Feb 27- Capt Marty Actually Went Fishing

Ferry Crewmate Matt Williams and I hit the Point at Buxton today in search of Red Drum. They bit good yesterday. And the day before. Honestly, the Red Drum bite up here has been steady and strong since October. Why the hell these fish refuse to budge is a mystery to me. Red Drum are not teeming in the Surf off Cape Lookout, Shackleford Banks, or Bogue Banks. I'm not sure about Core Banks or Ocracoke Island. To me, it doesn't seem these fish want to cross Hatteras Inlet..... I mean, up here at Hatteras, people are catching many, many Red Drum day after day after day..... It's incredible. At Cape Point today, when we arrived two things stood out. #1 Nobody was fishing. Apparently the fish had stopped biting as the tide fell. Of course, we missed it by an hour and it was an "epic bite"....... #2 There were Horseshoe Crabs everywhere. Sadly, most of them were pushing up higher and higher into the dry sand where Herring Gulls were flipping them over and eating them like a crustacean on the half shell..... I saved a dozen of them and returned to fishing.... As for our fishing, I briefly casted "where the fish were". Nothing. Then I walked to a little point to the west.... I got grass on every cast. Then a tightly packed flock of terns caught my attention. Far to the east and a ways offshore. It was interesting how they were "picking" the water... It reminded me of the way I've found them hovering over the strange Bullet Mackerel that have showed up the last 2-3 years.... I don't know what I thought. Catching a rare Bullet Mackerel on a gulp from the Beach would be amazing.... if I was going to think crazy, why not fantasize up a Blue Marlin from the Mung Hole? Anyway, I made the long walk across the Point to the eastern-most point. I waded out towards the birds..... It was here that I found a little bar and eddy that I liked the looks of! Then on my first 4 casts, I lost 2 Drum and caught 2 Drum. I waved for Matt and he saw me, unfortunately so did the others.... The "Human SeaGulls"... The same guys that cop attitudes if you crowd them.... Regardless, the masses elbowed their way in...... The barrage of falling gulps, grubs, and other plastic soft baits pushed the Red Drum offshore.... My bait rod also caught a Clearnosed Skate. Finally, on the way out, we found a Ocean Sunfish that committed suicide because he was being constantly bullied by too damn many Red Drum! Total Catch for the Day: 2 Red Drum at 24" each and a Clearnosed Skate

BLUEFIN TUNA- 10 Years Ago and Yesterday

Up here on the northern end of the NC Coast a very welcome visitor has arrived.... The Bluefin Tuna. Making some people very happy. It's the end of the 2013-2014 Commercial Bluefin Season.  It was a bittersweet but happy reminder that it's been 10 years since my best Commercial Bluefin Season. The December of 2003/January 2004 season was laid out like this: Because the Quota was pretty tight that winter, there was a 10 day season in December of 2013. The limit was one fish per day. My season went like this. I missed the first day completely. The second day I caught a Bluefin Tuna that had a dressed weight of 187 pounds. I estimated that the live weight was 227 pounds. The following 7 days, I caught a Bluefin Tuna each day that weighed from 213 lbs dressed to 292 lbs dressed. One day, I caught 2 Bluefin Tuna and we passed one of them over to another boat. The final day of the December season was rough, cold, windy, and foggy. We didn't catch a Tuna. So, for the 10 day December season, I caught 9 Bluefin Tuna and sold 8 Bluefin Tuna. The "live weights" of fish were estimated from the smallest at 227 lbs to the largest at 342 lbs. I lost one very close to the boat that was well over 500 lbs. It was minutes away from the gaff and the hook pulled...... I also remember Capt Skip Conklin and Capt Jay Russel fought a Giant Tuna for 6-7 hours one day. These boys catch lots of big fish. They are great fishermen. This Giant Tuna escaped after an epic battle. Jay claimed this one was pushing 10 feet long and 1000 pounds.... Those guys were devastated and exhausted..... All around Carteret County, the Docks and Fish Houses times were good. The money was great. There was an electricity "in the air".  The entire Beaufort Inlet area had an incredible vibe

Come January of 2004 the Quota was so tight that the NMFS decided on two separate 2 day seasons. On the first day, we caught a huge Tuna right off the bat. This one weighed 330 lbs dressed. I estimated that it weighed 380 lbs when it was caught. I also remember this one well because we only got $3.81 per pound for this fish.... In comparison, every other fish that we sold fetched from $10 to $15 per pound. Getting less than $4 was a dose. A bad dose. The following day and the first day of the second set we very quickly caught, killed, and sold 300+ pound Tunas. Our Fishing World was "On Fire"..... Then came the last day of the 2003/2004 season. Bad weather was coming! The prospect of making "another" quick $4000 to $8000 bucks had the fleet sailing early. Like 3am. The Tunas, were moving farther south with every day. The final morning, everyone was looking at an area about 25 miles south of Beaufort Inlet..... By 530am the fleet, and I mean 200+ boats of every kind. Custom Sportfishing Boats, Charter Boats, Corporate Fishing Yachts, 100 ft Super Headboats, 25 to 36 ft Center Consoles with 500-750 HP, all the way down to 21 ft cuddy cabins with 150 HP. I was on Admiral Gerald Currin's top flight, high dollar Yamaha powered 27 ft Contender called "The Big Duck III"..... Amazingly the damn future "Top Water Boat" was out there too.... She was called "Lookout Lady" back then.... We were all, the entire fleet, headed for TROUBLE......

Morehead City's Best and most Experienced Fishermen, guys like Capt Woo Woo Harker long time owner and Captain of the "Carolina Princess" said they'd NEVER seen it get so rough so quick. The conditions in the atmosphere didn't add up to the effect that it had on the Ocean's surface. It was a January Southwester and that's unusual, but the seas got so steep and so high and the interval so short... It was a FREAK of NATURE. It hit us one mile from where we planned to fish. We turned around immediately and started for home. It took 90 minutes to get there "in the dark"..... It took 7 hours to get home "in broad daylight". It was a Life Changing Event for some. It was, at very least, a day Never To Be Forgotten for all the others.... The owner of the 25 foot Downeaster called "Lookout Lady" spent a long, long day fighting its way towards home..... (I know how that thing handles Rough Seas----Terribly) When the "Lookout Lady" hit the dock, she NEVER SAILED AGAIN until she was SOLD.... As for us, we dipped the bow of that Contender into the wave "in front of us" 10,000 times that day as "the wave behind us" tossed us forward. Knee Deep Water in a boat not designed to hold a drop for 7 straight hours is quite unsettling.... Lose power and DIE. Ride in "a trough" for hours and all you can see is a wall of cold green water in front of you (that's comforting compared to.....) Look behind you and all you can see is a cresting 10 foot high wall of cold green water towering over your stern... Literally make ONE MISTAKE and you're going to Pitchpole. Lose power, lose headway and you will be tossed into INSTANT CALAMITY. It was a scary day and I'll be damned if it didn't suck all the fun right out of all those other days. Dude's would've traded all their "Tuna Money" back just to get back home..... Lotta prayers mumbled through clinched teeth that day... Well, we ALL made it back if you're wondering.

Well thats the way it ended.... I caught 12 Bluefin Tuna, I sold 11 Bluefin Tuna, I caught my career best, a 380 lb Bluefin Tuna during a 14 day Commercial Season. As fate would have it, I also found my present boat, The Top Water Boat, as a result of that last day. Plus, I learned a few lessons that I will never, ever forget that last day. It's now been a little over 10 years.... By the way, I wrote all this from memory. My notes and fishing logs from 2003 and 2004 are in Beaufort and I'm at Hatteras, closer to the Tuna. They are swimming a few miles away. I feel them.

Feb 25- HARD AGROUND

Last week had some damn pretty days and I didn't even GO FISHING..... Let's see, I bought a new truck. Chris got married. I did my taxes. By Sunday I was desperate and suddenly opportunity knocked! And hell no it wasn't the Mung Hole. It wasn't even the Top Water Boat.... Jeff Garner, the owner of Morehead City's oldest, largest, and most prestigious restaurant, The Sanitary Fish Market Restaurant invited me to go fishing! Jeff owns a 62 foot Custom Sportfishing Boat named The Yellowfin. Jeff wanted and needed Wahoo, Dolphin, and Tuna for the Restaurant and I was going to be the Angler (and mate as it turned out because the crew fell apart and it looked like just the two of us!) Anyway, as luck would have it, Jeff had a fuel transfer pump die and we never went fishing....

DAMNATION

So later, Capt Tuggy and his girlfriend Lauren drove to Beaufort and they joined my beautiful wife Jennifer and I on a calm peaceful boat ride. Hindsight being 20/20, we either should've stayed in bed or stayed in Taylor's Creek.....Y'all know me. it was very light seas so even though it was pretty cold on the water, I soon had us headed towards the Cape Lookout Shoals at a fast clip. The ole Top Water Boat hadn't seen any action in nearly 6 weeks so she needed to "get hot"..... I figured we had a one in million shot to find a school of Red Drum.

What we found was something else entirely! We found a very nice 45-50 foot sailboat keeled over 45 degrees, with full sail still up, surrounded by angry breakers and ripping currents, and a sole Japanese survivor frantically waving his arms..... We worked across the breakers offshore of his position to get on the Eastside of the Shoals and then we approached to within 300 yards of his bow before we ran into very shallow and rough water. To make matters worse, we also had 4-6 foot breakers coming in on us from behind.... That's my worst case scenario and with 2 sunny day chickadees on board, it wasn't in our best interest to make this a 2-boat pile-up. So I called Sea Tow and Tuggwell called The United States Coast Guard and made them aware of the situation. (Of course, out of the corner of my eye I also scoured the area for Red Drum)..... Anyway, as I struggled to keep my crew safe (and dry) I also studied the situation and found a different approach pattern. Once Sea Tow and the Coast Guard were underway, we left the scene the same way we came in..... Back across the Shoals to the Westside and then we approached the crippled Sailboat from an area that last summer I called "Bluefish Alley". I know this spot like the back of my hand.....As Tuggwell and I discussed the likelihood that the Asian Sailor was an eccentric retired CEO of a HUGE CORPORATION and how we were likely to divide up a 100 to 200 MILLION DOLLAR REWARD.... It wasn't an easy track but we were keeping 4-5 feet of frothy green water under our hull.... Getting closer, we were weaving in and out of finger shoals and hollow green breakers we this time approached the Sailboat from his starboard side to within 100 feet. Unfortunately, here we ran aground and I read my wife's look as if she said "You think that Sailboats in trouble you ain't seen nothing yet" Anyway, we got close enough to see that as the tide ebbed out; the Sailboat's occupant could hop overboard and walk to Cape Point in waist deep water if necessary. Attempts to communicate failed because he didn't seem to speak English, and there was no way we could help him because he seemed to want a "tow".... At this point I was more interested in saving "my boat" from finding a Dead End Shoal..... Visions of GOLD LIFE SAVING MEDALLIONS and MILLION DOLLAR REWARDS faded as we powered trough sand and white water to safety as Sea Tow and The Coast Guard was arriving.

Remember WET PLUS COLD PLUS SCARED MINUS REWARD MONEY EQUALS MAD WIFE which results in AWFUL EXPERIENCE for Capt Marty

So, we did a good deed but accomplished nothing. I scared Jennifer off the water again. The fishing highlight of the day (the entire week unless I can count the excitement of watching Wicked Tuna) was when we chased some Gannets off the water and they regurgitated up some hefty Menhaden before taking flight. Damn that's it. Total Catch for the Day: Nothing 

Feb 10-12 Back to Work in time for the BLIZZARD of 2014

The weeks fly by........ Here I sit, back in my room at Hatteras. Seems like I just did this! Hell, I took a job with the Ferry Division in April of 1992. For ONE SUMMER. And I'm still here! Endless Summer. Sure don't seem like it. Back then, cold wasn't cold and fishing was good 11 months of the year. My how times have changed....

Anyway, without getting nostalgic, I see another Winter Storm Warning is posted... All I wish for is TO PLEASE LET ME BE HOME for one of these events... I'd love to play and frolic with my WIFE (and animals) for once....

Now that its over, we did get 6"-8" snow here at Cape Hatteras. It was a beautiful event. During the height of the Blizzard, a few guys were FLAT OUT SMOKING the Red Drum in the surf directly across from the Hatteras Ferry Facility... We were tied up due to iced up Ferry Decks and I had my chance to go wallop them..... But, I can't believe this, but..... This was THE FIRST TIME since I came up here in November of 2002 that I didn't bring a rod and reel with me..... As I watched a grizzled Hatterasman haul his 8th, 9th, and 10th Drum off the Beach, I briefly considered going to the Pelican's Roost and buying a new rod-n-reel.... Unfortunately, I needed Waders too.... I decided against it. Damn it. In my crappiest fishing winter since 1987, a Red Drum Frenzy during a Blizzard is a Major Major Major Failure in Capt Marty's Book. 

A few pictures from around Hatteras Village since I couldn't go Drum Fishing. FYI: The Big Tahuna and Capt Kenny kick arse offshore at Hatteras Inlet

Feb 9- Winter Bluegills

A pretty day. However, the forecast wasn't so great. Today's sunshine and warmth snuck up on me.... I probably would've gone Dog Sharking or searching for Red Drum. Instead, Emma and I went to the old favorite Mung Hole. I can't believe how bad the fishing is in this location as compared to across the street. This one used to be stuffed full of Bass and Bream. I thought their was a "stunting" problem in this Pond. Now I belief the is a "No Fish" problem in this Pond..... Well anyway, in an hour I caught some Bluegills. Size ranged from small to tiny..... Total Catch for the Day: 9 Bluegill

Poor Speckled Trout

Another Speckled Trout Winter Freeze Die Off is Happening Right Now!

Feb 2- The SuperBowl of Fishing

I'm home early with an injury. Severely bruised ribs and lung. Ouch. Feeling better this afternoon, I actually talked Jennifer into a little "Mung Hole Fishing Super Bowl".... Me against her. So, how do we judge this? First Fish?  Most Fish?  Biggest Fish? I figured a easy victory in all three areas, but in actuality, the BIGGEST FISH is always how we are judged...... So we arroved on the Fishing Grounds and I quickly caught a Bluegill while demonstrating how to cast.... Once Jennifer got up and running she quickly caught a Bluegill too.... When she needed no more help or advice I wondered off..... I got her pretty good in the numbers game... Then I noticed her down by the Dam. Her bobber was down and she was struggling. Suddenly a large green back broke the surface and water was spraying as a hand-sized tail swept back and forth. Oh Damn she had hooked one of the Mung Holes "Top Secret" Largemouth Bass. Then the big Bass jumped and turned a complete somersalt before hitting the water and burying into a raft of green slimy algae. Jennifer now needed my help! With the Super Bowl of Fishing hanging in the balance, I silently ackowledged that my defeat was imminent as I took to my knees and reached out into the cold, nasty Pond water. Finding the Bass's sizeable lower jaw with my fingers, I sat upright and rolled Jennifer's monster 5 lb Largemouth Bass up into the sunlight. With screams of joy, Jennifer had soundly defeated Capt Marty in the Super Bowl of Fishing. She had her a trophy Largemouth Bass. What a great sight it was for me though. My wife doing her "Victory Dance" with Emma howling in the Background. The Mung Hole will never be the same and maybe I witnessed the birth of a new fisherperson today! The Super Bowl of Fishing One belongs to Jennifer! Total Catch for the Day: a 5 lb Largemouth Bass and 13 Bluegill