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07/22/08
"Bait and Switch"
Here's the deal folks, the so called affordable inshore charter guys advertise Redfish and Trout to lure you in then only take you to catch Skates and Sharks. I am sick and tired of you guys having to pay for them to learn how to fish this area. Please call me and if I am booked I will not hesitate to get you in touch with one of the few first class inshore guides in our area. The fishing has been really good the last few trips, yesterday we picked away all day at the Redfish and Trout and had a few nice Flounder for a family fish fry. This mornining we started out a little slow but ended up with a great trip catching Speckled Trout, Grey Trout, Bluefish, Flounder, and a few Ladyfish. This afternoon we started out casting Gulp Shrimp which have been the top producer but quickly realized they wanted the real deal, live shrimp. We ran back to a local creek and caught a couple of hundred live shrimp in just a few throws of the cast net and were back on the Jetty's in no time. It took a little time for my anglers to figure out the bite but when they did we had lots of opportunities and we ended up catching Redfish, Speckled Trout, Grey Trout, Bluefish, and a nice Spanish Mackerel. I am not so bold to claim that we catch limits, especially this time of year, but the fishing has been pretty good lately. Hopefully we can get you out there and catch enough for you to have some fun, which is all that really matters anyway. Please call me for a charter or recommendation, I will be glad to hook you up with the best in the business. Catch you on another tide.
Capt.Mark
07/16/08
"Fish or Miss"
Despite the doom and gloom from the media about the economy the beach is really crowded and there are lots of people still wanting to go fishing. Tubbs Inlet has been producing lots of Flounder, some days more keepers than others. We have also been catching quite a few Trout and nice sized Flounder around the Sunset Beach Bridge on live shrimp and finger mullet. The Jetty's have been hit or miss lately, but last week we caught a few large Redfish in the 18-20 lb. range on live finger mullet. These big Redfish should move into the inlet in large numbers to spawn if not on this full moon definitely by the next new moon. Beef up your tackle as the warm water takes its toll on the fish just as much as the fight does. Fishing with ultra light tackle when targeting these fish is not only irresponsible but just plain silly, the fish may swim away after revived but with the amount of large sharks in our area right now the chance of survival is slim. This afternoon we had 7 nice keeper Flounder with the biggest being 24 inches topping just over 5 lbs. Please call for open dates as availabilty changes daily. Catch you guys on the next tide.
Capt.Mark
07/05/08
"Very Busy"
There has been a lot going on since my last report and I am sorry that I have just not had time to keep this report updated. Both boats in my charter service have been booked to capacity and the fishing has been very good lately. Capt.Mark Staci on the Light and Varible has been slamming the Flounder in Tubbs Inlet while I have opted to fish the Jetty's for the mixed bag of Trout, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Black Drum and Bluefish. Live shrimp or finger mullet drifted along the bottom have been the most reliable way to get a bite. There is plenty of bait around and a couple of throws with a cast net will get you all you need. The two boat operation has been working really well and it has been nice to have another highly skilled local captain to network with. Open dates are very limited so make plans early to get in on some of the great fishing our area has to offer. Catch you guys on the next tide.
Capt.Mark
06/23/08
"SpotTail Bass"
Today started out a little slow, as we struggled to find fish in Tubbs Inlet. I ventured back south and found the SpotTail Bass/ Redfish biting really well between two marsh islands near Bonaparte Creek. These fish were feeding in about 3 feet of water and actually had the bottom stirred up so much that you really could not miss them. We anchored up current of the fish and caught them nonstop for about 45 minutes before they moved on to deeper water. We cast mud minnows, mullet, shrimp and pogies to these fish and they ate everything in sight. We checked a few more spots on the way in and had a few more bites but nothing like we had just experienced. I have never seen this many Redfish this active in one spot at one time this time of year. It felt like late fall when the fish are schooling up and feeding hard in preparation for the winter. Tomorrow is another day and who knows what the tide may bring, I'll be out there somewhere hopefully catching instead of fishing. Catch you guys on the next tide.
Capt.Mark
06/21/08
I have spent most of my recent trips targeting Flounder in Tubbs Inlet. The "Flatfish" have been biting really well and 5-6 legal size fish have been about the average per trip. There are still quite a few undersized fish around but they just keep you on your toes while waiting for a larger one to bite.Tiger minnows and finger mullets fished in the deeper holes are top producers. We have also been catching a few Redfish and Speckled Trout at the Sunset Beach bridge on small Pogies. I really enjoy fishing up at Tubbs Inlet, the crowds are light and it is a very beautiful place. It really reminds me of when we fished in Cherry Grove as kids before that place got too crowded. I still have a few dates open and have added a second boat to my guide service to accomodate all that want a first class inshore charter. Give me a call to schedule a trip, catch you on the next tide.
Capt.Mark
06/11/08
"Get What You Pay For"
The fishing has been really good lately and we have actually been able to pick and choose the species that we want to catch. Sunset Beach Bridge for Trout, Tubbs Inlet for Flounder and Bonaparte Creek for Redfish.You can even venture out just offshore a little ways and catch all the Spanish Mackerel and Spadefish you want on the nearshore reefs. Live shrimp have been the ticket to success in the backwater creeks, although a little tough to find at times they are definitely worth the effort to catch.
Please call and talk to your prospective fishing guide before reserving your trip, there are a few so called guides around offering trips at much discounted rates, but in this business you get what you pay for. Your best trips will be with life long local guides that can share more than just fishing experiences. If you have any questions about who to fish with or who not to fish with, please give me a call for a recommendation. Catch you on the next tide.
Capt.Mark
06/11/08
"Cornmeal and Grease"
I just received some photos of one of the good days that we had Flounder fishing last week in Tubbs Inlet, they were some of the best Flounder photos that I have ever seen. The pictures were of a huge platter of fresh fried Flounder filets, now that's what I'm talking about, cornmeal and grease. Thanks guys, catch you on the next tide.
Capt.Mark
06/05/08
"Wide Open"
Since my last report a lot of fishing has gone on. Some has been incredible and some has been forgetable. Today was one of the slowest days that I have encountered this week. I just could not get it going today, we would fish a spot and five minutes after we would leave the fish would start biting or they would just have stopped biting when we would get there. We did manage to catch a few on each trip but nothing like it had been earlier this week. This week has seen some amazing Flounder fishing in Tubbs Inlet, Calabash River and the backwaters of Little River. The best Flounder trip of the week was 19 with 13 being keepers, the next best day was 14 with 8 being keeper sized. The fish just cannot seem to resist small menhadden which are plentiful in the I.C.W. Mickey Thompson stopped by my house this afternoon and reported lots of Flounder being caught in Cherry Grove, I may give that a shot tommorrow. Big fish of the week are a 5 lb. Flounder caught in the Calabash River, 6 lb Trout caught at Tilghman's Dock on Sunday a.m. and a 32 inch Redfish caught on a live shrimp at the Little River Jetty's. I am wide open now, fishing almost everyday, it gets tough to update the report often but I will try my best to keep you informed. Catch you on the next tide.
Capt.Mark
05/27/08
"Summer Time"
The 9th annual Dixie Chicken Funament was a huge success, overall we had 67 boats (37 inshore and 30 offshore). This is a fundraiser for the Jim Caudle Reef and it looks to be the most profitable ever. I personally want to thank all of you that fished and supported the tournament, without you the reef project would not be nearly as successful. 9 years ago the Little River Inshore reef now renamed the Jim Caudle reef was the least frequented reef in the state, now it is the most frequented and has had more added structure than any other artificial reef in the state. I hate that it took the death of my old fishing buddy Jim Caudle to bring the community together to make this site the best artificial reef in the state.
The fishing has been incredible this past week, the fish seem to be biting just about everywhere. Tubbs Inlet has been the "Go To Spot" for Flounder, Sunset Bridge for Trout, and the Jetty's for Redfish. The Spanish Mackerel are thick up and down the beach in 25 feet of water and can be easily caught while trolling small clark spoons. I prefer to cast weighted spoons into feeding fish on light spinning tackle. Today we ventured just a few miles offshore and caught Spadefish until my anglers were flat worn out. The highlight of the week was a 25 lb. Cobia that was caught on the Jim Caudle last Thursday. Summer is here and the fishing is good, come on down and get in on the action.
Capt.Mark
05/21/08
"Dixie Chicken"
Hey guys don't forget this weekend is the 9th annual Dixie Chicken fishing tournament. It looks like the weather will be nice for the inshore guys but the offshore forecast is questionable. I think about 70 lbs. of aggregate weight has won the offshore division the last few years. It might be a good idea to just fish the nearshore wrecks and live bottom areas for a Cobia and Kingfish instead of burning lots of fuel to run way offshore. A 40 or 50 lb. Cobia and a 20-25 lb. King would probally put you in the winner's circle. The inshore division has been won by Brandon Sauls and Mark Staci the last two years and they are predicting a "three peat". Time will tell. For more tournament information go to www.dixiechickenfunament.com
The fishing has been pretty good this week. The best trip that we have had lately was over the weekend and we caught 5 Trout and 3 Redfish. The Flounder are biting a little bit in Tubbs Inlet where on Monday David Simpson and Sandy caught five on mud minnows. The Redfish have been biting up and down the I.C.W. from Coquina Harbor to the Sunset Bridge, chunks of Blue Crab on a carolina rig are hard for them to refuse. Good luck to everyone fishing the tournament this weekend and I'll catch you on the next tide.
Capt.Mark
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