Bull reds, tarpon, flounder creating hot action at coast

Wrightsville Beach fishing providing plenty of action, charter captain says.

Three species of saltwater fish — tarpon, red drum and flounder — are providing most of the action around Wrightsville Beach during late summer.

“Tarpon fishing has been really good, but people have had trouble getting hooked up with these fish,” Capt. Jot Owens of JottaDown Charters said. “On Aug. 15, client Lewis Dunn finally got my first tarpon of the season to the boat; it measured 64 inches and around 85 pounds.”

Owens fishes for tarpon like a lot of people fish for “old” (big) red drum in Pamlico Sound. That is, he either soaks dead chunks of blues and mullet and/or free-lines menhaden or spots.

“I rig dead baits on fish-finder rigs with 3 feet of 80- to 100-pound-test monofilment leader and circle hooks in sizes 7/0 to 10/0,” Owens said. “I’ve also caught my share of tarpon on a kite rig with mullets, blues and menhaden, especially in the ocean.”

Bull reds surprisingly are showing up at ocean hard bottoms and at inlets.

“I use cut or live menhaden and mullet,” Owens said.

He fishes this bait on large Carolina rigs with 7/0 to 9/0 circle hooks and 80-pound mono leaders.

“Anglers need to keep drags tight when using circle hooks so they can do their job,” Owens explained.

Owens advised anglers to watch for yellow tags on bull reds: They are part of a research project in North Carolina, and rewards are paid for returning them.

Flat fish have also turned on nicely, Owens said.

“Flounder have been a big part of my charters lately,” he said. “We’ve been catch good numbers, and the sizes are increasing.

“Most of the action is coming off mud minnows and small finger mullet, but Gulp Ripple Mullets and Jerk Shads are catching some of the bigger ones.”

Live baits on Carolina rigs with EC 042 1/0 hooks and 30- to 40-pound leaders are working best with live bait. Gulp Baits in mud minnow/croaker have worked well, too, along with the new Berkley Havoc Grass Pig, a bait designed for bass fishing.

Top colors are pearl-white-silver-fleck, swamp gas and California colors.

“You need to work them slowly to cover the bottom well,” Owens said.

Sheepshead fishing continues to be hot, and should last through October.

A No. 1 or 1/0 live-bait nose hook on a short Carolina rig (8- to 10-inch leader) works best fished with fiddler crabs at pilings, bulkheads and large oyster rocks that stay covered up by water most of the tide. Fiddlers can be caught at mud flats.

For flounder and sheepshead, Owens recommends Penn Battle spinning reels in 2000, 3000 and 4000 sizes while tarpon and bull reds take Penns in 6000 and 7000 sizes or Penn 320LD reels. Spiderwire Ultracast and Berkley Fireline braid in 8-, 10- and 15-pound-test is good line for flounder and sheepshead while 30- to 40-pound test mono works well for big reds and tarpon.

Editor’s Note: Jott Down Charters can be reached at 910.233.4139.