Here we are in the first few days of February, with air temperatures in the 70s, sunny skies and light winds; when combined this is a recipe for fishing. Some anglers got the jump and had some fabulous fishing over the weekend offshore, while others tried their luck along the beaches and the inshore waters. While conditions appear to be a little less than favorable over the upcoming weekend, that’s not to say that next week won’t be good, so be prepared. The warmer weather will have a definite impact on the fishing and before you know it, it’ll be March and we’ll be talking about the upcoming spring fishing season. Water temperatures are reading in the middle 50s — just a tad cold, but not that cold that they couldn’t make a quick rebound.
If fishing during this time of year isn’t in your plans, make sure to get your terminal tackle and rods and reels in shape for the upcoming season. Before you know it, there will be reports coming in and if you’re not ready you may just miss out on some fantastic spring fishing, especially if the current conditions prevail for the next few weeks.
Offshore, the fishing was pretty good over the weekend, with conditions that weren’t perfect but were fishable and subsided as the day progressed. Areas around 25 miles held plenty of bottom fish with black bass, grunts, vermillion snapper and other assorted bottom dwellers reported. Those that found some decent bottom caught their limits of fish fairly quickly. Remember, though, that grouper and red snapper remain off limits and have to be released.
The waters around Frying Pan Tower were loaded with king mackerel, some of which were pushing the 30-40 pound range. This time of year, trolling dead baits, such as cigar minnows or Spanish sardines, and two or three hook live bait rigs will normally elicit a strike if the fish are near. Water temperatures around the tower were reported to be close to 70Â degrees.
Offshore a tad farther, the fishing in and around the Gulf Stream proved to be a good decision for those venturing out there with reports of some blackfin tuna being caught along with some a wahoo and a few dolphin. Locations around the Nipple and Swansboro Hole were reported to be good areas to troll some baits.
Inshore, not much has been happening but with the sunshine a few anglers managed to catch a few red drum here and there. Artificial baits that are scented will increase your odds of getting a fish to bite as will fishing the shallower waters during times of sunshine. A few speckled trout have also been reported in the area but that fishing has slowed down quite a bit the past few weeks.
With February upon us, it’s only a matter of weeks instead of months before the fishing springs back into action. And while it might not be your favorite fish to catch, let alone eat, the first bluefish of the year could actually arrive at the beginning of March, which is less than 30 days away. Be prepared just in case.
