Fishing

The cold may not be at the top of your “favorite things” list, but as far as stimulating fall fishing, this is the exact weather we need to get the final push of fish that our area is due.

The spots certainly will be running in full force by the weekend, as beach water temperatures cool to near 70 degrees. This also means the beach king mackerel fishing should be excellent. Typically just before the water reaches the 60s, the kings will bite good at Shallotte Inlet, so I’m looking for that to take place any day.

The seventh annual Rumble In the Jungle king mackerel fishing tournament took place Saturday at the Harborgate Marina in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. The tournament is put on by the Little River Inlet Saltwater Fishing Club and attracted 151 boats this year.

The winner, taking the $10,000 first prize, was James H. Roberts II, of Shallotte. He caught a 35.60-pound king mackerel taken from the rough and choppy waters that plagued the fishermen all day.

Fall arrived in September like a lion, but since that time, it has stumbled along like a drunken sailor.

For the most part, it’s been unseasonably warm over the past few weeks and the result has been that water temperatures have continued in the mid-70s, which is not a bad thing at all as king and Spanish mackerel prefer this range. The result has been continuing action within sight of land for both kings and Spanish, along with bountiful supplies of baitfish running the surf.

Local anglers continue on the spot watch, as catches of the popular panfish to the north have been excellent and Brunswick County has seen its share of on and off again spot runs. The spot and a long-expected speckled trout size limit change are the biggest inshore fishing news this week.