albacore and king mackerel

[Fish Finder]

The water temperatures are starting to come down in the Morehead City, Cape Lookout area. We saw large numbers of glass minnows today around and just offshore of the Beaufort Inlet. There were plenty of bluefish feeding on them as well as a few albies. The good thing was that the glass minnows were 3 to 4 inches, not the small micro bait that they have been feeding on.
The fly fishing for the king mackerel is just starting to heat up as well. This time of year and through the middle of November we do very well fly fishing for kings. We use 400 grain full sinking lines and a small wire trace with some special pink and chartruese bucktail flies that I tie on 3/0 hooks and we catch kings from 10 to 30 lbs. on 10 weights. It is a good break from catching the albies day in and day out when we are chartering. Usually we can find the kings within a few miles of where we are catching albies. A 20 lb king on a 10 weight is a blast! You just thought a albie ran fast!

[JMadert]

This is good info, Joe ... we get few reports from your area when we need them the most, so any updates are always welcomed.

Seems that when the fishing peaks nobody has time to report.

Any Spanish in numbers yet ?

[Capt Frank]

Hey Joe, how's it going. I remember Tim and I got into those Kings, and Sharks a couple years ago out on the reefs, when inshore was tough. They are really strong pullers on fly. Dont know if I can hitch a ride down there this year, boat now in Fl., maybe see ya in Somerset.

[Fish Finder]

Unfortunately there has not been a good showing on the Spanish this fall. Really the whole season has been slack. I will let you know if anything shows up in the next week or so. If they are going to show it will bee in the next few days.

Capt. Joe

[Fish Finder]

Hi Capt. Frank,
I doubtg that I make it to Sommerset this year, I am thinking about going to College Park MD. instead. Tiime to try a different show. We got business from Sommerset, but always managed to get snowed in at every show!

Capt. Joe

[Capt Frank]

It is cold that time of year, hopefully we'll catch up to ya at College Park. Hope you have a good season.

[Fish Finder]

Just a quick update. I talked to the guys that fished on the eastside of the Cape Lookout area today and they had good catches of big Spanish mackerel, 3 to 5 lb. bluefish and even some red drum in the 15 to 20 lb. range fishing sinking lines. There were a few albies caught as well around the Cape Lookout rock jetty.

Capt. Joe Shute

[nsfratu]

I just chartered a day of Harkers last Saturday, and there was nothing to get excited about.
Spent 7 hours on the water and managed one hook up on Albert, and pulled aboard a little 10lb king.
Water temp was 70+, winds were 18 knots, and the mud line!
Maybe once these things change, you will all have better luck. Unfortunately that was my one shot at it this year.
Oh well, it still beats working.

[capt_gordon]

Nothing out there today. Albies are few and far between right now. Trout, flounder and redfishing is as good as it gets around here right now though.[excited]