Here we are, ever so slowly creeping toward the middle of March. Hard to believe with the weather our area has endured the past couple of months, but it appears as though spring has finally decided to make an appearance. Warm temperatures have been frequent during the past week; some days with lack of wind allowed offshore anglers to head to the blue water. Unfortunately, as is normally the case with this time of year, with warmer weather also comes rain and wind, which is the case for the foreseeable future. We aren’t out of the woods yet, as Mother Nature has been known to throw an ice storm in the mix even into the month of April, but there’s no doubt the season is getting better, one day at a time. Water temperatures are reading around 50 degrees.
Weekend offshore anglers were able to head out in calm seas and comfortable conditions in search of something to catch and those that made the trek were greeted with hungry fish. Areas around the Same Ole Hole produced some wahoo and blackfin tuna and while some boats struck out, those that hung around in the area were rewarded with a decent bite around mid afternoon. African pompano, blackfin tuna and amberjack were reported by those dropping jigs in the same area. For those fishing closer to the beach, water depths of around 100 feet produced some very nice sized black sea bass.
Inshore, things haven’t picked up just yet but there are some opportunities now that conditions have improved. Cut shrimp and cut bait fished around the docks could entice a red drum or speckled trout on the sunnier days. While fishing can prove difficult and slow, catching just that one fish could make your day and anglers that are still fishing are reporting fish are still around. Red drum are also schooling in the surf and if you can find them, they are eager to eat. Natural baits and small spoons and bucktails will all work for the surf reds.
The Cape Fear River is still holding some stripers, and while the fishing has slowed down dramatically, namely due to weather and lack of anglers, there’s still plenty of fish around. Soft baits fished along the downtown riverfront and around the docks are good places to try your luck, as is the railroad bridge, the banks to the north and the mouth of Smith Creek.
If the pattern remains and water temperatures continue to creep up, we could see a few bluefish around the jetties and piers by the end of the month. Of course, that’s a long way away and a lot can change but the way the winter has been, I don’t even think the bluefish haters would make a negative comment about them showing up.
