Fishing Report

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

Best to all and tight lines.  Capt. Charlie

 

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

 

May 25,2010.......Hey folks, this is the first report for the season 2010 and it looks to be a good fishing season here in SENCland!  We have had Spanish, Flounder, Red Drum and various assorted other fish and as the water heats up and the bait appears in greater quantity, so should the fish.  I have run some trips after returning from the islands and all is well and the gear and the boat are ready to go!  Come on down and enjoy the CB area before school lets out in mid June and the crowds arrive.... and the hotels report good bookings and reservations so we all should be busy on the water this summer.  Looking forward to see all of you soon, Capt. Charlie Schoonmaker

 

...Hey Guys, the 2010 Inshore Nearshore Fishing Season is fast approaching the Carolinas and I have had many emails about reserving dates for the future season and I want to thank you all very much for your support and interest.  I have had some folks who want to fish this month and April, but I am sorry that I am presently out of the country fishing in the Bahamian waters.  I know, I know,  it is a tough life, but someone has to bite the bullet and do it!  Please call my son Robert at 910-264 -1807 for further assistance until I return.  His website is carolinaexplorer.com and you may email him from that resource.  I look forward to seeing all my old friends and my new friends back at the Carolina Beach Town Marina Docks sometime this spring.  Till then, everyone have a great winter and travel well and safely…….

                       Tight lines and Strong knots, Capt. Charlie Schoonmaker