Capt David Baxley and wife Tammy

Hi folks, Capt. David here with this weeks outdoors report.

Folks the fishing is hot! Lots of Redfish all along the waterway and they are hitting just about anything. The Speckled Trout are biting too. The swing bridge seems to be the hotspot now especially at night and early morning. Some of the Trout are real big but the majority are in the 2 lb class. Heck I've been catching them on a float rig while fishing for Reds. The way things are looking we are going to be in for a wild fall fishing season. That suits me just fine too.

The flounder are around and are rather plentiful but most of them are on the small side. Look at it this way, that 13 inch fish will be back next year and be bigger! This time of the year folks most of the big fish are prowling around looking for something to eat and there ain't no better place to look than at a creek mouth on the falling tide. If you find fish, remember what the tide is doing and be there when the tide is the same the next day. I've actually caught Flounder, Trout, and Reds from the same spot at the same time. Those fish are using spots like this as feeding stations and will lay there and pick off the bait as the tide sweeps it by.

The two rigs I use regularly is the Carolina rig and a float rig. If you are wondering what a float rig is, it's the same thing you use for panfish in freshwater. Just hang a minnow on it and let the current do the work. Now a lot of you folks are still using j-hooks and they work great, but you ought to give circle hooks a try. You don't have to set the hook and they are hooked right in the corner of the jaw. It takes a little getting used to but once you get the hang of it you will catch more fish when they bite.

Offshore things remain the same with all the fish where they should be. From the beach on out something is biting. It's just a hard decision what to target! Spanish, Kings, Tarpon, Sails, Mahi, Marlin, Grouper, Black Bass and the list goes on! The most important piece of advice I can give you is to go fishing.

Hunting season ain't far off now boys and girls and I hope that the feeders are full and your gear is ready because it is less than a month off. YEEHAA! I love living here because of all we have to enjoy in this area. Some of the best hunting and fishing in the eastern US is right here folks and if you ain't taking advantage of it, sorry about your luck!

Well, thats it for this week so be safe and take a kid with you!

Capt. David

About the author: Capt. David Baxley  Lifetime sportsman and fisherman. Fishing Topsail area for 13 years. Full time charter fishing guide specializing in Red drum and Flounder. Light tackle,shallow water,live bait fishing. Owner of Headhunter Outdoors Fishing Charters at Topsail Phone 910-329-0818.  Visit Davids web site at http://www.headhunteroutdoors.com/.