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

Monday, October 31, 2016

Oct 30- Striped Bass Again

No sad stories.... No big Fish either... Caught several Striped Bass on fly and only lost a couple. Most fish were caught by slow titching a damn Fly that is a famous Atlantic Salmon Fly called a Silver Doctor. My Fly collection is getting used up in all this heavy structure! Total Catch for the Night: 8 Striped Bass from 10" to 14'

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Oct 28- The Wolfpack of Fishing

No, I aint talking about Club Championships in Collegiate Bass Fishing! I am talking about me, hooking 7 Striped Bass on Fly and losing every damn one of them. Couldn't finish a game. Lost every battle. Is Coach Dave Doeren my "Fly Fishing Coach" all the sudden? Then THIS happened......

After moving to a different dock, this one has a narrow window between a Rock Jetty and a huge Tripod that holds one side of a Ferry Ramp. 40 feet out is the edge of the lights that hold the fish. So, Im casting parallel to a Rock Wall to my left and plenty of huge structures to my right. Now, all summer and fall I have hooked and landed 12" to 20" Striped and White Bass in this narrow avenue. No problem....... Tonight, I was 0 for 7 on Striped Bass and walked over to the Dock for a quick try before conceding defeat..... My first cast landed 35 feet out and I let it sink for 6 seconds. Strip strip strip Ka-Boom. A bite. Suddenly the fly line was ripped from my hands. This was different! Luckily, he ran straight offshore and missed all the pilings. Quickly this fish got into my backing. That is a first for me since last November's NY Chinnok Salmon! Suddenly this big fish did a 180 degree turn and raced back towards the spot it was hooked. I furiously reeled to regain control. All the sudden the quiet 3am darkness and silence was shattered by a huge Striped Bass leaping out of the water and it landed in about 6" of water on top of the Rocks. As I came tight again, I couldnt believe what I was seeing thrashing white water on top of the Rocks. A 40" to 45" Striped Bass. Im guessing 25 to 35 pounds. It was hard to decifer in total darkness and app 10 feet away. In the next 10 seconds, he flopped and fought his way back over the edge into deep water. Still stunned, I had just started to process and plan to land this fish. The Seawall and Dock was a good 5-6 feet high, so it was probably gonna be impossible, especially on the 5wt Fly Rod. In the end, it didnt matter. When the big Striped Bass made it back to deep water, he left my fly line wrapped around a boulder. As I worked different angles to free my line, for the first 30 seconds, the fish was thrashing on the surface 2 different times. I will never forget his massive tail waving out of the water, slinging phospherous lit white water. Then the leader popped and eventually I even had to break the fly line to free it. End of Story. End of the Nights Fishing (no more leader material) SUCKS, but I wouldn't trade that experience for nothing! Total Catch for the Night: Nothing Zilch 0 for 8

Friday, October 28, 2016

Oct 27- Striped Bass on the Fly at Night

Once again, at my secret Southern Pamlico Sound location, I noticed lots of activity under a shoreside light. One toss of a blue/white/mylar fly and....... BOOM! Fish On! In the brief flurry that followed, I landed 3 Striped Bass and missed about 5 strikes. It all ended when 2 Otters wandered into the area. My largest Striper was 20". I only photoed the first one which was quite smaller. Always fun on the Fly Rod. It doesnt look like I will make it to the Mountains this fall, so any Fly action I can find is a plus. Total Catch for the Night: 3 Striped Bass up to 20"

Monday, October 24, 2016

Oct 23- Late Night Trout

A decent Trout caught on a Mirrorlure

Let this One go and he slowly swam away

Little Trout attack Mirrorlures too

Made the midnight hike again! This time the fishing wasn't nearly as productive. Smaller Trout hit the baits better. I released nearly 40 undersized Speckled Trout. Only 2 keepers were captured. Not worth it! Total Catch for the Night: 42 Speckled Trout up to 18"

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Oct 23- Continuing Trout Story

Not a huge fan of eating Speckled Trout......

then I tried smothering Trout filets with grated cheese and......HELLO!!!!

Capt Tuggy is in town with Lauren, his beautiful wife. They are celebrating their 1st Anniversary. I guess that means, one year ago today, I was up at Lake Ontario catching 13 and 16 pound Brown Trouts and Chinook Salmon. My first hint of knee problems too....... Anyway, the three of us walked out to Radio Island this morning. Lauren was a tad too short, so that to reach the "Trout Water" she would've had to go in over her waders..... Tuggwell and I each landed 2 Speckled Trout. One of mine was the big fish at 21 1/2 inches and just under 4 lbs. Tuggy and I have a Fishing Mission tentatively planned for 12 midnight....... As for the stealing ass low life punk that stole the cooler out of my Truck last night,,,,,, Hey Faggot, if you need that Cooler that bad, I hope you enjoy it. And when BAD THINGS start happening to you as a result of your sin, I hope you can handle it. Total Catch for the Day: 4 Speckled Trout up to 3 lb 8oz

Oct 22- TROUT OF A LIFETIME

Catchy title there, Captain Marty! Wonder where this is headed? I must say, it sounds good...... But, unfortunately, everyone whose "sarcasm meter" is "pinging" is correct. This Trout of a Lifetime ain't about size. That's only real concern. Bragging.... That ain't me. Who listens to a crippled, washed up Captain any more? Emma? Hell, Jennifer has dog-napped her to New Bern..... No and even though the Trout I caught were beauties, perhaps the #1 Stringer that I ever hauled off Radio Island. Solid 3 pound fish. Four of them and many releases...... But, But, But....... They WILL COST MY DUMB ASS and THEY WILL COST ME DEARLY.... See, while I was down the Beach Fishing, 3 punks that I briefly encountered in the Parking Lot in all likelihood STOLE THE YETI COOLER out of the back of my Truck...... See, I was fishing from 12 midnight until 130am. I had the WHOLE DAMN PLACE to myself...... In the meantime, down the Beach, as the thieves were pillaging my Truck, I was GIVING THOSE DAMN TROUT THE BUSINESS!!! Roughing them up. Keeping the 20+" fish that weigh over 3 lbs. Released many and all those Fish were 18" and 19". Ready for this to get worse? As if that $259 Yeti Cooler wasn't bad enough, somehow, saltwater penetrated my "LIFEPROOF" Phone Case and entered my Samsung Galaxy 4 and...,.,.,.,.,..,appearantly, the Damn Phone has shorted out as well..... so, Capt Marty gets the poor little Trout. As the, petty, punkass, pill addicted faggots steal my cooler. Finally, corporate America gets ti perform one more colonostomy on me as I struggle to buy and set up ANOTHER NEW CELL PHONE.......and all this shit keeps happening to me. You know, physically, I FEEL GOOD. You guys will have to be patient with me again. I have Lost All My contacts again..... "Trout of a LIfetime" according to my Title...... Well I figured, $260 (Yeti) plus another $300 for a (new Phone) and I am looking at a nearly a $600 STRINGER tonight..... Brutal.........OH shit on it, its 3am Total Catch for the Night- 24 Speckled Trout up to 21"

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Friday, October 21, 2016

Oct 21- Captain Marty visits the NC STATE FAIR

Well today I said to myself.... (No one listens anyway)

I have FISHED SO MUCH since 1986, I haven't been to the State Fair. Hardly any College Football and Basketball games..... Hell, I haven't been anywhere and done anything...... Except Fish and Fish and Fish....... So, anyway, this morning, I said to hell with it, I'm going to the State Fair. Period.

Headed home now. Mission Accomplished. Al's French Fries, Hill's Corn on the Cobb, a Footlong Hot Dog from the Cary Stop......

Hope the Fish had a good day

Oct 20- All Good Things Must Come To An End

Due to my incredible politeness and correctness, ha ha, I attempted to take a friend fishing at Radio Island. "Great Fishing awaits I promised him"....... Then from 230pm until 345pm I watched him go through a procession of searching for rods and reels, a cooler, bottom rigs..... Locked himself out.....Had to shit....... One damn thing after another. I could've made 2 trips and caught 4 limits before he finally annouced, "I'm ready"..... So instead of walking out there at 245 like I did 5 of the past 6 days, (and caught limits of Speckled Trout), this time I scurried out there after 4 o'clock. Walking out there, I passed plenty of guys walking in with their limits and all the guys still out there were all just standing around and no one was catching anything. So, I finally made it out there at dead low tide. Got disgusted, made a dozen casts, caught nothing, and went home. My fault. Lone Wolf Fishing Operation. And my Pal will have to find his own way out there next time.. .. Total Catch for the Day: Nothing

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Oct 18- Another Big Day of Speckled Trout Fishing

Today I was down there at the worst possible time to be Speckled Trout Fishing. Dead Low Tide. Around 4pm. There was 40 or so people on the Beach. Lots weren't fishing. Standing around like "the bite was over".........Hmmmmm, I thought, okay, all good things must come to an end....... Then my first 3 casts were crushed by big fat aggressive Speckled Trout. Damn, there is No End to them. I must say, I did struggle today. After the first three quick ones, I lost my red back Mirrorlure in the Rocks. Then I tried a leadhead and soft plastic. I quickly caught a 17"-18" Trout. Instead of a quick exit, I decided to release this one. Then, in a classic return to "washed up Capt Marty", I lost 5 leadheads and baits in the Rocks in the next 10 minutes! I mean, I made a damn Fool out of myself. Twice I waded in, tied on a bait, waded back out, and First Cast was into the Rocks. Geezzz, I buy expensive lead heads because I believe they make a difference. I damn sure didn't miss a single Rock today...... Eventually, I caught a couple on soft plastic before tying on another Mirrorlure and whacking them good again. Today, I gave several away, released quite a few, and actually caught one that was too small. GREAT FISHING CONTINUES. Also, I have met so many great people on that Beach the past 4 days. Its so cool when everybody is catching fish! Brings out the best in people. Total Catch for the Day: 14 Speckled Trout from 13" to 19"

Oct 17- Speckled Trout On Fire

Here is THE ONLY problem with Speckled Trout Catching at Radio Island. The Air is too hot for waders and the water is too cold to get your nuts wet. And to reach the fish, you gotta wet the satchel. So....... I wear waders. The hike down there aint too bad. The hike back with an extra 8 to 11 lbs of Trout on a stringer is BRUTAL. I also lost my chartreuse and gold Mirorlure today in the Rocks. Put on a Red Back TT series and caught SpTs on 4 straight casts. Once again, I caught 8 Speckled Trout. I dragged four more home. Baked one in the oven tonight. Delicious. Todays fish were once again between 18" and 21". Everybody willing to walk and get a little wet were catching them. I was down there for 45 minutes. GREAT FISHING. Total Catch for the Day: 8 Speckled Trout up to 21"

Oct 16- Speckled Trout Biting Mirrorlures

I made the hike again. I spent an hour throwing a chartreuse and gold Mirrorlure. My personal favorite. It got my four Texas Snook, up to 9 lbs, out of the South Padre Island, Tx surf back in Nov 2001. That color combo also caught me a 10 fish limit of Speckled Trout, including 4 Citations with a big fish of 5 lb 6oz out of the Hatteras Island surf in 2006. Ahhhh, when you feel "washed up" you like to reminisce. Anyway, today it caught me 8 Speckled Trout in 60 minutes. I brought four home from 18" to 20". I released a bigger one and a smaller one and gave 2 fish away. Great Fishing. I love catching them on Mirrorlures. Total Catch for the Day: 8 Speckled Trout up to 21"

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Oct 15- Speckled Trout Chew

Okay, I been busy. But there has been a very unusual Speckled Trout Event taking place since Hurricane Matthew. Radio Island has been a very consistent producer of Speckled Trout for the past 5 to 6 years. The only problem has been that they were mostly 12" to 13" illegal to possess fish. This year, starting last tuesday, that all changed! Limits of Speckled Trout in the 18" to 22" are being captured by ALL. A couple guys released the info on Facebook, and by the time I was able to make it out there on Sat morning, there were 100+ people out there. EVERY ONE was catching them! Soft bait, Mirrorlures, all sorts of stuff... Lots of Trout caught... I caught mine and GOT OUT OF THERE. Total Catch for the Day: 5 Speckled Trout from 18" to 20" and 1 Lizardfish

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Oct 4- Hurricane Matthew and its Not Looking Good for the US East Coast

Just what we needed...... An October Monster. There once was a famous movie that said "Avoid the Grand Banks in October"......Well, in 2016, looks like we need to avoid Shackleford Banks too.... We still got a few days... GO AWAY MATTHEW. TURN EAST PLEASE.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Oct 2- King Mackerel Fishing

Korey and Chris joined me for another day of live bait fishing. Chris caught a net full of Menhaden, and away we went. A few hours later, we had our bites, but we didnt take full advantage of them..... As it was, counting a couple of undersized Kings, we tallied 6 total King Mackerel and one jumbo Spanish Mackerel. We have once again failed to catch us the Trophy King Mackerel we have been searching for. Today, we had a couple in the teens and a couple around 10 lbs. Kinda disappointing. We really WANT a 50 pounder. Hell, we'd settle for a 40, or a damn 30 pounder......... Todays best catches were Korey's 7 lb Spanish Mackerel and the 10 lb King that Capt Marty caught on a stingsilver and spinning rod.....Total Catch for the Day: 6 King Mackerel up to 14 lbs and 1 7 lb Spanish Mackerel

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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.***.