Next Week's Open Dates and Bullet Mackerel

BULLET MACKERELS are here again........

When I get home next time all this wind and cold will be a distant memory! I am OPEN and AVAILABLE for Charter on:

April 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7

It appears I know where some Red Drum and Bluefish are holed up.... I'd expect that on a pretty day I could find some decent Black Sea Bass and possibly even a nice Flounder in 60+ feet of water...  Inside, it's about time for the Puffers, Sea Mullet, and Gray Trout to show up. And......

I'm not sure if anyone on Planet Earth has ever attempted, stumbled into, or purposely targetted
Bullet Mackerel on Fly! But, I honestly believe it would be very very possible to catch a Bullet Mackerel on Fly Tackle. Last Saturday there was acres of them on the East Side. Bullet Mackerel are nearly identical to Little Tunny (False Albacore, Fat Albert) only much smaller. These fish are very difficult to target with the traditional metal lures on spinning tackle. These fish attack in waves, racing across the surface of the water in formations 25 to 40 fish wide and can stay in an area for a pretty long time. They are usually accompanied by a flock of Terns hovering over the action. They seem to be pretty approachable by boat but, then again, I've seen them spooked by the splash of a stingsilver hitting the water! The biggest problem with Bullet Mackerel are that they feed on really tiny stuff and unlike Spanish Mackerel, Albacore, or Bonito, they make very very few exceptions. What I mean is, the stingsilver or spoon you throw is to big for One of them, it's too big for ALL of them.... Very rare that one strikes a "castable metal lure". Sabiki strings have worked okay for me at drawing strikes, but they also have a drawback. When you actually do hook one, their weak jaw structure combined with their incredibly powerful propulsion unit usually results in a pulled hook and the smaller the hook, the easier it pulls out... After chasing them extensively the past 3 years, I'm convinced a Fly Rod is the way to go! I guess what it all boils down to is "who cares?" It's a small, oily Mackerel and it is very much an unknown species.... Mostly misidentified as a "baby Albacore".... Anyway, if I go by myself next week and if the weather is pretty enough, I will take my 5wt Fly Rod and give it a try. I'm all for a challenge and I like weird and feisty fish! We'll see what happens. I would rather take clients out for a limit of Red Drum and a bucket full of Bluefish! It's March and fresh fish are hard to come by!

March 25- More Winter Weather

Can you believe that tonight/tomorrow in the general area of both Beaufort and Hatteras we have Storm Warnings Offshore (48 kts-63 kts), Gale Warnings along the Coast (34 kts-47 kts), a Coastal Flood Advisary,  and a Freeze Warning. Tomorrow is going to be brutally cold and disgustingly windy. The Winter of 2014 refuses to relax its frigid grip..... Fishing will be at a standstill..... Meanwhile, I'm pretty excited. Jennifer and I have got us a little camping trip planned to Mt Morrow State Park. Therefore, I've been scouring the Internet looking for a way to incorporate a Fishing Trip into this Vacation. It seems that the "fishy" Pee Dee River and Blewett Falls Reservoir are both very close by! So, I got me a little Catfish Trip planned and I also figure that I might be able to catch some fish on my own as well.... The Shad Run on the Pee Dee is supposed to be legendary. Foot access is something that I have no idea about! However, it warms my heart just thinking about the possibilities!

By the way, on this vacation I will be fishing with very highly thought of and respected Fishing Guide named Robbie Burr. Robbie's website is:

www.pdfishingadventures.com

After a quick glance all I got to say is, that place looks like Catfish City to me! We all know that me and Columbo are "The World's Worst Catfishermen". Hopefully I will gain a shred of insight and knowledge that I can put to use in the Neuse River when I get home!

2014 RATES

My HALF DAY PRICE is now  $450

My FULL DAY PRICE is now  $650

My NIGHT FISHING PRICE is now  $450



Sorry Guys. Effective on April 1, 2014

Blame Gas Prices, Oil Companies, Obama, but mostly the Service Dept over at Portside Marina. I love those guys at Portside, but they damn sure been getting a lot of My Money lately.......

Besides, everyone else was already charging at least $450

March 22- Finally Fishing

Luke set this Fishing Trip up a long time ago. You roll the dice on predicting the weather in March! You pick a day and hope for the best. Luke picked a great day! This morning was beautiful, with no wind and glassy conditions, but the forecast was 15-20 SW and increasingly rough seas. We pretty much knew it the bad weather was coming! The Captain's Dilemma: Should we play it safe and run to out the Southwest and the Art Reefs off Atlantic Beach? Catch a bunch of junk and brag about Dogsharks..... Or should we take the gamble and run to the East and catch a bunch of good stuff? There was the distinct possibility of getting caught by the wind and then we'd face a brutally long, cold, wet, miserable ride home? Well, we rolled the dice again and ran east. We had a nice ride up to Cape Lookout, but the water on the Shoals was "snotty" as usual.... Once we busted a hole in a wall of white water and crossed the Cape Lookout Shoals, we found flat seas and light 10 kt winds..... We ran a couple miles until we found our "Secret Spot". Upon arrival, we immediately crushed the Bluefish. Doubleheaders on speck rigs. We also caught a limit of slot-sized Red Drum. We also caught a few Sea Bass and a nice Spottail Pinfish.  It was a Great Fishing Session. As soon as we got our 3rd Red Drum we picked up and ran back across the Shoals to safety. As soon we busted through a wall of breakers, the wind jumped from 10 kts to 20 kts. Just in time. We drifted inside the Cape Lookout Bight for a few minutes and Luke caught a Spiny Dogshark. With winds picking up we ran for home. Great Day. It worked out perfectly. Total Catch for the Day: 35 Bluefish  12oz  to 1 lb 8oz, 3 Red Drum  23" to 26", 3 Black Sea Bass up to 15", 1 Spottail Pinfish, and a 10 lb Spiny Dogfish

March 19- Hickory Shad Quest

This weekend I've got some prospective World Record Seekers that are looking to put their names in the IGFA Yearbook, the lone "Authority" on Fishing Records and Capt Marty's Holy Grail"..... Anyway, they are coming a long ways to try this and I needed to check out the River conditions, the Hickory Shad populations, and I need to take this information and also consider the weather forecast so I can give the "Green Light" or the "Red Light" to this Fishing Expedition..... As usual, for all my River questions and any general knowledge that I attain, I always turn to Capt Tuggy for the answers. Tuggy grew up on these Rivers and him and his father are a vast wealth of information and experience... So today, Capt Tuggy was kind enough to take me out on a Neuse River Scouting trip. Under normal conditions, I can do alright Shad Fishing in the Neuse. However, this year there has been one big Rain, Snow, and Ice event after another and all the Eastern North Carolina Rivers are high and dirty. Flood Stage or close to it..... We need 2-3 weeks of dry weather. We ain't getting it, as a matter of fact, we fished in the rain today.... So today, Capt Tuggy took me to several new places..... The one that made the best impression on me was Grindle Creek. I did well here. I had a pair of doubles. I had a little rally that got me 12-15 bites in a 10 minute span..... Unfortunately, out of 18 Hickory Shad that we landed, only one was a female. These female Hickory Shad will be the one's that we will be seeking and trying to catch if our "Record Seeking" trip happens...... My angler and I have some decisions to make. Thank goodness, Capt Tuggy is also available to "raise the odds" that my anglers will be successful in their Record Quest. Total Catch for the Day: 18 Hickory Shad up to 1 lb 8oz

March 17- Weather Concerns and MAY Open Dates

I getting my bags packed to go home. I got a big week scheduled. Some "pretty important" Hickory Shad Fishing and a regular day of fishing out of Beaufort Inlet. I'm concerned about the Shad Fishing. The Rivers have been at Flood Stage and we are getting more rain and it looks like even more tomorrow. That's not good. I've got a tough judgement call to make very soon..... Why can't it be sunny, warm, and windy today, tomorrow, and wednesday? Dry this place out! The THRILL of the second Monkfish is fading.... It's time to catch some fish. Past time. I just need a break from the Weather Gods. March Madness for me is staring at the Rain fall and worrying about missed opportunities.....

Also, My Open Dates for May are now posted..... COBIA FISHING TIME which has recently evolved into our MOST POPULAR and SOUGHT AFTER INSHORE GAMEFISH on the NC COAST

As always, break the BOAT RECORD (94 lbs) and get a FREE Half Day Trip

March 15- Surf Strikeout on The Ides of March

Believe it or not those 2 pictures above were taken within 10 minutes of each other... I swear, I'm not lying. That's amazing.

Oh yeah, I fished the Buxton Jettys today and the Sloughs off the Hatteras Village Beaches.... I caught nothing but it felt good. I went hard too. I made 100 casts. My elbow hurts from throwing..... Today's real fishy fun started when I cleaned last nights 14 lb Monkfish.. Total Catch for the Day: Nothing

BTW, The Ides of March is significant because it is the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44BC  ***see Capt Marty ain't no idiot

Amazing Tidbits of Monkfish Knowledge

As I process and devour the Monkfish I will offer up little tidbits of info..... Starting with (1) Top Picture: One of 2 Roe that was in this female Monkfish. Incredible, I have never seen anything like this. This single Egg Veil was over 7 feet long. There was another identical Roe on the other side. Absolutely Crazy!

Yesterday I was at The Hatterasman, a very popular local landmark that turns out World Class Bacon Cheeseurgers and lots of other great food.... Anyway, the owner/cook/manager Frank overheard me tell someone that I had caught a Monkfish last week. Frank said that if I ever caught another one, to bring it in and he'd cook it up for me! I said sure man, but it took me 12 years to get my first one but I'll be sure to remember your offer.... As fate would have it, 4 hours later I had another Monkfish.... So, I literally just dropped off a bag of Monkfish meat and I'm set to pick up a platter of fried Monkfish bites, Hatterasman Style, at 2 pm!

So I picked up my fish.... Frank hooked me up with 2 boxes stuffed with Monkfish bites. One cajun fried and one regular. He also made me a Monkfish Sandwich. How is it, you wonder? It is absolutely incredible. The Sandwich was The Best Fish Sandwich I've ever had. Period. And, hell, all it was was a bun and a 4" thick chunk of hot fish. I dapped it with cocktail sauce. The fish is luxurious. Best taste bumped up by the best texture. Not sure what else to say. The Hatterasman cooked it up way better that I cooked the other one. That's to be expected. They cook. I fish. Also, I got enough "bites" to feed 5 or 6 of the Ferry Jokers... Yep, the very ones that would've "poured Coffee on it" ha ha ha. or "throw a rock at it, man"..... Picture Beavis and Butthead in Ferry Unis...... Finally, the best part: Frank at The Hatterasman charged me........

$0.00
    
Incredible. He kept enough fish for him and his Dad. Damn that's awesome. If you guys pass through Hatteras Village, stop by and see Frank. Monkfish Sandwich if they got it... If not, Bacon Cheeseburger.

The bottom picture is the jawbones of my Monkfish. The jaw itself was very complex. Hard to describe and I was in a hurry. Hopefully I will catch another one and really be able to examine this bad boy..... Also, the teeth are amazing.... You would have to see this to believe it, but lots of individual teeth have INDIVIDUAL CAMOUFLAGE. Its amazing. Many of those long "dagger" teeth were sheathed in a paper thin mottled brown wisp of skin!

March 14- March Monkfish Madness

As Referees in Greensboro "blue" or "swallowed" their whistles in accordance with Conference  Headquaters Directives..... Many miles to the East, Capt Marty waged battle with another of Mother Earth's Cold Water Super Predators: The Monkfish..... Two weeks after capturing my first of these highly prized food fish, I was working diligently on deck when I heard my Co-Chief Kerry frantically calling my name. When I looked up, Kerry, who was standing on the Ramp, was pointing into the water and was drawing the attention of more co-workers. I knew immediately that it was a Monkfish! Fearing that a couple of my playful co-workers would "pour coffee on him" or "throw rocks at him" or "flick cigarette butts at him", I raced to my Truck and grabbed my 8 ft gaff and my Drum Rod already rigged up with a white gulp. The Rod could've been important if Mr Monkfish had've slipped out around the clusters! As it was, the Apex Predator was still patrolling the Bulkhead. Therefore, in I uncharacteristic fashion, I ignored "fishing etiquette", and quickly free-gaffed the Monkfish. So it was done. Not real fishing, this was purely collecting food! However, it is a very High-End Food Item we're talking about! Top Quality Sea Food. A Chef's Choice..... The last Monkfish was certainly delicious and it was a big one at 25 lbs. This one is smaller at 14 lbs. Regardless of the method of capture, it is a impressive and unusual catch! Total Catch for the Night: 14 lb Monkfish

***I apologize for the photo quality but they were cell phone shots with no flash....However, I kinda like them. They have a surreal haziness to them that definitely matches the unique physical presense, mystique and aura this fish possesses. It is definitely a "different" kind of beast than I'm used to handling***

March 11- Futile Efforts in the Hatteras Surf

Back to work time for me and this morning I drove the "new" Top Water Truck around the "Circle 'round Pamlico Sound" Route just so I could try to catch me a Red Drum from the surf..... The Bite has been going strong since October! With light winds and warm air temperatures, today was a sure thing, right? Well, wrong..... Actually, I was not surprised. Since I am not yet willing to drive my new Truck out to Cape Point (where the Drum chewed again this morning). Kerry and I had to fish at the Buxton Jetties, a scene of past conquests, but not on this day.... Sadly, I gave up after 30 casts. It felt good to feel the cold Ocean Water collapse my waders against my legs. Very therapeutic and refreshing, but that's not why we go fishing..... Kerry, on the other hand, who last week, after living 25 years on Hatteras Island decided: "Dammit I'm Going Fishing".... He boldly went out and bought: 1. Reel.  2. Rod  3. Line 4.  Leadheads.  5. Gulp.  6. Fishing License.  And finally 7. Waders.  Now, one week into his Fishing Career he is still searching for his first bite. His final purchase needs to be a 8. Beach Driving Permit which will unfortunately lead to 9. New 4 WD Truck. Which will lead to Divorce and Child Support and then Kerry will be on the Beach searching for cheap protein like the Naked and Afraid people or The Guy that Switched from Cable to Dish..... Anyway, Kerry tossed his Gulp 200 times and we had nothing to show for it..... Never fear, we have 6 more days and we will catch some fish... Maybe I'll even surprise us with another Monkfish at night around the Ferry Docks or something even more remarkable.... Like an Atlantic Torpedo. I saw one of those one year around the Ferry Docks too. I love the variety that Hatteras offers in the Winter. There isn't much to see, but when you do see something, the potential is there to GET SHOCKED...... Total Catch for the Day: NOTHING

March 5- Top Water Tidbits and Fried Monkfish

Here we are approaching Mid-March and the winter weather continues. Yesterday I drove through 125 miles of icy roads and cold rain. Today, it's cold and wet and miserable. Lots of people complain that we don't get but a "little taste" of winter here on the North Carolina Coast. Well, this year I saw we've had a full share. Now it's time to warm up and dry out. Let us get out and intercept those migrating Shad. Let us scour the Shoals and Beaches for Red Drum. Let us get back out in the Big Water and sample the Ocean's bounty. See what kind of oddities turn up.... Like a Codfish, a Pollock, or even a Monkfish!

Speaking of Monkfish, I fried mine up last night. I cut it up into little nuggets and rolled it in Autry's Seafood Breader. In the Frying Pan, it swelled up and browned very slowly. It was obviously reluctant to give up its moisture! I feared overcooking it as I really wanted a nice golden fish nugget. When I finally got the color I desired, it was time for the big test..... Jennifer! And after the first forkful a smile spread across her face and she said she loved it! Mission Accomplished! On the plate and in the palate it turned out very different in texture and wetness than any fish I'd ever tried before, while being very mild and very delicious. My lasting impression of it was this: This high quality meat deserved better than to be simply dunked in hot grease. An intelligent, highly skilled cook, otherwise known as a Chef, that knows his business could've turned the Monkfish nuggets into a culinary treat or fine entree.... My method of cooking deserves a Bluefish or a Trout fillet, not a Monkfish nugget.... that being said, my favorite Restaurant, Ruddy Ducks, is currently selling Cajun Monkfish Bites as an appetizer. I will eat over there this week and try their spin on Monkfish bites.

The Top Water Boat is in the shop getting some scheduled maintenance and has also tossed me a $500 surprise. Dammit.... Admiral Currin always said "B-O-A-T" stood for "Break Out Another Thousand"... As in Dollars. $1000. It sucks paying out big bucks when the old Scow just sits in the yard. It'll all be worth it when the first Cobia of the season hits the deck....

Thanks guys and I appreciate you guys following me despite the LACK of FISHING

March 1- The Biggest Suprize in a Long Time

Things can change fast when fishing. Your luck can do a 180 in a split second. Doesn't matter if you are trolling in the Gulf Stream or standing on a Sea Wall in the middle of a cold winter.... I know its easy to envision a quick turn around offshore.... Hours with no action and suddenly you hook up 5 Yellowfin Tuna at once. Or a Blue Marlin shows up! What about the cold, windy Sea Wall in the dead of winter? Well, the Ocean is Full of treasures and they can take many shapes.... Tonight, in order to be thrilled, I first needed to be disappointed.... And only a hardcore "fish person" could understand my anxiety. It all started with a school of mystery fish swimming around the Hatteras side at high tide. A group of small, silvery fish that had an incredible burst of speed and nearly became airborne when panicked..... After much observation, I theorized that they were a small group of fishes that belong to the Shad or Herring Family... There are at least 4 species that "run up" our Rivers to spawn in the Spring and these species are just now finding their way into our Inlets and River Mouths right now.... I also figured these guys were too small to be American Shad or Hickory Shad, therefore they had to be Blueback Herring or Alewife. I had a similar encounter with Blueback Herring on the old Causeway Pier back in Morehead City in February of 1989. I wanted to catch one bad, but when we got back 2 hours later and I was rigged up, they were gone.... I was a little disappointed.... Little Kerry and I hooked up the fuel and started to fuel up the Ferry.... Then I saw a sight that shocked me. At first I thought it was a small Sea Turtle... Then I saw what it was.... A sight that I have patiently waited for since my last encounter which was in March of 2002. A Monkfish. And a big one at that.... Too make a short story short shorter (it is 3am) Let's just say Capt Marty got him. I'm guessing him to weigh about 25 lbs. He liked the gulp bait we'd been using for Red Drum and as a fighter, he was very sluggish. Plenty of structure around and he didnt take advantage of it. Also, I keep a gaff in my truck just for this reason. Mr Monkfish was gaffed before he knew it! And, by the way, it's proper name is Goosefish and it is a member of the Anglerfish Family. And this awesome fish actually has a "fishing rod and lure" attached to it's head and is visible in the bottom picture..... Finally, it is supposed to a GREAT GREAT Food Fish, so I can't wait to try it! Total Catch for the Day: 25 lb Goosefish

A VERY SLACK WINTER

Dear Fishing Fanatics,

I am sorry for not giviniwg you guys anything to follow so far this winter. Not so long ago, the winter fishing season was fantastic,'.  Sadly, the Red Drum never showed up in the Ocean down at Cape Lookout. No Albacore showed up nearshore this winter. The Speckled Trout? Everyone knows that story. Striped Bass are History and honestly may be in need of another moratorium. Beaufort Inlet's Bluefin Tuna have been extinct for 7-10 years.... Damn this is depressing as Hell..... Quite honestly, I never even found any Dog Sharks this winter.. It's been as Bleak as I can ever remember. Thank goodness for those Red Drum in the surf at Hatteras. As a matter of fact, fishing at Hatteras has been good this winter for lots of stuff... Hopefully, with Spring right around the corner and water temps soon to be on the rise, the fish are coming and will spread out up and down the NC coast. Hungry and Aggressive. It's been a long cold winter.. Thanks for hanging in there with me and hopefully there will be quite a few pictures of Hickory Shad, Atlantic Bonito, Bluefish, Cobia, and Smiling Faces in the near future.....

Thanks again,

Capt Marty

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