November 27, 2006.........Got a chance to fish with Capt. Cooter and Cristiano today and what a great day.  After catching bait, we got to the secret spot and tore up the specks!  We quickly limited out and then just had fun catching and releasing.  Waaaay too much fun.  Cooter and Cristiano had fun reliving the good ole days and some of the fun they had working together in the past, but the fishing was just great.  Did not even have time to get a photo of Cooter tearing up the fish as he was the hot hand today.  I was just along for the ride till late in the trip when my baits got lucky. A wonderful day on the water and proof to the old saying “A bad day of fishing is better than a Great Game of Golf!“  Pictured above is yours truly and some of the trout Cooter let me keep......Today was a Great day of Fishing, so I have nothing to compare it to...... more later.

November 19th, 2006.......Getting ready for the Thanksgiving Day NorEaster that should be here soon.  Winds to 50 knots and massive Coastal Flooding and major Erosion problems predicted.  This one may happen, I feel it in my bones!  Getting old does help with weather predictions sometimes.......  Fishing is still good on the better days, so plan ahead and watch out for the weather.  Water Temps continue to fall and the bait is thinning out, but when you can fish, they are there.  Happy Thanksgiving, and remember why we call it “Thanksgiving.“  Best to all and tight lines.  More later.......

November 16th, 2006...... No fishing today, blowing like heck and tornados all over Eastern NC.  Reports of damage and injuries.  Everyone stay safe.

  
November 15th, 2006...... My buddy Cristiano invited me to go fishing with him on His Boat (nice for a change!) and we had a Great Day with Speckled Trouts!!!!  And a lot of them!!!  We fished hard and everywhere in New Hanover County and ended up with our legal limit of 10 fish per person for a nice total of 20 Big Trouts... and a great day to boot.  It was nice just letting someone else run the boat for a change and what a guy, if you do not know Cristiano, you should... he is one of the world's real characters....  The photos will speak for themselves.  Also, if the fish look the same, they are.... we could not get all 20 fish on the short handle of Cristiano's net.  Nice pics anyway.  Best to all and fish hard.

 October 31st-November 5th, 2006......This is the Cape Fear Angler's Fall surffishing trip to Cape Hatteras for the Annual Cape Hatteras Surf Fishing Championships and this year Mike and Johnny A. and myself snuck out of town a day early so we could go to “Johnny's Island” and do some prefishing for the big drum there.  We arrived on the island on October 31st at 1500 hours and came off the island on Nov. 1 at 0300 due to the tides and southwest winds and lack of water in the bay, but that 12 hours of fishing was just unbelievable!!!  We caught no less than 100, that's right, one hundred nice puppys but we never got our 40 incher.  For 12 straight hours we caught nice yearling drum, sometimes two at a time!  The first two cast Johnny A. made he caught and landed 4 puppies, all too big to keep!!!!  They were about 29 to 31 inches long!  They bit on the whole falling tide, then started back on the rising tide about 2100 hours till we had to leave the next morning at 0300 hours!  We were all completely worn out and popping Advil like mints to keep from hurting.  The rest of the day was travelling to Hatteras and trying to get our arms and backs back into working order for the tournament which started on Thursday.  Well, we were up the next morning and fished four great sessions through Friday afternoon, and out of 120  teams, the Cape Fear Anglers finished a very respectable 20th place!  We were elated to say the least, sort of a top 5 finish in NASCAR!!!!  Then we travelled home and spent a day cleaning gear, stripping line and replacing it, and cleaning up the vehicles and ourselves.  Man, what a trip.  The Photos which will be up here soon will tell the tale, so everyone keep a line in the water and fish hard and hang on, you may have the chance to be at the “Picnic Shelter Hole” one day yourself!  You won't see the choir, but you will hear them singing “Ava Maria“ when you cross over the dune!

 October 30th, 2006......Darren, his son DJ, and friend Daniel were on the “TAC“ today and we had one of those superb days..... Two Coolers of fish and 15 different species later, the day was done.  Let's list all the creatures.  Skates, Puffer fish, flounder, sharks, Big Black Sea Bass, Sandperch, Ringtails, Bluefish (by the bushel basket!), Hogfish, Whitings, Croakers, Toadfish, Lizzards, Pinfish, and Snappers rounded out our day and Daniel (I worry about Daniel) wanted to keep the Oyster Crackers to eat!  Hey, one man's trash, another man's treasure!  We were plain tired of fishing at the end of this trip, but DJ would have stayed out there till the cows came home.  Just a beautiful day on the ocean with four good fishermen who worked hard and just had a blast.  Check out the pics of all these guys and their fishes..... more later and the seas should be beautiful for a while. 

 October 29th, 2006....Linda and Dave and their son Jefferson (who is 4 and 11/12ths, cause his birthday is early November) were my guests today and we fished the river under beautiful conditions and light winds.  Croakers, Blowfish, and Black Drum made our morning and Jefferson was a great little trooper who held up well till we were done and then just plain got tired.... and so did I!  We just had a ball and the fish did cooperate, but late morning the winds came up and drove us out of the river to the ICW where the fishing was just not as strong.  Jefferson still had fun and caught a crab to boot!  Linda and Dave took home a nice bag of fillets for the upcoming fish fry and I am sure that everyone, especially Jefferson, will eat his fill.  Best to all.....

 October 28th, 2006......Andrew and all the boys were here today for a two boat trip, and the weather was terrible.  But we tried.  The term “Big Windy“ comes to mind.... Gary, Mike, John, and Jeremy fished as hard as any four fellows, and we caught some croakers, spots, pigfish, and a “Southern Stargazer“ that was an unusual catch for the day.  We fished hard, but it was just one of those days, but everyone had fun and will be back soon.  Grant won the big fish award with his nice flounder, and I think we have made another convert out of him!  Too much fun.

October 27th, 2006....Supposed to fish with Andrew, but will fish tomorrow.  Can you say “Gale force Winds?“

  
October 26th, 2006... Well, My old buddy Dave was back with me today on his boat (Finally) and we hit the secret spot and just plain tore up the Puppy Drum for 6 Straight hours.... man, what a day!  My right shoulder is just plan hurting and we wore out the big spoons, the small spoons, the top water plugs on trout gear, and then just threw stuff we knew they wouldn't hit (for a rest) and we were wrong, if it went in the water, they hit it!  We quit counting fish at 25 so what the heck!  Just way too much fun down the way.....  More later.  Just look at the photos and the gallery page for some neat pics!!!!!

 October 25, 2006......Earl and Tommy were my guests today and man, was it cold.  There was ice in the bottom of the boat at 0700 hrs. this morning and we had to be careful til it evaporated!  Jeeezzz, way too cold for October, but these fellows were up to it and off we ran and caught some nice Bluefish for openers, then ended the day trying for the flounder.  I guess they were so cold they were stuck to the bottom of the river today.  Anyway, a great day with a great father son team and loads of laughs ..... the filets will taste good anyway you cook them!

  
October 24, 2006...... Cousin David was with me today and boy did he have a ball.  The cold front is coming, but we were lucky with our weather today.  We tore up the nice Bluefish and then tried for flounder and Dave got a Niceun (Finally!!)  and what a nice catch overall.  He had to leave early to get back home and to work, but it was sure fun having him throw Jigs and spoons off the boat and just wear out some great fish for dinner and smoking.  Overall, just a lovely day with a cold front coming.  Everyone get ready with the longjohns.  Later
 October 21, 2006 PM ...... Carolyn and June (for Junior) and Ronnie and Jenny were my guests this afternoon and thank goodness it warmed up some.... and the wind laid down a little also.  We were on a flounder mission and finally Ronnie got the Fish, all 16.5 inches of him.  Boy was he happy but it was not a strong flounder day.  The ladies caught some nice croakers and Virginia Mullet, and we had Beautiful drifting conditions, nice air temps, still warm water, yada yada yada just more excuses for slow fishing, but we still had fun and the gang were good sports.  No “Leaf Peeping“ here, just watching the beautiful river and ocean work it's magic.  Travel safely and see you soon.....
 October 21,  2006 AM......Mike and Denise and their friends and family Alice and Dink were my guests today and the wind blew, the air temp was cold, and the water is still HOT for October.... what the heck is going on with the weather?  Anyhow, we had a blast with the small pan fish but Dink and Mike just could not find the elusive flounder today.  But they had fun trying..... Just fishing up a storm and having fun in the Carolina Sun...  No black drum this trip, just could not get to the fishing hole due to rough seas and howling winds.  More later.  Dink and Alice, come back again.  See you all in November.....

 October 16th, 2006....Joe and Pam celebrated Joe's birthday on the boat today and what a day.... after chasing bait, we finally got to fish and we got Speckel Trout and some Nice FLOUNDERS!!  Joe and Pam had a ball and we lost some nice ones to boot, but what a glorious day on the water.  Just look at the pictures and the smiles and the fish and enough is said.  Great folks and great times by one and all..... Happy Birthday Joe!  I am sure when Chicky and Patt (with two t's) arrive, we will do it again!

 October 15th, 2006.....PeeWee and Jeff wanted to catch some more Spanish, so back to the ocean we ran where we caught them once again, just not as many Bigguns as the little throwbacks have invaded our waters.  We must have caught one hundred but only could keep about 20 to 25 of them for dinner.  What a shame.  But that's the law.  Anyhow, the boys have had a ball and they have a cooler full of filets for the return trip to Va. and I will see them soon for the Striper fishing further north.  And the Pineapple Juice..... more on that later...... Way too much fun with some great individuals....

 October 14th, 2006 PM Trip.....Jeff and PeeWee (The “Pineapple Gang“) were on my boat this afternoon and what a difference in a few hours.... the winds switched direction and speed, the sun came out and the seas went flat as a table top and the fish turned on just like a light switch!  Go figure!  We saw some birds offshore and went to see what was happening and we CRUSHED and I MEAN CRUSHED the big nice Spanish Mackerals that were there....  We limited out shortly and then came inside for some inshore fishing for a short while but were just worn out from catching the Spanish.  And these boys have to do it all over again tomorrow morning with me.  Too Bad!  Anyhow, we turned in early for an early start tomorrow.

  October 14th, 2006... AM Trip...Billy and the fellows showed up and the wind kept us inside this morning... sort of ugly out on the ocean, but we fished hard and caught some nice bait and then tried for the Drum and flounder as well as the black drum, but just had a slow day of catching.  Still all in all we had fun and caught some fish, just not the variety or size we had hoped for.  Here's a picture of Brice and one of his Black Drums.... fine young man with a fine fish!  And we were not alone... more later...

 October 13th, 2006 PM Trip...... The fellows from Moore County were back again with a two boat trip with Capt. Robert and down the river we went for bottom fish for a Dobbs Chapel Church fish fry.....Tom and Travis and Gene and Bradley soaked the bait and we caught the fish and just had a ball down in the rivermouth near Southport.  After catching a bunch of the bottom dwellers, we headed back up river as the skies grew dark and somewhat threatening, but lucky for us no wind or rain.  Just a lot of fun and fish with some nice folks....

 October 13th (FRIDAY at that!), 2006 AM TRIP.... Well, for Friday the 13th I will take it any day.  Kenneth, Doc, Buddy and Kelly were with me today and we got a great morning of fishing in.... Speckeled Trout, Black Drum, Bluefish, Croakers, Pigfish and Hogfish rounded out our day on the water and what a nice catch of fish to have for dinner.  Here's Kelly and Doc hamming it up for the camera.....sorry the fish did not feel as good as they did!  Just a great day. 

October 6th-10th, 2006......Traveling and moving some boats, more fishing later.....

October 5th, 2006....Just going out for a fun day in the  boat exploring..... will have a report on what I find later.  Everyone travel safe and tight lines and strong knots to one and all.......

 October 4th, 2006........John, Uncle Greg, Tracey and Jacob were here today and off in search of flounder, but not our day.  The river was beautiful and the minnows cooperated, but the flounder were just hiding.  Back to the drumhole and we caught some nice Black Drum and various other fish, but not as many as I had hoped for.  Still a great day on the water.  Perfect seas, light winds, and great water and air temps made for a lovely day and the fish were nice also!  Jacob got some ear stones too today for his collection.  We even had some undersize Redfish, just the perfect eating size, but we put them back for another day.  A great time with some great folks and we will do it again soon.  See you back in Pender County soon!  PS... I understand that when Jacob got home, he laid down in the yard and said “Boy, am I tired!”  That's great fishing with great people! 

 October 3rd, 2006........David, Marilyn, and their two boys Big Dave and Mike were my guests today and we had a picture perfect day for fishing.... and we caught some to boot!  Black Drum, Grunts, Seabass, Spadefish, and the elusive Pinfish were on our menu and the boys fished as hard as they could, but Dad David and Marilyn were right there also.  What a great group to have catching fish on my boat.  Loads of laughs too, and visiting with the other “Preacherman“ in Owen's boat was fun also.  Mike and Dave caught most of the fish, but as you can see by the picture, Mom had a few nice fish also!  Big Dave and Mike got some ear stones from the bigger Black Drum for their collection of stuff.  And Marilyn got some stones also!  Just way too  much fun in the SENCLand Sun..... More later.
 October 1, 2006 PM Trip.... Dillon, Brian, and Dexter were back and down the river we ran in search of trout and flounder.  The trout cooperated but the flounder did not.  That's fishing. Anyhow, we had a ball on the water and the river was beautiful, the winds fairly calm, the temps perfect and the company excellent.  These folks will enjoy their "salads" tonight.  That's an inside joke.  A  perfect day for some wonderful individuals who work hard at fishing and having fun.

 October 1, 2006 AM Trip..... Mike and Denise are back and after catching some great bait, off we run to the secret drum hole, and once again we are on them thick and heavy.... in fact we caught over 40 nice Black Drum, some two at a time, and on the world famous "Chicken Rig" that is saying something and a nice throwback Red Drum and some Blowtoads to boot!  The tide was perfect for this trip.....Wore us out and then Denise and Mike have to drive home today. I know Denise is tired and sunburned and happy and sore all at the same time, and so is Mike!  Great morning on the water and loads of fish.  Looking forward to seeing them here in Mid October for another go at it.  Travel safely my friends.

 September 30th, 2006 PM Trip.... Brian and his son Dillon and their friend Dexter were with me this afternoon and back to the ledges where we caught the heck out of croakers, pinfish (of course), Sea Bass, sharks, ocean herring, and other species till we were just about tired.  And then to the inside and the docks for flounder and Drum, but to no avail.  Lots of fun and I am sure these fellows slept well, I know I did.  Anyway, we will fish again tomorrow afternoon on the inside and see what happens, more to come
and report on. I know Juan and his group will eat well this week....

 September 30th, 2006..... Mike and Denise from Thomasville were with me today and boy can things change.... Off to the ledges and bang, Black and Red Drum were there.  What can I say. We caught Red Drum which had to be released because they were too large!  Now that's a nice problem to have. See the photo under the Gallery heading... And the Black drum were numerous and up to 4 lbs.  Just a great day on the water.  More later.  Had so much fun, Mike and Denise decided to stay over another day and fish tomorrow morning again!  That's great..... Can you say “Just can't get enough fishing action?“


 September 29th, 2006.... Today Jason and his dad Mike and Doug and Dave joined us for a fun trip on the water.  We worked hard and fished with everything, but it was just one of those beautiful slow days on the water, but these fellows had a ball with even the little stuff..... Attitude over Altitude as I call it.  When you can enjoy the day with friends, what the heck?  As one old timer said, "A bad day of fishing is ...... hell, it's impossible!!"  We had a great time killing time and that was about it... but check out Big Dave and his Seabass.... it is still funny to the guys.  More later.

 September 26th, 2006.......Jason and his dad Denny were fishing with me today and we tore the river up..... Croakers, Black Drum, Big Rays (which were fun to catch but not kept) and various other species rounded out the day but my gosh, it was just plain beautiful in the river.  Light winds, cooling air and water temps, and very low humidity made it just the place for a father son reunion and gettogether.  Just too pretty a day, and some tight lines and strong knots to boot!  Dad Denny enjoyed our river a lot since it is different yet similar to his own Mississippi River.  Oh yes, Milton wanted me to send you fellows a special thanks for all the nice fish you gave him..... he was tickled with his bounty!  Denny, travel safely and Jason, see you soon again.  More Later.....

PS. Many thanks for the fishing forceps you sent Jason, I have already pulled some hooks with them!  Let's go fishing again real soon!

 September 24th, 2006...... Steve and his fine family Josh, Phillip, and Julia fished today and Julia and Phillip had a running battle over who would catch the most fish.... and I think it was nearly a tie, but Phillip may have won out in the bottom of the 9th inning... but Julia was great.  Josh kept the minnows swimming and looking for the big drum but dad Steve scored the big flounder for us today... what a nice catch also!  Loads of fun and Loads of wind too to keep us moving in search of the fish.  A great day on the water but somewhat slow fishing.  I think they are here but the unsettled seas and dirty water may be slowing the action some.  Julia will tell you she was busy with her fishing and she was casting like a pro.  These folks love to fish and it shows..... hope to get the rest of the family soon.  Everyone travel safe and fish hard.  More in the future.

 September 23rd, 2006......Today was a special day as I hosted two members of the Down Riggers Fishing Club from Largo, Md. and what an adventure.  Joe Banks and his friend and fellow club member Ronna Lazarus fished as hard as any two people I have ever seen and were great guests, but the fishing was excellent, and the “catching“ was slow.... but we still had a great day on  the water.  Flounder, grunts, puffers, lots of bluefish bites, and assorted other creatures swam by and teased our baits, but at least we were not offshore on the big boats turning green (as we have been told some of the other club members were experiencing!)  A great day on the water and Joe is now recognized for catching the world's smallest GROUPER to ever attach a hook.... just had to post a picture of his fine catch (as he has caught numerous larger grouper all over the Carribean area!)  Just too much fun with some lovely people.  Also have a great shot of Ronna with the infamous “Chicken of the Sea“ fish and if you do not know what I am talking about, I won't tell..... Right Ronna?  Best to all and looking forward to seeing these folks again real soon.  More later......

 September 16th, 2006......Earl and the boys (Jamie, David, and the Big “D“) were back with me today and we caught great bait for the flounder, but guess what, no flounder today.  We caught Blues and  Spanish trolling, and bottom fishing we caught nice Seabass, Grunts, and David caught two huge Snappers on a local offshore reef..... rod bending fun for most of the morning.  We tried inside for a while to little availl today.  Lots of water and current galore hampered our efforts, but we still had a lot of fillets for supper.  These guys fished hard and it was a beautiful day on the nearshore and inshore waters, but the wind did come up in the afternoon and hamper some of our efforts.  I'll see these fellows back in mid October, so look for some more photos of these fellows and their fish.  Later,......

  
September 15th, 2006..... Darius, Richard, and Scott were on the “TAC“ today and we had a ball with the big DRUM and just one nice flounder.... go figure.  Try as we might, the flounder were just hiding from us today.  And all the Drum were too big to keep!  What a problem.  Anyway we had a good time and the ocean and river are cleaning up slowly after all our storms.  When it gets right, watch out!  Time is approaching for the good fall fishing as the water temps and air temps are declining now and the bait is thicker than ever.  The bay and river are slower than the ocean to clean as we are still getting some more rain.  Sorry I did not get a good picture of Richard.  More later as the trips unfold.....

 
September 5th-9th, 2006......Well,  I left town with some of my fishing buddies and ended up in Montauk, New York for a few days of Fishing for Stripers and Blues with Capt. Kenny on his fine boat... and boy did we score some nice early season fish.  We were there before the main run started, but we were blessed with some beautiful weather and excellent surf fishing for the time we were there!  We trolled, jigged, and light tackle plugged for all of our fish and just had a ball and the surfishing at Turtle Bay just to the west of the Montauk Lighthouse was somewhat slow, but hey, you can't catch them all.  But we tried.  Still an exceptional trip with some exceptional folks and way toooo much funnnnn as usual.  Good to see Sofia from Jamaica once again... what a Surprise!  And meeting Mrs. George was an extreme pleasure also.  Capt. Kenny will be talking about that for a long, long time.  Hey, let's go fishing here in SENCland soon as the water is right.  We are just in between our Family Summer season and the start of the fall Fishing Season here on the coast when the water cools a few more degrees in temp, give me a call to book some great times...  Hope that new storm near Bermuda stays out there.  Surf is getting better here so be careful out there.  More later.

September 4th, 2006..... The water is very ugly and dirty today and the river has not even hit its flood stage yet.... Ernesto has made a mess of our water quality and it is definantly effecting the fishing some and more later.  Best to all and find the clean water and fish hard.  Having to leave town for a while, but more when I return. 

  September 3, 2006.....Pictured are Larry, Chad and Andrew with one of their many fine Ocean Red Drum we caught today on the beautiful and clean offshore waters of Carolina Beach, but the muddy water from Ernesto showed up at the end of the trip and slowed the fishing dramatically.... hope this does not hold for the rest of the week.  Larry caught this one pictured, and Chad was the man with the plan on the Drum, and Andrew was the “Oystertoad Master“ for the day but he still had fun.  What a great group of fellows on a great day for us.... BUT we could not find the flounder everyone had hoped for.  Guess we will have to have another trip soon.... and I will have even heavier leader for the next trip!  We lost some of these fine fish that we could not land.  Hey, that's fishing and thats what makes it fun.... and interesting. Everyone fish hard and try and find the clean water somewhere..... more Later.....

September 1st, 2006..... Ernesto just dumped 12 inches of rain on us with winds up to 65 knots.... no big deal so let's go fishing soon.  The river may be a mess from all the upstate rain, but the ocean is already settling down.  Saturday and Sunday should be fine.  Everyone have a nice Labor Day and Travel Safely..... more as the fishing unfolds here in SENCland

August 29th-31st, 2006...   Off for a few days of other boat works.  Hope to beat Ernesto to a fishing trip on Johnny's Islands on a secret mission... More later if all goes well.....Shhhh, this is an undercover covert operation...

 August 28, 2006.........My old friend Mike and his fatherinlaw Harold were my guests today and we caught a huge Spanish which Mike is holding and a flounder.  Just a great day on the water but the fishing was not active.  Still a fun time with the boys and more to come.  Everyone get ready for Ernie or whateverhisnameis!

August 24th, 2006......... Off the water today, more later.....

 August 23rd, 2006.... Ryan and Grandpa Jim were my guests today and what a day!  I had not seen Ryan in six years since we fished and dove together in the Abaca Bahamas and he is now a fine young man going places.... and working on offshore boats back home in Maryland.  Sooooo, off we went to catch bait and Ryan could throw the castnet with the best of them.... and after filling our well off we went for Spanish, which due to the cloud cover were not frisky, so off for sharks, and they too were not frisky, so off for Flounder and they too were not too frisky.  Dang, so back for the sharks and we caught two out of three niceun's..... and then decided to try for the Spanish once again and hope and man, did they show up in numbers!  We kept 26 nice big fat spanish and threw back many undersize summer fish.... but we had a cooler full at the end of the trip.  Sharks, Spanish, and many Bluecrabs later, we quit and headed for the hill.... Ren and Grandpa Jim, you have a fine youngster here who had a ball with the fishing today.  Hope to see you all soon again here in SENCLand....Later, the Lostboy


 August 20, 2006.......JC and and his wife Kelly and the two kids Kelcie (14) and Conner (9) were my guests today and after catching bait we ran offshore and caught spanish mackerals for a while but then threatening weather showed up and ran us to the river where we caught some nice Black Drum, Croakers, Pigfish and Black Sea Bass... and of course the elusive Pinfish and Oyster Crackers... and just had a great time catching fish and chunking bait of all kinds.  These two kids got to run the boat and help with the anchor and just have a great day on the water to boot and then I found out they knew my old buddy Robbie from Aberdeen.  Too small a world among fishermen.  Nice folks and a nice bunch of fish for them for a fishfry.... More later.

 August 19, 2006........Today was a special 6 boat trip with some of the fine folks from Bi-Vetmeds and their associates.... and what a great day it was.  I personally had my old friends Greta and Dave and their friend Big Dave and we wanted to fish the river for flounder and see some sights and we had a
blast but the fishing for us was slow.  Big Dave did get the big fish award with a HUGE stingray, but we released him to bother another fisherman another day.... just fun in the sun and a learning experience for one and all.  Some of the other boats in the trip did well and Owen was the hot hand today with a bunch of nice flounders from the ocean, Sheephead Rock to be sure.  Hey, that's fishing but everyone on the trip had a great time and promises have been made for a 6 boat trip next year about the same time.  I am looking forward to it already.  Best to all,  and travel safe.

August 17th, 2006...... Off the water today... cloudy and breezy, more later.....


   
August 16th, 2006 PM Trip.....John and Mouren and Grandpa Jim brought the kids Emily (8) and Jack (almost 4) today and we had a blast for a short trip in the Cape Fear River catching Sharks (at least 30 of them!), Croakers, Pigfish, Grunts, Oyster Toads, and a really neat surprise, a 15 pound Green Sea Turtle!!!  Unbelieveable!!!!  And we landed it!  It was so neat we called Robert over with his party of parents and young people and got some neat photos of it wth all the kids!  I am happy to report the Green Sea Turtle was released unharmed and none the worst for wear and tear.... just that he has a new appreciation for kids for all ages and sizes.  This was Really a Cool Event!  Then the wind came up and the kids got to run the boat back to the landing where we unloaded the troops and off they went with great memories of a great day and a neat Turtle event to tell all their friends about.  Way too much fun for Grandpa Jim and me..... and I am sure the rest of the family had fun also!  When I asked Jack if he was having fun yet, he told me he was "having more fun than a porcupine in a petting zoo"!!!!  I danged near fell out of my boat laughing... you just had to be there to see and hear this!!!  And so did Granddad!  Emily won a dollar for the strangest catch (the Turtle) and Jack won a dollar (for the most Croakers)....  Hey, today everyone won!  more later....

 August 16th, 2006 AM Trip....Dad Dave, son Josh (who is 8 years old) and Granddad Bob were with me today and what a change a day can make.  We caught some nice Speckled Trout, Flounder, Pigfish, Croakers, and the ever present Pinfish just to round out the morning..... and had fun doing it.  We caught alot of the fish just using the "Socket Rocket" approach and it worked well... a new technique I learned from these Striper boys!!!  We had a nice Drum hit, but you know how that goes, just could not get the steel into him..Lots of fun and fish and great weather, although the seas were a little rough for us to Spanish Fish.... more later....

August 15th, 2006 PM Trip..... Dave and Chad were my guest this afternoon and boy did it change drastically.  I pulled out all the stops and just could not find a quality fish.  Have you ever had that kind of day?  Well, we did, but these two fellows were troopers and fished as hard as anyone, still had a good time and went home happy.  Just one of those afternoons..... and I could make up excuses, but I wont.... we just did not catch fish.  So there.... go figure.  Dang......

 August 15th, 2006 AM Trip....... Jeff and Daniel and their friends Archie Sr. and Archie Jr. were on board for a repeat trip this year and no Dolphin Experience this year like last year unfortunantly, but the fish did cooperate... and so did the weather.  A beautiful day with flat calm seas and cooler than usual temps, both air and sea made for a great fishing day.  Off we went to the nearshore waters and we loaded up on really nice Spanish Mackerals..  the two Archie's just had a ball and Jeff and Daniel were in the thick of it also.  After catching about 30 nice fish, we decided to catch some bait and Archie and Daniel got to throw the net.  After Archie caught the bait, we ended up in the ICW and fished some docks where Daniel got a nice 4 lb. flounder and dad Jeff got his nice 25.5 inch Red Drum!!!!  Boy did we have fun there for a while.  Hey, then we cleaned the fish for dinner.  What more can you ask for in the Carolina Sun?  Just a great morning overall.


 August 14th, 2006..... Bryan and Neil were my guests today and after viewing a most spectacular sunrise, we cleared the inlet in search of the Spanish Mackerals.  The seas were absolutely Flat calm and the wind was light from the north and very dry and cool... a wonderful August morning and we trolled for a while and finally found the fish, and were they Nice ones.  Big and Strong, and we caught about 30 of them before we ran for the river in search of a Drum.  No Drum, but we did get a nice flounder for Bryan and had some fun before we called it a day and returned to the dock where we cleaned the fish and got them ready for dinner.  Just a wonderful day on the SENCland waters with a couple of really nice folks who just love to be out fishing.  I must admit I worked these fellows hard as we had triple headers more than once and the long line was the hot item... just ask Bryan....  and I was on time this morning to boot!!!!  more on that later.  Best to all and fish hard and safe.

 August 13th, 2006.... Chuck, Melissa, and Adam (who turns 13 this week!) were my guests today and we just could not make it into the ocean... rough seas and strong NE winds kept us off the nearshore waters, but hey, that's OK as we caught some nice Bluefish, Croakers, and many Sharks for Adam and we still had fun in the River.... and it got breezy there too!!!!  Melissa got the big catch of the day award with her huge Sting Ray... you could here her hollar all the way to Virginia... but she had a ball.  Chuck and Adam were just as busy as could be with all the other fish, but Adam was the SHARK MASTER.  Just check out the pics, his smile, and all the fun he had on his special birthday trip.  Way too much fun.  Best to all and travel safely this weekend.

 August 11th, 2006.... Today the Stedman NC group of Grandpa Roger, Son Alan, Grandson Brandon, and their friend in law Roy were my guest and after catching some bait, we ran offshore where we caught some absolutely beautiful and BIG Spanish Mackerals which were just offshore.  After wearing out these fish, we ran for the big sharks in hopes of wearing out Brandon, but it was just not our day.  So we regrouped and ran to a ledge for flounder but we caught nice bottom fish and some smaller sharks here instead.  Beautiful seas, 85 degree water and air, a light NE breeze and just enough sun to make the day great.  Great folks,and the Farmer's Day program in Stedman, NC is coming on!!!  It is every 3rd Saturday in September..... if you get a chance you should go and support this group effort for NC farmers.... a very great day for a most worthy cause. I will see you there this year and look forward to seeing all my old friends from that area.... Just look at the photos and see if we had some fun today in Beautiful SENCland and the Carolina Beaches Area!!!!

 August 10th, 2006.... My old friends Leon and Larry, a fatherinlaw and soninlaw team, were back on the "Tac" today and ready for some flounder... we even had their special lure, but folks, there are those days when even These Boys can't catch a flounder.  And today was one of those days.  So instead we caught Spanish Mackerals, had King Mackerals bite us off, then went to the reefs for flounder and instead caught Croakers, Big Snappers, Grunts and tons of bottom fish which went to three nice elderly folks at the State Park... Boy, they said to say a special thanks for your fish.  Anyhow, Leon and Larry had more fun "perch jerking" today and just had good old fun... no glory fishing here. just lots of rod bending action.  It was a pleasure to have these fine gentlemen back with me today and I look forward to October with them soon.  Maybe then the flounder will cooperate!!!!  Calm seas, light winds, 85 degree water and 88 degree air temp... just too pretty a day not to go fishing.... more later.
 August 8th, 2006 PM......Eric and Allison and their two fine boys Craig and Scott fished this afternoon with me and off we went for the Spanish and we caught some but the seas blew up and the white caps came with the advancing front so off we ran to the river for the big Croakers we were catching and boy, we did score some nice inside fish.  Everyone stayed busy till the skies darkened near us  and the rain started so off we ran for the landing and glad we did.... Wilmington got BUSTED and Good.... winds to 65 knots, hail, tree limbs down, wrecks everywhere, and power outages.... just a mess and we got back to the landing, cleaned our fish, and got the heck out of Dodge.... better safe than sorry.  We made a good call to quit early, but still got some good pics of the fellows with their fish.  Eric and Allison, thanks again and next year we will beat the rain.... travel safely everyone....

 August 8th, 2006 AM.......Elvis was not on the boat today, but his fatherinlaw Don and his friend Tim and their lovely daughters April, Amber, and Alissa were my guest and boy could this group FISH HARD!!!!  We just had a ball and ended up with 30 some nice Spanish Mackerals for the family fish
fry.  All the girls set the lines and caught the fish and the boys had a blast watching and unhooking fish and getting messy with the Spanish, but it was nonstop action for a long time.... just the way I like it!!!  After the bite was over, we ran to the river to try for some bottom fish and just had a ball with all the bottom dwellers there and ended the day with cleaning and packing the fish down for supper... I know these fish will taste great on the grill.  Beautiful Seas, calm winds, lots of sun, and just great fishing.... these folks just had a ball.  More later....

  August 7th, 2006..... Today Dave and all the Epling's (Papa John, John and Nathan) were my guest and first off we tried for the Spanish Mackerals and I am happy to report they were there and in great SIZE and NUMBERS!!!!!  We landed over 40 fish and a few small Kings also before we quit, and everyone had fun and these were nice Quality fish, not our normal small spanish macks... and what a ball for three and one half hours.  Then we ran to a ledge where John caught a nice 3.5 lb flounder and we saw a fellow in the next boat getting ready to land a really nice flounder only to have it attacked by something with a lot of teeth and tear it apart almost.  The two pieces were only hanging by a thread.  We caught some more bottom fish before we had to head in, but what a day with a great family. It was cooler with a slight NE breeze, water temp in the high 80's, flat calm seas, and loads of fish to be caught.  Just one of those perfect number "10" days when all goes right and the fish cooperate.  Tomorrow I am fishing with Elvis again, maybe he will wear his costume.  More on that later.

 August 5th, 2006 PM Trip.  Karl, Kam and Kristian fished this afternoon but we could not get offshore for long due to choppy seas and Big Black Thunderheads building to our west... just a good day to stay inshore where we caught some beautiful river fish.  Did not find Kam his big flounder, but we tried!  Still lots of fish action and tight lines and just a beautiful day on the Cape Fear River.  Then the skies opened up and we ran and hid at the Park for a while, decided to curtail our trip due to the lightning, and got to the ramp and cleaned some fish in between the storms.  Perfect timing today with a wonderful family.... but the afternoon boomers just caught us short.  More later

 August 5th, 2006 AM Trip....This morning Steven, Benny, Pat and the "Rooster" (Ross)  were my guests and what a great start to the day.,.. a cold front came through and it was only 80 degrees this morning at the ramp at 0600 hours!!!!  Still HOTT with two t's... but calm and a beautiful sky.  Off we went and many thanks to Bruce for some bait.  Out the inlet and found the Spanish Mackerals just below the surface and we caught many many nice fish.... over 25 at last count.  And they were Biggun's.  Then to a ledge where we finished out the day pulling in hand over fist some beautiful Croakers, Trout, and other bottom dwellers.... Rooster had a ball here and worked as hard as anyone I have seen fish!  Then the wind came up and we decided to head in to beat the seas and just had a great ride home.  And that Breeze sure felt good on some sweaty people!  Great Folks and we will do it again soon.....

 August 3, 2006.........Bill and Tina and their kids Will and Anna joined me today and what a beautiful HOTT day it was.... off on flat calm seas to chase some Spanish Mackerals and then to a ledge for some bottom fish where we all caught nice Croakers, Grunts, and Snappers and then for Will and Bill we SHARK fishing.... had 4 nice bumps but just no real pickups.... seems like the sharks were carrying the bait on their lips instead of really hitting the baits!  But the birds and dolphins and action was neat... and then we decided to hit the river when the wind came up and we really wore out the bottom fish then.  Tina and Bill were working hard keeping bait on the line at the Croaker Hole as Anna and Will wore out the fish, and the adults too at the same time.  It was great family fishing fun in the Carolina Sun, and it still is HOTT with two t's.....Anna is four and Will is seven and they fished as hard as many adults I know and had a blast doing it.  Just look at the smiles, that says it all.  Everyone drink a lot of water and stay as cool as possible.... more later....
 August 2, 2006.......Tom and Linda Forster and their three adults Casey, Corey, and Sarah were my guests today and it was HOTT with all capital leters!!!!!  Really HOTT!!!!  But we had fun catching Spanish Mackerals and then off chasing a Shark which we landed and got some neat pics of which I
hope to post here soon as I get them, after everyone got to fight this beast.... and then back to Spanish fishing which had slowed dramatically but everyone had fun.  Mom Linda was a great fisherman, but she was really into it.... Dad Tom and I had fun especially with the comment about the "pilots migrating south for the season".....and just watching the family fish in general.  Everyone landed fish, but it was what my Buddy Dean refers to as a" Bluebird" day.... just too pretty and hot and all the other reasons fish do not bite, if you believe that kind of stuff.  Anyhow, I know the Forster's had fun and I want them to email me about how the Spanish Macks were on the grill... more on that later.  Everyone stay as Cool as possible.....

August 1st, 2006..... Off on the water today with Andrew and Heather from NW Idaho (near the Canadian Border) and man what a day.... lots of fun with flounder and bluefish and some really neat fish people.  This husband wife team of fish/water scientest had a day off and came to CB to fish with me and relax after a hectic schedule in Piedmont NC from their firm in Idaho doing water quality research for Duke Energy Co.  I learned a lot today, but that is no surprise.  These folks have their act together and were hard fishermen too.  Heather could chunk the anchor and fish as well as anyone, but these two did pick on each other alot.. I have the biggest fish, most species, first fish, last fish, you name it it was a contest.... I was just laughing at all their antics.  Way too much fun.  Anyhow, I am sure I will see them later, probably in Hopetown.  PS... the neighbors really enjoyed the fish... Travel safe and Godspeed!!!  Wind from the west at 5 kts., calm water, 84.5 degrees F., beautiful skies, just a perfect SENCland day on the water.  River getting prettier every day.  Nearshore lots of Spanish so come on down and let's go fishing!!!!!

 July 31st, 2006...... My neighbors Emmett Miller and Richard Mason were my guests today on a specail mission.... that of helping each of these fine young men earn their Boy Scout Boating Merit Badge, and what a blast we had learning to dock, tie up, and launch the boat, and then the skills required to run the boat safely and correctly and then get it back home safely.... wow, wish everyone who owned a boat here at Wrightsville Beach had to pass these items... sure would be safer on the water than what it is now!!!!!  These fellows worked hard and were paying attention.  And they did a fine job... I feel safe with both of these boys in command.  Anyhow, we had a great day on the river, cut, and ocean and they learned a lot and got to see what it takes to be a SAFE Boat Captain.... and we got to drown some minnows also for a short while, maybe 20 minutes, and Richard caught his first SHARK!  Then back to work on mastering the many skills needed to pass the BSA Test. Lots of fun with lots of action and glad to help these two fine fellows earn their merit badges.... more this afternoon in the "ground school" part of the course during the heat of the day, but the hard part is ehind them.  Best to all, light SW winds and 85 degree water.... just way too pretty offshore and inshore and the River was Beautiful.  More later.

July 29th, 2006..... Well, we had such fun yesterday that the Crew did it all over again.... so back for bait in the “Pond“ but the tide was so low we could not make it in so we caught our bait in the river..... then offshore to a ledge where Alex became the “Trout King“ with his fine grey trout.... and Devan continued on as the Croaker Queen.....  We tried for some sharks but no takers...  no big fish here today so we ran back inside the inlet and tried for some flounder at the Tree Hole.  Off to the river once again and Tracey got the big flounder today, just shy of 4 pounds!!!!  Way to go Tracey.  For a breather, we fished the pond on High Tide and had lunch on the inside but boy did it get hot.  Then off to the pond mouth for the falling tide but the wind was on our chops so we called it a day with a cooler of nice fish for the kids and friends...  Nice SW wind to keep us cool and water temps in the mid 80's.... bait all over the place... fish may be deep but just fun fishing for a while.   Tracey and Jeff I hope will return soon with their families... nice folks and hard fishermen one and all.... Later.

July 28th, 2006.....My old friends Tracey and Jennifer and Jeff and Colleen and Devan and Alex were my fishing buddies today and we have fished many times in the past together... and we sure had to work hard for what we got.  Devan who is 9 now was the "Croaker Queen' and sure did tear them up.... Alex who is 8 was in second place with the croakers but had the Big Fish award for his really nice Black Drum... and he also caught his first ever Shark!!!!  Besides that, we caught Subway Sandwiches, some Oysters, Pinfish, Sea Weed, Crabs, Flounder, Sticks, and some Little Baby Black Crabs of some unknown species just to round out the day.... there is more to a fishing trip than just fishing.  Devan and Alex also ran the boat, pulled the anchor, tied some lines and in general just had fun.  The grownups just held on and tried their best to catch some flounders, but just a slow day overall...  Tomorrow is another day and we will hit it at 0600 hours for some ocean fishing then.


 July 27th, 2006 Afternoon Trip..... Neil Wilson, Lisa Peaslee and her Son Ian and Granddad joined me and after catching some bait we fished the river, sounds, ICW, and Cut and just had one of those afternoons.... but we did catch some fish.  Ian who is 8 years old wanted to catch a shark, so we tried in the river and boy did he have fun catching the small Sharks there.... and he did well running the boat also.  A most competent driver and fisherman.  We all had a great afternoon and the clouds showed up but we finished the trip before the bottom fell out.  Nice folks and I am looking forward to getting Ian's email soon.  Travel safe and have a great summer Ian.....

 July 27th, 2006 Morning trip....... My old buddies Joe and Nelson were on board again and what a morning.... off for bait and then to a secret spot where we caught three nice big fat flounders, then two nice Speckeld trout (ONE being a very nice Citation Trout at that!) and a huge Spanish Mackeral!!!!  Not a lot of fish, but these all were quality and very nice fish.  No Drum so we did not do the Slam, but we tried.  Joe was the King with the nice Trout but Nelson hung in there..... Charlie and Dianne and David would be proud of this Crew!!!!!  A lot of fun with great guys and nice fishing to boot.... and Joe hung in there tough.  More later.....

July 28th, 2006.... Another day off and enjoyed the day goofing with my wife.... Tomorrow back to the full swing of it for a number of days..... Gosh, I do love to fish, but sometimes I need to mow the grass..... Later

 July 27th, 2006..... Mike and his relatives Gene and Marla and the "Big Guy" were my guest for a short while today.  Off for bait and then into the ocean which was calm and glassey, 84.5 degree water temp and just a lovely nice SW breeze to keep us cool.  After catching a few Spanish Mackerals, we headed south to try for some of the sharks and we went 0-4 today.  We hooked them and fought some, but they just were not to be caught by us.... and then the cloud appeared (remember I said short while) and here comes the rain!!  Look in the back of the photo above...We ran back inside, decided to quit while we were ahead, and parted friends after an abreviated fishing trip.  Still all the folks had fun and that is what this industry is all about.  Mike is heading for Norfolk and it is a short drive here and I am sure he and some friends will be back soon, probably after summer camp on the way back to Florida.  We will talk more about the Carolina Skiffs and what they can do later.  Best to all the gang and go Ohio!!!!!!  Mike, have a good time on the USS Rosevelt and keep it afloat!  Great people, Terrible Weather.  More later........leg getting better every day!!!

July 21st, 2006.... Out of the water again with the leg.... back tomorrow.  Best to all and catchemup!!!!!!

July 20th, 2006....Dennis, Anthony, and Lloyd were my guests today and just about a repeat of yesterday.  Spanish were somewhat more active, but the bottom fishing was great.  No Glory here, just yanking the hooks into some nice eating bottom fish.  And of course we had to catch some of the other species as well.  Anthony hung tough and caught his share and Dennis and Lloyd were just working like mad.  Three fine gentlemen just having a ball.  A little bit of breeze today to help, but not much.  Flat calm seas, 84 degree water temp, and my good buddy Brent on the boat to help with the baiting and slinging of the lines.  What a great day and many thanks fellows for a fun day on the water.  Brent, thanks so much for your help today.  Everyone, fish hard and enjoy the great weather which may be changing soon.  (Doesn't it always?)

July 19th, 2006.......Back on the water with Rita and Jerritt today and we got bait early and Jerritt ran the boat to the ocean and did a great job.... another Captain in the making!  Trolled awhile but did not do much, so off to the wrecks where we bottom fished and tore up some nice Croakers, Pigfish, and numerous other species..... just a great day of pulling in fish.... I was scared I was going to give Rita a heart attack near the end she was catching so many fish and grunting and groaning fighting them into the boat.  All said, Rita and Jerritt went home with three bags full of  fish and I bet they will be great in the pan.  And Boy, was it hot.  We had plenty of water thank goodness or else we would have suffered out there, even under our T-Top on the boat!  And just for fun, Jerritt got to hook a big shark but alas, we lost him.... he had fun anyway.  Jerritt, not the shark....  Hey a great day on the hot water, dead calm seas, no wind, and HOT, I mean Hot.....  Summer in SENCLand.... doesn't get any better than this. 

July 18th, 2006....Hey, when you are down and out, get you boat tuned up!!!!  My friends at Yopp's Marina were kind enough to work me in rapidly and boy am I now running well.... tuned up, rebuilt, and ready to go in a better rig with a cleaner and quieter motor that has just had the works!!!!  Tommy, Neil, Robin and all the gang, many thanks.  It's good to have good friends who will look after you.....  Seems Beryl or whatever his name is not to be a threat to our coast.  More on him later if needed.

July 17th, 2006.....Hey, taking a few days off for friends and family, and I busted up my leg.... dumb things happen in life.  As soon as I get back on the water, more reports to follow.  Little Low Pressure system off the coast could develop into something.... keep your eyes on the skies.... Later.

 July 15th, 2006...... Wayne, Will, and Kelvin were on board this morning for a shark fishing trip but due to high winds and ugly seas, we were limited in our offshore/nearshore fishing.... just too rough for us and so we fished inside for flounder.... All I can say is we fished hard and worked a lot of minnows to death, but overall it was a slow day for us.  Still windy and ugly seas, but the temperature was nice and we tried to stay comfortable.  Wayne and Larry will be back for a fall trip and I hope Will and Kelvin can join them also....  Just can't fight mother nature.... more later and everyone fish hard and travel safe.

 
July 14th, 2006....Today the Hughes family joined me for a fun afternoon on the ICW and River and boy did the girls have fun....Pepe and the boys Luke and McKinzie fished hard but the girls had the touch and both Rebecca (with the short hair) and Rachael (with the long hair) caught numerous fish and better than that, it was their  FIRST  FISH  EVER!!!!!  They way they smiled you would have thought they were catching 500 pound Blue Marlins, but they did catch some really  nice Croakers and other bottom fish.  Mom Heather just watched and laughed and help bait hooks and Dad was working hard too keeping the bait and lines going and coming from the water.  It was hectic but it sure was fun.  These girls are real fishermen now and I hope to see them again soon for a repeat trip.  Just look at the smiles........

 July 13th, 2006 PM Trip..... Richard and 8 year old Brendan AKA "Shark Slayer" were with me this afternoon and Brendan had caught a shark the day before, so guess what we went fishing for?  Sharks of course!!!  And boy did we wear them out!  Brendan had on his shark shirt and we caught more sharks than we could count... and kept a few of them also.  Richard was a great sport helping with lines and bait and fishing himself and he caught some sharks also..... but Brendan was the Shark Slayer man!!!!  And the tide today, lower than low and the wind was up also.  Made for some interesting fishing, but we had a blast and will do it again later this fall.  Maybe the girls will join us then.  Julia, thanks for the neat drawing.  It is hanging on the wall at the house now.... Later.....

 July 13th, 2006 AM Trip.... Jack and his son in law John were with me today and off we ran in search of Spanish which proved thin and just for fun we pulled in to do some shark fishing just for sport.  After a few missed fish, we managed to hook John into a nice 4 footer which gave him a good time and after we released this animal, we taged a great big one for Jack who had a ball for a while before the shark released himself... oh well,  needless to say the wind came up and blew us to the inside and flounder were our target, but they were thin also!  Got a great photo of Jack and I with our favorite fish the "elusive" Oyster Toad (this is how Jack and I really met but that's another story too) and just had to include it for our buddy Walter. He'll understand.  Way too much fun and the great jokes I learned are already being practiced on a regular basis. Jack and John were great sports and now
are great friends.  Best to all, Charlie.....

  July 11th, 2006..... Today I had Todd and Daniel with me and what a beautiful day.... calm seas, a slight breeze, and perfect conditions for Spanish trolling.... and we scored some nice ones early on... Then off to the shrimp boats and then Daniel got the thrill of his life... hooked up with a nice big Shark and off to the races.  We got the gaff in his lips and cut him loose after about 30 minutes and Daniel found muscles in his arms and shoulders he had never used before... and then we rebaited and got an even Larger one on for Todd and 45 minutes later on our light gear, we had a 6.5 foot shark along side. We were bear hunting with switches, but was it fun.. I put the gaff in his lips and he proceeded to quickly bend my gaff and tried to take it from me... Hang on Charlie!!!!!!   What a Blast!  We were all hot, tired and sweaty after these two battles so we headed for an offshore ledge and got run off by a huge Thunderstorm (rather be safe than sorry) and headed inshore to try for some flounder.  We caught one undersize flounder and finished our day in the beautiful Cape Fear River and had some fun with the gar, but just slow fishing inside for us today.  Daniel had a ball and Todd had fun watching Daniel sweat.... great guys and good fishermen to boot.  Fishing is improving daily and more flounder and fish are finding their way to the inshore areas, so it should get even stronger soon.  Best to all and travel safely.  Deer on the river bank early on too!!!


July 9th, 2006....... The Harkey family fished with me today and that included Nana, Robin, Dennis, son Tyler and Cousin Zac and we caught flounder, bluefish, nice Grey Trout and had a blast on the beautiful SENCland waters..... Offshore to Inshore we ran and the fish were scattered, but they could not elude us.  The river is cleaning up nicely after it's little problem, but it still has a way to go.  More fish on the outside than on the inside for us today but I did hear later on of one monster flounder.... more on that later.  Captains Tyler and Zac did a great job of running the boat for me and Dennis was the Castnetting man.... he is good with the net!!!  Robin got the big fish award this year with her nice 3.5 pound flounder and she was grinning from ear to ear.  These folks are waterpeople and know how to fish well....  See you in October!

 
July 7, 2006.....Mike was on the boat today and boy did we surprise ourselves.... with the Cape Fear River still under the gun from the sewage spill and with a stiff NE wind in our faces, we ran North to the Wrightsville Beach area and fished the docks and we BUSTED the red drums.... and not just one.... Mike was busy for quite a while and I am happy to report the crabs are not as bad up north as they are in the Cape Fear River.... HMMMMM, think I'll head north to WB more often... All the creeks and the creeks mouths in the Wrightsville area were hot and we got tired of releasing nice fish.  Mike is an accomplished angler and I am glad to say all these fine fish were returned to the waters except for one small legal flounder who will be dinner tonight.  It is a short run to Wrightsville, so while the river cleans itself I will be up there more often.  Wrightsville Beach is ON FIRE!!!!   Best to all the boys in the “Got Em On King Mackeral Tourney” this weekend and hope the winds cooperate.  More later on the excellent fishing in the Wrightsville Beach area, think I'll try Rich's Inlet area and Figure 8 Island out soon.  Later and good fishing to all!
 July 6th, 2006.... Today Lee and Carrie and Amanda, Matthew, and Tyler were with me and the Cape Fear River I am sorry to say is heavily polluted with a major sewage spill off River Road in Wilmington.  No river fishing for reds or flounder for quite a while to come and everyone be safe in the polluted waters. I sure hope it does not spread south.  Anyhow, we fished hard in the ocean and caught some spanish and then to the waterway to drown some minnows for flounder, but they were slow today.  Capt. Matthew ran the boat well and Capt. Tyler and Capt. Amanda did also, just lots of fun today but soft fishing.  More later.

 July 5th, 2006.... Today Jack and Ray were my guests and off to Southport we ran, now that the 4th of July celebration is over.... and a great day we had.  Beautiful yet windy, we ran all over the river and bays.  We caught Cobia and Skates.  It was just one of those times and sometimes it happens.  Jack and Ray were great sports and fished hard..... Dropped them off and they were still laughing and carrying on.  Too much fun.  Later and watch the river as we have a sewage spill in our area.... more on that if it becomes a major hazard.

  
July 3rd, 2006...... Had my relatives on the boat with me today and boy did the kids have fun with the spots, croakers, mullet, sharks and bluefish in the river... just a fun day of nonstop action and pole jerking fishing.... a great day with some great kids even if they are related to me by marriage.  Diane was the  new fisherman and sure caught on fast... by the end of the trip she was a professional!!!  Scott, John and David were kept busy with the baiting of hooks for Michela, Arlo, Lila and Diane and the action never stopped till later in the day.  Lila was worn out from fishing so she took a nap on the deck of the boat.... thought Scott would join her, but he kept fishing!!!! And what do you do when you get hot on the river?  Why, you go swimming of course.  Paddling around sure cools off a person and what fun they had.. After it was all over and said, we ran back to the marina so they could go cook up their bounty and have a great meal of fresh fish.  Final count was over 30 sharks and about 20 something fish....We will do it again soon.

    July 2nd, 2006....... Sam and his son Alex and all his clan joined the “TAC“ for a day of fishing for Alex's 7th Birthday, and what a day we had.... Lawson, Jordan, and Jason were on board and the 5 fellows and I had fun catching bait then offshore to chase a shrimp boat and the sharks and they were there today... go figure.... but we caught two fine fish and the boys had a ball battling these heavy duty bruisers on the light lines we pulled... just way too much fun on light tackle.  After we beat and release these two fine sharks, off to a ledge for some fish for Alex, but the ledges were slow today.  So back to the shrimpers for one more try and a couple of hookup and breakoffs later, we started pulling lures for Spanish and caught 8 nice fish for dinner.  Not as many as we wanted, but we were tired from catching SHARKS!!!!!!  Alex had a great 7th Birthday he will never forget and hopefully the pictures of he and his clan  will say a thousand words....  Later, and everyone drive and boat safely... the 4th has started and the lunatics are out......nuff said.....

July 1st, 2006....... Earl, Jimmy, and what's his name Tommy or Chris or CT or TC fished with me today (actually it was Chris) and what a fine group of fellows who fished hard and had a great day with some wonderful pan fish for dinner.  The big ones just would not cooperate, but hey, that's LIFE!!!!!  We worked hard and finally found an active area where the big ones did show up but continued to bust us off and just had fun.  Nice Black Sea Bass and many too small to keep and some Croakers and bottomfish made the day... the ocean was like glass and the Spanish were just too scattered to catch regularly.  Even the sharks were sluggish.  Just one of those days but theses fellows and I had a ball.  Maybe it was just too pretty.......  

 June30th, 2006.... Today Vance, John, and Robin were my guests and we had a flyrodding mission in mind and the seas were absolutely beautiful and flat calm and slick so off we went in search of the wiley Spanish Mackeral.  After riding around a while, we finally found them busting on the surface and proceeded to get John to catch the first one... and then Robin caught them on the fly rod and what a blast he had, and nice fish to boot.... no citations but just healthy fighting Spanish Mackerals.... Vance got into the act also but according to the big boats, they were scattered and hard to come by.  The boys had fun and on the way in we fished behind a shrimper for a while and had one taker, but just for a few seconds.  Still fun remembering John's smile as the biggun' streaked away with our bait and then broke off.... lots of fun, just to short a time.  Maybe next time.  Everyone drive safely for the 4th, it should be beautiful out on the ocean and up the bays.  Later to everyone and good luck fishing this weekend.....

June 29th, 2006... Afternoon Trip... John Tomko and his nephew Jessie were back this year, but we did not catch the spanish like we did last year... the winds came up and blew us out, so off for flounder and drum and then the great big black thunder storm moved in and we had to quit way to early... better safe than sorry.... hey, maybe next trip.  Still the boys enjoyed themselves, but a tough day of fishing due to weather and shortening the trip. Sorry, no pic this trip due to weather... Next time, I promise, a better day and more fish.

 June 29th, 2006 Morning Trip....Carlis great daughters Valerie and Andriana and his friend Kevin and his lovely daughter Kailey who is 8 years old on the boat and boy did  Kailey have fun driving the  boat and fishing too!!!!  And Valerie and Andriana had a ball too fishing like madmen and pulling up the fish fast and furious.  Kevin and Carl could hardly keep up with the girls but they tried hard.  Just a great crew catching Croakers, Black Sea Bass, Pinfish (of course), Snappers, Grunts and Ringtails by the bushel basket.  I think I wore them out, but I know they wore me out.  Just look at the smiling faces in the photos... these girls had a ball.  I am tired.  Later.

 June 28th, 2006 PM trip....... Well, Grandpa Billy, Son Kevin, Sherriff Brian and son Brice and friend Eddie were guests on the "TAC" today and off we went and scored an Inshore Slam.... flounder about 3.5 lbs., a nice 24 inch Red Fish, and some pretty Speckled Trout... Way to go Boys!!!! And a few old Bluefish thrown in for good measure... but overall a slow day for five fellows who fished as hard as they come.  But the family had a blast and I am glad they got the slam... Grandpa Billy was the hot hand and juist look at his pictures, smiles and all..... a lovely day with some great folks....

 June 28th, 2006.... Walt, Shorty and Red were my guests today and what a hoot!!!  Got a great pic of Walt catching bait for me and I even offered him a job as mate for the rest of the summer and he said he would consider it!  Too much fun to start with.  Up and down the river and fishing like mad fools, we had a ball and some fish to boot.  These fellows were laid back and just happy to be fishing... my kind of people.  They can come on this boat any time they want.  More later.


 June 27th, 2006..... Jim, Elton, and Rick were my guests on a multiboat trip today and the wind and seas and rain kept us inside, but what a tough group and great guys to boot.... and good fishermen as I was to learn.  After catching bait, we hit the river till a big cloud ran us off and the winds came up the river howling, but to the secret spot where we caught nice flounder and had big bluefish all over us and our friends who shared the spot with us.  Nice to have friends...  And then back to the landing in the pouring down rain.  Elton got the big fish award and Rick had the first fish award, but we all had a blast.  So much so they are fishing again tomorrow with us.  More on that trip tomorrow.

June 26th, 2006....Rain and more Rain.... and Winds Too!            Good Luck to all the Fishermen Today......

June 24th, 2006......Today Jeff and Charlie were my guests and the SE swells hit us from that little disturbance over the Bahamas, so the ocean came up and winds also so it was just a little sloppy... and the Spanish were hard to find also, so we headed for the inside and proceeded to wear out some nice Black Drum for the rest of the day.... and some nice ones at that!  These fellows are some great sports and it is good to have them back on the boat and we had a blast.  Got a pic of Jeff with a Spanish here for all to see, but when the black drum bit, we were too busy to take any photos..... sorry..... More Later.  Weather may get us tomorrow, but stay tuned for further announcements!!!!

 June 23rd, 2006..... Off with a great repeat group of folks from central NC and 10 of them at that!  Robert has 5 and I had the rest and what a great group of Methodists... and good fishermen to boot!  I had Mary and Roy and Ethel and Albert "Tom" and the youngster on the trip was Travis (AKA Cameraman) and all 5 fished hard and long.  Tried for sharks early on but to no avail, then to an offshore reef where we wore out, I mean wore out the bottom fish.  Lots of little uns of course, but a cooler of nice croakers, ringtails, grunts, hogfish, and some nice bluefish topped off the day.  Just lots of line bending and hook pulling action.  No Glory, just Guts.  I think we wore Travis out, but he hung in there and was a big help running the boat and keeping things straight.  Ethel and Roy fished hard and Albert and Mary kept the spirits lively and hopping all day... just a great group to be with and good fishermen at that.  Water quality is improving daily and the seas were just beautiful once again.  A great day to be on the water.  More later.

 June 22nd, 2006..... Well, My old buddies Patty and Teresa fished with me again and no we did not get any hooks stuck in our hands this year.... what a relief!  But let me tell you these two gals still can outfish and outwork most of my fishing buddies... they are Tuff!!!  And after catching some huge mullets, we ran offshore and proceeded to get hooked up to Three nice sharks, one over 80 pounds that took over 40 minutes to land on our light fishing tackle.  Just ask Teresa is she had fun, oh yeah.... and Patty had her turn also and got the good eating one you see pictured.  They have promised to send me some action photos, so hurry up and send them to me!  A great day with some great gals who can fish on my boat anytime.  And yes, they can throw a cast net and catch bait to boot.... what more could you ask for!!!!  Let me know how you like the grilled Mullet after you barbeque them.... and yes, the seas are calm and looking good for right now... hope it continues in the future.  Best to everyone... Later.

 June 21st, 2006.....Today Bob and Mike joined me on the "TAC" and we still have dirty water from the storm last week... when will it ever end.  But Bob and Mike, a father and son team were not to be daunted by the water and we fished and fished hard.  After a few strikes and one small Bluefish in the river, we ran offshore and tried our luck at the local reef and caught a few Oyster Toads and just had some fun.... then we saw a shrimp boat and decided to switch tatics and proceeded to wear Big Mike out on a nice 80 pound Black Tip Shark!!!!! And had a ball doing it too!!!!  Just look at the grin on Mike's face as he was fighting this nice animal.... just wish there was a way to transmit the grunts and groans he emitted during the struggle... it was just Great!!!  After a successful release, we proceeded to catch and release a Pelican who flew through our lines.... what a mess it could have been, but thank goodness for a towel on board and some quick thinking.  Then back to the stern of the shrimper and one more shark encounter for a short while for Mr. Bob till the shark decided to break us off.  Dang!  Then the wind came up so we headed in to try for some more flounder till the end of our trip.  Lots of fun today with a nice couple of fellows.  Hope Bob and Mike both will return soon for another shark encounter.  More rain coming tonight... can not get any wetter, just deeper.  Later

June 20th, 2006..... ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL weather and the fishing was extremely hardd.... I mean hardd with two "D"s......light winds, clear skies, beautiful seas, lots of bait, but boy was it hardd fishing.  We did catch some undersize Speckle Trout and one nice Keeper Grey Trout and a few incidental fish, but overall it was not easy fishing.  But my two clients who go by Carsten and Cary (who are members of the Federal Witness Protection Program on leave for good behavior) had a ball today in the boat and Cary as she is known was the top dog fisherman.  Sorry, no pictures as they are not allowed with these individuals.  I am sure you understand this due to their situation in life.  But they had fun and will be back again soon.  When is up to the Federalistos......  Soon the river should clean up from Alberto's flooding waters and the offshore fish should get a little more frisky as a friend of mine says..... more later.


  June 18th, 2006.... Happy Father's Day All.... And I had Brothers Levander and James and Levander's son Shawn on the boat today and we caught some Beautiful Flounder ( up to 4 lbs.), Black Sea Bass, Snappers, Ringtails, nice Croakers, and the elusive Oyster Cracker!!!!.... and what a ball.  Shawn also got to tangle with a beautiful shark which had him running all around the boat and it was a lot of fun to watch him work.  Lots of fish with lots of fun and just a wonderful family to be with.  James and I were the “Senior Citizens” on the boat so we had fun picking on the youngsters.... and boy did they give it back to us in Trump... no thin skinned people on the boat today... they would have bled to death.  They went home with not one, but two bags of fresh filets.... another great day in the Carolina Sun.  Once again, Happy Father's Day to one and All......

 June 17th, 2006 Afternoon Trip.....Sara and Jamie and Parents Danny and Joanne fished today on the "TAC" and what a day.  Outside and inside, we fished hard.  Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, Croakers, Pinfish, Lady fish, a Stingray or two, and then Black Drum and Sara's nice Red Drum...What a great group and fun on the water.  Did I mention that Sara tricked husband Jamie and Father Danny into coming shopping with them, then took them fishing?  Oh, my mistake.  She is really cool.  Jamie is a lucky man and still grinning from the trip.  Just a beautiful day on the water in the Carolina Sun.....with some neat people.  Later....

 June 17th, 2006.... Megan and Bryce were my guest this morning and with Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, Ringtails, Croakers, Snappers, and other fish we filled the cooler and had a nice mess of fish for an upcoming fish fry.  Megan even got the shirt off my back (and that's another story!!!)  Nice couple and a lot of fun.  Will be fishing with them over July 4th for sure.  Later.

 June 16th, 2006 Afternoon trip....Ken, Drew, Andrew, and Wayne were out this afternoon and the Sea Bass and Bluefish along with the elusive Pinfish, Oyster Crackers, and Lizzard fish were out also!  Great group and a lot of laughs.  Hey, this is too much fun. Just lots of fishing and you can see in the photo the beautiful seas, clear and calm skies, a light breeze, just perfect SENCland weather to keep us cool and even low humidity.... this can not last for long.  If you want high pressured Intense and Hectic fishing, this is not for you.... just see how relaxed all these fellows are..... Life is good and fishing is even better!!!!

 June 16th, 2006.....Dad Mack, Granddad Pat, and Granddaughter Hallie joined us today for a trip and we caught Sharks, Black Sea Bass and Reds. and had a ball to boot!!!!  Hallie was about worn out at the end of the trip from fighting sharks, but she was a trooper.  And Pat just had fun watching her work and sweat with these big fighting fish.  Check out Hallie's grin.... More later.

June 13th, 2006... Here comes the blow and the rain and the floods.  Dang.


June 13th, 2006...... Where's Alberto?  Should be here soon.  Taking the day off to do stuff at the house and boat.  Raining and miserable..... my kind of day!

 June 12th, 2006.....Archie, Ethan and Jason fished with me this day and boy did we have the weather to contend with.... beautiful start then the lightning showed up and ran us inside.  Rain and more rain, then clearing skies and back to the fish.  A very slow day for all concerned but we did have some rod bending action on the offshore ledges.... even the big boats had a rough day with the skies and flashes.  A fun day with a great group of seasoned fishermen who worked very very hard for very very little.  Hey, that's why its called fishing! 

June 11th, 2006......goofing off today..... more later.  Just have to have some time before next week when the summer season (kids out of school, after gradutations, after weddings, etc.) CRANKS  up into high gear.... call for a date and come on down to SENCland and enjoy our beautiful beaches and water and life on the coast.  Best to all and a happy summer. 

June 10th, 2006.....  Mel and I hit the river and tried some flyfishing today and we caught two nice flounder and then tried for some others in the river proper.... lots of fun but just a great day on the water.  Sorry, no photos of this trip.... but next time.  Mel wants to try out the new flats boat in the bay soon and will be back shortly.  Then we will get pics for everyone.

 June 9th, 2006.....  ELVIS LIVES AND WAS ON THE BOAT TODAY!!!!!!  My friend Daryl and his wife and kids joined me today for a trip in the River and Flounder were the hit..... not as many as we wanted, but hey, who says you can't have it all.  Daryl is a great Elvis impersonator and a great guy to boot and his family sure had fun as we ran all over the river and enjoyed all the sights and the big Bluefish were there once again.  Daryl sure had fun with them.  Looking forward to having he and his family back soon.  Oh Yes, Shane, the Sexy Flounder Guy was the big fish of the day (landed) and Amber was a great fisherman.... Justin also known as “Sleepy“ took up a lot of the forward deck as he celebrated graduation by, guess what, Sleeping!  Way too much fun.

June 7th, 2006.....Jack Markwell and friend fished on the TAC today and fun and games again.  Dirty water from all the rain so the fishing was somewhat slower than normal and the trolling was off.... still had some nice fish for dinner plans and looking forward to their return in the near future.

June 4th, 2006......Perry and Ann fished today and lots of fun with his own gear at that to boot!!!!  Flounder and Spanish made the day but the big Bluefish runs were incredible.... but their teeth took their toll on our leaders.... went 0 for 4 but they were sure fun till the lines parted.... hey, it just wasn't their day to die!!!  Lots of laughs and more to come..... water is warming, bait is everywhere and every size, and the skies were blue.  What more can you ask for?  Later.

June 1st-5th, 2006......Ok, here goes!!!!  This is the famous Graduation/Get Married / Get the Kids out of School and get Ready for the Beach Week.  And the fishing has been good..... oh well, that's life.  Bluefish, Spanish, Kings, Flounder and Fat ones at that, and all other species are starting to bite as the water warms each day and we look forward to the summer season with great expectations.  The Calendar is getting full so plan ahead so you do not get caught short with no guides to help you out this summer.  The new boat is in the water and has passed all the seatrials with flying colors and boy will it go Shallow with a Capital “S“!!!  The perfect flats boat for the flats.  Feels like you are standing in your yard when you are on the bow of this boat flinging a fly.... it is something else.  It really goes into high gear this weekend so look for more reports and photos of all our friends and come on down and be one of them.  Hey Jimmy from the Greensboro area, give me a call and we will get you and Dave back down here to the Campground for a trip.  Everyone travel safely and have a great summer season.

 May 31st, 2006.... My friend Mike Rallis and I got together for a couple of hours this afternoon and managed to drag up a few nice Spanish Mackerals and a Bluefish for a fishfry tonight.... gotta be good with Mike and Debbie cooking!!!  Somewhat windy, choppy, but the water is warming up nicely.  My friends on the inside today report some nice flounder and puppy drum in the ICW and River.... starting to look like a great upcoming summer season.  More later, after the fish fry!!!!

May 29th, 2006.... Happy Memorial Day and Keep All our Service Men and Women in your Thoughts and Prayers......... God Bless America!!!!!!

 May 28th, 2006.....Bill Vestal and the “Two R's“ and Jeremy fished today and the waterway and ocean was insane with Memorial Day boat traffic so we went and hid.... in the river, where we were alone and not bothered, and we hooked BIGGGG  FISHHHHH, and had a ball.  The big blues were back and we had a blast.  Jeremy almost lost it with all his big breakoffs, but what he did not realize was he had some HUGE fish on and not just the common big blues, these were some reals HAWGS!!!!!  We did manage to land one of the smaller ones and then caught a nice flounder to round out the day, but all four of the fellows got to see a lot, learn a lot, and just have some fun together.... what a hoot!  More later when they return for seconds.....  Tight lines to all,  

 May 27th, 2006....Hey, had another Skip on the boat today and did we have fun.  Fished hard and the whole family worked as hard as I have seen, but just not one of our better days.... these things happen in Life.  Chris, CJ, and Sam were a delight but all my honey holes had dried up.  Just a lot of fun today.

 May 25th, 2006....Ralph, Skip and Augusta fished today on the “TAC“ and the Spanish Mackerals , small blues and flounder were the hit of the day.... we did tie into one of the monster Bluefish that have been hanging around and got to see him jump twice, but alas, it was not his day to die.... but still a lot of fun watching Skip try and land this nice fish!  Lots of fun in the Carolina sun with some nice folks.... More later.

 May 23rd, 2006....Off with George today before he leaves for Florida after graduating from NC State this Spring.... and a great day with the Spanish and Bluefish...  nice young man and a good fisherman to boot!  Lots of fun and just perfect conditions for big Spanish Mackerals.  More later....

 May 21st, 2006....Ray and I went exploring and caught 30 very nice Spanish Mackerals today and just had a ball... played with some new tackle and tried some new techniques to see how they would work... some did and some did not... Oh Well, try and try again.  Us guides always have to try and find a better edge to keep our clients happy......

 May 18th, 2006.....My morning trip got blown out due to high winds, but we were able to get the afternoon trip in, and Michelle and Rich had a ball.  Michelle got the prize for the Big Bluefish (where do they keep coming from?) Award and what a day.  More to come later.

  May 17th, 2006 PM Trip....The Allstate Insurance Disaster Team was in town for training and we had a great 4 boat trip with some of these fine folks.... once again the weather dominated our day and we had fun and even caught some Big Bluefish to win the boat of the day Award!!!  Ralph is shown here with his prize winning catch... I can't remember just how much money was in the pool, but Ralph did not have to pay for dinner that night!  Great day with Great folks!

 May 17th, 2006.......My friend Richard Pope and his buddy Jeff showed up today and we caught some nice fish with Jeff getting the big Bluefish award.... Way to go Jeff!!!!

 May 14th, 2006......Alissa and John were my guest today and did we have a ball.... Spanish and nice Blues made up the day.  Just look at the smiles and I had a ball with a great couple of folks from Arkansas...... just good people having fun in the Carolina Sun!!!

  May 7th, 2006...Randall and Karen Kepley and their two fine boys Brandon and Bryan (Little Man) joined me today and what a blast.... flat calm seas and no wind at all to start so off to the Inlet to catch some blues and they were there.... after a dozen or so fish we decided to head offshore to a northern ledge and bottom fish some where Little Man was the king of Numbers.... I do not know how he did it, but he caught fish on every drop.... absolutely Amazing!!!!  Brandon was the Grey Trout man and caught three really pretty Trout and numerous other species as well.  Mom and Dad fished hard also, but the two boys were a hoot!!!!!  You just had to be on the boat to see Little Man's smile from ear to ear!  The wind came up and came up hard, so we ran to the river and there we caught some nice Croakers and finished our trip.  Wind was still building when we quit and it was downright cold at Noon.  Glad the day was done and we did not catch a cold out there.  Randall and Family will have a big fish fry tonight or tomorrow.... sure wish I could be there for those nice trout Brandon caught and some of Bryan's fish also.  More to come later.....

May 3rd-6th, 2006....Off with the Docs for the Ocracoke Surf Fishing Tournament and what a ball.... beautiful weather and flat calm seas made the surf fishing more of a sunbathing event and eating contest but we did well... finished 10th out of 66 Teams!!!!!  Felt like a Nascar race driver bragging about finishing in the top 10!!!  Loads of fun and way too much to eat.... now back to the boat and let's see what happens 

May 1st, 2006.... Well, guess what.  Still blowing a stink but getting ready for the Ocracoke Invitational Surf Fishing Contest with all the boys.  Will keep you posted on our doings and placing.  Hope the seas subside some so the sinkers will hold.  Best to all and let's go fishing!!!

April 30th, 2006......Two trips today cancelled due to winds and weather.  My folks were turning blue when they arrived at the ramp...Sunny but extremely cold.  Pray for warmer days and calmer seas.  Outer banks still getting hammered.  Surf is 20 foot and some piers in danger of being lost.  Spring storms are something else.

April 29th, 2006.....Nathaniel Calhoun and son Josh were in town for the Soccer Tournament and decided to fish with me this morning and boy was it a blowout.  High winds and rough seas kept us inside and record low temps for the Wilmington area did not help.  One of those days of hard fishing but we still had fun.  PS... Josh's team won the tourney... Way to go Josh!!!  Looking forward to seeing them back this June or early July.  Hold on folks, the winds are howling and the outer banks are getting hammered.  Houses in Rodanthe and Salvo are falling in the water.  Weird spring for our northern friends. 

April 24th-28th, 2006.....Dang, more stuff to do and never enough time to do it... Looking at new boats for the fleet and finding some neat new stuff out there.... who knows?, maybe it will all come together soon.  Keep checking back in to see what we are up to!!!!

April 22nd, 2006.......Brock “Grand Canyon“ Johnson and his lovely wife Tonya and Grandpa Reece and Dad Ronnie joined me today for an adventure, and it seemed the weather would be a big part of the day.  As we concluded it was just a “Hard“ day on the water as the winds and skies just would not cooperate and the fishing was marginal at best, but we still had fun.  Just one of those days when life gives you lemons, so we made lemonade and enjoyed each other and the beautiful surroundings.  As Reece said, “There are these days to try men's souls.“  Well Said, Reece!  Still a lot of fun with some neat folks who know how to fish and will try again soon.  Best to all.

April 20th, 2006....What a day!!!  John and Carl Klein fished on the “TAC“ today and we caught SeaBass, Grey Trout, Bluefish, Croakers, Whiting or Virginia Mullets, Sharks, A Skate, A Sea Robin, and even some of the Elusive Pinfish!!!!  Man, did we have a ball... we had to go to using some Pinfish for bait just to keep up with all the action.  Two brothers having way too much fun!  It's fishing, so you gotta go try every day to catch em and some days are better than others.  John and Carl, I hope we settled the question of which one of you are the better fisherman.... as you both are!!!! 

 April 19th, 2006..... Christy and Neil Westerfelt and their kids Brandon and Kayla were my guests today and boy did we have fun on the light tackle with the sharks..... and a lot of croakers for supper also.  This family was a blast.... lots of laughs, fun and picking on each other but all in good natured fun.  Good times with good folks.  I will see these guys in July.  Best to all and the water is warming up everyday.... good times to come.

April 11-18th, 2006..... Off with Buzz and the boys for a southern run and to catch the big grouper while they are up on the Shallow Bar in Abaco... photos to follow.  Blowing here but the bait should attrack the fish soon.  Best to all.

April 7th, 2006..... Rainy kind of day.... washout.  More later.

April 3-5, 2006....Ok, guys, taking a day or two for supplies, fixing, repairing and reoutfitting the “TAC“ for the upcoming season.  Everything is in good shape, just want to make it Great Shape!!!  All is well and looking good, so call me or email me and once again, I will get back in touch with you...lots of the old timers are planning trips as we speak and I hope to meet some new friends.  So let's go fishing and have some fun.  Best to All.

April 2nd, 2006....Elaine, Amy and Brett (another three generations trip) were with me today and once again the skies and seas were calm and the water temps were rising daily.... very nice day with some nice folks from Chapel Hill and just too much fun watching Grandma Elaine catch all the biggun's.... and Elaine was tough, just handing the rod off one time.  Amy and Brett were just laughing like hyenas at Grandma battling the sharks.... way too much fun.  Mom Amy did a good job of holding on too!  Just look at the photos... you'll understand why....

 April 1st, 2006....Today Jeff, Tim and Brandon from the Buschcar Series were in town for a much needed fishing trip and break from the circuit and once again the Sharks and Seabass were a big hit.... Loads of fun in the Carolina Sun.... and some nice fish to boot!  Everyone caught fish and just relaxed before the next grind of the season.  Just look at the smiles.  See you fellows in May before the long haul to the flag begins.  Just remember, everyone go fast and turn left!!!  Later.

 March 31st, 2006..... Grandpa Bob, son Steve, and Grandson Steven (AKA Wormey) fished with me today on the “TAC“ and beautiful seas, calm winds, and perfect temps to make the first trip of the year a great one and we moved offshore in search of the black Sea Bass and found them and some nice Sharks to boot!!!  Lots of fun on light tackle and the three fellows had a ball.  This could be a very good start to a great year..... later