May 30 and 31- Striped Bass Where They'd Never Been Before

I started working on the NC Ferry back in April of 1992. I have found good fishing at Night where ever Ferrys tie up for the Night. Three things are always present. Deep Water, Heavy Structure, and Light. Because of these three factors, two other things are usually present: Bait Fish and hungry Predators..... That being said, when I dropped my Speck Rig inside the Cedar Island Ferry Basin tonight, I was expecting Gray Trout.... Just like all those other nights back in the 1990's. Well, I was in for a big shock when my first strike resulted in a small Striped Bass. Wow. My next cast resulted in a double header of small Striped Bass. With a little wind and scattered rain, those little Stripers kept me busy for 90 minutes.  I figured I caught 16 Striped Bass that first night and actually worked 3 different schools. Different locations inside the Docks and they seemed to "learn" the Speck Rig after a few from each school were caught.  The following night, I caught 2 more Striped Bass...... Quicker to catch on...... Total Catch for Two Nights: 18 small Striped Bass and 1 Pinfish

May 26- HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my MOMMA

This year, 2016, on  May 26th, My Mom turns 80 years old. It makes me both very happy and very sad... Sad because we ALL are getting older with all (and then some) of All the Problems that come with aging..... Birthdays are always looking back, reflection, and moving forward.

I can honestly that was Blessed with the best mother anyone could possibly have. She was Always there with the Right Advice and provided every opportunity to me to succeed in every part of life. Many times I feel like I let both my parents down by not becoming something better than an Engineer on the Ferry. I know, and they know, I couldve and shouldve become so much more. However, 10-15 Years ago, the Ferry Job seemed like a Good Idea. I look back now and sometimes I see and feel wasted potential.  But my Mom has always been Proud and Supportive of me. And God knows I have given reason to question me. But she never has. She has Loved me Totally and Unconditionally, no matter what numbskull things I have done and brought into her life.... For that reason and more, I LOVE MY MOMMA and WILL DO ANYTHING I CAN DO TO TAKE CARE OF HER. I owe her more than I will EVER be able to re pay her.. She has been a Great Great Great Mother to me. My best friend and my Hero. Happy Birthday Momma, I wish I could make it your Best Ever!

May 24- Cobia Finally.....

SeaBoo with a Trigger

Capt Ryno with a Gag Grouper

Golden Delicious is what they're calling them now

Capt SeaBoo is the King of Cobias

Complicated day. I "left the dock" three separate times. Caught some fish finally. Best of it was a late afternoon run to a nearshore wreck where Cbo and Ryan wrecked some Jacks, Groupers, and Triggers. Oh yeah, along with 3 Cobia that came both early and late....... Im on Night Run on the mighty MV SEA LEVEL right now. Details and Pictures later....... Total Catch for the Day: 3 Cobia from 18 to 26 lbs, 6 Amberjacks from 18 to 30 lbs, 4 Gag Grouper from 20" to 10 lbs,  5 Gray Triggerfish from 2 to 4 lbs, 8 Black Sea Bass from 10" to 13",  8 Smooth Dogfish from 7 to 12 lbs, 1 Smooth Butterfly Ray at 50 lbs, and 2 Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks at 8 lbs each

More Details Later......

May 20- Serious Cobia Attempt

Boat running good. Knees feel good. Knew where the Bait was. Tide good. Calendar Good. Weather window good BUT....... Rain and Wind coming!

Three hours later, I foul hooked a Leatherback Turtle and he pulled 100 yards of line. That was it. Cold Green Water. 10 days ago, there were Cobia in 73 degree water. Today the there was No Cobias and  water temp was 64 degrees. I saw a few Butterfly Rays caught. I didnt catch any. No Rays, no Skates, no Sharks, no Nothing. I DID NOT CATCH ANYTHING! Total Catch for the Day: NOTHING

May 19- Day of the Dogfish

Finally got my knee pain and swelling under control enough to see is our first little procedure helped with the Top Water Boat's  fuel issues.... I can say this much: After running 25 miles I had NO FUEL ISSUES. So, I ended up throwing my cast net over bait off Barden's Inlet. With 10 dozen baits and an hour left on the incoming tide, Emma and I went fishing. Three hours later.........all i can say is, The Boat ran great. Emma ate several Menhaden. Emma was mad at me because I refused to pull a Shark into the Boat. The sight of my loyal companion dry humping the air and salivating like a pig over a thrashing Smooth Dogfish is embarrassing and was more than I could take today. So I released them beside the boat. One after another. I had three tripleheaders. Pretty good since I was fishing 3 rods. Smooth Dogs. Smooth Dogs. Smooth Dogs. Big pregnant females mostly, up to 16-18 pounders. Ive seen bigger ones only on a few occasions. I also caught 1 "biter" Shark. And that was it. Mission (boat test) Accomplished.  Cobia Fishing was a dud.....Total Catch for the Day: 15 Smooth Dogfish 8 to 18 lbs each and 1 Atlantic Sharpnose Shark at 6 lbs

Capt Marty Update

Sadly Sadly Sadly...... Here in the midst of Cobia Season..... I have been STRUCK DOWN with the most incredible pain in both knees that I have ever experienced.... Some background, on Wednesday May 11th, I was feeling really good about things and my knees were feeling fine again. Almost felt as good as they did back in November of 2015 before any of this crap ever started..... Then on May 11, we had an Annual Inspection on the MV Sea Level.... One small and seemingly insignificant part of my duty that morning was to manually set off a few of our High Water Bilge Alarms. To reach these, I had to crawl on my hands and knees across the Steel Bilge in the Bottom of the Ferry. No big deal and everything passed in flying colors.... However, by Wewdnesday afternoon, I was experiencing pain in both knees..... By Thursday morning I had swelling and tightness on both knees. By Friday, my knee pain on my left knee was about a 9 and my right knee was a 7...... By Saturday Morning, I could barely walk and called in sick..... Today, a week later, I had fluid drained off both knees and recieved 2 cortisone shots....

Now, I feel better all ready. People come hear to read about Fishing, not my health. I realize that. A problem Im having is, I have a MAJOR PROBLEM with my Boat's Fuel Tank. Two weeks ago, I tried a simple and inexpensive remedy. Then I went TO WORK. Then I HURT MY KNEES. I have NOT had a chance or gave a Damn to Try Her Out since then. So........ Tomorrow hopefully I will splash the Top Water Boat and see if she's fixed. I doubt it. Will it stop me from Fishing? I hope not, but I'm not sure. I am NOT spending 5,000-6,000 dollars to fix a 27 year old boat with a Motor with 6,000 hours..... Hopefully there is a simple solution for my Fuel Tank. Apparently there is NOT a simple solution for my knees....

Top Water Out..... I hope there's GOOD NEWS Tommorrow 

May 13- My Boys (BKA) Team Sea Spray

Capt Cbo with a 47 pound Cobia

Capt Ryno with 1 of the 13 Cobias these boys have captured so far......

Cbo with a NC Citation CREVALLE JACK! Thats a Hard One Fellas 

I never had a son to teach all about fishing..... And this reference is Stttttrerching it! But, I know pretty much for a fact the my great friend Cbo did not like to fish AND was not a fisherman when we met in May of 2000. I was older and had a Boat and was fishing 100+ days a year back then and Cbo probably saw me as a novelty and a BIG ADVENTURE back then. For whatever reason, we struck up a great friendship and lots of it was based on fishing. I needed another person to go with me for several reasons and Cbo filled the bill...... I also KNOW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, that I could be a fricking HARDASS BASTARD to fish with. Poor Cbo advanced through the Capt Marty's Fishing Academy......Well, here we are 16 years later and Capt Cbo is a fine young man, a great new father, a professional mariner, and (somehow this makes me a little proud) A GREAT FISHERMAN!

Yesterday on his first day in North Carolina Waters, Capt Cbo lead his team to 7 Cobias up to 47 lbs and a freakish 30+ pound Crevalle Jack. Im sure that Cbo wouldve picked up this Fishing habit without my influence. He is an avid hunter and archer.... But i do feel some responsibility and a touch of pride at Capt Cbo's skill level. He can and does flat out Produce. If yesterday is any indication, those boys are getting ready to have a big couple of weeks of Hardcore Fishig. It makes me smile. It remains to be scene how it will affect me next week when Capt Cbo sacks me up and outfishes me. I sorta feel like The Obi Won Kenobi of Fishing (remember haters, I do have 800+ NC Citations) but as my powers fade..... Knees. Back. Eyes......  Young Capt Cbo is poised to use the Force and surpass me as a Fisherman.  A Cobia Fisherman anyway. And if you fish INSHORE on the US Southeastern Coast these days, COBIA are "All That Matters".....

All I can say is congratulations to Capt Cbo and Capt Ryno as well. See you boys out there on Tuesday. And I hope yall take it easy on me and save me a few fish..... Also, some other guys that I Had Absolutely Nothing To Do With Developing......But forces to be Reckoned With are Capt Tyler Thomas and Capt Chris Kimrey. Congrats boys. All these guys are catching Cobias and Im very happy for them. These ARE the Good Guys. Not the Posers and Phoneys and they aint selling junk. These boys will bloody decks and give you reason to light your grills.  Meat roasts after these boys Go Fishing. I hope everyone follows that thread.... In other words, Cobia on the Grill is mighty fine eating

Capt Marty is on the MV Cedar Island today.  Ferrying pilgrims to Ocracoke. I wish I was fishing...... Next week I am availiable for charter. Im booked on Friday May 20th. I am available on wed and thurs May 18 and 19. Also on Sat, Sun, and Mon. May 21, 22, and 23......

May 5- Cinco de Mayo Parte Dos

Back on shore, with nothing but time on my hands and knowing about many many Bait Balls stacked up east of The Shipping Channel, I called my old "good luck charm" Jeremy up and conspired him into launching his 22 ft Carolina Skiff and going on an afternoon Cobia hunt.....Now Jeremy is both the "World's Greatest" and "World's Worst" Fishermen rolled into one..... Quite simply, he doesn't fish. At age 34 and a life-long Harker's Islander he does not fish..... Since he and I became friend and co-workers, he's been with me 3 times..... Once we did well at the D Wreck with Cudas, AJs, Sharks, and Blues.... The other 2 days is where he shined....... One a day where Jeremy couldn't cast his bucktail 25 feet without slapping someone in the face or breaking off a bucktail, whatever, etc, etc.... He was part of a team of 3 that caught 24 Cobias. The first Cobia Jeremy ever gaffed was my 96 pounder..... We and he, had a great day that ended with a stack of tickets from the NC Marine Fisheries Enforcement and a stack of Citations from NC Marine Fisheries "Good Guys".... On Jeremy's only other rod and reel adventure, he and I "bailed" the 40-60 lb Black Drums over on the Eastside..... Yall get the point! I CALL JEREMY..... I CATCH FISH..... So, Jeremy and I cleared Barden's Inlet and ran west..... We started hitting bait balls looking for Cobia. And then, just as it was looking bleak, I got a mystery bite under a school of Menhaden. After a fair fight and a pretty long run, he actually had me believing for a minutes, and big Scaly Red Cobianot, better known as a Red Drum popped up for a quick release.... Sorry, my old Pal Me-Bob, would've loved to release him in the meat grease with taters and onions and corn dumplings...... After releasing my 45" Red Drum, Jeremy hooked up and quickly released a beautiful 50" Red Drum. I then caught another pair of Drum at 45" and 50"..... We then ran back to the east in a last gasp effort to find a Cobia. Way down off the Cape Lookout Rock Jetty, Jeremy had a nice mystery bite. But, once again, it proved to be a Red Drum. This one was the best fish of the day, 52" and fat as a pig.....  Nice to catch some Trophy Fish even though it isn't what everyone is looking for. We Want. We Need. Cobia. It is the only thing that will satisfy the Masses! Except Capt Marty! All I need/want/desire is a damn Bonito! Total Catch for the Episode: 5 Red Drum from 40-55 lbs each and 4 Bluefish from 2-3 lbs

May 5- Cinco de Mayo and The Beating of Drums

First of all, Capt Ryan and I sailed early this morning. Looking for Sarda Sarda and his very popular cousin, The Blackfin Tuna. Ryan had to be in by 930 in order to play in a Golf Tournament. Nearly a year ago, playing in the very same Tournament, Capt Ryan and I went Bonito Fishing and on the way in we found that monsterous school of Blackfins cartwheeling and somersalting their way up Bogue Banks.... Ryan had to be end by 930.... I hoooked 2 Tunas briefly. Both times the hooks pulled. That was the beginning of a "Fishing Slump" that has eventually grown into a "Life Slump". As a matter of fact, as I type this, my wife is in the other room pretty much HATING ME..... For nothing. Hard to figure out. All I got is Emma. Hard to see where this ends, Its not good, no doubt about that.... Anyway, back to the fishing. AR-315 was a complete and total bust. Nothing, We hovered around for an hour. Finally we gave up on the huge school of Bonito from May 1st and may 2nd. Evidently they had moved on, so did we. We ran west another 2 miles down to AR-320. Once we got there we quickly found a pod of Sheepshear Bluefish. (Old Downeasterner saying, makes about as much sense as the small Flounders they call Cuntcovers) Pretty filthy vocabulary, but used in this way it seems pretty sterile, for some reason..... Well, the clock quickly ticked around to 930 and The Team SeaSpray Boat headed home....... Total Catch for the Episode: 8 Bluefish from 1 lb 8oz to 2 lb 8oz and 2 Black Sea Bass

Sarda Sarda- One Great Fish

The Sarda Sarda, or Atlantic Bonito is truly my favorite fish. No doubt about that. They have nearly every quality I admire in a Game Fish. Their only drawback, to me, is that they are not Jumpers, meaning they do not leap on the strike or in battle.....They make up for this plenty with many of their other attributes. As a matter of fact, they would recieve high marks in every other criteria that Gamefish are judged on.....  Speed, power, change of directions, rugged, dogged. Their large eyes and excellent vision adds to the challenge of getting them to strike a hooked bait at times. Always a Challenge, never outright easy...... Futhermore, Bonito are Absolutely Beautiful in LIFE, they sport incredible horizontal racing stripes (reminiscent of Flames painted on Muscle Cars) and bars that fade in and out with an individual fishes arousal level. Also textbook body shading. All the incredible greens, blacks, silvers, and mother of pearl iridescence fades after death to a dull slate body with black horizontal stripes. This is also a fish with some very formidable teeth as well. Large and Razor sharp. King Mackerel-like. As a matter of fact the Bonito's appearance is reminiscent of a Tuna's body with a Mackerel's head. And I will throw in a Wahoo's speed, a Barracuda's disposition, and an Amberjack's stamina...... Now thats a BAD ASS FISH................... The Atlantic Bonito, Sarda Sarda's final chance to earn praise and respect is not wasted either. You see, by the time the regal Bonito makes it all the way to your dinner plate, he is once again all set to shine. Cooked any way except frying, I would give the Tuna-like Bonito meat high praise. Grilled rare to just done, it is everythibg Yelowfin Tuna is......except size of the flake. Raw dredged in soy/wasabi, it IS just as good as $500 per ounce Bluefin Toro offered at any Toyko restaurant.  Ha ha, like Id know! Cooked in a citrus bath, ceviche made from Bonito is my favorite. Salad made from boiled or leftover grilled Bonito is as good as any Tuna. So there you have it. Ive never fried Tuna but Im sure someone has.....Fried Bonito would probably work too. However,  it seems we always catch Bluefish and/or Gray Trout on our Bonito forays, so I always got a better alternative for frying...... All that in mind, Bonito are special fish. Their numbers are never great. They must not be the Greatest Fish in the Ocean at spawning or just surviving. And since they don't freeze well, don't kill more than you need. Sometimes when I am fishing, I decide that a particular fish "fought so well of a battle" that he "earned" his freedom, or better put, he "earned" his life. And I will release him back to the Ocean on a day when Id otherwise keep him. That his "fight" earned his freedom makes me feel good, however if there was consistency in my thought process, I would NEVER keep another Bonito. Because they all FIGHT SO HARD, they'd all earn their freedom. What I really want to say is, keep a few for a delicious meal, but release the others. They earned it. Remember,  when we are out fishing, it is supposed to be FUN. But the FISH are FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES. Respect your quarry. Respect your opponent. Respect the Fish.

Peace Out

The Fishing Kid

Doing Battle

This one is for Daddy

This one is for Mommy

This one is for Uncle Cory

This one is for Rameses

Capt Ryan's son, Cameron, had a great morning with us. He was pretty tough with the rod in his hands for a 4 year old...... The pictures tell the story!

May 2- Sarda Sarda Slow Play, The Whale, and The Kid

Capt Ryan and the days first Bonito

Cameron cashed in too, fatherly assisted

Capt Marty's Bonito came during the Frenzy so too much was going on for the "Live Shot"

a mile off Atlantic Beach, the Whale was hauling Ass

He also had a squadron of Dolphins jumping all around him!

Sarda Sarda is the cool as hell scientific name for the Atlantic Bonito. It stands to reason that a badass fish like the Bonito would have a badass "real name" as well..... I caught my first one back in 1987. By 1990, I learned that they were "the premier" gamefish that I access to in my 17' Boston Whaler during the SLOOOOOOWWWWWW time right before the Cobia showed up. I learned that by sitting on the Liberty Ship at AR-315 right at sunrise, I would usually get a two hour window of opportunity to "whack them"..... Back in those days, NOBODY knew what they were and 999 fishermen out of 1000 would tell you they were "No Good To Eat"..... I knew WHAT they were , because I learned how to read back in 1970 with Fish Field Guides and Fishing Books..... Anyway, I didn't care about eating them then, all I knew was they were Beautiful, Fast, Strong, Relentless, and Dogged..... I knew that they were elusive as False Albacore, struck metal jigs like Spanish Mackerel, and as tough as Bluefish..... They had EVERYTHING I desired in an Inshore Gamefish except they don't jump..... Oh well..... Back then, as well as today, they are North Carolina's Premier Inshore Gamefish in late April to Early May. Their arrival and departure is perfect. One of our first and greatest targets and they quickly move on as the Cobia move in..... They play their part in making May a Great Fishing Month. And, as a bonus, nowadays we all know that they are also a GREAT eating Fish too.... They are EVERYTHING a Yellowfin Tuna is on the plate, the only difference is the size of the loin. Just last night, I used Bonito in Ceviche, had it raw as Sashimi, and tonight I will grill it jusy like a Tuna Steak...... And for the Fishing..... In 2 hours of hunting Bonito, we saw a couple of quick, sporadic forays..... Then we saw the motherlode. An acre of boiling Bonito. it makes us wonder: How damn many Bonito there must be on this reef!!! Hundreds! Anyway, in the next 60 minutes, they never showed up again. Very disappointing. Only a fast moving Humpback Whale and his 2 dozen Bottlenosed Escorts pulled us away. And they did as we scoured the Beach for the mystical Blackfins from NeverNever Land..... Ryans little boy, Cameron, proved to be a trooper and a great young fisherman. That little boy will be an Outdoorsman Deluxe if he chooses to be. Whales nor Rain nor Wind, nothing deterred him . Going to be hard to keep him off the water. He has already sacked up his first Bonito and Bluefish. Great Short Wham Bam Trip. Total Catch for the Day: 3 Atlantic Bonito from 5-6 lbs, 12 Bluefish from 1-2 lbs, and 1 Black Sea Bass  

TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA

May 6, 2010 I nailed this 26lb Blackfin Tuna on a Stingsilver 1 mile off Atlantic Beach

WILL  MAY 2, 2016 BE THE DAY ?

May 1, 2016 Pretty Good chance Capt Marty pulled hooks on a Tuna at AR-315 casting to Bonito.... I HOPE NOT !!!!! It was SOMETHING BIG, FAST, and STRONG as hell.......

May 1, 2015 Ryan and I chased a massive school of Tuna for 45 minutes and cast dozens of times. I Pulled the Hooks on One Tuna..... They were jumping everywhere. 35 pounders down to 10 pounders. Awesome

Early May 2014  My buddy, Capt Chris Kimrey caught a Blackfin Tuna near AR 315 casting for Bonito

Early May 2013 A Blackfin Tuna was weighed in at Chasin Tails by a Cobia Fisherman

Early May 2012  Capt Chris Kimrey chased a school of Tuna off Atlantic Beach and did not hook one

Early May 2011 A Blackfin Tuna was caught off the Bogue Inlet Pier

May 6, 2010 Capt Marty Moore caught a 26 lb Blackfin Tuna off Atlantic Beach while chasing Bonito

May 1- Bonito Frenzy

Capt Ryan's first Bonito of 2016

Ryan and Steven with a double-header. These were hooked up while Capt Marty battled the Mystery Fish

Capt Marty's triumphant return to the Salt was bittersweet. Double Bitter Double Sweet actually. First of all, Capt Ryan of Team Sea Spray invited me on a Cobia hunt and since my boat is still MIA, I decided to go...... Our first stop in the gray light of early morning was on a nice vertical structure in 50 foot of water. In the next hour, we made our day on a real good Atlantic Bonito bite. We landed 5 Bonito that weighed 4-6 pounds each. Sweet.. The ceviche I make here in a little while will be great and that will cover the other Sweet! As for the Bitters, number one is my left knee.... It was a little knotty out there today and the Sea Spray Boat was crowded with 3 guys and a bunch of tackle.... It was tough on my knee. Two hours into the trip I was hurting. I kept my mouth shut because the fishing was good and I wanted to see that first Cobia. Now, 2 hours after getting home, my knee is swollen and Im crippled...Oh hell, what am I going to do..... But, MY BIGGEST PROBLEM...... was at the end of "just another cast" over breaking Bonito west of AR 315. Remember guys, every year on one single day in May, every year since 2010, there has been a school of Blackfin Tuna that has marched up Bogue Banks from west to east. I know this FOR A FACT.... Anyway, I DO NOT think today was THE day. However, on that one cast, I had a strike and figured I had my third Bonito.. Wrong, this was no Bonito. This fish dumped 150 yards of line in a straightaway line burning run. No Bonito that I ever hooked has ever done anything close to that. Then my mystery fish turned and charged offshore. I reeled furiously. As my line sliced the surface across the bow, the hook pulled. Fish gone. Another Trophy Escaped. Capt Marty's slump continues. This one hurt. Mystery Fish, was it a Blackfin Tuna???? Crazy, it acted like a 30 lb King Mackerel. Damn if I know! Maybe it was a 20 lb Bonito? I did not see any Albacore, I dont think it was an Albacore! Dogtooth Tuna? Just kidding, I really haven't a clue what it was.... It struck in a frenzy of Bonito and Bluefish. Unfortunately,  I will never know. Its over and that fish is gone....Dammit. We also caught Bluefish and Black Sea Bass. No Cobia sighted. Total Fish for the Day: 5 Atlantic Bonito from 4-6 lbs, 18 Bluefish up to 2 lbs, and 2 Black Sea Bass