Jake's report
Greetings from the Cape
Lookout area of NC:
During the last couple
of days my prediction that the bay anchovies
(Brown Bait/Rain Bait)
would be coming out of our inlets during December this year, came true. On the
Monday after Thanksgiving, I witnessed acres of rain bait, way up in Pamlico
sound along with in the Neuse River, the water temperature up there was at
least ten degrees above normal.
For the last four nights
the air temperature back here where I live got down into the 30's while during
the day it goes up to 70 or close. As soon as the water temperature dropped
more than 8 degrees in the sound and rivers, the bait heads out to the
Ocean for warmer water. The bait was very happy to find water temperatures
between 59 and 66 degrees in and just outside of the inlets.
From Sunday through
today, the Albies where waiting as the bait started to come out on the falling
tides. Thousands of Albies, are feeding on hundreds of thousands of bay
anchovies. We caught them all of the way up to my marina, through the turning basin,
through the inlet, and out into the buoy chain for several miles. Albies
Blitzing on bait balls as far as you can see!
These fish are doing
this at Drum inlet, Bardens, Beaufort, Bogue inlet, and all of the way down to
Wilmington. Unfortunately I couldn't get there today, packing for a trip to
Florida tomorrow morning, that said we got plenty for the couple days before
today. I think this can go on until Christmas, unbelievable! In this
report are a few pictures I gathered from friends who fished today. I love
my job, wish you were here.
Regards
Jake
Notice where these albies were caught, in the "Turning Basin" right around the port, on the back side. Schools of big drum have been reported mixing with the bluefins, kings and cobia a little off the beach.