. I snapped a quick, but poor quality photo. I thought I knew what it was, and after checking a Field Guide, I was right..... This little birdie was an Indigo Bunting. A very prominent species for the Bird Watchers out there......

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

April 29- Bonito Barrage

Rhino and a Beautiful Bonito

We all like Ceviche made with Bonito and this will make two Huge Batches!

We had a few of these in the LiveWell at one time as we waited on Mako Mike to return!

"Walleye of the Ocean"

Poor Emma in the Background! Sleeping off a Trout and Bluefish Sushi Tray

Top Water Charters triumphantly returned to the Ocean this morning and hammered the Atlantic Bonito, Bluefish, Gray Trout, and Black Sea Bass. The Bonito, formerly known as "Striped Apes" by people "in the know" are one of my FAVORITE SPECIES. These fish have the IT FACTOR. They are elusive, fast, hard hitting, and incredible fighters. They are beautiful and must be seen alive to be appreciated. They are absolutely delicious on the plate. Grilled or as Ceviche, anywhere Yellowfin Tuna shine, these Bonito make a great substitute. Finally and adding greatly to their appeal, is the fact that they are only around about 6 weeks and they will be gone until next Spring! This morning, Capt Rhino Handsbro and I sailed on what I really considered a "Shake Down Cruise". I really and truly expected the WORST CASE SCENARIO. Last Fall, before the Punk Ass Faggots stole all my Rods and Reels, The Top Water Boat was not running right. I was having "fuel" problems and I had pretty much narrowed it down to a serious obstruction inside my 27 year old fuel tank. In other words, I had a big problem. Well, this past winter, I did NOTHING. I did double up on my Marine Sta-bil though. Hopefully, the high concentration of fuel additive somehow broke up or dissolved whatever had my pick-up strangled off last year! FAT CHANCE but that was my hope. I figured we'd experience the same old problems as last year and I'd be forced to pursue an expensive repair..... Rhino, on the other hand, was bristling with confidence and he was ready to go "Wreck Hopping" in search of an early season Cobia, or two! Well. owner operator, and fraidy-cat, Capt Marty had the final say and I opted for the relative safety of inshore. As we hit the Inlet at 730am, we quickly realized the calm seas and light winds would allow us to scour the Cape Lookout Shoals safely and still stay close to the Beach as I waited for the inevitable break down..... Well, the Break down never happened.... The Top Water Boat ran great all day. Unfortunately, the overcast sky lasted all day as well so Sight Casting to the Schools of Giant Red Drum or finding that first Cobia of the Year cruising the Beach,,,,, Those things never happened either. So finally, about 10am, Capt Rhino and I compromised all we meandered our way out to the nearest Wreck on the Eastside of the Shoals. Here we found a Motherlode of fish. Four extremely tasty and gamey species occupied the waters surrounding this Wreck in outstanding numbers. The first thing we encountered were vast numbers of Gray Trout on the bottom. Every drop resulted in a hook-up. Gray Trout up to 19" and over 2 lbs were there for the taking. We were chasing the ghost of an 8 lb "Rumor" Trout that was landed last week. We know how that goes. Closer to the Steel wreckage, the Weakfish gave way to Black Sea Bass of all sizes. Rhino quickly caught a 14" Bass, while right at the end of the day, I won The Battle of Basses with a 16" Blue Hump. The Wreck itself was enshrouded with an armada of Bluefish. Thousands of them. We tried not to catch them, but that was impossible! The Bluefish we encountered ranged up to 2 lbs. Finally, and most importantly, the Wreck also held some mysterious number of Capt Marty's FAVORITE Inshore Fish, The Atlantic Bonito. Known for surface forays at Dawn and Dusk; in the middle of the day they are harder to find and target, but in my opinion, they school up and revolve around the wreck. Like a planet in orbit around the sun, these Bonito "stand off" the wreck a few hundred yards and just circle. If food presents itself, they'll eat. But, they are pretty much waiting for the sun to dip towards the horizon again and that's their cue to rise to the surface again and start doing their thing. Busting Bait and putting on a show! Anyway, middle of the day, the trollers do well and the blind casters get lucky..... Well today, Rhino "got lucky" 4 times including a NC Citation 24" stud Bonito. Capt Marty hit 3 Bonito. The true highlight of the day was when Rhino had a 2 lb Trout chased down and slammed by a 90 lb Mako Shark. Holy Shit! Right by the Boat. Dammit, if we could've landed that 6 foot Trophy, it would've been incredible. However, the minute Rhino came tight with that 10# mono, it would've taken a freaking miracle to hold on to that Shark. It lasted 60 seconds. She peeled off 200 yards of line before the flouro shock leader parted...... Total Catch for the Day: 7 Atlantic Bonito up to 24", 35 Bluefish up to 2 lbs, 16 Gray Trout up to 19", 40 Black Sea Bass up to 15", 5 Pinfish, and 2 Spottail Pinfish

Saturday, April 25, 2015

April 25- Here It Comes

Good Morning Globe. Fishing Season is here. Awoke this morning to the sound of Charter Boats opening up the throttles and racing to the Gulf Stream up here at Hatteras. World Class (an over-used term by idiot Fishing Guides) Blackfin Tuna Fishing. World Class means, to me, best Fishing for a specific species that the "World" has to offer. It DOESN'T MEAN that Jackleg McGraw from Harker's Island caught 3 Red Drum and a limit of Speckled Trout! Joey Bell and I had "World Class Speckled Trout Fishing" on December 3, 2000 when we caught 20 Trout over 7 lbs with a big fish at 10 lbs 8oz. Anyhow, boats at Hatteras are crushing the Blackfin Tuna and in some cases, every single fish qualifies for an NC Fishing Citation. Florida considers their Blackfin Fishery World Class and a 20 pounder down there is a Ghost. Up here at Hatteras, some boys are filling the box with 28-32 lb Tunas. That, my friends, is a World Class Blackfin Tuna Bite.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

April 21- Crazy Hatteras Inlet Fishing Tall Tale

We'll see if this one is believable! Later tonight there will be a picture to go along with this tale..... So I'm back to work, first day at Hatteras Inlet in 22 days. First trip across on the Ferry and at 8am Billy Harris and I walk out on the Beach on the north end of Ocracoke Island during our 30 minute layover. Check the Beach out, look for Shells and cool Driftwood. As we wonder south towards the Ocean, we cross a shot of yellow stren 20# mono that dead ends in the sand in a knot of seaweed and plastic debris. The other end disappears in the Inlet..... I tell Billy, "I wonder if someone's Rod N Reel is on the other end. I bend over and pick up the line and start hauling it in...... (Y'all know where this is headed?). Well, as I come tight, it quickly becomes apparent that there will be NO LOST ROD-N-REEL. Instead, the line starts fighting back! Amazing. 150 feet of line later, I reach a 10 ft section of Shock Leader, followed by a 8 lb Red Drum. Thankfully, Billy was there to photo my catch because I didn't have the heart to kill this Fish. Billy snapped a quick photo and I slid a dead tired Red Drum gently back into the Inlet. I did remove the circle hook from his throat, which still had a pretty fresh chunk of Mullet on it. My biggest dilemma was to re-cast the bait or clean up the plastic pollution. Wonder what I did? Total Catch for the Day: 1 Red Drum at 8 lbs

Monday, April 20, 2015

April 20- Bream Busting Fly Rod Adventure

Capt Christopher Columbus came by this morning to put some PowerPro on a couple of his reels and we had a long talk about Fishing and Boats and other stuff...... When Cbo left, I had an hour to blow before I had to catch the Ferry to Ocracoke. So, I grabbed my trusty 3wt Fly Rod and ran off to the Mung Holes..... Not much time, but I was quivering to try a GrassHopper imitation that Cbo had picked up at Cabelas.... Well, a beautiful bait, but........ With nearly NO ACTION. It looked great to me, but the fish were not rising. With time running out, I went to my traditional favorite, a Betts rubber-legged spider. With the little plop and splash. dark shapes quickly materialized out of the murky green water under my offering. Then....... Poweeeee it happened! A Beaufort Beauty, a Pumpkinseed slammed my fly and the fight was on! A quick release and right off the bat I had the "hardest of the Beaufort Sweetwater GrandSlam"..... A couple of casts later and I had my Bluegill....... Now, I was looking for a Largemouth Bass. With sand falling through my hourglass, I found another Bluegill.... Then another.... Then another Bluegill...... Then another, and another, and another.... I never saw a Bass today. I never tried a larger Popper. I ran out of time. Great Fun Though.... I am loving and fascinated by the Fresh Water Fishing for some reason. I can only imagine the JOY that I would feel if I lived down by Santee Cooper, SC or Lake Erie or even close to the Tuckasegee River in the NC Mountains....... Its all I think about honestly. I'd like to add another thought: I wish I could find a fishable and accessible population of Crappie in Carteret County. That would slow my wunderlust! Total Catch for the Day: 6 Bluegill and 1 Pumpkinseed

Saturday, April 18, 2015

April 17- Santee Cooper Adventure

Long time Top Water Charters friend Tom invited me to join him on another Fresh Water Adventure yesterday and I jumped at the opportunity! Last year Tom put me on some great Walleye Fishing up on Lake Erie. Size and numbers of Walleye that I caught was OUTSTANDING! This time, the target species was Redear Sunfish, more affectionally known in the Southeast as a "Shellcracker". Unfortunately, the Shellcracker bite was a little slack, but there was great variety to be had on these twin, huge SC Lakes. I also caught a surprising White Crappie that was tagged and won me a 42" Striped Bass Mount made by King Sailfish Mounts. Thanks to Tom Burro's Fish Camp for sponsoring that incredibleness!! Back to the fishing, Tom really out performed me. He caught trophy sized Black Crappie and Shellcrackers. I may have got the better of him on numbers of keeper Bluegill though. We teamed up to catch around 50 total fish of 7 different species. We actually caught decent numbers of both Yellow Perch and White Perch too. Tragically, all of these delicious fish were "too small". Anyone that puts down either of these two's culinary qualities needs their Heads examined........ Our best fish of the trip was Tom's 2+ pound Black Crappie. Tom's much smaller Black Crappie was an extremely light in color and, at first glance I would've guessed it to be a White Crappie. Much later, at the cleaning table, I counted its dorsal spines of which it had 7 of them. A White Crappie, on the other hand, has 5-6 dorsal spines (Black Crappie have 7-8 dorsal spines). Remember this worthless piece of Fish Fact for proper Fish ID regardless to the fishes actual color....Of course, the most outstanding Crappie was MINE. The one with the yellow spaghetti tag pinned just below his second dorsal fin!!!! Total Catch for the Day: 3 Black Crappie up to 2 lb 2oz, 25 Bluegill up to 1 lb 4oz, 6 Redear Sunfish up to 1 lb 4oz, 1 Pumpkinseed, 1 Hybrid Sunfish (Bluegill X Green Sunfish, I think???? This same combo when paired up in a Laboratory makes the Famous Georgia Giant), 8 White Perch, and 8 Yellow Perch

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

April 6- Ararat River Trout Failure

After a business trip to Winston Salem, Jennifer and I decided to drive up to Pilot Mountain for the fun of it. After a great time on the Mountain, we wondered over to Mount Airy. Of course, I kept my eyes on a constant lookout for "fishable" water. I just happened to have tossed my beloved 3wt Fly Rod in the truck for the ride. Once we arrived in Mt Airy, we quickly found the Ararat River. I remembered reading about this place. A great little easily wadeable and easily fished Trout Water. As matter of fact, this River is a well stocked, delayed harvest River. Luckily for me, I quickly found out from a couple of locals that the River had just been stocked two days ago. Hell yeah, hungry Rainbow Trout everywhere! Sadly, this may or msy not have been true but I couldn't catch the damn things. I tried a dozen different flies and several in-line spinners. I saw roll after roll. I saw Trout chase my offerings over and over. I maybe hooked 2 or 3. I landed NONE. It was The Most Frustrating Fishing Day In A Long Long Time. Especially when, as we were leaving, a dude walked up and caught two Rainbow Trout on his first 2 casts. Jeminy Crimany. Total Catch for the Day: NOTHING

Saturday, April 4, 2015

April 4- Fly Fishing Beaufort

Thirty minutes with the popper and the 3wt....Then a hen Mallard landed in the Pond and Emma lost all control. Hard to fish a small Pond with a pyscho Yellow Lab splashing around. Bluegills were verty very active in the late afternoon sun splash after a rainy morning! Total Catch for the Day: Bluegill and 1 Largemouth Bass

Rainy Saturday Blues

I wish this meant "Bluefish".

Sorry, I will say this..... when Jennifer sets up her laptop tonight, I WILL GET THIS BLOG IN ORDER and make a Statement. The 2015 Fishing Season is upon me. It's go time people. The Bonito and Cobia are coming!

Thursday, April 2, 2015

April 1- Hickory Shad Fishing

Weird day, but....... It was fishing. Finally! Short version, Momma needed my Dad and their barking ass Black Snake dachshund, Tiny, out of the house for 4 hours... So I said, jump in the truck and we'll go for a ride! Cowpen Landing, Pitch Kettle Outpost, Maple Cypress, and Spring Garden were all visited! CPL and SG were "high hooks" with 3 Hickory Shad each. All bucks. Lost a huge Roe Shad at Cowpen. Darn it. All fish hit the white grub. The throb of the spoon felt good thoughPretty day. Felt good. Total Catch for the Day: 6 Hickory Shad

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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.***.