Headhunter Outdoors Report

Hi folks Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. The fishing is slow but you might still get lucky on a nice warm day. Reds and Trout are still around and can be caught if you are in the right place at the right time. Never fear folks,spring ain’t far away! I’ve been using my time rebuilding my trailer and getting all my gear ready. I’ve got to get my motor serviced and make sure that when the water gets to the mid 60’s I’m ready. You should be too. Now is the time to get it done folks. Nothing is worst than getting to the water and having trouble.It kind of ruins your day too.
Well lets talk fishing again. Now if you folks have been paying attention lately we have talked about rigs, bait, scouting and locating fish, and boats. Lets talk about the water. We have water clarity in various degrees around here. Everything from dark tannic water to clean green water and that can affect the fishing. The first thing you need is a good set of polarized sunglasses. Not only will they protect your eyes but they will allow you to see down in the water. Any quality pair of glasses will do as long as they are polarized. You will be able to see fish better and farther away. You will also be able to see the sandbars and shoals. Light water means shallow water. You folks would not believe the number off boats I pull off sandbars in the summer because people didn’t see them. The next thing you need to worry about is sun protection. SPF 40 is your friend folks. Being on the water on a sunny day doubles the sun’s intensity and skin cancer ain’t fun. Long-sleeved fishing shirts offer good protection and are very cool. They also dry almost instantly too. Don’t forget about your ears and feet folks. Take it from me sunburned feet ain’t cool! Don’t think that because you have a t-top that you don’t need sunscreen either. In the summertime you need to remember to stay hydrated as well. I ain’t talking about drinking a 12-pack of beer either. Not only will it get you in trouble, but it will dehydrate you even faster. Water or sports drinks are a better option, save the CRAB’s for later. Oh! CRAB stands for cool refreshing adult beverage. Another thing I want to stress is boat safety. Be aware of what’s going on around you! Pay attention to all the boats around you and what they are doing. Just because you have a fast boat don’t mean you have to go running the water like a moron. If that offended any of you then you must be one of the morons I’m talking about! Courtesy to smaller vessels is the right thing to do and if you see someone in distress, try to render assistance. What goes around,comes around, right! Well thats about it for this week so till next week, be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818

  

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report. Not much is going on now as far as hunting or fishing goes. Some of the small game species are still in season so check your regulations digest or online. This is a good time of the year to learn about fishing. Several saltwater fishing shows and seminars are available. Check around the baitshops and in the outdoor magazines and publications for dates and locations. One such show is the Cape Fear Wildlife Expo in Wilmington on Saturday and Sunday March 21st and 22nd at the Schwartz center and Coastline Convention Center. Take whole family and check it out!
 Now lets talk about fishing! We have covered rigs,bait and lures so lets talk about finding fish. Folks one of the first things I learned when I started getting serious about catching fish is where they hang out. If you want to catch pinfish, Croakers, Pigfish and Spots, fish the deep water channels. Don’t get me wrong folks, I’ve had some great times catching them but I wanted something a little bigger. Most predator fish such as Flounder,Trout and Reds will be in shallow water and I mean less than 4 feet deep. One day years ago I was sitting in the waterway and kept noticing that the minnows along the bank kept jumping out of the water. I reeled a rod in and cast over to the bank and was rewarded with a big Flounder, Then a Red and another and another! I sat there and caught fish till I hurt. Since then most of my efforts concentrate on shallow water docks and creek mouth’s with good success. I very rarely get skunked if I stick to my gameplan. Now another thing is your boat. If you have a 21 foot center console V hull, that will limit you to the places you can access. Folks ask me on my charters why I don’t use my depth finder. My answer is usually to step out of the boat in 18 inches of water or look down and ask them why should I when I can see how deep it is!  You ain’t going to see anything on a fishfinder in 3 feet of water. A good shallow draft boat is what you need if you want to fish inshore around here. If you can’t float with the motor up in a foot of water you will be missing a lot of good places. Folks I have seen 28 inch Redfish in water so skinny that the fishes back was out of the water. Some of you may wonder why I don’t talk about offshore stuff much and to be honest, semi-ignorance is my excuse and I’m sticking to it! Well thats about it for this week so be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David
Headhunter Outdoors
(910) 329-0818