Breaking: New NC state record spotted bass caught at Lake Norman!

The North Carolina state record for spotted bass has apparently been broken, and not surprisingly it is again a Lake Norman fish and angler that will hold the title.

Before moving part time to this area I had never caught a spotted bass, but I can tell you they are an aggressive fish that is more fun and feisty than a largemouth. Norman is full of them and they are a terrific wintertime bass. The way they chase bait in the shallows reminds me of specks.

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New state record spotted bass caught on Lake Norman (photo)

Carolina seafood: Easy and delicious crab cakes recipe

To make easy and delicious Carolina crab cakes you'll want to pick all the meat off of your cooked crabs or buy your crab meat already picked in containers in a local seafood market or a grocery store seafood section.

The best crab meat is fresh picked from Carolina blue crabs, and if you can’t get that you’ll want the freshest real crab meat in the seafood market.

Carolina blue crabs are some of the tastiest seafood in the ocean. You can use grocery store and even imitation crab meat but the taste won’t come close.

Carolina's coastal waters yield millions of pounds of blue crabs every year to commercial and recreational crabbers. Crabbing is a fun, traditional sport practiced by many people.

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Easy and delicious Carolina crab recipes

Fishing tips for using Gulp baits to catch striped bass

If you are not using Gulp lures to target striped bass you should be. You can catch stripers in most of the local lakes like Lake Norman and some of the coastal rivers such as the Cape Fear River, and Gulp scented soft baits are a top lure option.

Many people know about the effectiveness of Gulp baits on speckled trout and redfish, anglers are just now learning how deadly they can be when used where striped bass prowl. Gulp lures have revolutionized the scented soft bait lure market, and can be perfect when used to target stripers.

Gulp now makes many different varieties of soft baits that anglers use to catch striped bass. If hungry stripers are around it's hard to beat a 5-inch jerk shad body if you work it right. Choose your jig based on the current but try not to go too heavy, 3/8 ounce is about right. This is the perfect size bait for schoolie-sized stripers and will also catch larger bass.

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How to use Gulp scented soft baits to catch striped bass

Gulp scented soft baits for winter striped bass

Winter fishing for striped bass is in full swing, and Gulp scented soft baits are among the top striper lures. It is hard to beat the performance of Gulp soft baits, especially at night. Top fishing guides agree that Gulp has leveled the playing field when going after predator gamefish like striped bass.

Here are links to some of the most effective Gulp scented soft baits to use on winter striped bass:











You can find many other Gulp soft baits for use on striped bass as well as speckled trout and redfish on the Surf and Salt Gulp! page.

Flounder fishing with Gulp and other scented soft baits

Although many Carolina flounder anglers still rely on live bait, more and more local fishermen each year are realizing that it is often more effective and more fun to target them with today’s soft lures. These synthetic scented baits have become so effective that they now will many times out-fish live bait. Another benefit is that when fishing them you don't have to wait so long to set the hook on a flounder but can hit him almost immediately upon the strike.

Gulp makes some of the best scented baits, and the saltwater jerk shad body is perfect for pulling flounder off of structure. It's erratic, darting motion imitates a struggling baitfish running around the pilings or rocks.

You can work Gulp soft baits slowly just off the bottom and flounder will rise to hit them. Dark green, chartreuse and Nuclear Chicken are great colors in stained or darker water. In clear water or in the surf Pearl White is a great choice.

Flounder fishing with Gulp and other scented soft baits

British Review: Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas

Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas isn't just a hit in the south, as sells have come from many regions of the country and even overseas. Check out this British review of the book. British fans of Carolina fishing can buy the book via the Book Depository as is linked in the article.

Go Saltwater Fishing Review: Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas by Jeffrey Weeks

Southern cooking: Easy and hearty vegetarian soups

Local southern cooks know that hearty vegetarian soups can be easy to make and great meals by themselves. You can find really fresh ingredients at local Charlotte farmers markets as well as grocery stores.

Also see Healthy Charlotte dining: vegetarian soup recipes

 

Southern cooking: Easy and hearty vegetarian soups

NC Aquaculture gains in market, local fish farmer featured speaker at conference

This week in New Bern the participants in the growing NC aquaculture business are gathering at the 24th annual North Carolina Aquaculture Development Conference, and a featured conference speaker is local Charlotte fish farmer Rob Ellis who has built an amazingly successful new farm right here.

Ellis runs Astor Farms in Charlotte, and example of a state-of-the-art aquaculture unit focused on mass producing fish while at the same time maintaining the highest levels of healthiness for consumers. The tilapia at Astor Farms are grown in tanks housed in a large warehouse with the capacity to produce 400,000 pounds of fish each year.

The tilapia are raised in a controlled environment without the possibility of being exposed to pollutants, with 95 percent of the water used to raise the fish being recycled. Live tilapia are sold by Ellis to chefs and Asian markets in NC and other cities on the East Coast.

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NC Aquaculture gains in market, local fish farmer featured speaker at conference

Fishing with fiddler crabs to catch sheepshead and redfish

Fiddler crabs are an exceptional saltwater bait to use when fishing for sheepshead and they will also hook black drum, tautog and even catch the occasional redfish and flounder. A lot of tasty Carolina inshore saltwater fish eat fiddler crabs including red drum in the winter, and they are the preferred bait for most sheepshead anglers.

For plenty of additional tips and tactics on catching and cooking Carolina saltwater fish see my new book Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas.

When cleaning redfish and black drum in the winter I have often found their stomachs full of fiddler crabs, as well as small blue crabs and rock crabs. The lowcountry Carolina mudflats are fiddler crab havens, and the best thing about them as bait is that you can gather them for free. 

Carolina fishing tips: using fiddler crabs to catch sheepshead and redfish

Big Shot pencil plugs for bluefish, Spanish mackerel

If your favorite saltwater fish feeds on small baitfish, then throw this Big Shot plug from Offshore Angler and watch the surf boil! The Big Shot produces loads of fish-attracting commotion making it the perfect bait when fishing for bluefish, Spanish mackerel, trout, stripers, blues and more. 

Perfect for pier casting or nearshore trolling. Complete with high-quality VMC hooks. 

As effective and cheaper than the similar Gotcha brand plugs.

Carolina fish recipes for spring inshore saltwater fishing

Spring is just around the corner and that means that the inshore saltwater fishing season will soon be here. Local anglers will have their shot at all the usual great tasting Carolina fish along the southeastern NC coast including speckled trout, weakfish, red drum, black drum, flounder, and bluefish.

For anglers who catch speckled trout don’t forget the new NC size and creel limits for 2012. You can find them on my speckled trout page at Surf and Salt.

Carolina fish recipes for spring inshore saltwater fishing

Carolina fishing tips: Buying and using a cast net for inshore saltwater fishing

For Carolina inshore saltwater anglers who like to use live bait there is no excuse for not knowing how to throw a cast net. Cast nets are invaluable for gathering baitfish, shrimp, and crabs and will pay for themselves many times over in value as you save money on live bait.

As local inshore saltwater anglers prepare for spring fishing and peruse through Charlotte’s boat shows, tackle expos, fishing seminars and the big tackle stores a quality cast net should be at the top of their list of equipment to purchase.

When buying a net beware of cheap imports that will not last less than a year. A solid well-made cast net from a top manufacture should last ten years or more. If you would rather know you are getting a quality net and have it shipped to you without store or boat show markup you can look at my recommended cast net page on Surf and Salt.

Carolina fishing tips: Buying and using a cast net for inshore saltwater fishing

Carolina experts Jerry Dilsaver and Jimmy Price hold one-day fishing school

If you want to know about inshore and nearshore saltwater fishing in North Carolina you could hardly find two better experts on the subject than Capt. Jerry Dilsaver and Capt. Jimmy Price. The two of them will be holding one of their 2012 Saltwater Fishing Schools on February 18 at River Park North in Greenville, NC.

The one day seminar will include sessions on catching speckled trout, red drum, flounder, sheepshead, gray trout, off-shore bottom fish and Spanish and king mackerel. There will also be a lesson on the best way to throw a cast net.

Carolina experts Jerry Dilsaver and Jimmy Price hold one-day fishing school

Fish and seafood recipes on a budget

Carolina folks love a fresh seafood meal, but in these tough economic times buying fish at the supermarket in downtown Charlotte isn't a good deal. Luckily, you can purchase relatively cheap shellfish at any number of local seafood markets and catch your own fish in many neighborhood lakes and ponds.

Tasty seafood meals don't have to take a long time to fix, or a lot of money to prepare. These dishes are so good, though,that your family will think you slaved over the stove all day and went over budget to prepare them.

For many more great fishing and seafood cooking tips check out my fishing and cook book Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas.

Tasty fish and seafood  recipes on a budget

Lures instead of bait now the norm in Carolina saltwater fishing

There have been a lot of changes in the Carolina surf and inshore saltwater fishing game in the last three decades, but none are more pronounced than the explosion of artificial lures used for catching. There was a time when you were as likely to find a pair of tap shoes in a local red drum angler's tackle box as a selection of lures. Now things are radically different for local anglers fishing the surf and the backwaters.

Once the sports of freshwater bass fishing and inshore saltwater fishing were very different, but the lines blurred quite a bit over the years pushed by a new willingness of saltwater anglers to use lures. Many bass fishermen began to realize you could use lake and pond tactics in saltwater. In the last few decades throwing lures to catch inshore fish like redfish, speckled trout, bluefish, red drum, and flounder has become the norm instead of something unusual.

Lures instead of bait now the norm in Carolina saltwater fishing

Carolina fish recipes: speckled trout and flounder

Flounder and speckled trout are two of the tastiest saltwater fish available to local Carolina anglers on the southeastern coast. Many Carolina seafood lovers rate trout or flounder as their favorite saltwater fish to eat.

For tips on catching and cooking all of our Carolina inshore saltwater fish check out my new book Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas.

Here are three easy and delicious recipes for flounder or speckled trout. Included are Sauced Flounder, Lime Pepper Fish, Oriental Fish and Creole Fish Delight for Six. These will work with just about any firm white fish if you don't have flounder or trout.

Easy Carolina fish recipes: speckled trout and flounder

SE Carolina fishing report: redfish, trout, and surprising flounder action

The mild winter is certainly having a positive effect on local southeastern NC inshore fishing, especially compared to last year’s harsh stay-at-home conditions. For one thing, I can’t remember a January in Brunswick County when I have gotten so many reports from anglers catching flounder.

No, folks aren’t out having eight fish days but it seems like every other redfish or trout report anglers are adding that they pulled in a flounder or two. I’ve seen the pictures and they really are out there. December flounder I’ve seen before and I know there are always a few that stay inshore, but this many reports of January flounder is unusual.

SE NC Fishing Report: redfish, trout, and surprising flounder action

New LIVETARGET inshore fishing plug imitates pinfish

Pinfish are frequently found around protective marsh grass flats and among the cover of hard structure like bridges, docks, jetties, and rocky bottoms. Instead of schooling they tend to occur together in vast numbers around these areas where they feed on small shellfish prey and hide from predators like speckled trout and redfish.

Live pinfish have long been known as a ‘secret’ bait among fishing guides and coastal locals for big speckled trout. The is a natural-looking hardbait that closely resembles the pinfish in 3D detail and packs a tight vibration with a long-range calling rattle.

The company recommends the plug be worked in a lift and drop retrieve similar to the pull and pause method many trout and redfish anglers use with MirrOlures. The pinfish plug comes in three sizes from 2 ½ inches to 3 ¾ inches that go from 7/8 oz to 1 1/8 oz and sinks to a medium depth.

You can check out other LIVETARGET plugs including their mullet baits here.

Winter striped bass recipes

Winter is not often thought of as a time for fresh fish, but in areas where they are found striped bass bite well in cold weather. Stripers hit in some Carolina rivers, along the NC Outer Banks coast, and in some freshwater lakes where they have been stocked.

For more about catching and cooking Carolina fish check out my new book Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas.

If you have some fresh striped bass give these tasty recipes a try.

Winter striped bass recipes