While inshore fishing with Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters Maddie Picken age 15 Wilmington, NC had a great time and also caught some nice fish! Maddie is holding up her just caught spotted sea trout!
While inshore fishing with Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters Riley Picken age 15 Wilmington, NC caught this most unusual as well as rare fish! I know what you are thinking; heck this is just a clump of live oysters. Well, you could be right or it might be a rare oyster fish! Why? Because most rare oyster fish have a set of hoot owl look like eyes and a fine set of rabbit ears. I rest my case!
While inshore fishing with Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters Craig Picken Wilmington, NC had had an interesting fish catching day!
Inshore Fishing Report
I don’t know how many times I have already said this in a fishing report especially during this time of the year, but the inshore bite can be good and bad all at the same time! With hot water temperatures are looming the frying process starting just about every day at high noon! Fish as well as those fishing are all put on notice. Our inshore captains are doing a great job of finding those fish that are willing to eat under these conditions. But of course the bottom line is sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t! But here’s what I do know...they will try everything to get anything to bite your hook! But there is good news to share...sunrise is about a minute later and sunset is about a minute earlier every day. No matter what, relief is slowly on the way and we all know it!
But if you are going inshore fishing here are a few suggestions!
Live bait is “KEY” to getting a bite during the hot times. So therefore having live shrimp, finger mullet, mud minnows, or peanut menhaden in the old bait tank is certainly a very good idea. With it being so hot I suggest every now and then throwing some ice into you bait tank. Believe those inside will appreciate it!
As far as best ways to present any live bait is kind of up to you. I prefer the traditional adjustable float method, which allows you to quickly adjust your depth fished. When using this rig it is easy to cover a lot of water without moving. Heck cast the float into place and just let the current be your guide. The rule of thumb especially when it comes to a spotted sea trout is this: Where there is one trout there most likely is more. The areas in which the fish are holding or the strike zone is usually no bigger than the rim on a 5 gallon bucket. Once you have located the strike zone I suggest letting you cork take your bait to the area don’t trying casting to it!
Another old time method would be just eliminating the float! All you need to use is the sinker, hook, bait, and fish it this right on the bottom. Then there is the popping cork, which never lets you down! Heck, this is a float that comes with its own bells and whistles. When popped it imitates the sound that a shrimp makes when it trying to quickly make a move. Believe me; the fish do know this sound, which could be called the “nature’s real dinner bell!”
Once anchored in your preferred fishing spot I suggest not only fishing towards the bank but also all around your boat. I call this the “360 drill!” Carolina rigs types made with circle hooks are great this time of the year. The reason being is your can bait them up, cast into place, set reel to a medium drag, and then lay the rod down. You don’t have to be there to set the hook or even to watch the sinking of the cork. Believe me the fish will let you know when it has taken the bait! I also suggest resituating your bait every 10 minutes or so. To do so just throw a few cranks on the reel and let it sit! What does this do? First the movement will cause mud/sand storm, which sends a signal that something is moving. Any fish within eye or ear mode will come directly to these sounds. Why? Because these are sounds a wounded fish makes. And where does that wounded fish travel? As close to the bottom as they can!
Please meet the Megan, Elizabeth, Courtney, Adell, Meredith, Patrick, Michael, and John fishing team! While on a short trip to the artificial reefs they did a little bottom fishing and Patrick hooked up this nice barracuda!
Patrick Emerson Virginia Beach caught this nice barracuda while plain old bottom fishing in about 45 feet of water. What was he using as bait? Well, it is kind of a bigger fish eating a smaller fish kind of a story. Patrick hooked a small fish, was reeling it in, and the larger fish ate, and got hooked up. You know that old saying there is always a bigger fish in the sea? Well, you are looking at this in live scenario! Check out those teeth! The better to bite you with! Thank goodness the only biting that occurred was this big barracuda taking Patrick’s bait!
From left to right: Dan DeYoung, Captain Judy, and Alli DeYoung Contributing Editor to Captain Judy are fishing report!
Alli DeYoung contributing editor to the Captain Judy’s Fishing Report.
Alli DeYoung was born in Savannah, GA and loves to fish. She is a freshman in high school, plays tennis, and Irish dances. Alli was exposed to fishing at a young age. Her daddy fished the Southern Kingfish Association Tournament Trail when she was young and Alli would “pre-fish” with him. When she was in the fourth-grade fishing became a constant weekend activity with her daddy. In the fifth grade, Alli went to the stream for the first time and she was hooked. Over the last few years, Alli has competed in local and regional tournaments; fun fished for many incredible fish, and made many delicious meals with her catch. Alli loves the water and loves that every trip is a new adventure. “If you are in the right spot, it is amazing to put meat on a hook, drop it in the water, and catch a fish.”
Believe me when I say she is on the ocean a lot! (And really I don’t know how she does it with all of her other activities, but she does!) I asked her if she would like to help me with the fishing report and she said, “Yes!” So therefore this offshore report was sent to me and written by Alli! From now on she will be known as Alli DeYoung contributing editor to the Captain Judy’s Fishing Report.
Alli DeYoung Gulf Stream Blue Water Story...when did it happen? April 2016....What is it about? An overnight stay at the Gulf Stream! A great read, but only if you like to hear about Mahi Mahi, black fin tuna, the effects of the sun setting and rising over calm sea conditions, towers that make noise and light, the Milky Way, and submarines!
Alli DeYoung’s One Night at the Gulf Stream!
For as long as I can remember, Daddy has always wanted to spend the night at the Gulf Stream, and in April of 2016 the weather cooperated enough for us to make that happen. On April 29th at 3:00am Ty Cobb, Clinton Fonseca, Dan DeYoung and myself made our way to the ocean. We got to our fishing grounds just after first light and in about 190 feet of water we put out our spread. The seas were flat calm, the skies and water was clear. By noon we had at least seven Mahi Mahi and four black fin tuna in the box. For the rest of the day we continued to work a large formation of weeds in a pretty concentrated area east of the South Ledge and pulled eight more Mahi Mahi. We had so many loops on our GPS we called the area “Spaghetti Junction”. As it grew dark and most of the other boats headed home we ran into R3 to drop anchor and set up camp for the night. We were all exhausted from an exciting day of fishing, that most found a spot to sleep and sacked out. For safety reasons, we always had one person awake to keep watch. As I drifted off to sleep in the beanbag chair, I gazed at the entire Milky Way that filled the whole sky. The view was truly breathtaking. The rocking of the boat and the light lapping of the water against the boat made for the best night of sleep. Now the funny thing about the night was R3 has a sounding horn and a flashing light that both go off every few seconds, but we were so tired that we hardly noticed. After we got home I told my mom that she would have to set off the car alarm and turn a flashlight off and on all night so I can sleep.
As we woke up in the morning I could hear the motors of boats that I could not yet see. What a great sound to wake up to. As we headed back out to “Spaghetti Junction,” we saw what appeared to be three big sport fishermen right next to each other. As we got closer, they appeared to be up on a hill. Once we got close enough we saw that this weird sighting was actually a submarine, which was super cool. When we finally got to our spot, we worked some scattered weed, but our lines stayed empty. At 1pm, we found another large weed line in a bit deeper water and pulled seven more Mahi Mahi. Once the bite slowed down and it began to get late, we made the call to head in.
For the entire trip, the skies stayed clear and there was never a ripple on the water. In total, we caught 22 Mahi Mahi and four black fin tuna. It was truly spectacular to be able to watch the sun set and the sky turn vibrant pinks, reds, and oranges over a blue abyss. Then, to watch thousands of stars cover the sky and the ocean light up and come to life in the morning. This was my first ever overnight fishing trip and one that I surely will never forget.
Photo by Alli DeYoung
Clinton Fonseca showing off a nice black fin tuna!
Photo by Alli DeYoung
Ty Cobb holding up a Bull Dolphin that was just caught off of a weed formation.
Photo by Alli DeYoung
A great catch for a great couple of days at the Gulf Stream.
Photo by Alli DeYoung
A picturesque sunrise out at R3 naval tower! Back in the real old days I (Captain Judy) used to fish around this naval tower and also R 8. These towers held the attentions of some pretty interesting fish. As we trolling around the naval tower in the nineties we hooked up one of the biggest yellow fin tuna I have ever caught, which weigh in at about 80 pounds.
Photo by Captain Judy Helmey
In the nineties...What did I catch the yellow fin on? A large ballyhoo rigged on a 21/2 ounce Judy Jig sea witch pulled 30 feet behind a #3 Davis planer. And yes this was not the type of rig normally used when targeting tuna. However, back in the old days, who knew, I didn’t, but as you can see it worked!
Photo by Captain Judy Helmey (taken with film)
Here’s the yellow fin, which was caught in the late nineties. Captain Ali Young of Miss Judy Charters is holding the fish. (Captain Ali retired in 2007) In the square marked in black are the Judy Jig and planer that this fish was caught on! I love old pictures, because they certainly can help me document my story!
Photo by Alli DeYoung
Alli DeYoung contributing editor to Captain Judy’s fishing report sent me this photo!
What is this? Looks like Red October to me! As I look at this picture sent to me by Alli it brought back a memory that I have to share with you. Back in the mid nineties, while trolling baits deep at the stream with down planers in about 1,000 feet of water, I guess you could say, “I got buzzed!”
I watched as AWAX plane circled around me and then it took a pass directly over me! Couple of minutes a large object passed under me better known as a submarine. But here’s the thing as it passed my downrigger got tangled somehow on something. The port downrigger, which was being fished the deepest, was pulled completely off the gunnel. Once the arm hit the water it became entangled with the starboard downrigger cable. Just as the starboard downrigger was heeled tight and about to be snatch into the abyss all cables went slack. Somehow at this moment the port rigger’s 13 pound ball and cable attached came free from large object beneath us. Hey, let’s go on and call the large object down under exactly what it was it was a submarine!
Of course according to those in the know this never happened! I used to always said, “If I ever come up missing you know what might have happened!” After all I have been in the middle of a few live ammo maneuvers and then there that large sub that used me as a target....I will end this story with this...If only I could have landed that sub! Can you imagine how much I could get for it at the scrap metal recycling plant!
Thanks for reading! Captain Judy
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