Fishing

It’s been a less-than-spectacular fall season so far for most inshore fishermen. After a good year overall, I had high hopes, but the fishing season has not really kicked into gear. The lack of a protracted spot run has been the biggest worry, although fishing for everything else has been unusually hit-and-miss for autumn in southern North Carolina.

The best fishing has probably been for red drum in the shallow areas or bluefish wherever you find them. The blues won’t last much longer as they aren’t a cold-weather fish, but the drum will stay around all year.

And now to the next phase of the fishing experience. Late fall has officially arrived as temperatures this week plummet into the 30s. Beach water temperatures have fallen to the mid-60s and the fish are on the move. The spots will be running at their peak over the next week or two. Watch for the piers to be lined with fishermen facing north as a sign the bite is on.

We have had storms and yellow butterflies, now all local anglers are waiting on are the fish.

September gave us a blustery start to the fall fishing season, and while fish were caught, we haven’t seen the best of autumn yet. Inshore anglers will be out in force this month looking for an exclamation point on what has so far been a good year for recreational fishermen.

With the fall fishing season just about upon us, it is time to re-examine our local inshore fishing myths. I have addressed some of these before, but since they crop up every autumn, now is a good time to dust them off and either debunk or certify them. Once the fish start hitting, I’m in it for myself and I’m not telling you anything.