The unfortunate part about writing a fishing report, and even moreso for those reading it, is the information is normally a week or so old. During the fishing season, that’s typically not a bad thing because it can make you plan your attack for the coming week. But during the winter months, namely now in the middle of February, fishing, if there is any, will change daily if not hourly. And just like the fishing that might be available, the weather will change drastically, as is expected this weekend.
So what’s a fisherman to do when seasons and conditions are not anywhere near perfect, or as close as they can be? Being prepared is the first chore that lies directly on the angler. Opportunities this time of year are scarce, and when the opportunity presents itself, one must be motivated to go, even if conditions are not perfect. Limited prospects are available this time of year and with the ever-changing weather patterns, an angler, if he or she hasn’t submitted to the winter season just yet, must jump at the first occasion to wet a line.
Unfortunately for most of those who still want to fish, the window of opportunity passed while you were reading this report. Last week and the weekend was the time to try as conditions are only going to deteriorate for the upcoming weekend. The good news is that no liquid or frozen precipitation is being forecast, but cold, blustery conditions will make it an unhappy experience for most. That being said, there will be fish biting, of course depending on what your target species is. Water temperatures are still in the lower 50s, although they will be sure to plummet the coming days. But as is normally the case in our region, give it a few days, and with some sunshine they will rebound and get things for this time of year back on track.
Offshore fishing this weekend will not be on the books, but during the past week some information of wahoo coming from the Gulf Stream and black sea bass coming from as close as 20 miles were reported by those who were lucky enough to fish during the lulls in our weather. Inshore, there have been plenty of reports of red drum in the surf, but once again those who like to fish the surf will find it hard to do with the forecast winds and seas whipping along our beaches. Some speckled trout have been reported coming from areas around New River and if inshore fishing is your game, that will be your best bet in the coming days as finding a spot in a creek protected from the elements might result in some dinner coming home.
Elsewhere, the striper fishing was on fire the past week in the Cape Fear River near downtown Wilmington. Soft baits such as swimming shad fished along the shoreline seem to be the go-to lure for these fish. Many anglers reported numerous fish during the day and it appears the fishing was actually getting better as the month progressed. This future cold weather could shut them down or turn them on even more. It’s up to the anglers to find out what the fish are thinking.
