March 25- Fly Rod Flurry

Right at sunset. Twenty minutes of action in the Pond closest to my house in Beaufort, NC. Spat, spat, slurp. Every cast for a while. Rises and Swirls. Bites until a hook-up. Bluegills and Pumpkinseeds. I could not get a Largemouth Bass to bite this afternoon. I do love tossing popping bugs. I actually fished for 15 minutes with a plastic worm too. No luck. I got a worm "cut in two". I figured it had to be a turtle because I have yet to see a Bluefish in the Beaufort Mung Holes. Total Catch for the Day: 5 Bluegills and 4 Pumpkinseeds

March 22- Capt Marty is going for a Comeback

I it has been a SLOW winter for me. About the same time I was landing maybe the Greatest Fish of my Lifetime, a 16 pound Brown Trout on my 5wt fly rod in a New York tributary, I was also feeling a twinge of pain in my right knee...... Now, here I lay 5 months later and I am feeling an incredible amout of pain in my left knee. Nearly constant ache accompanied by the sharpest "jab" of pain I have EVER EXPERIENCED. This pain rips throughout my left knee every single time I move it from a straight position to any "bent" position. In other words, bent means anywhere over the entire range of motion. Pretty much, my left knee has left me "crippled". Incredibly, a few weeks ago, my right knee was much, much worse than my left knee. I just dont get it!  Before November of 2015, I had never experienced knee pain. If you guys remember, back in 2011 I experienced a blown disk in my lower back. Thankfully, that injury is not causing any discomfort right now. The knees though, that is another story. This new pain, the intensely sharp jolts of pain that rip through my left knee are a Life Changer. It has been very very hard to get excited about Fishing. It has been nearly impossible to work on my Boat. I havent missed much work on the NC Ferrys. A 7 day stint on the Ferry this winter have left me starting my week off with swollen knees that have resulted in water being drained off them and steroid shots into the knee. In other words, Capt Marty has lived 50 years of "Charmed Life" but is suffering now. Hopefully things will change soon. I gave an MRI scheduled and Im starting to feel excited about another season. 2016 will mark my 16th year as a FISHING GUIDE. I am trying to work up a jaunt to the Roanoke River for Rockfish and Hickory Shad. I am starting to feel the excitement for the upcoming Bonito run. Cobia and Chopper Bluefish too....... Please Knees Get Better.

There are Fish that need Catching

March 10- Poor Capt Marty's Pity Party

Tonight is Thursday March 10 of the great year 2016. It is a beautiful night in Eastern North Carolina. In Beaufort, a quaint little village nestled away from civilization down by Cape Lookout and Fort Macon. Historical and Geographic standouts in their own right..... I digress..... Back to Beaufort. In Beaufort, I have a nice little house and in that house waits a beautiful, perky, funny, smart, ( and sexy) little woman that I call "my wife". That's amazing. She waits in a comfortable, plush, warm and inviting bed. She waits for me, her husband, to come home from a day spent in pursuit of Hickory Shad. Poor Jennifer. She really could SOOOOO much better. Sadly, I ain't coming home. Me and my "other woman" Emma, are holed up at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park near Seven Springs, NC and on the shore of the mighty Neuse River. See my goal is to obtain enough Shad Roe to feed my Ferry Crew next week at work . Wish me Luck. My "BAD LUCK" streak is nearly 15 months now. Everybody used to say "Capt Marty is living a Charmed Life." Not anymore. It's a SUCKFEST now! Jennifer and Emma are all I got......
Total Catch for the Day: 12 Hickory Shad

March 9- Why Did I Go Fishing

Why did I go fishing today? One day I decide to go fishing. I caught a nice Largemouth Bass and a nice Bluegill. But after two trips around the Pond, I decided to slip out on a Dock that was submerged under about 2" of water. From my perspective, if I went out on this dock, I could hit lots of fishy shoreline in both directions. So....... I pulled my socks off and tiptoes out on the Dock. Three steps out, my feet found a slick spot covered with submerged algae. After 2-3 seconds of undetermined spastic balance seeking..... I crashed down, bad knees, bad back, cold water, and all..... So as I slid off the submerged Dock into the Pond Proper...... I checked myself for injuries. All I determined was that I had a saturated cell phone. $500 blown. Nice Bass. Nice Bream. Nice Life I got going here. Total Catch for the Day: 1 Largemouth Bass and 1 Bluegill

Jan 16- Pumpkinseeds and Bass

Here is an old picture of Little Sid when we were still roommates... Those were good times!

Before the NFL Games kicked off, I found myself all alone (me and Emma) and all my chores were done.... Jennifer was off doing "woman things" so I said, what the hell, I'm going to do some "man things".... To me that means Fishing. Here lately, that means tossing a popping bug or perhaps a San Juan Worm to our Beaufort City Limits stunted Bluegill populations...... So that's what I did. As usual, the goal was a Beaufort Freshwater Grand Slam. As y'all know by now, this consists of the very common Bluegill, the always sporty but sometimes hard to find Largemouth Bass, and the very shy but beautiful Pumpkinseed..... Most of the year, the Pumpkinseed is the key to "The SLAM". They can be very hard to find sometimes..... NO, that's not right... The Ponds are very small, therefore the Pumpkinseed are not hard to find, in reality, I guess it can just be a little more difficult to get a Pumpkinseed to bite sometimes.... In Fishing and Fish Literature, the Pumpkinseed is usually described as Shy or a very Non-Aggressive Species. A few years ago, I made my very own Scientific Assessment of the Tenacity and Aggression of the Pumpkinseed Species. In my self-created Environment, I studied Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, and White Perch extensively for over three years.... In my experience, my observations were somewhat surprising and would change the way Fish Science views the Pumpkinseed Species.... (As if ANYONE really cared what went down in my 38 gallon Aquarium) Ha Ha Ha Ha...... I sounded imporatnt for a minute there!  Truthfully though, I can not speak for the entirety of the Pumpkinseed Species Worldwide..... But in my controlled environment , my Pumpkinseed proved to be very very nocturnal.. Shy during the daylight hours, he would go absolutely berserk at night and was far and away the most aggressive fish in my Aquarium. He did all his damage at night..... All this would be good to know if the Pumkinseed grew to 5 to 8 pounds and was a great eating fish and a very valuable "market species"..... As it is, who cares if the once thought shy Pumpkinseed is actually a bad ass tail-nipper of the Pond.... with his 6oz size, a pack of Pumpkinseed  could surely reek havoc all the other stunted Bluegills and Bass of the Beaufort Ponds.... Back to the Fishing... The water was high in all locations after yesterdays rainfall.... The normally shy Pumpkinseed were pretty active. I got several to eat my fly. I also found a few small Largemouth Bass to bite.... Strangely absent today was the normally common Bluegill. I suspect that a few of my missed bites today was very small Bluegill. I do not encounter very many little tiny Pumpkinseed in my Beaufort Freshwater Fly Fishing.... All the Pumpkinseed I catch are small, but none of them are tiny. By comparison, I catch many many Bluegill that are no bigger than a Silver Doll. My old pet Bluegill, Little Sid was one of these "tiny Bluegills". By the way, Little Sid was well over a pound when I released him. I figured that I would've caught him by now. But I haven't. It's been a couple of years. I'm starting to lose hope.... Every cast in that I make in that Pond, Little sid is my thoughts.... I bet he is a damn Stud if he's still alive. Maybe one day I will find him! Total Catch for the Day: 8 Pumpkinseed and 2 Largemouth Bass

Capt's Prayers

Will my Prayer's be answered? I'm not asking for much........ Just the Winning $900million Powerball Number. A solution to my "now chronic" knee pain, my pay check from last week, a mount of my 35" long 16 lb Brown Trout, and a really nice platter of sushi and sashimi....

Is that too much to ask?

Jan 7- 1000 Trips

I forgot this little tidbit of info...... On October 21, 2015 Jim and Trish chartered me for a great day of fishing.... The Albacore Fishing was superb. We released 17 Albacore on light spinning tackle and we casted to some shifty, bruiser sized Bluefish too..... We saw a young Humpback Whale off Shackleford Banks and we saw an incredible Nature Show down off Atlantic Beach.... Millions upon Millions of baitfish. What we call "red bait" were being herded and assaulted from above and below..... Terns, Gulls, Pelicans, Comerants.,....... Bottlenosed Dolphin. Fish. You name it. It was great day. Great Fishing and a Great Show. Jim and Trish were outstanding clients in every way.

After a day like that, it was a great time to reflect..... On 15 years of being a Fishing Guide. On 30+ years of HARD CORE Saltwater Fishing..... I knew I was close to a personal landmark and when I got home I checked my old records...... I was excited and meant to make a BLOG Entry but..... Then the Fly Wheel Cracked. The Magnets Fractured. The Top Water Boat was OUT OF COMMISSION.... I still haven't gotten it fixed because a litany of personal problems.... I went to NY and winter was coming AND I thought winter was upon us..... In hindsight, I should've got her fixed already.....

As for the Landmark...... The trip on October 21st with Jim and Trish was my


1000th Fishing Trip with being Clients since I began in the year 2000!

Jan 5- Insomnia and The Virginia Creeper Trail

For those that may be worried about me.... I'd like to report that my Insomnia is doing just fine!

Its 117am and I get up at 530am for a Day of Ferry Boating.... Nothing to do but lay here and scan the Internet.... College Athletic Scandal reading has me down so I have moved on to searching for Personal Adventures.     The Virginia Creeper Trail has my interst piqued.  (Is that a word)

I can't wait to bike it and fly fish it, my challenge will be bringing Emma along.  She goes where Jennifer and I go. Like American Express...... I can't leave home without my Overgrown Yellow Stenchpot. I love that damn Dog.

Anyone who has visited the Creeper Trail, I look forward to your comments!

Jan 3- 50 Year Old Fly Rod (At Least)

A Pumpkinseed..... Always the Prettiest Fish of the Day

Emma moments before making the decision to go Swimming!

This little Bluegill was the first fish on the Ted Williams Rod

This little Bluegill was interesting

Years ago, my Momma bought me an old Ted Williams Signature Sears Roebuck 3 1/2 weight Fly Rod. It is made from freaking Bamboo! She bought it at a Yard Sale and paid a Dollar for it. It came with its original vinyl zippered case. I knew it was old. I knew it was cool. I fished but didn't fly fish so I set it aside and never gave it another thought. I had no idea then, or now, what this Fly Rod is worth. Nowadays I am doing a little fly fishing and I spend lots of time fantasizing about far away places and big fish on my fly rods! That's where my interest is right now. In reality, around here, if I want to "fly fish", unfortunately it means casting small popping bugs to Beaufort's mostly stunted population of Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Pumpkinseed. I long for Salmon, Trout, Walleye, and Pike..... So I figured, if I must catch puny runts in Beaufort...... I might as well do it with an ancient Bamboo Sears Rod. So I bought a cheap 3 wt reel from Cabelas and off to the Mung Holes #1 and #2 I went..... interruptions were frequent..... Emma is a pain in the ass to "Pond Fish" with... She thinks I can pretty much fish no matter what she does. She's right. The Fishing isn't affected, just the catching. A 90 lb Yellow Lab splashing around in 4 feet of water pretty much puts an end to any potential top water action around the shoreline. Thanks Emma. I did manage quite a few Bluegills and one Pumpkinseed before the big Yellow splashdown. No Bass. That sucked. I love the Beaufort Freshwater Grand Slam. The old 3 1/2 weight Fly Rod wouldve made Ted Williams proud. Fished just like it did when brand new, I'd guess..... . When I got home, I wiped it down and I put it up. One day I might pull it out again. I will look it up and try to date it and try to see what its worth. That will be interesting. As will my trip to an Orthopedic Surgeon tommorrow. Still llimping around. Bad knees. Total Catch for the Day: 8 Bluegill and 1 Pumpkinseed

Merry Christmas

Mine aint so Merry. But it is Christmas so be happy.... I am having trouble (as usual) posting pictures. I am at my breaking point People. Computers. Cell Phones. Pictures. Fly Wheels. Outboards. Knees. Backs. I am Sick of All of It. I got a really neat picture and story of a Tarpon caught on Hatteras Island 3 days ago

But.......

As with everythng else....Hope it gets better. Don't count on it.....

Temp at Ocracoke on Dec 26 is 73. Sunny. Slick Cam. Praying for 20 degrees. Wind and 8" Snow

Dec 16- Painful Right Knee

Still waiting on Workmans Comp and a diagnosis. This is getting old and a sense that "this may not end well".

Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.....

On the fishing front, great weather and I've seen Bluefin Tunas, Speckled Trout, and Sea Mullets!

Dec 11- Knee Injury

Well Damn...... Capt Marty is still on the Injured Reserve and there is NO RELIEF in sight..... So, I hurt my knee on November 12th and here it is a month later and I am still being held in limbo by the "system". Mostly my fault, I know that.... When I hurt my right knee back on Nov 11th, I had hoped it was minor and would go away..... Well, it didn't. It really hasn't gotten much worse, but it damn sure ain't got no better.... Now, I've had X-Rays, which were negative and I have been told that I need to see an Orthopedic Surgeon.... However, my case is moving very slowly and I'm still waiting to see if I'm accepted by Workman's Comp..... In the meantime, I am getting very frustrated by the nagging, constant pain in my right knee and also I am hit by incredibly scary and sharp JOLTS OF PAIN approximately 15-20 times per day..... What really sucks though is the ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL WEATHER and the fact that the waters right off Beaufort Inlet are teeming with Big Sea Mullet, mixed sizes of Gray and Speckled Trout, plenty of Albacore, and a steady trickle of Bluefin Tuna up to 700 lbs...... And I can't do a damn thing because of my knee..... I am just waiting for my back to erupt in pain, folks.... I can't take anything else negative or (especially) painful...... Right now, the weather is great and the fish are biting...... I got a great wife and a great life. Why am I suffering dammit..... Is this a Test?

Hopefully something good is right around the corner for me!

Dec 1- Notes

First, I am home fron Ocracoke and I am nursing an ailing knee. I am actually sitting in my Doctor's Office right now as we speak. My Boat Motor is crippled. Now, I am crippled. In the meantime, both the Bluefin Tuna and Speckled Trout are doing their thing! The Tunas are also being harassed by Giant Mako Shark, which is cool as Hell. I have well documented the "Saltwater Fishing Burnout" that I'm being plagued by. Now 400 lb Tunas and 7 lb Trouts excite me...... But my swollen right knee causes me to hesitate. However, the thought of a 10 foot, 450 lb Mako hurling itself into a 12 foot high backwards somersalt definitely excites me. To hell with that knee, I will be looking a ride tomorrow!

The Undefeated Carolina Panthers

As the Bluefin Tuna were being caught on the Crystal Coast, Capt Marty could've cared less! HA! Never thought we'd get to this point. I remember, about 12-13 years ago, a good friend of mine and avid fisherman AND probably Carteret County and North Carolina's BEST COBIA on BOTTOM BAIT fishermen, I am talking about Jeremy Cannon..... Anyway, Jeremy sold his boat and pretty much QUIT FISHING. He told me, "Marty, there is MORE TO LIFE THAN FISHING".......

Blasphemy. Never Ever would I consider making such a statement.... Until very recently, I considered a Day that I didn't go Fishing, I considered a MISSED OPPORTUNITY and there WAS NO WAY TO EVER MAKE IT UP. It was devastating to miss a day of fishing. My goal was to fish every single day....

Recently, that has changed. While not ready to announce there's more to life than fishing, my wants and needs and desires have changed..... Make that my "Fishing" Desires..... I WANT to go to Far Away Places and Fish for Beautiful Freshwater Fish in Beautiful Places..... I am NO LONGER driven to fish every single day of my life with Cape Lookout as my backdrop. No, I want a Mountain Stream or a Great Lake, or some other far away location in my background. It used to be my "travel dollar" was ALL spent headed South, chasing exotic Saltwater Species down through the Florida Keys..... Nowadays, I'm dreaming towards the North Star. My fantasy is to battle a Steelhead or Atlantic Salmon while standing knee deep in a clear cold river while soft fluffy snow falls around me. Meanwhile, my beautiful, sexy wife waits by a roaring campfire with camp coffee brewing and a 4oz medium rare Flat Iron Steak sizzles.... Of course, she is wearing only a pair of Mink Fur Scarfs and Fluffy Boots and our Velvet covered Air Mattress with Silky Sleeping Bags wait inside our strangely warm tent and Emma is happily tied off to a nearby Tree..... Ooopppps, I'm rambling......

Back to this weekend..... In spite of the Tuna Bite, my mind was Far From Fishing and Jennifer and I traveled to Charlotte to see the 9 and 0 Carolina Panthers play.... Honestly, this was probably the first time I have traveled anywhere in the last 20 years with NO Rod and Reel packed somewhere......

Charlotte was great. The game was great. Cam Newton was great. Luke Kuechly was great. It was great to see Chris Culliver (Garner Boy), Robert Griffin III (College Football Legend), Colt McCoy (College Football Legend). We saw Cam Newton pass for 5 TDs. We saw a Deadskin run a Kickoff Back for a TD. We saw Culliver run an Int back for a TD, only to get it called back. Game Changer. We saw Greg Olsen set a Team Record (all time TE recieving yards). We saw how incredible an "EVENT" an NFL Game really is....... It was a GREAT TIME and I have NO REGRETS about missing the Fishing. Honestly, I need to get busy trying to get my Outboard motor fixed.... I miss Fishing, I really do. I have seen some nice Speckled Trout caught and some monster Bluefin Tunas... I need to get back in the game. In the meantime..... We got FOOTBALL... And there is More To Life Than Fishing. I think I need a little diversity in my life..... Too much Fishing from April of 1986 until November of 2014 (when my stuff was stolen). Right now, I need to add a little Fishing back into my Life and find that perfect Balance. And be patient until I can hit my next Freshwater Adventure Trip.

My Apology

I am sorry for last nights tirade. The thieves that stole my equipment never got punished and, at the same time, the Bluefin Tuna have showed up again and I don't have any tackle to catch them. Its not fair.

Nov 20- Speckled Trout Fishing

Looks like a Football Weekend for me. No Boat and No Calls for Fishing, Thanks to my buddy Jeremy Dixon for offering me use of his 21ft Carolina Skiff. I could've would've should've caught some great Speckled Trout this week. Lots of Fish around. All the Small Trout you can imagine. Real good numbers of nice keepers in the 15-18" class. Quite a few Trout in that lovely 20" class that weigh 3 lbs each. These are the Trout that make us fall in love with Trout Fishing..... And, due to appear at any time: The Trophy Trout. The 5-8 pounders that we all encountered in our youth! Them boys are due any time now.................. So okay, no one called Captain Marty Moore that wanted to go Trout Fishing from Tuesday November17th through Sunday November 22nd. I don't blame you guys. It seems that I'm just a shell of my Former Fishing Self. The reality is..... I wanted to go and take someone out on a Serious Trout Fishing Trip. I needed the Income. But since no one was interested, I didn't go.... See, I'm not that interested. All I want, is to get my ass in a River either in the Mountains or Up North. My thoughts and dreams and desires have left the Salt Water of Eastern North Carolina behind...... Now don't get me wrong, I still want to fish, but in this case, I chose Radio Island. It's easy, it's fishy, it's good exercise. I did not want to kill a bunch of Speckled Trout. So I did not borrow Jeremy's Boat. I simply walked out to Radio Island and caught Speckled Trout. Now, I think the rest of my weekend I will go on a "FOOTBALL TOUR". Starting with the East Carteret Mariners Friday Night. "Little" cousin Duncan Englehardt is killin it at Middle Line Backer for the 10-2 Mariners. Saturday, its on to Raleigh and the NCState vs Syracuse Game. Where "real" student athletes play football, pretty poorly, but hey, these guys got real tests and can actually read and write. No Pine Cone Turkeys or paste and copy 5 th Graders Book Reports..... Should be a real crapfest, but "Go Wolfpack" Or as Ryan Handsbro says, "Go Wolpfack"..... Finally, on Sunday, Jennifer and I will be attending the Carolina Panthers gane against the Washington Redskins. This will be a great time for us, even though my scheme to end up at South Mountain State Park (Blue Ribbon Trout Streams) fell through.... Damn I nearly pulled off a rare doubleheader. NFL Football and Mountain Trout Fly Fishing..,... Oh Dammit. Oh yeah, I walked out to Radio Island today. Fished the Western Shore. Tough wind on the "other side" hampered fishing. On the west side it was to my back. Cast a country mile..... Trout, Trout, Trout..... Then, holy shit I hooked a monster. Standing waist deep and about 30 yards from shore I had hooked a deep boring and head shaking monster. I knew what it was..... On the 8# mono, I was going to have to get lucky. I got him TO ME but I had NO NET. Now I had to walk him to shore. Halfway there, one final incredible head shake and my approximately 25" and 7 lb Flounder was GONE. Damn man, it made me smile. 5 years ago when I actually caught 2 or 3 Citation Flounders a year, if this would've happened, I would've gone apeshit ballistic.....Beat Myself Up for days..... I have mellowed. I actually smiled and chuckled to myself. Really it was a great fight and a great feeling. All that's missing is a Picture and a Baked Flounder. Total Catch for the Day: 11 Speckled Trout from 12-14" and 3 Inshore Lizardfish     

Nov 18- Trout Trout Trout and the "BOATLESS" Fisherman

The Boatless Fisherman makes out pretty good around Beaufort Inlet for a few weeks around the period from Halloween to Thanksgiving..... Lots of options. You can "roll the dice" by hitting the surf at Atlantic Beach. Fishing just east of the Stop Nets right at sun-rise will increase your odds. This is your Best Bet for a monster-sized Speckled Trout for the footbound angler..... A larger time commitment and a little cost and a determined angler could catch a Ferry over to Shackleford Banks. A few hours spent over there would give you a decent chance at larger Speckled Trout, plus a decent chance at large numbers of small Trout. The wild card here would be the potential to encounter Red Drum. From the lone fish cruising the Sloughs to the Westward marching Red Army! Yes, the years in the Tower have taught me that the stretch of Beach from Rough Point to Beaufort Inlet is one of our more consistent Beaches to encounter schools of Red Drum numbering from a loose aggregation of 10-30 fish to Schools of Thousands of Red Drum that appear as a Purple Spot in the water that drifts westward and slowly morphs into different shapes......  A Gulp cast here is an automatic hook-up.... The Final Fishing Spot is the "Easy One". The one I chose. Radio Island. Here you park at the Beach Access and hike 10 minutes down the Beach to the area before you get to the Fence. From here, wade out and cast towards the Rock Jetty. If it isn't visible, you can see the ruffled water directly over the rocks. Cast here and slowly start reeling. If its hot, you will get a bite on nearly every cast. 99% of your Radio Island caught Speckled Trout will be to small. Sneak past the "Deadly Force is Authorized" sign (YIKES) and you will find another and much different Fishery and Environment. Here the Fishing Techniques are different and the Trout can be totally different. Not just keepers, but Big Ass Trout are definitely possible..... I like it out there, actually I LOVE IT OUT THERE... Lot's of y'all fished there with me the Top Water Boat through the Years... However, right now I am hobbled with a badly injured Right Knee and I can't take the Rock Hopping or (the potential) Running from the Law! So................................ I stayed on the flat bottom, in the cool water. Casting gulps and grubs towards the Rocks on the incoming tide. I fished from 11am until 3pm. I did hike across Radio Island to the Western Shore. Here you cast towards the east end of Bogue Banks. The Atlantic Beach Coast Guard Station is diagonally across the Shipping Channel. Here is another "small" Speckled Trout hangout. What I like about this spot is that it works great on a Northeast wind. Not really a factor today. It is also a spot where you could concievably catch nearly anything. Beaufort Inlet is right there! On the other side, you pretty much catch what's "behind" the Rocks. Fish get "set" in there on a Falling Tide. On the Western Shore, there is No Jetty out front, just open water. Oh well, who knows. Speckled Trout were biting in both places. A few Gray Trout on the Western Side. A few Flounder on the Eastern Side. Preacher Pricks were everywhere. Total Catch for the Day: 60 Speckled Trout from 12-15", 3 Southern Flounder from 12-15", 3 Gray Trout from 15-18", and 5 Inshore Lizardfish

Nov 17- Speckled Trout on Foot

The last few days that I spent on the Cedar Island Ferry were tough. Absolutely gorgeous weather. Pamlico Sound has been just like a mirror. I've been getting antsy knowing that the 2015 season is coming to an end and the Speckled Trout should be chewing. With the Flywheel cracked on my Suzuki, I am pretty limited in my opportunities. Begging rides or Foot Fishing. Since I just finished up my shift at work, I hadn't had time to set up anything really intriguing. So I decided to make the hike, despite a swollen and very sore right knee, out to the south end of Radio Island. Based on recent history, there should be plenty of action for "foot warriors". I haven't been around in a couple of weeks, but based on about 2008 through 2013, fishing should be really good for small Speckled Trout. 100 fish days are possible. I remember many rallies were I'd catch a Trout on 25-30 straight casts. The problem (nothing can be "that" good) is that 95% of these Seatrout are to small. Fun but too short. Averaging 12-13". In my experience, 2014 numbers were down, as was my effort. Getting older? I can't remember why I didn't make the hike as much last winter.....  Armed with this info and history, I limped from the Beach Access down to where the Jetty begins. Emma and I. She loves it and she stayed mad at me all last year. Emma loves to devour a Trout while laying in the sand at the water's edge. She watches my every move and she knows the instant that I set the hook on my first Trout of the day. If I don't start for shore as I reel in my first Speckled Trout; she will actually swim out to where I'm standing. Well, today the fishing was not great. I fished from 230pm until 4pm. The Tide was High but Falling. There was a Boat that was struggling to anchor in a place that ruined the area we fish from the Beach. This NitWit was bound and determined to anchor up "inside" the Rocks. Oh well, I wasted the first 45 minutes fishing in 3-5 foot of water that was run over by a 175HP Evinrude every 5 minutes for 30 minutes. Bite Buster! After these guys left, I finally caught 8 Speckled Trout before my leaking Wader forced me off the water. Emma got hers. I had one keeper at 15". That's all. Total Catch for the Day: 8 Speckled Trout up to 15" and 1 Inshore Lizardfish

Open Dates for Speckled Trout Fishing

Attn Fishermen: I will have access to a Boat. Not the Top Water Boat. I will not be chasing King Mackerel as they retreat offshore and follow the warm water. I will have access to a 19 foot skiff and be fully capable of whacking the Speckled Trout. I will be availiable for this Fishery on Tuesday November 17th through Friday November 20th. There will be incredible numbers of Speckled Trout a available. Live Shrimp Bobber Fishing for 4 to 7 pound Speckled Trout could  blow up at any time. From Thanksgiving to around the December Full Moon has always been "Citation Trout" time. Call me at 252-241-8350. Leave message becsuse I am in the Engine Room somewhere between Cedar Island to Ocracoke to Swan Quarter.

Don't call and you're gonna regret it!

Nov 9- Welcome to Beaufort

I'm back at home and headed back to work tomorrow. Woe is Me.

Fishing is Good.

Working is Bad.

I Can Not Complain. I have fished WELL OVER 100 DAYS A YEAR every single year from 1988 until 2014. I screwed up this year. We all know that. Some years I fished up to 275 days. Hell I fished every Friday night, every Saturday all day and all night, and every Sunday morning from May until October way back to 19 frigging 70. My parents had to drag me off that Pier.

I remember the "Big Board" at the Morehead Ocean Pier in 1971.

POMPANO.   Marty Moore    3 1/2 pounds   8/15/1971

It was always a more than a past time. It was a competition. It was life.
FISHING WAS LIFE.

Nov 7- New York Heartbreak

This Salmon refused to leave my Boot. I swear she beached herself when I left the River

Someone else's fish..... Brown Trout, Atlantic Salmon, and a Steelhead. I'd kill for this stringer

I landed this pitiful Salmon. Believe it or not, this guy put up an epic battle. First fish on my new 8wt Fly Rod

Very very very disappointing. By Oak Orchard mid-November standards, the fishing is OFF. The Salmon are nearly done. Lots of dying Chinook Salmon all around. For a good ole North Carolina boy, I'm not used to "ignoring" dozens of 10-20 lb fish swimming and splashing all around me. Its different. Also, according to the multitude of experts that I met, its too early for the Steelhead to be running good.... I have also learned that, with the exception of the two Monster Browns that I stumbled into 5 minutes into my Fishing Vacation, I have Absolutely No Skill, No Knowledge, or No Insight into this Fishery At All...... In summary, from 9am yesterday until 3pm today, I SUCKED. The one decent Salmon I hooked, I broke my rod and my line, then made a damn fool out of myself bellyflopping on my fish in the cold, turbulent water. I got him, damn it could've been much worse. My Phone, my camera were all at risk. That, my friends, was my highlight. Two Trophy Browns and Two Chinook Salmons on Day 1.  Day 2 was an error after error after error...... Early I missed a "NC Monster" Brown Trout, that wouldve been a baby here. Maybe a 3 lb Trout that ate my bait and charged out of the shadows right in my direction. I never came tight and he was gone as fast as he came. POOF. That was it. That was my entire story from 7am until 3pm. Pitiful. Then, finally, at 3pm I got in a spot and a stretch of fishing that was as Good, Tense, Exciting, and Challenging as any Fishing that I've done in Years...... I pretty much found an active Redd, which is a spot where a female Salmon have created a nest by actively swishing their tails in the gravel.... So, pretty much for 2 hours I stood twenty feet from a spot that was constantly attended to by from two to eight Salmon. At times you could see the males roll on their sides and shudder as they released their milt. Casting my wooly boogar into the Redd, I hooked Salmon after Salmon. It was incredible and intense action. Unfortunately for the "bottom line results", the topography and other obstacles made it necessary to put lots of pressure on these Salmon pretty quickly. The end result of this was that I broke off 3 Chinook Salmon and pulled and/or bent hooks on 4 more Chinook Salmon. When I finally landed a 15 lb Chinook Salmon, it was a male fish that had started to deteriate. He only had a few days of life left in him, but he still managed to battle me for 7-8 minutes. Then, in the rain and nearly dark, I hooked a green female Chinook Salmon. This girl had to be fresh in from Lake Ontario. An incredible fight and when I finally beached her, it was pouring rain. I was soaked and I had planned all day to "harvest" a Salmon. This wouldve been the one. But, I couldn't do it. She earned her freedom. (That and too many guys had told me that I'd be disappointed in their taste). I had a gallon bag full of Salmon meat from the day before. By the way, a guy beside me caught a 25" Atlantic Salmon. Judging my the jumps and fight in general, I believe I lost one yesterday. DAMMIT if True.... I hooked a "smallish" Salmon that was prodding and harassing the old beat female Salmon that was fascinated with my leg/my boot. (See top picture) So I hooked the small Salmon and its strength and quickness caused me to screw up by committing a foolish foolish mistake. As the little Salmon ripped line off my Reel, the simplistic action of a Fly Reel actually causes your reel to spin backwards. With my lack of experience, I allowed my fingers to get caught by the spinning knob on my spool and PING he was gone. I was reminded of my epic failure at least 3 times in the next 5 minutes as the Salmon continued to leap in effort to shed my fly. This badboy jumped straight up and did a backflip. Three times. Had to be an Atlantic Salmon. Had to be. I'm sick thinking about it. An Atlantic Salmon. Fish of Kings. Fish of Aristrocracy. Fish of the Super Wealthy. Fish of the Elite. The Atlantic Salmon are in the western NY tribs right with the rest of them! I never thought I'd see one beyond the pages of a magazine. Total Catch for the Day: 2 Cinook Salmon at 15 lbs each

Nov 6- Brown Trout of a Lifetime

My 16 lb Brown Trout caught in the first 5 minutes of NY Fishing

I watched 35-40 Giant Brown Trout caught in 2 hours. All less than 100 yards from the construction site!

Sandy Creek looking upstream from the Bridge Construction

My 13 lb Brown trout with a Fly that I pulled from the 16 lb Trout's dorsal fin

The WORLD FAMOUS Archer Club at The Oak Orchard River

Lots of company. Lots of Fish

The First Salmon of my Life

Yesterday, I drove 853 miles to the Shore of Lake Ontario in the State of New York. My plan was to chase Steelhead and Salmon that had left the deep, cold Lake waters to run the Tributairies to spawn and/or gorge on Salmon eggs..... Then this morning, 5 minutes into my fishing....... The Blind Hog found an acorn every once in a while! While lifting my fly to recast, my rod developed a deep arc and my line refused to "lift". Hooked a rock was my first thought. Then the "rock" started moving into the current! Ten tense minutes later and 50 yards upstream, a fellow angler came to my aid with a landing net. Amazingly, I reached in and pulled out a 34" Brown Trout. Holy Shit! My previous career best was less than 1pound! This guy bottomed out my 15 lb BogaGrip. What a feeling! This alpha male Brown Trout  was adorned with 4 broken off Fishing Flies pinned to various spots on his body, in addition to the Wooly Boogar that I fooled him with! He wore them like a Soldier wears his hard earned Purple Hearts and Congressional Medals of Honor. It was a testament to his incredible size and power......... After "cleaning him up" I spent 10 minutes reviving this monster and released him back into Sandy Creek. A Brown Trout of a Lifetime! Then, miraculously, an hour later, I beached a 31" Brown Trout that weighed 13 lbs on the BogaGrip.. This one, I harvested and will be the centerpiece of a nice dinner....   My NY Fishing Excursion had 3 goals. BROWN TROUT. STEELHEAD. CHINOOK SALMON. By 930am, I had caught 2 monster Brown Trout on my 7wt Fly Tackle..... I left Sandy Creek, which I hit on a whim, and headed to the World Famous "Archer Club" on Oak Orchard River. Here I'd be fishing with 50 to 100 other Anglers, shoulder to shoulder...... Honestly, I'm over 800 miles from my comfort zone. This was going to be interesting! I quickly learned though, Fishing is Fishing and Its What I Do! After 20 minutes of casting, I had a 17 lb Chinook Salmon and my 7wt TFO Fly Rod was broken in 3 places....... I also found a pesky 5lb male Salmon a little later that I subdued on my trusty 3wt. I could very easily be overpowered here with my 3wt. Hell, its nearly guaranteed! I actually found a perfect fish for the "little rod". Lucky........ That was Day 1. Awesome! I need to find my Steelhead tomorrow! In the timeless and epic words of  KISS drummer Peter Criss, "Jenn I hear you calling, but I can't home right now. My and the Boys are Fishing, but we just can't find the Steel Steel Steel Heads. Just a few more casts and I'll be right home to you.... I think I hear them splashing. Oh Jen, what can I do? Oh Jen, what can I do? Total Catch for the Day: 2 Brown Trout at 16 and 13 lbs and 2 Chinook Salmon at 17 and 6 lbs

Nov 3- What's Up!

I am at home. Its been raining all day. My Boat is Broke Down....... Why am I so happy?

Well............ Based on last years GOOD FORTUNE, why don't I just Shut the Hell Up. Save it until I'm holding the damn thing up by the River.

Salmon and Trout, beware.........

Oct 27- On the New Job Today

I've been tranferred to Cedar Island and I'm now working with the Big Boys! Newest boat in the fleet, MV Swan Quarter built in 2010-2011. I've got a lot to learn..... It'll be nice being home at night, that's for sure.

As for the fishing, hopefully the next fish I catch will be a King Salmon or a Steelhead. Its been a long time coming, but its time for Capt Marty to scoot 15 hours up the road and try something new. I will be standing knee deep in Lake Ontario's creek run Salmons and Trout. Please let them eat my fly......   I will be looking for my first King Salmon, my first Coho Salmon, my career best Brown Trout, and my career best Rainbow Trout. Atlantic Salmon also run these creeks but I damn sure ain't expecting to get that lucky....... I'm honestly hoping for 3 of the other 4 and I'll be lucky...

I'm hoping to check these guys off my bucket list. And hopefully this will propel me towards an Alaskan Fishing Adventure in the summer of 2016!

Bad News

I have got to say, I've seen this day coming from a ways off. She held up longer than I would have ever guessed. Unfortunately, concerns about the health of my Outboard Motor affected every decision that I've made on the water for the past year, and to some degree, the past 4-5 years..... Then last Wednesday, she finally did it. A pretty serious break down. My ole 250 Suzuki did have the common decency to run like a scalded dog all the way back to the Dock. The problem is, or better stated, the obvious symptom is the shards of fractured magnet that are stuck all over my engine and visible when the cowling is removed. Decision time ahead for Capt Marty. Pour $$$$ into a 2003 250 HP Suzuki that already belongs in the Outboard Motor Hall of Fame, buy a new Motor, or become a Surf Fishing Guide...... As for right now, anyone interested in foot fishing for Speckled Trout? The numbers are going to be good. Let's Go!

Also be on the lookout for a:

GoFundMe account for "Capt Marty's New Outboard"

WTH, also look for a GoFundMe for:

"Send Capt Marty on an Australian Black Marlin Quest"

Oct 22- Where Did All The Fish Go

Once again, what a difference a day makes.... Yesterday was probably the most sea life I'd ever seen. Acres of Menhaden and Anchovy. Thousands of Pelicans, Gulls, and Terns. Armadas of Predators. Bluefish, Albacore,  Bottlenosed Dolphin,  and Humpback Whale. All gorging like a Honey Boo Boo Family night at Golden Corral. Today, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. Absolutely beautiful weather and you would think, mid-October and Fishing will be Great. With the Top Water Boat on Life Support and in need of a new Outboard Motor (YIKES........  ) I joined Capt Christopher Columbus on the FV Santa Maria and we went out Straight Sight Casting Red Drum Excursion... Things did not go as planned! Chris and I explored the New World from Shark Island to the Sheraton at Atlantic Beach. We saw No Red Fish, hell we did not even see a Blue Fish, or any other if the ROY G BIV Spectrum................ I did fire a cast towards a swirl and a rip and I managed to hook a miracle Albacore. Amazing. We rode 50 miles and the lack of visible life was incredible. Moreso after yesterdays plethora of Life. Well, it wasn't 1492, but I did sail the Ocean Blue with Christopher Columbus. Meanwhile, Capt Tyler Thomas took my charter for today while my crippled boat sat in my yard. Fate Unknown. Total Catch for the Day: 1 Albacore at 10 lbs

Oct 21- Great Great Albacore Fishing

What a difference a day makes! The fishing today was Outstanding! Well, let me rephrase that...  The "Albacore" Fishing was Outstanding! Some other things we tried, we struggled. Jim and Trish made their day out west of Shark Island where the Albacore presented themselves nicely, with some individual forays lasting from 15-20 seconds. This action lasted for at least 2 hours in the morning. There were plenty of opportunities to go around for each of the 10-12 boats out there. Whether you liked Fly or Spin, this was a great morning for catching Albacore........  Jim could cast a stingsilver with the best of them. Trish's casting was fairly short, but no matter, she did fine on her own. She had No Problem catching at least 5 total "Do It Yourself" Albacore. On occasion that I joined them casting, we accomplished a tripleheaders at least 2 times.....  Much to the chagrin of at least one "1 month a year" Albacore Guide. I found his eye rolling, shoulder shrugging humorous. Later his mumbling and preoccupation with what my Boat was doing got a little more offensive. I guess I need to apologize for the fact that not only can I catch 6 Albacore to his One, but I can also hang a stingsilver between his eyeballs from 200 feet away into a 15kt northeaster.... But, I love my Fly Rod too and I do appreciate the skill and the fishery... I do recognize, however, that there were PLENTY of Albacore to go around and I'll be damned if some Cat that you don't even see on the water until October is going to push me off of a school of fish. Especially when my clients are paying there hard earned money to catch the same fish that everyone else is chasing. Off soapbox. Also, it was an incredible day for watching Marine Life and seeing its abundance. We saw acres of Menhaden and Anchoviy.. We saw thousands of Sea Birds. Pelicans were feeding in a very unusual manner. Herding "red bait" in massive shoals and corralling them. Wings spread, scooping up shovel fulls of tiny Anchovy from a "sitting on the water" position. We also saw hundreds of Dolphin and a Young Humpback Whale right up in 20 feet of water. Awesome day, Great Clients. Lots of sore-mouthed Albacore. Sorry Charlie, this ain't the Chicken of the Sea. Total Catch for the Day: 17 Albacore from 8 to 11 lbs, 12 Bluefish from 10" to 2 lbs, 1 Inshore Lizardfish, and 1 Menhaden

Oct 20- Tough NE Wind and Fishing Struggles

Great client Brent showed up after a 2 year hiatus..... In all fairness, I spent time in Brent's Penalty Box for knocking his 10 lb Spanish Mackerel off his stingsilver with my poorly aimed Landing Net. Oooopps. Unfortunately, today there would be NO MACKEREL, King or Spanish.... In fact, Live Bait Fishing was very very very disappointing. Especially considering the Hell of Catching Menhaden and the slow, wet run 10 miles to the (Not So) Hot Spot... The ride home was even worse. All told, it was a waste of 4+ hours. Brent established (again) his vertical jigging prowess by catching a Blue Runner, a Gag Grouper, and a Whitebone Porgy. Three very interesting species! Once back near Cape Lookout we had our fun catching 2-3 lb Bluefish while casting metal lures. The coolest thing about the action today was the forage species. Incredibly the Blues (and Gulls and Pelicans) were gorging on 6-8 inch Ribbonfish. Millions of them. There were baby Ribbons jumping everywhere. Brent and Ken decked approximently 30 Bluefish. Killed a few and released the rest. We then added Albacore and Red Drum to the party being hosted by King Mackerel..... They called it the "Fish Embarassing Captain Marty Fall Extravaganza". All in all,  I was very disappointing not to find better Fishing for these guys. The middle of October is supposed to produce Great Fishing and despite the sucky NE Wind and dirty water, I was very disappointed. Total Catch for the Day: 30 Bluefish from 2-3 lbs, 1 Gag Grouper, 1 Blue Runner, and 1 Whitebone Porgy

Oct 17- Citation Red Drum Surprise

I picked a damm fine day to leave my phone in the truck. Jennifer didn't have hers either. No big deal, we were just going for a short boat ride. Emma was riding too so I grabbed 2 spinning rods and I figured I'd catch her a Bluefish to munch on. After catching 5 small Blues inside the Inlet, I decided to check out Rough Point for schools of Red Drum. Conditions were ideal except for dirty water. I gave up quickly on this idea because it was impossible. I wasn't willing to blind cast on 8 miles of Oceanfront..  As I turned the Top Water Boat around and headed back to Beaufort Inlet, sonething caught my eye. A huge dark spot on the water covered up with splash splash splash pop pop pop...... A HUGE school of Menhaden. Biggest of my year. I raced over for a closer look. I explained to Jennifer how I used to love to snag Menhaden as a kid on the Morehead Ocean Pier. Like this! As I drove a stingsilver into the school. My rod bowed and the tip throbbed as my treble hook found paydirt. My wife thought it was cool! Watch this then, I said. I could already feel mystery fish hitting my snagged Menhaden. I quickly cranked him up to the surface and a half dozen 3-4 lb Bluefish followed it up. Darting in and biting out plugs of flesh. Cool as hell but sadistic. Jennifer felt sorry for the hapless Menhaden, now just a carcass. Suddenly the boat's shadow spooked the Bluefish. I was hoping to hook a larger Blue. I freespooled the "still snagged" carcass to the botton. By the way, I had a great view because I was still in the tower. Amazingly, on the bottom, I got a quick bite. The hookset was solid and the fish surged away like a runaway Freight Train! This fish was obviously pretty damn heavy and strong and my first guess was a Shark. I figured with a stingsilver tied directly to 10# mono, a battle with a big Shark would end pretty quickly. My opponent was still taking line and there was occasional jerk jerk as my quarry shook his head. I dared to tighten the drag fully expecting my line to part on the "Shark's" sharp teeth or abrasive skin.... Neither happened. In fact, I was able to stop my opponent and actually gain some line back. As I fought my fish from my Tower we were attracting the attention of several other Boats fishing nearby. Everyone wanted to see what I had hooked. Finally, 10 stressful minutes after the hook-up, my line started to rise and a large reddish bronze fish materialized out of the greenish gloom......My mystery fish turned out to be a 42" Red Drum.... From the waters off Shackleford Banks, in October.... That's a weird place for a mature Red Drum to be. Just goes to show.... You never know what you might catch when you drop a bait in the damn Ocean! Total Catch for the Day: 1 Red Drum at 42" and 2 Menhaden

To be continued

Oct 16- Fat Albert Frenzy

Fifteen year ago, Ten years ago, Five years ago..... George Bush and everybody else in the World who fished with Fly Tackle would descend on Beaufort Inlet and Barden's Inlet in October and November to chase the suddenly popular Little Tunny, better known as, and incorrectly known as: Albacore, False Albacore, and Bonito.... Call him Fat Albert and everyone knows who "that fish is"....  I pesonally call them Albacore, but I'd love to catch a real, or True Albacore! Just DON'T call him a Bonito because the real Bonito in everything a Fat Albert is plus it's great eating.... (Shut Up Capt Marty, it's late)  What I was getting at is this, there are millions of Albacore around Cape Lookout right now and there are very few guys out chasing them. We found them yesterday along with a few of their sleek gray enemies..... This morning. I ran out there to try them on my 5wt Fly Rod. By myself. It's tough, I quickly frustrated myself. Pulled out the metal on spin and caught them on 4 straight casts at one point. In 2 hours, I released 7 Albacore and had a great time! As I told BenJeye yesterday, It's one of my favorite things. Releasing hard fighting but otherwise worthless Fat Alberts. And yes, I know that nowadays they have some value and the Fish Houses are buying them. To me, if they ain't worth $1 a pound, they ain't getting mine..... It just isn't worth if. Every single Albacore, or whatever you choose to call them, they EARN their freedom. Let them go! It makes me feel good...... Total Catch for the Day: 7 Albacore from 8 to 11 lbs

Oct 15- Best Experience of the Year

I was careful NOT to say "best fishing of the year" but BenJeye and I had one of those rare "Magic Fishing Moments" play out all around and right beside and just beneath the Top Water Boat and he nor I will ever forget it. In my 40+ years of Fishing (Hell Yeah I'm counting the many weeks and weekends I spent on the Morehead Ocean Pier as a 10 year old) I've never seen anything to rival today's show.... So if I got you "hooked", you must be wondering what the hell happened to us? Well, our day was tough and challenging. Beautiful weather in mid-October usually means the Best King Mackerel Fishing of the Year. Adding to the challenge was all the terrible weather we've been experiencing as well as Capt Marty's lack of recent fishing... I sat out all last week off because of horrible weather and the past week I was at Hatteras. I didn't miss much, as the weather remained horrible. With no up to date information, just drawing on 20 years of experience HARD CORE King Mackerel Fishing..... BenJeye and I ventured out and our goal was an NC Citation for BenJeye..... First of all, the Menhaden were "un-catchable" in front of Harker's Island for some damn reason. We settled for about 14 Bluefish from 8" to 10" each in the livewell instead. Piss Poor but better than nothing, Casting metal to marauding Bluefish was fun enough after a 2 week hiatus from the Top Water Experience! So with some bait, less than ideal, but better than nothing, we hauled ass 12 miles South of Beaufort Inlet. Arriving at "the Spot" we fairly quickly caught BenJeye is FIRST career King Mackerel. What we used to call "Hatteras Stock" this King Mackerel was stocky as hell and ran like OJ "The Juice" Simpson back in 1973..... His second run was outstanding and for a minute I thought we had BenJeye's pink slipper, but he faded to a stout 23 pounder and our day was young and the outlook was bright.... Then, we went 2 hours without a scare.... Crapola! We then decided before calling it quits, we would head over to the Fenwick Island Wreck and see if we could catch an Amberjack. Here's where a drab day turned into a day to NEVER BE FORGOTTEN...... We found no Jacks, hell we didn't even find a Wreck. Has it "sanded over", who knows? Well, LGF knows, I need to ask him..... Later on that.... Anyway,, we ran up on many many many Albacore schools.... BenJeye had never caught one of those either. I picked up a spinning rod and slung a stingsilver in a foray of foam and green back missiles. Immediate hookup followed by a quick release. As BenJeye started his personal Albacore quest, something off to the east caught my eye. Something incredible was happening. As I stared away at "something" the Albacore "blew up" right beside me..... BenJeye didn't see this as he was casting off the portside and I was casting off the starboard side. I know what I saw. In a sea full of splashes and whips of green and silver, I saw a distinct whurl of black and yellow. With hands shaking, I quickly cast my stingsilver. Just as it entered the "feed zone" a mini bulldozer of high speed Blackfin Tuna broke the surface just right of my racing lure. A quick twitch of muscle and the Tuna veered into my stingsilver, A big splash and BOOM. I was hooked up. A different kind of run. Strong, deep, heavy, deliberate. "Hey Jeye, I got a freaking stud-ass 25 lb Blackfin Tuna hooked up". As soon as I formed the sentence, the rod tip popped up and the line went limp.... Incredible. FIVE MONTHS AGO, THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED. (Ryan Handsbro and me off Atlantic Beach) I am 0-2 on kick ass Blackfin Tuna on spinning tackle in 2015.... Guess what? THAT AINT IT..... Crazy as it seems, even though there was acres of Albacore busting in all directions.... And at least a few Blackfin Tunas! Those were NOT what had caught my eye.... No, No Way. Off to the East, it was still happening... Sharks and hundreds of them, were jumping. Here. There, and Everywhere. We have all seen Blacktip and Spinner Sharks jump. And spin. But here today, they were jumping 5-10 at a time. For up to 10 minutes at a time. We are talking about hundreds or even thousands of Sharks. Jumping Jumping Jumping over and over again. Little ones at 20 pounds. Big ones at 7 feet and 150 pounds..... We ran the Top Water Boat to the action. BenJeye was in for a treat. Hell, Capt Marty was in for a treat. Something INCREDIBLE was Happening Here and that aint no joke. Funny too, I've experienced schools of Sharks through the years and they've never been Boat Shy... But these were. So it seemed....... We'd run to them and they'd disappear. Five minutes later and 1000 yards to the east, they would start up again. We tried 3 times to get into them. But they would elude us..... Finally I ran east of where they were jumping. Here I turned the motor off and we waited. After a few minutes, the Albacore popped up close by and we started casting towards them. BenJeye had left a live Bluefish overboard and suddenly his reel started singing.... As I moved towards the stern, I looked over the side and here they came..... An Army of Sharks.... Twenty Sharks wide and a parade that was 50 Sharks long! Big ones too, 100+ pounders. Suddenly the jumpers started.... Freaking crazy. BenJeye shot some video. We caught some. We broke off some. We released 4 by the Boat. The smallest one I pulled into the Boat for a picture and he was a 40 pounder..... After watching this amazing show, I almost believe the jumping was a conscience effort to pummel and bewilder the Albacore... To stun them or confuse them... To make them easy to catch... I will say this much, because this happened.... Right in front of me. Once whie BenJeye was fighting a Shark, I tossed my stingsilver at an Albaacore blow-up. I quickly hooked an Albacore. Right in front of me, 3 of the larger Spinner Sharks exploded off towards my Albacore. My drag screamed like no Albacore ever screamed it before! The chase lasted about 10 seconds. Just off my bow, the Sharks gave up the chase and swam back to the boat. Dorsal fins out so there was no mistaking a Shark for a Shark, I watched them.... The 3 large Spinner Sharks lazily swam just in front of my position. They waited. My Albacore played itself out of energy.... As I tried to land it as quickly as possible BUT it wasn't quick enough! Right at boatside, right in front of BenJeye and me, the 3 Spinners waited and then pounced on my exhausted Albacore. They shredded it in seconds. After that show, it was getting late and it was time to go.... I told BenJeye, this stuff DOES NOT happen everyday, We looked out to the east and south of our position just west of the Cape Lookout Shoals. Sharks were hurling themselves into the air in 3 individual groups. There was anywhere from 5 to 20 Sharks airborne at any given time. A few 20 pounders. A bunch of 50-100 pounders. A few 150 pounders. The ones we landed were all Spinner Sharks. Strange because during the past 25 years, I land approximately 30 Blacktip Sharks for each Spinner Sharks..... I find it hard to believe what I saw on Oct 15, 2015...... Total Catch for the Day: 30 Bluefish from 8" to 12", 6 Albacore from 7 lbs to 10 lbs, a 23 lb King Mackerel, a 15" Spanish Mackerel, 6 Spinner Sharks from 40 lbs to 85 lbs, and 3 Sharpnose Sharks from 7 lbs to 9 lbs

Oct 13- End of an Era

I go home tomorrow and my time at Hatteras is over. No need to ponder that now, lets go King Mackerel Fishing. Get er Done! Albacore, Red Drum, and Speckled Trout too..

Pretty soon Capt Marty will be headed north. In search of new challenges. Yall better catch me before I change gears!

Oct 9- Gray Trout Suprize

Fishing is damn slow! So slow, I ditched the rod and reel and grabbed the gig and light. This despite high winds and dirty water. The two biggest No-No's of Flounder Gigging! Either/Or it was just a waste of time... .. Actually time spent alone, wondering the warm edge of any salty body of water is very very soothing to my soul. Reflecting on my past and future, while searching for a great flounder is what makes this activity so appealing to me. Of course, there are other factors. You are matching wits with one of Mother Nature's Greatest Evolutionary Creations: The Flounder. Incredible in camoflauge and a stealthy top end predator. This fish should be admired as Way More Than a Delicious Fish Dinner. This Fish is the King of the Salt Water Environments Shallow Bottoms. No small fish passes a hungry Flounder without paying the ultimate sacrifice.  And they never saw what hit them! Anyway, to gig this amazing creature, you must approach one in complete darkness; bringing it into your "circle of light".... Then before the Flounder understands what's happening, you must thrust your gig into his muscular body. You must be quick or your Flounder will explode off his sandy hiding spot and disappear leaving a trail of silty clouds along his escape path! You can follow him, but beware, he always always runs towards deep water...   Doing ALL THIS versus one of Nature's Greatest, Alone, While knee deep in the water off a desolute wind swept Outer Island Beach. On a dark and windy Night. Less than a mile from where 90 men, women, and children drowned during the wreck of the SS Home back in 1837..... On top of all this, pondering your past and future, searching for flounder..... Sometimes in the wind and the crashing waves, I have heard the cry of women and children calling for help in the surf. Tortured souls that can't rest.....

Alone. Dark. Windy. Flounder. Ghosts.

A fishing report that went Bad.... Total Catch for the Night: 1 Gray Trout at 24oz and 1 BlackSea Bass

Oct 8- Long Night and Slow Fishing

BenJeye and I stayed up between 1am and 415am and "fished the night away"...... There was a Falling Tide but no perceivable water movement all night. The water was very Dirty. There was NO meaningful Bait. In other words, it's early October and the Ferry Basin should be FULL of MULLET. Running Finger Mullet and the resident population of huge adult Jumping Mullets. They should be full of Roe..... They are GONE. Without the Fingers, the predators are missing. Without the adult Mullets, our grill is cold. No Roe for Bobby Garrish... it is a sad time.... Back to the actual fishing... I guesstimate that in 195 minutes I probably made 150 casts.... I had 5 bites. I missed 2 bites. I caught a Flounder. A Gag Grouper. And a Speckled Trout. The Speckled Trout is significant because in the thousands of hours I have spent fishing here since 2002, this is my First Speckled Trout at this location. Odd...... Meanwhile BenJeye caught a Gag Grouper and a Lizardfish. Long Night. Total Catch for the Night: 1 Southern Flounder, 1 Speckled Trout, 2 Gag Grouper, and 1 Inshore Lizardfish