Brunswick County Fishing Forecast
October
November
December
JIMMY BUFFET WROTE A SONG titled “When the Coast is Clear”, singing, “I come down to talk to you (the ocean), when the coast is clear.” Once all the tourists are gone and the coast is clear, the ocean comes to life. From Spots to Mullets to King Mackerel to Bluefin Tuna, most knowledgeable fishermen would agree that the Fall is the best time fish from the Brunswick County coast. This must surely be what Jimmy Buffet was referring to in his song. Below is a month by month breakdown of what to expect from the fishery this Fall.
October
October is widely held as the best month for all around fishing from Brunswick County. Passing cold fronts have started the migration of Spots, Mullet and King Mackerel. Daily temperatures are very comfortable and the typical north breeze is blocked by the southward facing Brunswick County beaches.
Inshore (backwaters)
October starts the great fishing for Speckled Trout, which typically prefer water temperatures in the mid to low 70’s. The Flounder fishing is still good, and the average size of the Flounder is on the increase, with most fish over the legal 13” minimum size limit. Redfish are also very abundant as they too perk up with cooler water temperatures.
Nearshore (0-20 miles offshore)
This is where the main action happens in October. The Carolinas and in particular, the Brunswick County coast is well known for its near shore, Fall run of King Mackerel. This hot bite of over sized King Mackerel is spurred on by the migration of bait fish such as Spots and Mullet. Spots are highly sought for their table fare and Mullet over a barbecue are not far behind. The Kings, which average 20 pounds, take up station around inlet mouths where they feed on tide cycles as baitfish are flushed out of the back waters. Typical hot spots include the Cape Fear River, Lockwood’s Folly inlet, Yaupon Reef and Shallotte inlet.
Offshore (20-50 miles offshore)
Gag Grouper migrate from their offshore grounds into the 20 mile range during October as they feed aggressively on the abundance of baitfish that inhabit this range during October. Gag Grouper are considered the best table fare of the Grouper family and are also one of the largest, averaging 12-15 pounds. They are extremely hard fighting and hooking a Grouper is only the beginning, as actually catching it is the challenge.
Gulf Stream (50+ miles offshore)
The Wahoo bite picks up during October. Wahoo begin to form packs and feed aggressively on migrating schools of Bonito and other small Tunas. They average 30-40 pounds during this month, but larger fish upwards of 60 pounds are not uncommon. A few Mahi and Tuna will also be around. In addition, Sailfish are typically abundant during this month along the edge of the 30 fathom curve.
November
November starts the transition into Winter fishing. Many of the coastal fish have migrated through, but the offshore action remains excellent.
Inshore (backwaters)
November is one of the best months for inshore fishing in Brunswick County. The Speckled Trout bite is at peak, the Redfish are plentiful and although the Flounder bite isn’t as strong as October, some of the largest fish will be caught early in this month. Hotspots for Trout include the Little River jetties, Shallotte and Lockwood’s Folly River areas.
Nearshore (0-20 miles offshore)
The King Mackerel are on the move offshore during this month as water temperatures cool into the 60’s. Early in the month they will be in this range, but by Thanksgiving, they are further offshore. The Spots and Mullets are still running, but are typically past by the middle of the month. The Sea Bass fishing get much better as the water cools and more and larger fish become accessible in this range. Also, the first Bluefin Tuna of the year will start to show toward the end of this month near the Frying Pan Shoals.
Offshore (20-50 miles offshore)
By the middle to end of the month the King Mackerel will be schooled thick in this range. The Atlantic Ledge, Horseshoe and Frying Pan Tower areas are known hotspots. Although not as accessible as the near shore October bite for Kings, November provides the best King Mackerel fishing of any month for numbers and size of fish. The Gag Grouper bite will still be good in this range and the Sea Bass fishing is much improved as well.
Gulf Stream (50+ miles offshore)
The Wahoo action can be extremely good in November as packs of large Wahoo hunt schooling Tuna that migrate along the edge of the Gulf Stream during this month. The average size of the Wahoo will increase as well fish upwards of 60 pounds are the norm.
December
December is often overlooked as many fishermen choose to hang up their rods and reels for the year. However, traditionally, December is one of the nicer months to fish as long as you don’t mind dressing a little warmer. The cold fronts pass with regularity and predicting the weather and seas is much easier during this month.
Inshore (backwaters)
The Speckled Trout bite will continue red hot during this month. Live Shrimp are a hard bait to beat, but Berkley Gulp, DOA Shrimp and Halo Shrimp imitators all work well. The Redfish will begin to feed on the Oyster flats and the water will clear and make sight fishing a viable fishery.
Nearshore (0-20 miles offshore)
The Sea Bass fishing gets very good in this range as keeper size Sea Bass will cover rocky bottoms and feed on small crustaceans. The Bluefin Tuna will make a showing during this month somewhere between the Frying Pan Shoals and the 18 mile rocks off of Ocean Isle Beach. The Bluefin will be following and feeding on the schools of Menhaden that also migrate during the Winter. The Bluefin are hard to predict and pinpoint, but a viable recreational and commercial fishery has been established from Brunswick County in the past 5 years. Bluefin upwards of 500 pounds are not uncommon.
Offshore (20-50 miles offshore)
The Grouper fishing will begin to tail off during this month as they move back offshore to winter along the continental shelf. The Sea Bass fishing will be excellent near any type of structure. Fishing cut bait or vertical jigging near the bottom will produce plenty of Sea Bass and a great meal.
Gulf Stream (50+ miles offshore)
A typical strategy that many fishermen employ during December is to fish for Bluefin Tuna in the morning and if they are not biting, head offshore to the Gulf Stream to catch the Wahoo bite. Packs of big Wahoo congregate along the edge of the Gulf Stream, and if a fisherman can find water temperatures in the low to mid 70’s and baitfish over structure in 150-350 feet of water, the bite will be world class.
That’s the scoop on Fall fishing along the Brunswick County coast. As is the case with many things in life, it is not always what you know, but who you know that knows what. If you are unfamiliar with the area’s waters and fishing, book a trip with a local charter service or attend a local fishing school.
For more information on
Fishing Charters or Fishing Schools
Click on the link below
Captian Brant McMullan Has Been Fishing The Water’s Off Brunswick County For Over 20 Years.
He began his career as a professional fishermen in the early 90’s when he worked as a mate aboard a local charter boat. At the age of 18 Capt. Brant earned his Coast Guard captain’s license and began taking out fishing parties aboard his 21 foot Mako. Through the 90’s Capt. Brant’s charter business grew to include several boats and additional crew members that all worked with Capt. Brant under the business name, Capt. Brant’s Fishing Adventures. In 2003 Capt. Brant and his family built the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, located at the base of the Ocean Isle Beach bridge, next to the Giggling Mackerel Seafood Grille and Sharky’s Restaurant. The facility is a full service tackle store with local clothing, gifts and wall art. In addition, Capt. Brant operates his charter fishing service from the facility along with water sports that both he and his brother direct; parasail, jet ski, kayak, boat rental. Capt. Brant has maintained a comprehensive web site since the beginning of his fishing business back in the 90’s which is now meshed in with the Ocean Isle Fishing Center web site at www.OIFC.com. The site provides daily fishing reports and photos of recent catches as well as weather reports, local fishing event information and a full scale web store. Capt. Brant and his family welcome you to the Ocean Isle Fishing Center to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and great on-water dining.
Capt. Brant McMullan - Ocean Isle Fishing Center
65 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
(910) 575-3474 (FISH)
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