Weekly report 11/9/09
Windy week with a bit slower fishing. The recent sunny weather means that the sea surface radar image is nice and clear (see below) showing water temps holding pretty steady from the low 60s north to the upper 60s south. The common wisdom is that its been unseasonably warm lately and that water temps are at least a few weeks behind their normal schedule. I tend to think the weather and water temps have been pretty seasonal, of course that is based on the conditions here in Pittsboro which might not reflect reality at the coast! I think people are looking for excuses as to why the speckled trout haven’t schooled up good yet. One interesting comment I read on a message board suggested that they’d become much more active on the new and waxing moon. We’ll see I guess. Besides increased nighttime activity on and around the full moon, I haven’t seen much trend with moon phase on specks in the surf. Anyway…as you might have surmised, speck fishing has still been slow to start and the fish being caught are mostly small. We tend to get small fish at the beginning and end of the season. Its definitely not the end of the season, so I’ve got to think that big trout will start to hit in the surf soon. No problem as I haven’t been able to fish for them recently anyway.
Sea mullet continued to bite really well last week – no surprise with the kicked up surf – and the fish have been big, some over 2 pounds. Still some pretty good reports of schoolie stripers in the sounds and the false albacore fishing continues to be exceptional – the best in years. A few fish have been caught off the beach at Hatteras Inlet, Beaufort Inlet and of course Cape Lookout. Pup and black drum and blues round out the catch. Reports of summer pompano and even spot (from the piers) have started to wane. A few big Spanish might still be available to boaters, but they’ve been non-existent in the surf for a few weeks, depending on location along the coast. 
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