First, the new flats boat. To keep the report short and sweet I will sum up the new boat in one word….Awesome! Stay tuned for the next report for lots more on the Beavertail.

Now for the fishing:

Inshore: The redfish, speckled trout, flounder and black drum are doing well in the ICW and Cape Fear River. Live bait has been the bait of choice. There are small menhaden in the dredge pond and surrounding areas. Finger mullet should be here soon!

Offshore: The Spanish Mackerel are biting well just off the beach out to 5 miles along with the blues. King Mackerel are biting well around the dredge wreck and schoolhouse. I have been using cigar minnows, but yozuri’s and drone spoons will also work this time of year. The kings are biting throughout the entire water column.

A tip for the season: Soon the season will be in full swing and we will be slammed with boats. The Cape Fear area inshore is a small congested area. Please be respectful to your fellow boater. Just because you have a boat does not give you the god given right to do as you please. Learn your boat and the area you are running and fishing. Some of you that are new to the area would do well by picking up a chart and researching the areas you are fishing and running. This will not only prevent you from ticking people off by running on top of them but will also make you a better fisherman if you study the charts closely. If I can help any new comers or weekend visitors with navigating tips or fishing tips please call me. The tips are free!

Capt. Matt Wirt
Reel Adventure Charters
Next Level Custom Rods
www.reel-adventure.com
www.carolinabeachfishing.net
www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net
www.topsailislandfishingcharters.com
910-540-0570 Wilmington, NC

Picked up the small Dolphin trolling for Spanish!

  

Inshore: The redfish and black drum are STACKED UP on the docks of the ICW. Fresh shrimp and Berkley Gulp have been the top producers.

Be sure to check out our article in this month’s edition of North Carolina Sportsman on the Red Drum.

Near shore: The Bonito are thin at the Liberty Ship @ Wrightsville Beach. They are biting better at Divers Rock and are a fairly large class of Bonito. The Blue fish at the Liberty Ship have been on fire. We have caught many limits jigging the wreck in just a hour or two. There is also a fine opportunity for fly fisherman to hook into the blue fish. Have one person jig and when the other bluefish come up following the hooked one flip over a mylar clouser and hold on! Lots of fun on an 8wt. I Can’t wait to get them on the 6wt. The Gray Trout are also starting to show up and are nice sized fish.

We have a new video out that we just finished. It’s called Blue Fish Fun = Big Fish Fun.
It is one of my favorite ways to target big fish (king mackerel, amberjacks, cobia, sharks etc.) Just catching the blue fish is a lot of fun! View it by clicking here: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2430630/7525797

The Beavertail page has been updated with a few new pic’s and the rigging should be done this week. Check it out: http://beavertailskiff.blogspot.com/

Capt. Matt Wirt
Reel Adventure Charters
Next Level Custom Rods
Wrightsville Beach, NC
910-540-0570
www.reel-adventure.com
www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net
www.carolinabeachfishing.net
www.topsailislandfishingcharters.net

Redfish are stacked up on the docks!

Gray Trout are moving in!

Tons of Blue Fish still around!

  

Inshore and near shore we are doing well around the docks in the ICW with the red and black drum. Fresh shrimp is the bait of choice fished on a carolina rig. Specked trout are biting well in the river and around Topsail. Berkley Gulp jerk baits and shrimp seem to be the top producers for the trout. Virginia mullet are still biting well at the mouth of the Cape Fear River on fresh shrimp in 17-25’ of water. The blue fish are on fire at the near shore wrecks and are biting anything that moves. Bonito……we have had some. The key word is SOME. We have not had a lot yet but a handful have been landed. So far the schools have been small. We are hoping these are the fore runners and not the huge pile that we are looking for. The next few days will tell.

With the weather warming and becoming more stable look for the fishing to heat up as well. The fishing is pretty good now and will be great in no time!

A word on my new flats boat… The Beavertail build is right on schedule and I expect to take delivery sometime next week. I have built a page for the Beavertail that shows the evolution of the build with pictures. It is pretty cool. Check it out @ www.beavertailskiff.blogspot.com

Also for those that might not have seen it already check out our fly tying page packed full of pictures and how to videos. We have recently added a few new videos. It can be seen @ www.saltwaterflytying.blogspot.com

We are booking up fast for the year! Now is the time to book your trip. Let’s go fishing!

Click here for this weeks pics: http://reel-adventure.com/blog/

Tight lines,
Capt. Matt Wirt
Reel Adventure Charters
Next Level Custom Rods
Wilmington NC. 910.540.0570
www.reel-adventure.com
www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net
www.carolinabeachfishing.net
www.topsailislandfishingcharters.com

  

Boat news: My Mitzi Flats boat sold fast and the new Custom Beavertail B2 has been ordered. We are looking at a delivery date somewhere around mid April. I would love to get into the custom details but you will just have to wait and see. The redfish don’t even know what’s coming!

This season is off to a great start. This weekend it is going to be in the 80’s and it is reminding me of the Florida weather I was able to enjoy over the winter. We are doing well on the near shore wrecks with the Sharks, Tautog’s and other bottom dwelling species and we even caught a monster 4 lb ring tail!

Inshore: the redfish are biting well on Berkley Gulp on the warmer days in the shallow water, and they are also biting well in the ICW on dead shrimp fished on a carolina rig near the docks. They key this time of year is a slow presentation and patience. The blue fish bite is starting to pick up and the Spanish should not be far behind. We are excited about what this upcoming fishing season has in store for us!

We are starting to get busy with trips but still have lots of good dates open. Come enjoy the Wilmington weather and let’s catch some fish!

Don’t forget to view our fly tying page and videos @ www.saltwaterflytying.blogspot.com

Capt. Matt Wirt
Reel Adventure Charters
Next Level Custom Rods
Wilmington NC. 910.540.0570

www.reel-adventure.com
www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net
www.carolinabeachfishing.net
http://www.topsailislandfishingcharters.com/

Lots of fun on light tackle!!

This gator lives about a 1/4 mile from my house!! Approx 10 ft long!

  

It is great to be home and back in my home waters! We have been doing well when the wind lays down. Berkley Gulp! Shrimp on the flats and the creeks has been the ticket so far. Picked off a nice Inshore slam, the Flounder must have been lost! This year is shaping up to be a great year! We hope to finalize the new boat deal soon and we have added the details about the 17 Mitzi flats boat that we currently have for sale as well. It will sell FAST at this price!!

Now is the time to book your trip, the fishing is great! Also now is the time to get your rods and reels ready for the season. We can fix your existing rods or build a new one or a set for you…just give us a call. Spring is right around the corner!

INSHORE SLAM!!!

FOR SALE

The Mitzi is the 17’ tournament edition. The tournament edition adds a second livewell in front of the console that doubles as a seat. It is equipped with a Yahama 70 hp 2 stroke with approx 350 hours of run time on the motor. The model year is 2004 but the boat was a 2005 leftover. The boat and motor are in excellent shape for its age and I am currently fishing it now, you can buy with confidence. Feel free to test run it or have the compression checked on the engine, no suprises! Boat comes complete with Lenco Trim Tabs, dual batteries with one being a group 27 deep cycle battery for the trolling motor (you can run two full days on it with a 55 lb thrust trolling motor with out re charging, (both batteries purchased new last fall), onboard battery charger, built in 15 gallon fuel cell, poling platform, pole mate push pole holder mounted on plat form, removable front casting platform, outerbanks cooler that cost over $100, Icom VHF radio (full 25 watts) mounted under console with flip up 6db gain antenna on poling platform, switchable auto bildge pump, walk around gunnels with under rod storage for 6 rods, side mounted rod holders on console, removable Scotty rod holders for front deck, Aluminum trailer with new aluminum mag rims, new tires, new hubs and new LED trailer lights, and spare tire. Pull it any where and fish it anywhere, just turn the key and GO!

Reason for sale is I have a great deal worked out with another flats boat manufactuer that I cant pass up! I love the Mitzi and will hate to see it go! Fully rigged it weighs less than 1000 pounds and floats in 7 inches loaded with gear, fuel and 2 adults. It will fish 3 also. I like the Yahama 70 2 stroke so much it I am having one installed on my new boat when I order it.

The only things that may need attention:

Running lights don’t work, it could be the bulbs, the switch, a fuse or wiring. I don’t run in the dark so I never bothered to fix them. Bildge pump works but seems to be on its last leg, it costs about $50 to replace it and 10 minutes to splice it in to the existing wires. I can do this if needed. Fuel gauge does not work. Never did. You can look up while running the boat and see how much fuel is in the tank which is way more accurate then some gauge. I don’t even know why the fuel gauge was installed in the first place. The prop is stainless and is about 85 % perfect. It has the normal wear and tear that a flats boat prop will generally have. It runs fine and does not need attention in my opinion. Boat has normal scratches and a nick here or there that would be considered normal for a used boat.
Price….Boat, Motor and Trailer: $10,000 *Title in hand.*

This boat new was around $18,000. without the options! Try to find a used one with a 70 hp! They are hard to find and I doubt you will! This boat is a steal at this price. First one to see it will no doubt buy it. First one to send a $500 deposit will own it. I can take a deposit by credit card if needed.

Options you can purchase that are on the boat:

Depending on your budget I can leave some items on the boat that I would highly recommend, or else I will take them off and put them on my new boat. It is up to you.
Minn Kota riptide autopilot / co pilot remote trolling motor that was purchased new last fall. You can run this trolling motor by remote anywhere in or even outside of the boat! It has the quick release mount for easy on and off removal. (The 12v hookup, mounting puck and battery will stay so if you don’t purchase this motor you can just slap yours on, plug it in and go). Trolling motor option $ 750 upcharge. (Motor is under warranty with a lifetime shaft warranty.) **I have my old trolling motor that is the same as the one above but does not work that you can have for free. If you don’t have a motor you could probably get this one fixed for half the price of a new one at coastline service center. I think the circuit board and copilot went bad. The older models were the plug went from the co pilot to the circuit board plug were not very water tight and they fixed that issue on the new motors.**

Powerpole shallow water anchoring system.. This the 6ft model which is plenty for this boat. Just had a new high performance pump and remote control with two remotes and hydrolic actuator professionally installed less than 2 months ago that cot me $700. This is basically a new power pole other than the fiberglass shaft. The shaft comes with a lifetime warranty! Powerpole option: $1250 up charge. This would cost you around $1500 new PLUS installation. The remote option is awesome…See fish, push the button on your transmitter and stop silently! It is invaluable!
Lowrance X26 depthfinder / GPS color combo unit. It has a 20 gig hard drive with all the charts preloaded. The 20 gig hard drive has INSTANT screen redraw which is very important when navigating in a foot of water. I have ran every were from the NC coast, DEEP into the Everglades, and 15 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico off of Islamorada using just the chartplotter. To say it is a valuable piece of equipment is an understatement! Lowrance option: $900 up charge

The push pole in the pictures is not for sale!

Call me @ 910-540-0570 with any questions you may have. I can help with delivery to a certain extent and I will only charge you the actual fuel charge to deliver depending on location but you will have to take me fishing when I get there! J. Boat is located in Wilmington, NC 28412 Come run it, tear it apart, whatever, no surprises! I have priced it to sell! I probably wont budge on price more than $100 or so. I am also a custom rod builder and will throw in a new Next Level Custom Rod to the buyer!

This boat will be listed on boat trader and ebay in a week or two if not sold sooner.

  

By Capt. Matt Wirt

Wow, this year has flown by! It seems like it was just March yesterday. It is already mid November and I am wrapping everything up here in NC and getting ready for 3 month’s in Florida. I would like to thank all my customers for yet another great year! I got to see a lot of my repeat customers this year, which is always a blast, and met a lot of new faces as well. I cant thank you all enough, and I look forward to seeing lots of you again next year! I would also like to thank my sponsors: Berkley, Spiderwire, Abu Garcia, Minn Kota, Power Pole, and the gang at Salt Water Marine, and 601 Media for another great year. I couldn’t have done it with out you!

Reel Adventure is no longer accepting trips in NC for the 2007 season. I am slammed with rod building, Thanksgiving, my anniversary (better not mess that up), and running the remaining charters I have on the schedule. This will be my last NC report for 2007. Please keep checking in for the Florida reports I will have up soon. They will be awesome!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Capt. Matt and Reel Adventure will be operating out of Pine Island Florida and the
Everglades from November 29 to March 1. Please click here for more info: http://www.reel-adventure.com/PineIslandFishingCharters.htm This is an awesome packaged deal including: free airport pick up at Ft. Myers, (airfare is cheap right now!) very cheap lodging, with free phone and internet, and AWESOME fishing! This is my 4th year going down there, and will be my second year guiding down there. The fishing is truly amazing; you will see every fish before you cast! We hope to share this awesome fishery with you! (Call soon to get the dates you want! The end of February is already getting full!) Click here for a slide show of last years Florida trip.. This will show you a little of what you can expect down there!! Be sure to turn up your audio! Click here>>>>>>>> Florida VIDEO

Also please check out our new Wrightsville Beach Fishing Website by clicking here>> Wrightsville Beach Fishing

Ok, Now for the last NC report of 2007!

INSHORE: The flounder continue to bite well and look for that to keep on until the water temp drops into the 50’s. They are biting well on the Berkley Gulp! 3 ” shrimp and jerkbaits. Our live bait has thinned out quite a bit due to the cooling water temps. The reds are starting to move on the flats, one day they are there the next day gone. Once it cools off and stays cool they should stay on the flats all winter long. The speckled trout have been hit or miss, but this should pick up as well.

OFFSHORE: The AJ’s are still at the 10 mile wrecks and even a stray cuda can be found there as well. I haven’t messed much with king mackerel and for some reason I did’nt target them much at all this year now that I think about it. The nearshore shark fishing and other nearshore fishing was just so good I never made the run for kings. They are one of my favorite species to target (note to self…kingfish more next year.) Speaking of nearshore fishing..our Albacore fishing is on fire down here right now! We hooked 15 last trip and on one trip we even got a 11 lb monster that tried to tear up my 10lb spinning gear! I though we would never stop it!

Well that’s it! What a year! Thanks again to everyone. I look forward to seeing you guys next year and hope to see some of you this winter down in Pine Island Florida or the Everglades. Just give us a call!

Keep a eye out for the Florida reports! They are going to be awesome!

Good fishing!
Capt. Matt Wirt
-Reel Adventure Charters
-Next Level Custom Rods
www.reel-adventure.com
www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net
www.carolinabeachfishing.net
www.topsailislandfishingcharters.com
910-540-0570
Pine Island, Florida

11 pound Albie!

citation flounder

The last of the spanish I think!

  

** Carolina Beach Fishing Report **
By: Captain Matt Wirt of Reel Adventure Charters

Now is the time to come fishing! We have plenty of open days available through Thanksgiving. The fishing has been great!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Capt. Matt and Reel Adventure will be operating out of Pine Island Florida and the Everglades from November 29 to March 1. Please click here for more info: http://www.reel-adventure.com/PineIslandFishingCharters.htm . This is an awesome packaged deal including: free airport pick up at Ft. Myers, (airfare is cheap right now!) very cheap lodging, with free phone and internet, and AWESOME fishing! This is my 4th year going down there, and will be my second year guiding down there. The fishing is truly amazing; you will see every fish before you cast! We hope to share this awesome fishery with you! Now back to NC waters…(Call soon to get the dates you want! The end of February is already getting full!)

INSHORE: The water is cooling off and the redfish are moving onto the flats and further up the shallow creeks. The trout bite is picking up around points, oyster bars and creek mouth’s where a lot of current is present. The flounder bite is really good. Try deep holes or ledges and don’t forget the inlets and near shore reefs. This pattern should be the same through Thanksgiving. The top producing baits have been Gulp! Gulp! and more Gulp! The shrimp and 5 inch jerkbaits are my favorite, color seems to have no effect right now.

OFFSHORE: The wind has been brutal the last few days but before the wind the Amberjacks were doing well at the wrecks and reefs 10-20 miles out… use the biggest bait you can find and HOLD ON! The cudas are everywhere and are a blast on light tackle. Try big topwater baits for best results. The spanish bite has picked back up and the Albacore are also right off the beach. The bluefish are everywhere right now and we have had a lot of fun sight casting to them on light tackle. The wind is supposed to subside in the next day or two and we cant wait!

We hope to see some of you for the great fall fishing NC has to offer and don’t forget The Florida fishing this winter. Get away from the cold and have a blast! Just give us a call!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS WEEKS PICS >> http://reel-adventure.com/blog/

Good fishing!
Capt. Matt Wirt
-Reel Adventure Charters
-Next Level Custom Rods
www.reel-adventure.com

www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net

910-540-0570

  

ANNOUNCEMENT: Capt. Matt and Reel Adventure will be operating out of Pine Island Florida and the Everglades from November 29 to March 1. Please click here for more info: http://www.reel-adventure.com/PineIslandFishingCharters.htm This is a awesome packaged deal including free airport pick up atFt.
Myers, (airfare is cheap right now!) very cheap lodging and AWESOME fishing. This is my 4th year going down there, and will be my second year guiding down there. The fishing is truly amazing; you will see every fish before you cast! We hope to share this awesome fishery with you! Now back to NC waters…

INSHORE: The water is cooling off and the redfish are moving onto the flats and further up the shallow creeks. The trout bite is picking up around points and oysterbars thear creek mouth’s where a lot of current is present. The flounder bite is really good. Try deep holes or ledges and don’t forget the inlets and near shore reefs. This pattern should be the same through Thanksgiving.

OFFSHORE: The shark fishing continues to put lots of smiles on my customers faces and many of these sharks are over 100 lbs. The Amberjack (and other jack species) are doing well at the wrecks and reefs 10-20 miles out… use the biggest bait you can find and HOLD ON! The cudas are everywhere and are a blast on light tackle. The king mackerel bite is spread out, use live bait for best results and there are some big ones cruising the inlets. The spanish bite has picked back up. We sight casted to acres of them the other day and we hope this hangs on for a few more days. The bluefish are everywhere right now and we have had a lot of fun sight casting to them on light tackle. The albacore are about 7 miles off shore right now with a few stragglers making their way to the beach. The ones that are in large schools seem to be around 3-5 lb albacore and its hard to get them to bite even the smallest lure. They are here early and it looks like it might be a great fall to target them!

We hope to see some of you for the great fall fishing NC has to offer and don’t forget The Florida fishing this winter. Get away from the cold and have a blast! Just give us a call! Click here for this weeks pics:>> http://reel-adventure.com/blog/

Good fishing!
Capt. Matt Wirt
-Reel Adventure Charters
-Next Level Custom Rods
www.reel-adventure.com
www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net
www.carolinabeachfishing.net
www.topsailislandfishingcharters.com
910-540-0570
Wilmington, NC

  

INSHORE: The redfish, flounder and trout are all biting well and the water temp has cooled off quite a bit. The baitfish are everywhere and the fish are feeding heavily. We have also caught a few juvenile cobias inshore; they are always a neat surprise. We are mainly fishing with Berkley Gulp shrimp and jerk bait’s. I like the pearl white or new penny colors the best.

NEAR SHORE: It is awesome. We have huge bait balls of glass minnows everywhere and there are being crushed by Spanish Mackerel, Jacks, Large Needle Fish, Albacore, and Bluefish all at the same time. It is a sight to see. Yesterday the fish had the bait pushed right up on the beach. We put the boat in the surf zone and my customers caught fish for 6 hours non stop sight casting and limited out. It was some of the best fishing I have ever been a part of. Use extreme caution when chasing the fish on the beach and be ready to take a wave in the boat. Do not try it if it is rough. The albacore have showed up and are busting medium sized top water’s. The flounder bite is great just off the beach and we have had many double digit flounder days using live bait. The Gray Trout are doing well but the netters are wiping them out as fast as they can, but the trout action is still consistent. I could go on and on with this report. You just have to see the pics! And yes the sharks are still around….almost forgot about them!

OFFSHORE: Heck, I have no clue!! I can’t get away from the near shore stuff. Kings should be in the 10 mile areas along with some albacore and Spanish. The tower should be on fire with fish. Maybe one day I can force myself to break away and run out.

That’s it good luck! I will be leaving after Thanksgiving for Pine Island Florida and the Everglades for 3 months again this year. I ran a few charters down there last year in PineIsland and this year might try to run a few more. Stay tuned for details….It should be a deal you can’t refuse! It will include: airport pickup, lodging and fishing. All you have to do is show up! We will warm up on ladyfish and target, redfish, snook, trout, grouper, sheepshead, snapper, and many more.

We are pleased to announce that Reel Adventure is now sponsored by Minn Kota, the makers of the finest trolling motors available.

October and November offer the BEST fishing
North Carolina has to offer. If you have been waiting……NOW IS THE TIME TO GO FISHING!

Also check out probably our best video yet! It is an awesome mixed bag video with lots of action! Be sure to turn up your audio!

Click here>>>MIXED BAG VIDEO

To view this week’s photos click here>>>http://reel-adventure.com/blog/

Good fishing!
Capt. Matt Wirt
-Reel Adventure Charters
-Next Level Custom Rods
www.reel-adventure.com
www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net
www.carolinabeachfishing.net
www.topsailislandfishingcharters.com
910-540-0570
Wilmington, NC

  

I have not been lucky enough to get a hook in one. The near shore wrecks and reefs are on fire with gray trout and flounder. Live finger mullet, stingsilver’s and Gulp seems to work the best. When fishing these near shore wrecks always put out a top line or a float rig with a big live bait on it. We picked up a nice king for an added bonus the other day doing this. September, October, and November offer the BEST fishing North Carolina has to offer. If you have been waiting……NOW IS THE TIME TO GO FISHING! Also check out probably our best video yet! It is an awesome mixed bag video with lots of action! Be sure to turn up your audio! Click here>>>MIXED BAG VIDEO To view this week’s photos…. Click here>>> REEL ADVENTURE CHARTERS PICS Good fishing!

Capt. Matt Wirt -Reel Adventure Charters -Next Level Custom Rods
www.reel-adventure.com
www.wrightsvillebeachfishing.net
www.carolinabeachfishing.net
www.topsailislandfishingcharters.com