Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Weekly Column - May 29, 2006

Many of our residents and visitors to our area enjoy boating. To say we have an abundance of saltwater is obvious -- we live on the coast. What may not be so obvious is just how important public access to that water is to our economy. Public beaches, marinas, boat ramps, boat channels and inlets are all key to supporting our recreation, tourism, and seafood industries.

The Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW) offers protected waters for boaters traveling up and down the coast (or just locally). The Army Corp of Engineers maintains the depth of the ICW and the inlets that connect it to the ocean. The inlets need to be dredged periodically to remove sand and mud that accumulates.

The Coast Guard maintains the navigation buoys that guide boaters safely along these channels. They can only do this if the channels remain open and safe for use. The dredging is funded mainly by the federal government, but it is often supplemented by state and local governments.

Unfortunately, funding for these types of projects has been on a steady decline, and local areas are scrambling to find new sources of revenue. An example is the recent removal of the channel markers in Topsail Creek, one of the channels that connect the ICW to the ocean via New Topsail Inlet. The channel had shoaled to a point that the Coast Guard could no longer maintain the buoys for safe navigation, and so they had to remove them.

This of course impacts tourism, local recreation and commercial fishing. Many people count on these inlets and channels being available. If they are not, those people will go elsewhere -- they take their money with them, of course. And those of us who live and work here spend more time and money on gas finding alternate channels to use.

Public access to boat ramps and marinas is another area vital to local boating and related activities. Surf City has a very well maintained public boat ramp and sound side pier. It certainly is a drawing card for tourism and a staple for local folks. Topsail Beach recently took action to acquire the old Bush’s Marina boat ramp rather than allow it to be closed to the public.

Laws were enacted in North Carolina years ago to preserve public access to our beaches. These have served our communities well. I hope our local governments and communities take notice and act quickly to preserve public access to our waters and waterways. It is vital for our economy -- and to our way of life.

Catching report

The fishing has been spectacular lately. If you haven’t been fishing yet this year, now is the time. Grab a pole and go!

Inshore the bigger flounders have begun to move into the creeks and marsh areas. The red drum action has been HOT with lots of action near the docks in the ICW. Many fisherman are having success using a Carolina-style rig with live bait on a braided line to pull the drum from under the docks.

Pier and surf fishing are producing plenty of blues and Spanish mackerel. Some pompano, flounder and mullet are also being caught. Some drum are still being caught in the surf. Look for the kings to show up on the piers any day now.

The king fishing has been picking up with some smaller kings being caught just a few miles out, and the bigger ones are turning up not much farther out. A few cobia have been caught near the inlets and artificial reefs. Further out, the mahi and sailfish bite has been very good.

Tight lines to all!


Monday, May 29, 2006

Fishing Trip - May 29, 2006

The weather was suppose to be great today, both the skies and seas were suppose to be fair. In fact the NOAA forecast called for 2 foot seas with only 5-10 knot winds. The skies were very sunny but they missed the call on the seas. There was 3-4 footers with an occasional 5 footer mixed in. at times, the swells were coming from two directions because of the of the overnight wind shift. The wind was closer to 15 knots most of the morning. There was lots of chop on top of the swells. Don't get me wrong, it was managable in my 19' CC but it was not the fair seas and pleasant ride we had expected.

We changed our plan and instead of heading for AR 366 & 368, we headed for Dallas Rocks, a much closer destination (5 miles out). We trolled for two hours managing one King Mackerel in the boat then we decided to head for Masonboro bouy and fish the south side of the jetty. We found a calmer ocean partially protected from the swells (only one direction of swells) and calmer winds. We caught some spanish there before heading for John's creek to bottom fish. Nothing there so we headed for Carolina Beach inlet and rode the ICW back north. We finished the day flounder and Drum fishing near Nixon Channel.

Not a lot of fish today but we manged a few and had a great time.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Fishing Trip - May 27, 2006

My brother and his step-son, Bobby, and I fished this morning. We had a lot less wind today and no battery problems. Seems the flounder are starting to show up now. Today's catch:

Mike and a 16" flounder


Bobby with his first flounder, another 16 incher


The pair.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Fishing Trip - May 26, 2006

My brother and his wife came from out of town fort he memorial day week-end. Today my brother and I slipped out early this morning and fished most of the day. He caught 2 flounder and a skate, all before 8 am. One flounder was 17 inches and weighed 2 pounds 3 ounces. the other was undersized and was released.

Around 10 am the winds really picked up and the bite was over. We fished till 2:30 then went to start the engine and found the battery was dead. We had been at that spot for over 2 hours and the live well was on the whole time. Lesson learned. We got a jump from Sea Tow and headed home.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Weekly Column - May 22, 2006

A long held tradition on our coast is the public fishing pier. Usually the piers are privately-owned but available for all to enjoy. The ocean piers on Topsail Island provide easy access to deeper water and a wider variety of fish.

And, to be honest, they just plain make fishing easier.

Like many of the youths growing up in this area, I learned to ocean fish on our piers. It wasn’t until much later that I had the opportunity to fish from a boat. We would show up in the early afternoon, plunk down our money for a ticket and some bait and proceed to fish to our hearts’ content. Often we fished through the night into the wee hours of the morning.

In a recent conversation with a friend, we were trying to remember all the names of the piers from over the years. We counted at least seven that have made a home on Topsail Island at various times. I think I have fished on most of them at one time or another.

The recent boom in beach development has left many of North Carolina’s beach communities without a public fishing pier. The land is often "worth" more when developed for residential use than it is for commercial purposes.

We are very fortunate on Topsail Island to still have three ocean piers, one in each of the three townships.

Located in North Topsail Beach, Seaview Pier is the newest pier on Topsail Island. With a length of 1,000 feet, it is also the longest pier on the island. Their fully-stocked tackle shop offers fresh bait for sale and rod rental. A unique feature among the island’s piers is that the restaurant at Seaview will cook your catch for you on the spot for a small charge. They charge $7 per rod for fishing and offer a discount for military personnel.

The Surf City Ocean Pier is located just over the bridge and slightly to the right. Originally built in 1948, it was the first pier on Topsail Island. The structure was completely rebuilt after Hurricane Fran destroyed it in 1997. The 937-foot long fishing pier is owned and operated by the Lore family, and it features a 40-foot octagon with a live well tank at the end for King Mackerel fishing. The pier house is well-stocked with tackle and bait. They have a grill with screened-in dining and a game room for children of all ages. The fishing fee is $6 per rod for a 24-hour period.

Topsail Beach is home to the Jolly Roger Fishing Pier. Built around 1954 and currently owned and operated by the Orr family, this pier is also a landmark among fisherman. The pier is about 880-feet long and offers a grill for hot food as well as plenty of snacks and drinks. They have a well-stocked tackle shop and carry a variety of baits. The cost to fish is $10 per person, with each angler allowed two poles.

Now for the catching report: The fishing is really picking up with the warmer weather. Sound side fishing is producing plenty of red drum near the docks along the ICW with a good number of flounder now being caught as well. Near the beaches, the Spanish and bluefish bites have been very strong. There also have been a few nice cobia caught this past week.

In the surf, some pompano and drum are being caught with an occasional flounder. The piers report a nice spring mix of Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and mullet.

Off shore fisherman are reporting king mackerel being caught from 10 miles out. They are also picking up some nice mahi. Reports from the gulf stream include catches of yellowfin tuna, wahoo and a few billfish.

Happy Memorial Day, and tight lines to all!

Monday, May 22, 2006

Inshore Spring Challenge Tournament results

This past Saturday, I fished in the Fisherman Post's annual "Inshore Spring Challenge" fishing tournament. I had two crew members on board with me. We left the dock at 5am looking for bait. We had to hunt in a few places but we were able to find plenty.

When our lines went in the water at 6AM, the wind was calm and the sky was clear as the sun rose overhead. That didn't last long. Soon the wind howled and the rain began. Certainly not matching the forecasted "isolated showers, the rain was socked in for over 3 solid hours. And it was a cold rain with the wind making it feel even colder.

Then the clouds cleared and it warmed up. Off came the slickers and sweatshirts. The rest of the day was spent under sunny skies.

We fished hard all day. With three anglers fishing two lines each, we covered a lot of territory. We were using a combination of live bait on Carolina rigs and Gulp! soft baits on jigheads. We also trolled some Xraps and Mirrolures for speckeled trout.

We weighed in at 4:00 pm sharp (the latest allowable time). We caught a total of 7 flounder but no trout. The flounder were small with the biggest being 15 1/2 inches and weighing 1.6 pounds. Not a huge fish but it was big enough to put us on the leader board and in the money at 16th place. All the fish weights were down from previous year tourneys. The big fish just haven't moved in yet with all the cold fronts we have had this month.

Overall, it was a fun day. A long day, but fun.

Can't wait till the next one!

Monday, May 15, 2006

Weekly Column - May 15, 2006

Long sunny days and a shift in the prevailing winds to the southwest have combined to warm up our coastal waters. The strength of the wind is also starting to let up. This all translates into great fishing weather!

This past Saturday, I headed out very early to fish just off the beaches for bonito and Spanish mackerel. I only had a few hours since I had a prior commitment later in the morning. Even though my schedule was tight, I wanted to sneak in what may have been my last chance for bonito this season. I had stressed and contemplated if such a trip was worth it, and I ultimately decided to make it.

Under near perfect conditions, I left the dock before dawn. As I arrived to fish, the seas where calm, and there was only a slight breeze. Just as I was putting out my trolling lines, the edge of that bright orange ball we call the sun began to appear on the horizon.

Something clicked in my head, causing me to stop for a moment and watch the sun as it slowly lifted above the horizon.

Stop and smell the roses, I thought -- well at least the salty air. Pause, enjoy this moment I thought.

Not that I expected it to be the last time I would experience this scene -- it is a familiar one for those of us that live here. Nor did I expect some epiphany that would change my life forever. But something had clicked in that fuzzy space I call a brain -- I realized just what it was about fishing I enjoyed the most.

Sure chasing fish and trying to put a few in them in cooler is fun. But as I watched the sun rise, it made me realize that it was the relaxation and peacefulness that I enjoy the most about fishing.

In fact throughout my life, whenever I have a big decision to make or I’m really stressed out, I try to go fishing to relax and clear my mind. I started this practice when I was a teenager at my grandparent’s farm pond, and it has continued on the beaches of our coast and elsewhere.

So next time I start to stress about where to catch fish, I hope that moment resurfaces in my mind, that my brain clicks again and I remember why I fish in the first place -- to relax and enjoy!

Last week we saw some awesome fishing days and catches to match. Just off the beaches, the Atlantic bonito are still here but in lesser numbers, while Spanish mackerel and bluefish have arrived in good numbers as well. Also, some black drum and an occasional flounder are being caught in the surf.

Surf City Pier reports the Spanish bite has been good, with the best bite in the morning. They also report some 5- to 6-pound blues being caught with plenty of smaller ones, too. Mullet are being caught at night. A school of speckled trout visited last week, and one gentleman caught his limit of keepers.

Jolly Roger Pier reports a strong Spanish bite early in the day, and blues being caught throughout the day with some nice chopper-size mixed in. They also report some nice size Pompano being caught and a few keeper flounders. Sea View Pier reports Spanish and blues being caught with some mullet and flounder in the mix.

Kings are being caught near the 23-mile rock. A few cobia have started to show up, especially to our south. However, none have been reported in our inlets or on our nearshore reefs yet. Grouper and black bass are being caught in the 20 to 30 mile range. Further offshore, the Wahoo and yellowfin tuna bite remains good with an occasional blackfin tuna and some dolphin in the mix.

Tight lines to all!



Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Weekly Column - May 8, 2006

Many anglers (myself included) have been enjoying the early spring mix of Atlantic Bonito and bluefish. The drum and trout continue to be favorite targets in the sounds and creeks, of course, with larger flounder starting to show up.

Soon that favorite target of near-shore anglers, the Spanish mackerel, will invade our waters. Often called simply "Spanish," this fish is the smaller cousin of the king mackerel, and there is a strong family resemblance. In fact, a mature Spanish looks very much like a juvenile king mackerel. The easiest way to tell them apart is to check the front portion of the first dorsal fin -- on the Spanish the bottom front part of the fin is black, on a king it is not.

It is very important to distinguish this difference, as the creel and size limits are different for the two species. The current regulations for state coastal waters require a minimum length of 12 inches for Spanish with a daily limit of 15 fish.

Spanish mackerel are migratory and return to our coastal water sometime in May when the water temperatures reach into the high 60s and above. They usually stay until early fall. These fish travel in schools and sometimes can be picky about their meals. At other times they are less discerning -- occasionally they will even hit bare gold hooks in the late afternoon sun.

These tasty fish are often caught off our piers as well as in small boats trolling close to the beaches and inlets. One of the favorite lures used by many anglers is the Clark Spoon -- a metal spoon that comes in several colors, including gold and silver. It can be cast or jigged from a boat or pier. Boat anglers often pull them on a trolling weight or behind a Booney bird for that extra edge.

Tournament season is starting to fire up as the weather warms. One of my favorites is the Fisherman Post’s "Inshore Spring Challenge," scheduled for May 20. This tournament, now in its third year, offers anglers the chance to compete for cash prizes in the flounder and trout categories. It also offers prizes for top aggregate weight of your heaviest flounder and trout. They also offer prizes in women, senior and junior angler categories.

The tournament weigh-in is at Wrightsville Beach Marina with fish caught in any of the local waters eligible. Registration for the tournament is May 19. Pick up a copy of the Fisherman Post at your local tackle shop for details.

Surf City Pier, Jolly Rodger Pier, and Seaview Pier all report about the same -- small mullets at night with a few trout and black mixed in. There are plenty of snapper blue fish in the mornings, most taken on Gotcha plugs. Flounder are here, and they are starting to get larger. There have been a few keepers of all piers.

There are a few Spanish caught at Jolly Rodger Pier, but none have been reported at Surf City or Sea View. Surf City Pier reported a couple of nice blue fish, 12 pounds and 6 pounds, caught this week. One large red drum was hooked and fought to the pier, but got off the hook as they were trying to get it in a landing net. It was definitely out of the slot, and would have to be released anyway, but the angler would have liked to hold it before he released it.

Fishing in the surf is still slow, with only the occasional mullet and sharks biting. There are plenty of small bait fish and sand fleas in the water, so surf fishing should be picking up very soon.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Fishing Trip - May 6, 2006

Went out at the crack of dawn with my buddy Jeff on board. We headed for the Liberty ship about 2 miles out of Masonboro Inlet. There were about 3 foot seas but mostly slow rollers so not bad, then it flattened out. We caught Atlantic Bonito and Blues.

Then we headed inshore and caught flounder. Had to call it a short day as I have to fly to the west coast for job related business this afternoon. But it was great to get out on the water first!