Big red drum, spot and trout highlight fall fishing in Brunswick County

Fall fishing is on fire right now in southeastern NC with big red drum and spot being caught on the ocean side and speckled trout and flounder fishing strong inshore.

Quite a few big red drum in the 24 to 26 pound size have been caught from the piers and surf of Brunswick County this fall. This has been a nice surprise, as the large drum usually run at the Little River Jetties but rarely are caught from the beaches. Catches of big redfish are much more common from beaches to the north.

Spot are also hitting at the piers, while speckled trout and flounder fishing is strong inshore.

Big red drum, spot and trout highlight fall fishing in Brunswick County

Penn Battle rod & reel combo now at amazing price w/ free shipping!

The newest inshore fishing combo rod from Bass Pro Shops may be the steal of the fall. It's the Penn Battle spinning reel and rod matched together for under $120! Penn makes the best spinning reels in the inshore game, but most of the previous BPS combos have matched them with Offshore Angler rods, a fine rod but not the quality of the Penn Battle spinning rod itself.

You can get this awesome inshore rod & reel combo now sent to you with FREE SHIPPING if you use the promo code FREE50 at checkout.

Check out what prominent reviewer RedCloud had to say about this 5 star deal: "In my opinion, the Battle Combo is the best deal of the year! The 7' MH Extra fast action rod is built with a high quality, graphite rod blank and quality components. I have been a custom rod builder for 16 years and I could not build a rod of this quality for the price of this entire combo. The Battle 4000 reel is exceptional and without peer in the saltwater spinning reel arena at this price."

Click the pic above or go to to get this terrific combo and cover your fall and winter fishing for speckled trout, redfish, flounder, and striped bass. A heavier model is available for offshore too!

Time is running out for free shipping from Bass Pro Shops!

Time is running out to get free shipping on orders of $50 or more at Bass Pro Shops through my special promotions code. Just go through the banner above and then enter the code FREE50 at checkout. Don't forget your angler at Christmas!

Fishing tips: Using sound with lures and live bait

Wilmington-area fishing guide Captain Jot Owens gives his advice on using sound when angling with lures and live bait.

Capt. Owens has tips for those who like to topwater fish with MirrOlures as well as saltwater anglers who use popping corks with live bait or lures. He also has some neat tricks for adding sound to baits that wouldn't normally have any.

Fishing tips: Using sound with lures and live bait

Delicious southern meatlof recipes

Here are some of my favorite southern meatloaf recipes, just right for chilly weather. For plenty of hearty hot southern cooking recipes that will break through the chill also check out my soups and chowders page on Surf and Salt.

Tasty southern meatloaf recipes

Make easy seafood soup like a gourmet

If you want to impress your friends or family by making a seafood soup like a gourmet cook it isn’t as hard as you think. These seafood soups are quick and simple to make as well as easy on your wallet, and they taste so good folks will think you slaved over the stove all day.

Easy seafood soup recipes that taste like a gourmet prepared them

Tips for fishing after Hurricane Sandy

Not trying to dismiss those suffering from the effects of Sandy or those still in harm's way, still praying for them. But folks keep emailing me asking about fishing after a storm so I thought I'd write it up for those interested.

 

Coastal fishing prospects after Hurricane Sandy

Free shipping code for Bass Pro Shops!

Bass Pro Shop is now offering free shipping on orders of $50 or more when you use the code FREE50 at checkout! You can enter to shop through the ad above or see all my recommendations in the Surf and Salt tackle shop. Don't forget, Christmas is coming!

Avalon Pier cut in half by Sandy

Avalon Pier cut in half by Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy NC pier pics

Photos of NC piers today as Sandy passes. Top is Carolina Beach Pier, then Surf City Pier and Jennette's Pier at Nag's Head.

Outdoor apparel company becoming popular with anglers

Check out this article on Reel Skillz Gear a new fishing apparel company out of Wilmington that is off to a hot start.

Mike Caulder is a captain in the Wilmington Fire Department who spent many days growing up fishing with his dad on such storied waters as Pages Creek and Rich’s Inlet. Now, due to a dream and a lot of hard work, he is also the creator and owner of one of the hottest outdoors apparel companies in the southeast.

Reel Skillz Gear is an emerging brand of outdoor clothing and sportswear catching on with anglers nationwide. Not surprisingly Caulder, a UNC-Wilmington graduate who founded the company in 2011, has fishing in his blood.

Outdoor apparel company becoming popular with anglers

Carolina anglers enthusiastic about kayak fishing

Here's the Kayak Fishing article I have been working on featuring interviews with several of the anglers who frequent the NC Angler.com kayak fishing forum. More and more anglers are getting into this sport.

Carolina anglers enthusiastic about kayak fishing

Big Brunswick County flounder

Some big flounder have been caught in Brunswick County lately.  

Above are Kyle, Madison, and Collin Warren with 5 keeper flounder caught in the Shallotte Rivet using mullet. Kyle is the maker of Backwater Rigs for flounder.

Below Don Downs shows the 27 inch, 9 3/4 pound flounder he recently caught in the ICW.

The Sunset Beach Pier has also had some very notable large red drum in the 25-26 lb class landed.

Top 10 saltwater live baits for inshore fishing

I prefer to use lures, but some days nothing beats live bait when inshore fishing. There are times when water clarity or the presence of certain baitfish make live bait the best bet. There are also inshore species like black drum and sheepshead rarely caught on lures.


Saltwater anglers have many choices when picking their live bait. Below is my list of the top 10 inshore saltwater live baits used along the coast. See if you agree and let me know!

Top 10 saltwater live baits for inshore fishing

Spot hitting at the coastal piers

The piers at Topsail Beach continue to have strong two at a time spot runs, while the piers to the south down to the state line are still picking them off here and there. All piers are catching some pompano and sea mullet.

The big schools are working their way south so the Oak Island and lower Brunswick County piers could really turn on at any time. Don't forget to stock up on your Fishbites bloodworms below.

The pic is from Surf City Pier today.

Fishbites bloodworms at the lowest price

Fishing guide to give free speckled trout seminar

Capt. Jot Owens will give a free seminar on speckled trout fishing Nov. 1 in Wilmington. He will cover trout tactics and tackle.

Capt. Owens is a local fishing guide and an expert at catching speckled trout. There will also be a free tackle giveaway. Click below for more details and my interview with Capt. Owens about speckled trout fishing.

Fishing guide to give free speckled trout seminar

Flounder fishing lures

One of my favorite ways to fish for flounder is with lures. I have always enjoyed it with bucktails and plastic grubs since you get to set the hook on a flounder immediately instead of waiting for them to take a live bait.

Today's scented soft baits like the Gulp and Fishbites brands have made flounder fishing with lures as effective as live bait. Yes, there are days when water clarity is so low live bait will work better. But there are also days when scented soft baits will out-fish live bait, and they are certainly a better choice than strip bait such as flounder belly and squid which we use to fish as I was growing up.

If you like flounder fishing but never use lures you should give it a try. Check out the article on flounder fishing lures below:

Fishing lures that catch flounder

Potential world record snowy grouper

Here is the potential IGFA world record snowy grouper caught last weekend at Ocracoke. Weighed 73 and 74 pounds on different scales. Sent off to the state for testing. What a fish!

Fantastic Carolina fall fish recipes

This is a good one with some shout outs to Old Time Carolina seafood cooks and new innovators. If you haven't had Grilled Whole Mullet or Barbecued Fish Tacos you haven't lived.

Here are some traditional (and more modern) fish dishes from my collection of Carolina seafood recipes. If you are interested in more check out my Surf and Salt seafood page.

Fantastic Carolina fall fish recipes