Top Water Charters Fishing Reports and News Beaufort Morehead City Atlantic Beach Pamlico Sound: July 2016

Friday, July 29, 2016

July 2016- Temperatures in the 90's

As I get older, I freaking hate July. Fishing has traditionally been okay for some stuff but overall, no one raves about "Great July Fishing" unless you hit a pocket of cool water in the deep and land a Billfish Grand Slam or a Giant Blue Marlin...... Of course, long time Top Water Charters associate George Frazier did put 13 Rainbow Runner on the Dock last weekend. That was SURELY the Greatest Catch of RR's in North Carolina Sportfishing History. PERHAPS the Greatest RR day in US East Coast Fishing History. And POSSIBLY the Best RR in the History of Earth. Until George Frazier cane along, Id only met 2 or 3 people who'd ever caught 1 in their lifetime. What George is doing is amazing.

Rainbow Runner, also known as "Hawaiian Salmon" is a long, slender member of the Jack family that happens to have white Sashimi grade flesh. Highly prized.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

July 16- Fly Rodding On Foot Around The Beaufort Water Front

Well, the first thing I did, concerning fishing, was walk down to the foot of Moore Street. Where Moore meets Front..... Don't get me started here. This is a very very sad subject for me..... All the way back to 1980, I had very near exclusive rights to Miss Evelyn Smith's Dock. At that time, you had Barbour's Machine Shop, the massive 3 story brick building and the Smith Dock. Those were the only Docks from the Beaufort Gulf Dock west All the Way to the Cul-de-Sac at the west end of Front Street. Better known as the "Turn Table".......The Smith dock was passed on to Richard Chadwick, whom was my Uncle by Marriage and later his son Hunter...... By then, other Docks, were popping up both east and mostly west of the Chadwick Dock. Every new Dock meant Fish Holding Structure and MORE IMPORTANTLY......Take it from the guy with 40+ Flounder Citations...... All ABSOLUTELY LOADED with Flounder and Red Drum....... Well Time Marches on. People Die. Others Sell their Property. At one time, I controlled and exclusively fished the Chadwick Dock, Dr Boones Dock, Pages Dock, Martins Dock, and Fraziers Dock. HELL, I didnt need a boat......... The Storys and History are crazy........NINETY (90) RED DRUM from 1 boat slip. Election Day 2004. 4 tagged Red Drum from Pamlico River....... HOW ABOUT 6 FLOUNDER OVER 6 POUNDS ON 6 STRAIGHT DROPS on Halloween of 2005........ HOW ABOUT A 10 LB 11OZ FLOUNDER in 2 feet of water....... HOW ABOUT BACK TO BACK COBIAS BACK IN 2012....... But, like I said, One bt One, I lost access to each and every Dock.... So this morning, I stood on the little Beach at the foot of the old Chadwick Dock and cast my fly. Makes me want to cry. Docks and Wives. Lost. How sad. This is a Fishing Blog. Let me tell yall, from July through November, this is a GREAT FISHING SPOT. Flounder and Red Drum. Anyway, today I caught a small Southern Flounder. Later at the Pond, I caught the usual suspects. Total Catch for the Day: 1 Southern Flounder, 2 Largemouth Bass, and 4 Bluegill

Saturday, July 16, 2016

July 15- Late Night Bass Fishing

It was a failure. I am sure that it would take a sizable Bass to hit the huge Frog Imitation Fly that I was tossing...... Plus, the Beaufort Mung Hole aint exactly Lake Okeechobee either. The biggest "Mung Hole" Bass would probably make a fine bobber bait in South Florida....... Honestly, it was either that (Fly) or do a walking trip with the Gig-a-Lite and gig...... I chose the Fly Rod. I gotta admit, there is something Wild and Wooly about throwing that big popper out in the darkness and working it back. The Darkness. The Anticipation. The Energy focused on that Fly. Pop. Pop. Pop. Nothing ever happened, but I bet I try it again. At the right spot. Look out. Total Catch for the Night: Nothing

Thursday, July 14, 2016

July 13- Tossing a Fly, Saying Goodbye, and Broiling a Bullet Mackerel

Well...... It was a strange day. Obviously I can toss a fly any day. Today, was a pretty day. Bass and Bluegill were biting. It was great. It put me in a good mood...... A mood that was shattered when I ran into Jennifer while I was helping my 80+ year old Momma take her Dog to the Vet...... Jennifer had already been by our (suddenly my) House and got our (her) cat....... So now, what seemed to be a BAD BAD BAD Dream, is now totally REAL. The ABSOLUTE LOVE of MY LIFE is GONE. And by all indications, She will not be coming back. My Back. My Knees....... All the physical Pain in the World does not touch this. HEART BREAK. HEART ACHE. Whatever. Thinking about Jennifer and how close we were, Just a very very short time ago makes me Hyperventilate...... I am not going to dwell on it here, on this forum. I made mistakes. I shouldve SOLD this House. I fell in LOVE with Jennifer on our first date in June 1996. I LOVE her yesterday. I LOVE her today. I will LOVE her tomorrow. And I will LOVE her for a LONG LONG TIME...... I can not understand why she can not love me in return, but I am totally in debt to her for tyying because I DO NOT have to spend the rest of my Time on Earth wondering if we "would've made it."

Thank you Jennifer Goodwin Moore, I will forever Love You.....

Now, to my Fishing Followers. I apologize.... From My Back, to my Dad's Health, to my Suzuki, to my Knee's, to my Wife ....... I totally apologize. I was, at one time, in my heavily slanted opinion, I was the Best MIXED Inshore/Offshore Fishing Guide in Central North Carolina..... Money spent hiring Captain Marty Moore was Money Well Spent..... My 800+ NC Citations were equivalent to Degrees hanging in a Dentist's Office....... Now, I am not so sure.... I am just a fisherman, on a good day, I can seem like a "Fishing God"........On a poor day, I am liable to break down a really miis my wife to the point of tears.... I'm sorry..... Caal me to go fishing and we shall see what you get.....

Oh yeah, I actually kept a few Bullets. They made great bait....... I also figured the cat, Mister Tumnus would chow down on them too...... But Jennifer had come and got him...... NO MORE CAT. Boooooo Hooooooo...... Any way, I pan seared a Bullet Mackerel fillet and guess what? Totally edible. I wouldn't say

Total Catch for the Day: 5 Largemouth Bass up to 2 lbs and 8 Bluegill

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

July 12- Great Fishing

Strange looking box early.... Bullet Mackerels

Tuggwell with a larger Spanish. On a Metal Jig from 70 feet deep

christ.... outstanding Tuggwell photography.....what?

Add TBon'e 38 lb Jack

We spent 25 minutes re-viving this Jack

Tuggy's best Grouper Rally ever

Bullet Mackerel Frenzy. We could've fill the Box..... Grouper Bait Extrodinair

My Trophy Blue Runner fail prey to Tuggwell Photography too..... Pathetic

This was oure catch wabout 2/3 of the way through..... We are missing several pf our Largest Groupers and all of our Largest Spanish Mackerel s

Great Weather greeted Capt Tuggy and I as we put the New Tuggwell Fishing Machine through it paces this morning........ Fishing was great. Honestly, Id call it good for certain things, but the amazing conditions, oddball catches, and quality in the kill box, made it grade out as "Great Fishing" by the end of the day! We started out on the Shoals and it was a total freakshow. Expecting Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel, we caught those but, we ended up with higher numbers of suddenly common Bullet Mackerel and always sporty adult Blue Runners. We did capture Bluefish and Mackerel in the 2 lb class too. We left the Shallows and went Wreck Fishing. At the first spot, I dropped a half a Bullet Mack and quickly found myself hooked to a 200+ pound Pelagic Stingray. Rare that you see these Giant Stingrays. I got him up 35 feet off the bottom and could see his gigantic form 25 feet below the boat when the line separated. We had a couple of Sharks that hit stingsilvers to on 10# spin. Crazy fights... Great fights... Long Fights..... At the next stop, we had great fishing for Amberjacks up to 38 lbs, Gag Groupers, Spanish Mackerels, Giant Blue Runners, and more. Capt Tuggwell had a great Grouper Rally, catching 5 Gags in less than 20 minutes. Tuggwell also caught 2 large Spanish Mackerel on light spin. Capt Marty's signature fish would have to be a 5 lb Blue Runner. The largest Runner I've caught since 1986! Total Catch for the Day: 7 Gag Grouper up to 7 lbs, 3 Amberjacks up to 38 lbs, 4 Spanish Mackerel up to 3 lbs, 6 Bluefish up to 2 lbs, 5 Blue Runner up to 5 lbs, 1 Sharpnose Shark at 7 lbs, 1 Dusky Shark at 13 lbs, 12 Bullet Mackerel up to 1 lb, 2 Pinfish, and 1 Black Sea Bass

Saturday, July 9, 2016

July 9- My Dad's Birthday

I cannot tell you..... There is not enough time in the day or enough words to express how Great of a Father my dad was to me, for me...... He gave me EVERYTHING that a son needs to be happy and successful. Both as a kid and as an adult. There was nothing that my Daddy could've done that wouldve been better than what he did......Growing up, there was NOTHING in my eyes, that my Dad couldnt do...... Run a Bank (Raleigh Savings and Loan) all week and then build or fix anything on Saturday Morning! Then take me fishing in the afternoon. Then we'd listen to college football on the radio while he cooked the Worlds Best BBQ Chicken for supper..... (On a huge brick outdoor grill and patio that he made, of course)

Everything was going great in my Fishing Development until he picked up the Golf Habit and I was ON MY ON.....Just kidding, I am just SO HAPPY for my Daddy to have had the opportunity to play those thousands of rounds of Golf that he loved so much. And was pretty good at, I suspect. I surely wish he could still play.

Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a GREAT GREAT GREAT FATHER..... Charles Allen Moore born July 9, 1936. I LOVE YOU VERY VERY MUCH and I wish I turned out half the Man you were/are.......You lead me by example and showed me the Right Way to do Everything in Life that a boy/young man needs to be successful, productive, and happy.

I hope this mskes sense! Its very late. I have insomnia. And this screen and keypad are tiny.

Speaking of "tiny"....... reminds of Tiny Pender, ex basketball player at NC State. (Watch how my mind works). The last time I saw him in person, he was pimp striding through the Tangerine Bowl crowd in 1978. NCState versus Pittsburgh....... I was there. Surely, I mustve been a punk ass 13 year old pain in the ass..... But my Daddy hauled me, and my brother down there. To see, honestly, a meaningless Bowl Game.... All the way to Orlando Florida. Taking 2 boys to a Football Game! He also hauled me to NY, Boston, Baltimore, and Atlanta to see MLB. Greensboro, Atlanta, and Landover, Md to see ACC Tournaments..... Good God I could never, ever say Thank You, I Love You, or Happy Birthday enough to scratch the surface of what my Daddy has done nor continues to do for me.... (yesterday, For Example) shew.......

Let me just add..... Happy Birthday Daddy. I love you.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

July 3- Bass on Fly

Today, I figured I'd try it again. Right off the bat....... Here comes a Bass! It was looking much better.... Then the bottom fell out! Imagine that.... Rain negatively affecting my fishing...,. Sheesh.... Ten minutes of fishing at best and it was alot of fun, Oh well...... Total Catch for the Day: 3 Largemouth Bass and 6 Bluegill

July 2- Fly Rodding Beaufort

Sometimes a guy just needs to go fishing.... And since its a Holiday Weekend and my Boat was sitting on its Trailer, I decided to leave it right where it sits. I can't handle the Boat Ramp Drama right now! Anyhow, when I need a quick fix, I can always head over to the Beaufort Mung Holes..... Lordy, wouldn't I love to be in Albion, NY right now..... Wade the Shoreline of Lake Ontario and cast to Love Struck Chinook Salmon and Marauding Giant Brown Trout..... Much different Fishery I am heading off into..... I'm hoping for a Beaufort Grand Slam and the signature catch would be a 14" Largemouth Bass..... Oh well, we play the hand that's dealt us...... As for the fishing.... There'd be NO Slam on this day..... The Bass pulled a NO SHOW which was a suprize and the Pumpkinseed pulled a NO SHOW and that wasn't a suprize.... That leaves me with the Bluegills and they were chewing... Capt Cbo says that there has been a group fishing the Mung Holes with Cane Poles and toting buckets and they've been keeping everything they catch..... Oh well, hard to argue with feeding your family but Damn...... Those Fish were hardly ever worth keeping..... Go to a Dock and catch a bucketfull of Pinfish people! Leave my little Fly Rod Fishing Hole alone and the friendly little fish that live and play there alone! Total Catch for the Day: 24 Bluegill

Friday, July 1, 2016

June 30- SHARK WEEK

Phil and crew wanted good fishing and they trusted my judgement..... It was both good and bad. We wanted to head out in the 18-20 mile range and sock it to the Dolphin, Grouper, and Amberjacks.... just a couple days ago, it was beautiful weather and pretty good fishing. Nothing had changed with the forecast. SW winds at 5-10, 2 foot seas, air temp in the 90's. That was our forecast..... So, of course, at 7am we were greeted by a rain storm the size of Rhode Island, 18 kt winds, and 3+ foot seas... All settled in SE of Beaufort Inlet and moving our way according to Tuggwell's Radar...... So our whole plan, our whole outlook, and our FATE changed. Right there....... I quickly turned east towards a Trawler where I knew we'd find WORLD CLASS SHARK FISHING. I was right, we very quickly landed a huge Blacknose Shark in the 36-38 pound class. Keep in mind, the World Record for this species is 41 lb 9oz..... We also caught a spunky 45 lb Spinner Shark and a beautiful baby Hammerhead Shark. We broke off a couple of others. Also, Kevin wanted to kill a legal Blacktip Shark, but we didn't want a large carcass in the boat all day, so refrained from getting our Blacktup Griller..... The guys, being hopeful, were ready to GO FOR IT...... I suspected the Worse and told the guys "we were leaving the Best Fishing we'd find all day"...... At this point, I hoped to make it to the Big 10 Fathom Reef Complex and I hoped that we could find success there..... An hour later, the entire crew was soaked and beat to death, black clouds formed a barrier to the south and southeast, but we made our "back-up" destination and we started trolling for Mahi Mahi...... Three Disappointing Hours later, we had missed 3 strikes that bit the Ballyhoo off right behind the hook and we had managed to release a baby Amberjack..... Not Good. So, we tried the Amberjack and Grouper route, even though, once again, we were 10 miles from Great Fishing, at least we had hope here and it would also keep the crew busy and make them feel "part of the action".... But, it was tough. It was aa tricky drift, our live baits were simply too big for this area..... Oh wouldn't I liked to have been in 90-100 feet of water instead of 65-75 feet! Well, 30 live Menhaden and 75 minutes later, we broke for the Beach. The guys had 1 keeper Gag Grouper, 1 keeper Amberjack, and 1 keeper Black Sea Bass. We had missed 2-3 dozen bites and we had released Grouper and Bass..... Finally, late afternoon, we made it back to the Trawlers and we crushed the big Blacktips, including a 75 lb keeper.... We also rode over to Shark Island but conditions weren't great for Sight Casting..... We actually did not see any Bluefish or Spanish Mackerel at all,,,,, Looking back, we probably should've Shark Fished all day and NOT went on our 100 Mile Boat Ride. But this crew, and I did too, wanted to go Hero..... Its just that we failed! A 25 lb Dolphin or a 15 lb Gag could've changed everything......Total Catch for the Day: 2 Amberjack up to 15 lbs, 2 Gag Grouper up to 25", 6 Black Sea Bass up to 15", 4 Blacktip Sharks up to 85 lbs, 1 Blacknose Shark at 36 lbs, 1 Hammerhead Shark at 10 lbs, and 1 Spinner Shark at 45 lbs

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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.***.