Mid-April Nearshore Fishing

We've spent much of April exploring the nearshore waters from Cape Lookout down to North Topsail.  I love the month of April, as you never know what you'll run into as the water temps climb into the 60's.  Bonito, Albacore, Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, Grey Trout, Reds, Sharks, the list goes on...

There's no guarantee on any certain species, but being prepared for what may pop up, will pay off most days.  We've had some awesome opportunities, like sight-casting to schools of a few hundred Bull Reds.

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Atlantic Bonito are one of our favorite early spring targets.  Sometimes they are deep and we need to jig for them or use a sinking fly line, but other times they are busting on the surface on spraying bait.  Those fish are a blast to cast to with fly or spin.  This is usually an early morning bite, but getting on the water before sunrise is worth it, when you get into a pile of these tasty tunas.

Sharks have been plentiful and are happy to play ball.  These fish are bruisers, and will give a workout to both tackle and angler.  If you've ever wanted to catch a fish bigger than you are, this is a good time to do it.

I'm a strong believer that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll just let you take this in for a second.   Imagine the results of casting a lure or fly into this mayhem.

I'll be fishing the Crystal Coast another 8 days before I head up to the Roanoke to target Striped Bass with clients. 

If you'd like to slip out next week and chase any of the above, give me a shout and we'll look at open dates.  Thanks!  John

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