Just a few...

Nothing huge and not the hottest action, but still a lot of fun. Especially since I didn't think I was gonna get out cuz it was my wife's "birthday weekend". But I guess I did a good job of making her happy cuz Sunday afternoon came around and she asked if I wanted to go fishing. I just looked at her and smiled (resisting the urge to say something like "Do Asian people eat rice? Duh")
And she smiled back.

I got a couple of these...





and lost a couple more.

I can't tell you which piling, but I'll tell you that they love some fiddler crabs.

Fish tacos tonight! Woo hoo!

Offshore Kayaking 7/7/10

There's a small part of me that says mothershipping is "cheating". But the other part of me says "when am I ever going to see that bluewater, the beautiful colors of a dolphin, and feel the amazing power of an AJ if I don't go?" If I ever was to see and feel those things, it was definitely going to be in a yak. So I commited. I met Rob Alderman and crew down at Teach's Lair Wednesday morning at 5:30am. Actually, I got off work Tuesday, went to the HRBT, fished the schoolie stripers until 12:30am, got to Teach's Lair by 3:30am, slept for 2 hours and got on the big boat. I couldn't help it. The schoolie stripers were on fire last Thursday and Friday so I had to.


So the crew aboard the Big Tahuna consisted of Capt. Scott, 1st mate Kenny, Alderman, Alderman's Parents, Rich (OBX Taco), Chris Peebles (from near Blacksburg) and myself. Four yaks were loaded; gear, food, drinks and we were off.


We found a grass line and started trolling to see if we could find them. It took a little time, but we found them. We all brought in some dolphin from the big boat. The action wasn't very steady, so when we found them again, we deployed the yaks. I was the first one in and in no time I was hooked up. There are no pictures or video that can do the beauty justice. The color of the water is just gorgeous and the dolphin look like they're lit up from the inside. The bright blue of the pectoral fins when they're in the water is just amazing. The incredible aerial feats are insane as well. So I had my first yak hooked mahi right at my side and I decide to get my camera out to do some underwater footage.



With one hand, I grab my camera, turn it on, press record, and that's when the mahi makes one last run and it's gone. I regret not pulling that fish in, cuz all the others spit the hook as well. All I had to do was grab the leader and lay him in my yak. It was the same story with the other 3 yakers too. Everybody hooked up, but the dolphin always found a way to get off. Just one of those days I guess. Oh by the way, I tried standing since I wanted to get a better view to find the fish. Alderman with his Ride135 and tons of experience in the open ocean seemed to have no problem standing and casting. He even hooked two mahi while standing.



I gave it a shot and was up there for a few seconds, but then took a quick swim. I tried it again and quickly sat myself down as I was losing my balance. I can stand and cast in the flats no problem, even on a breezy day, but the ocean is apparently another story. Alderman also had something take his ballyhoo while paddling that made us all wonder. Whatever it was slammed the bait hard and was taking line when it came unbuttoned. Any given day out there...

After that we were off to a wreck with the hopes of finding some AmberJack. And boy did we find some. Once again I was the first one in. It was a trip to see 300+ feet on my yak's fishfinder. Kinda made me giggle a little thinking about how tiny I was. Anyway, we all hooked up immediately. These things are freakin' powerful! I could hardly getting any line in. Actually it was peeling off line at an exhilarating rate. I tightened the drag just a bit and pop*. I hit the back of my seat real quick. It was a similar story with two other guys too. Expletives came from every yak except one. Chris managed to pull in what looked like a 24" ~ 28" amberjack (I didn't get an accurate measurement). We re-rigged and did it again. We'd hook up and they'd pull us into the wreck. I must have lost about 6 or 7 fish. Some just pulled the hook, but most of the time I came up with a frayed leader. The captain decided to move us to another location so we packed up, quickly ate a sandwich and we redeployed at "the rock pile". Once again, we were on 'em. The mate got us some thicker leaders and I was able horse one in finally. It measured 35". But I could tell that the AJs at the other wreck had to be a bigger class of fish. I can safely say that was the hardest fighting fish I have ever fought. We just couldn't get them to turn their heads. Alderman pulled in a beautiful 40" and Chris hooked into something that spooled him. Rich had a nice size trigger and bee-line snapper. I saw a turtle try to eat my ballyhoo, some flyingfish, and had a great time! If you're ever interested, contact Rob Alderman with The Outer Banks Angler. His vast knowledge is impressive and his connections with the captains in the area will get you the best deal possible. He knows how to get it done and will help you make it happen. However he does expect you to work hard. Just because the mothership takes you out doesn't mean it's not a lot of work. The current is very strong and staying over the wrecks is tough. But it's worth it!!!






I don't necessarily agree or disagree with the lyrics of this song. I just like the pumped up feeling it gives. I hope you like it.

Binge fishing

I had Friday off (instead of Monday) for Independence day. My beautiful wife allowed me to fish until Saturday afternoon with the strict instructions to be back in Richmond by 4:00pm. So Thursday evening comes around and as soon as the wife got home from yoga, I was off to the HRBT. I launched around 10pm into light and variable wind (the weather man was wrong). I started off catching flounder. Ended up with 4 with the biggest being 18.25"
Par for the course, I had about a dozen lil' croakers too. In with the mix I caught this little guy.

Then after finding the schoolie striper, I got 13 of them to suck on the end of my line. Ranging from 20" to 23", they were very aggressive and very fun to stalk along the lights. Some of them even did some aerial acrobatics right after the hookset. Gulp, Yozuri crystal minnows, and Tsunami swimbaits did the job. I got off the water a little before 4am and passed out in the car.




I got up at 7:30 and headed over to ocean's east tackle for some bait then called my friend Thom for a wind forecast update. I spent all day in Lynnhaven for about a dozen dink flounder and one of 15.5" Sheepie. I took a break about at the launch around 5pm. After the wind died down a bit, I went back out to see if I could find anything under the bridge. No love. While packing up around 8:30, John Heintzman decided to accompany me back to the HRBT. After flapping the gums and picking up some Wendy's we launched around 9:45pm. The wind was nuts and the water under the bridge was like a washing machine. I thought to myself that if I didn't find fish under the first light we should leave. Well we pull up under the bridge and the fish were all around the light line. Needless to say, it was on.



Check out this crazy looking "frankenstriper"


My biggest striper went 26"


I got off the water around 2:30am. Passed out in the car.



Up at 8am. Met John at Chicks beach with fiddlers and clam. Made the long paddle out to the island and started looking for spades. I immediately start getting nibbles. They weren't the little fluttering bites, so I knew they had to be something good. But the bite disappeared, never to be found for the rest of the day. The few fluttering bites I did have ended up being 3" Black Sea Bass and some oyster toads. No love from the togs, sheeps and triggers either. On the way back I saw a couple of big shapes cruising the surface. I did a quick 180 and gave chase. They were what I thought they were. Two big ass cobia. One looked to be around 30-40# and the other was a biggun around 50-60# (guesstimates). I tossed the bucktail I had on from jigging flounder, knowing I would probably get spooled if I actually got one to take it. The first toss went unnoticed. The second toss had one turn and look, but didn't take. By this time, I got pretty close to them and they went deep. I desperately looked for them, feeling my nerves firing and adrenaline pumping, I look across the bridge and there they were. I gave chase again and as soon as I was in range.....

They disappeared.

Long paddle back keeping an eye out only to find rays.

Drove back to Richmond ending the fishing binge, for now.

Happy independence day everybody!

Black Drum video

This is an older video, just for $hIts n giggles.

Lynnhaven Reds n Flounder

I got off work a little early Friday, so I drove down to look around the marsh. I drifted for flounder around the tennis courts first and found nothing. By sunset I found myself by one of my favorite spots...


I tossed a chart gulp shad by the grass line and felt it bump along the bottom. I twitch twice and...... BAM!!!
Drag rippin', yak pulling, smile inducing 27"er.



About 3 casts later...
25.5"er



After the sun went down, I lost them. So I tossed out some crab and this 28" beauty couldn't resist.



A little while later...



That was it for friday night.

Saturday, I took my cousin (new to yakfishing) out on the flats. No luck for several hours. We tried everything. He had just one 12" flounder. Towards the end of outgoing tide I found these guys using a spro bucktail. I was crazy happy to finally to find a keeper.

HRBT, ES shoals, then HRBT again

HRBT Friday night, blues, croakers, dink flounder, stripers, storm with lightning, off the water at midnight.

Saturday, WRO demo day. It was cool to see all the big names. Kevin, Routh, Lozier, Hoover, TKAA, & POL came to represent.
Then went to the Eastern Shore shoals for 5 and a half hours to try for the Bulls. No love. Bite to eat, then HRBT again for the light line action.

Shad

Previously injured 22" striper

Strong, healthy, fat 28" striper

Had two other 22" stripers flop off while trying to take pictures.

"You've gone completely insane..."

So my wife says.

I just can't get enough.

I wanted to go to the HRBT lightline Friday night, but the wind was a bit too much. So I decided to try the James river for Richmond stripers. After 3 hours and only this dink.....


I called it quits and just as I was getting back to the launch, an old friend called (the kind of friend that you know you shouldn't go drinking with any more because it always leads to trouble). So I met him at the usual watering hole, along with Mr. Jager, Ms. Sauza and Sir Jameson.

Woke up with the usual regrets and did the mother's day weekend. My mom's still in Korea, but made the wife pretty happy.

Monday comes around, checked the weather report, and it sounded reasonable. I got the kitchen pass, but didn't tell her where I was planning on going (HRBT). She got around to asking before I left and I told her. Despite the wifes plea for sanity, I had to go for it. Drove down from Richmond at 6pm. Launched at 7:30. Met NAVYIDC for a bit and started lookin' for the fish. First came the croaker. LOTS of croaker. They wouldn't have been so annoying if they were bigger. Then came the flounder. Probably around 5 or 6. Dropped 3 right at the yak, one of which might have when 17 or 18". All pretty small. Then, finally, I found the stripers in the lightline. They weren't reacting the same to my presentation as they were last tuesday, so I had to keep switching to find what they wanted. By the time I figured it out, the current was slowing down. I managed 7. 18",19",19", 20.5" 22", 23.25"and a 26.25". The blues were pretty damn annoying too. I didn't keep track of how many, but it was a lot; the biggest being 20". Got back home at 4:45. Slept for a bit, up with the baby at 7, then off to work.


Worth it.