Spots are hot

The spot run kicks up in October

When October rolls around, cooling water temperatures are the harbinger of good things to come. Saltwater fish are migrating, seeking optimal temperatures before winter brings on cold weather that could otherwise bring them harm.

One fish that induces more anglers to come to the coast than any other is neither large nor a hard fighter. It’s the lowly spot. Richard Ehrenkaufer, aka Dr. Bogus (follow Dr. Bogus on Facebook), has written newspaper articles and hosted a radio show in Morehead City for decades. He tracks the conditions that bring the best fishing action for all species of fish found in the Bogue Sound, Bogue Banks and Bogue Inlet area.

“Most people say that the appearance of sulfur butterflies is the indicator that spots are running,” Ehrenkaufer said. “That happens when temperatures get down into the mid-70s. When my friends at Chesapeake Bay tell me they are moving out of the bay and they are beginning to catch them along the beach, that means they will be heading to the Atlantic Ocean to spawn in fall and winter.”

The spawning females that anglers refer to as “yellow bellies” are judged by most to be the fattest, tastiest panfish in saltwater. They attain the characteristic color through hormonal changes.

“They come out of Pamlico Sound, Neuse River, New River and other mid-Atlantic estuaries,” he said.”

Small, fun, tasty

They may live 3 or 4 years, but if you are fishing and get 2 or 3 fish to the pound, you are doing very well. Rumors of 2-pound spots are mostly that – simply rumors.

Anglers may catch spots almost anywhere when they are running well. However, spots also may not appear at all in some former hot spots, which is what makes fishing for them challenging.

“People catch them at Emerald Isle as they are staging for migration,” he said. “They catch them along the ICW and in inshore deepwater areas 12 to 50 feet deep. The Morehead City State Port Turning Basin is a great place to catch them. But they will be schooling from Swansboro in either direction, from White Oak River out to Bogue Inlet.”

Spots feed heavily as they move out of the rivers and bays. Anglers who pay attention can see spots feeding.

“I fish a lot from Bogue Pier,” he said. “Piers are the excellent places to catch them, but surf fishermen also catch them from beaches. I have seen schools of crevalle jacks slamming spots up against the beach. As they come out of inland waters, spots are feeding in such big schools that you can see the mud clouds drifting in the water along the beaches. When I see that from the pier I know right when and where they will be biting by watching them approach. They don’t go under the pier; they go around it. After they pass, they move diagonally back to the beach. Bogue Pier is on a south facing beach, so the fish will be biting on the east side. They will bite on the west side when they return northward in the spring.”

Any bait will do

When they are in feeding frenzy mode, spots eat many baits. Bloodworms were once the most popular spot bait, followed by sand fleas (mole crabs), which anglers can catch from the surf by hand or with basketed rakes, fresh and frozen shrimp, and squid. However, modern technology has created a better bait.

“My favorite bait is Fish Bites Fish’N Strips,” he said. “They come in many flavors – shrimp, crab, sand flea, clam and others. I like the Bag-O-Worms flavor, a proprietary bloodworm imitation. It works better than natural baits because it stays on the hook so you can catch many fish per bait. Natural baits get eaten or mutilated by spots and other fish when you catch them or are thrown off as you reel the flipping fish up to the pier.”

Fish Bites and other formulated baits are less expensive, more convenient to use and easier to store than natural baits. Any portion that isn’t used on one fishing trip can be resealed in the package and used another day.

“People say the best time to fish is at night on rising tide,” he said. “They like rough water. Here, a northeast wind is a calming wind, so the fishing is better on a southwest wind because it stirs up the water and that increases food availability. When the water is rough, sand fleas make great baits. You can parboil them a few seconds and freeze them to make them tougher and bring out the bright orange color that makes spots bite them better.”

During a stellar spot run, anglers stand on the pier shoulder-to-shoulder. An angler has to wait for any opening to fish for spots, because the hottest spots are packed tightest.

The biggest problem occurs when a pompano gets hooked, which is likely when someone is using sand fleas for bait. The powerful fish turn sideways, run down the pier and tangle lots of lines.

“You get to meet all your neighbors when you are untangling lines,” he said. “The spot season has always pulled pier profits into the black. Everyone across the state and beyond comes to the coast to fish. People from the mountains migrate to the piers to fish for spots at the same time people from the coast head to the mountains to look at fall leaves and catch freshwater trout.”

South Carolina’s spot run

All ocean piers in the Carolinas post Facebook fishing reports. Nevertheless, many people feel compelled to call piers to scout out the location and strength of the spot run. While spots range from New England to Florida, they are most plentiful from New Jersey to Georgia, putting the Carolinas smack dab in the middle of the action.

Calvin Dickerson, Manager of Apache Pier (843-497-6486) in Myrtle Beach, S.C. said he has not seen the really big spot runs over the past couple of seasons. But anglers should be seeing spots in late October or early November.

“In the fall, the north side of the pier has the best fishing,” he said. “A good spot run fills the pier with anglers catching them on two rods. As fast as they get the fish on one rod in, they are picking up the other rod. We are hoping for that kind of action this season.”

The best time to start checking for spots is during the final full moon of October. People who love catching them are constantly calling. However, Dickerson said the pier has 22,000 Facebook page followers who don’t have to go to the trouble of calling only to find that the line is always busy at the peak of the run.

“Spots generate more attention than any other fish except maybe flounder,” he said. “If you see the pier parking lot is full, they are biting.”

Melvin Edwards, Pier Ambassador of Springmaid Pier (843-315-7156) in Myrtle Beach, also said spots have been spotty.

“Spot fishing has been slow the past three years,” Edwards said. “Maybe this year we will have a good run again. The most popular bait at Springmaid Pier is real bloodworms.”

A hopeful omen occurred when he caught 42 spots during a June surf fishing session. That could mean a banner year for spots is in the offing.

“You just never know where the spots will be running at any time,” he said. “You have to keep using all of the resources at your disposal until you can track them down then head to that spot, right as soon as you can.”

Pier gear a la carte

Most spot anglers use some type of cart to ferry their gear, but some of them carry only a plastic bucket with their tackle inside and use a wheeled ice chest to haul their spots home. William Clardy (910-540-8813) makes an electric power kit that fits an Angler’s Fish-N-Mate cart to ease carrying gear to the pier or to the surf.

Important items include ice and one or two fishing rods. Some piers allow two rods per angler on a single ticket, but even for those that don’t, it pays to have a spare rod along. Reels malfunction, lines get hung up and broken off on pier pilings and multiple rod tangles are frequent.

Also needed are bait, tackle box or bag, spot rigs, pyramid sinkers, hooks, knife, needle nose pliers with a cutter, towel, drinking water, sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, rain gear, umbrella, hand wipes, fish handling and cleaning gloves, plastic bags, flashlight, chair. Most piers have a drop net to land large fish such as speckled trout and red drum, but it’s not a bad idea to bring your own.