No Post, Migraine and Flu

Sorry I haven't posted lately. I have had the flue and some killer migraines.

Kayak, Berkley Gulp, Puppy Drum

This red drum bit a Berkley Gulp Saltwater 3" Shrimp at about 8 am this morning on a rising tide in a tidal creek off the ICW. The 22 1/2 inch, 3 1/4 lb puppy drum made at least three hard runs before being landed, and turned my kayak at least 360 degrees. He wouldn't come in peacefully. I had three more on before the morning was over, one straightened out the hook on a white beetle spin, another broke the line stealing my beetle spin, and the third broke off my berkley gulp shrimp. I also caught three flounder on a berkley saltwater gulp. Flounder and reds LOVE this lure! The area I have been fishing these lures has lots of oyster beds. I am thinking the drum are feeding on crabs that are hanging around these beds. The best way I have found to fish these oyster beds is to throw the lure out and just let it lie there. If I try to fish it back to the boat, the oyster shells cut my line up, then a hookup will break the bait off. I mentioned earlier that I had one broken off this morning. I ran my fingers down the line, and I could feel the nicks in the line caused by the oyster shells. It was a fun morning and I have fish in the freezer. Life is good. The flounder were biting everywhere in the sounds and creeks this morning. I heard of several over two pounds, and one that approached three. Also the trout are supposed to start picking up now around the deep holes and around the docks. Trout love live shrimp. If you can find them, float them under a cork at a depth of about 18 inches or more depending on water depth. Keep the shrimp off the bottom, or it will be crab food.

UPDATE, 2nd Annual Mike Martin Memorial Fishing Tournament at Surf City Pier: Fishing was slow for the first day of the tourney. The largest and only flounder weighed in was less than a pound, 0.64 lb I think. The largest VA. mullet was weighed in by fishing bud Blake, at .72 lb. There was a nice spanish, over four lb, but I don't think the angler was registered for the tournament. Also caught was a 3 lb pompano. Now that's a "NICUN"! Hopefully the action will pick up for the conclusion of the tourney tomorrow.

Until next time......
Tight Lines!
Johnny

PS To our friends Andreaus and Karen, Fishing is starting to pick up. You better head south as soon as you can! We may catch them all before you get back!

14773

Fishing Contest at SC Pier, and Why Do Mullet Jump?

Today was a good day at Surf City Pier for Kings and Spanish. Heard that two large kings were caught before 3pm. (about 25 pounds each) Pluggers were also catching blues and some big spanish in the 4 to 6 pound range. Also typical mixed bag for an August day, a few flounder, small mullet, pompano (not many large ones yet), a keeper speckled trout and a spot or two.

Everyone is gearing up for the 2nd Annual Mike Martin Memorial Fishing Tournament, this Saturday and Sunday, August 19th & 20th at the Surf City Ocean Pier. Contest starts Saturday at 6am and ends Sunday at Noon. Awards Presentation at 3pm. $100.00 1st place prize and $50.00 2nd place prize will be awarded in each of the following
EIGHT categories: KING SPANISH BLUEFISH SPOT VA. MULLET PUPPY DRUM FLOUNDER SHEEPSHEAD. A Grand Prize of $500.00 will be awarded for the Largest Speckled Trout. ENTRY FEE $5.00 per Category OR $30.00 will enter you in to all NINE Categories
Including the Grand Prize Category for Speckled Trout.

A ChildrenÂ’s Division for Children 12 and Under: A 1stt ,2ndd, and 3rdd place prize will be awarded for the Largest Three Fish caught of any kind. All Children will receive a gift package for participating.

The Awards Presentation and the drawing for a Phoenix Grill will take place at 3pm on Sunday. Door Prizes will be awarded daily at the top of each hour. For more information on the Raffle or the Contest and Rules please call the Surf City Ocean Pier @ (910)328-3521.

All Contestants must have a valid fishing pass or Season Pass in addition to the entry fee. All fish must be caught from the Surf City Pier during the Contest days and times to qualify. If there are two fish caught weighing the same, the fish caught and weighed in first will qualify as the winner. There is no second place prize for the Largest Speckled Trout Category.


As I sat on our back porch with Donna this evening watching the egrets and Great Heron feeding in the tidal creek behind our home, the quiet was often disturbed by the sound of the popeye mullet jumping. I have often ask myself why these fish jump. What is it that drives these fish to just jump? I understand when a whole school of them bust the surface when apredatorr is chasing them, but when a long mullet just jumps, sometimes two or three times in a row, what is the reason for that. So I decided to research the question this evening. A couple of hours on the computer, and I am not much closer to under standing the question than when I started my quest. Below is the only article I could find that really addressed the issue at all, and I am not sure about theaccuracyy andrelevancee of this article as this was written about the mullet native toAustraliaa. If anyone has any ideas, or information, let me know by email at fishintopsail@yahoo.com, and I will post it on the blog. Anyway, here it is.


Why do mullet jump?

I grew up in Oatley, on the Georges River in southern Sydney. Of an evening, and early in the morning, the otherwise calm is briefly disturbed by a splash of a mullet jumping. They seem to do this when it's calm, and often jump twice or occasionally three times in a short space of time. Why do they do this?

Over the years there have been numerous theories concerning the leaping of mullet. There seems to be two categories of leaping: predator avoidance and aerial respiration.

Leaping to avoid predators usually involves more than one fish jumping simultaneously, retaining an upright posture and entering the water cleanly.

The second type of leaping involves a single fish that does a slower, shorter leap, often flipping onto its side or even onto its back. They may also roll at the surface or move with their head above the water.

The research of Hoese (1985) suggests that Sea Mullet use this second category of movements to fill the pharyngobranchial organ (an area at the back of the throat) with air.

The trapped air is believed to allow the fish to remain active in water of low oxygen concentration for about five minutes.

Several interesting lines of evidence support this theory. The number of jumps is correlated with the concentration of oxygen in the water. The less oxygen, the more jumps.

Secondly, Sea Mullet feed during the day often in bottom sediments that have low oxygen concentrations. Jumping occurs much more commonly during the day. Sea Mullet rarely jump at night.

And there you have it. I guess it was better than no answer at all. But it still leaves me wondering.

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

East Coast Sports Fishing Report

Photo of Chris Medlin of East Coast Sports and a keeper red drum.
Nice catch Chris!

Here is this weeks fishing report and forecast from Chris at East Coast Sports. Check out East Coast for your fishing needs from bait to fishing rods and reels to that perfect fishing shirt and hat. East Coast is one of my favorite places on the island to browse and shop. Chris and Doug will help with any fishing problems or questions you may have. If you can't get there in person, visit them on the web at East Coast Sports.com. Be sure to ask Chris about Charley, Chris's new baby boy. Chris is really a proud Dad, and rightly so.

Report follows;

I have the PDF to the inlet Survey. But it has not been analyzed yet.

Check out this new link to Inlet Photos they just updated the photos to April 2006.

Inlet Aerial Photography

Here is a link to the buoys off of Topsail

UNCW Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Project

Check Out my Online Boating Store

At www.eastcoastsports.com



If you wish to receive this fishing report

Via e-mail just reply VIA E_MAIL and say add me to the list.

Do not reply on the message Board.

Dredge Report

The dredge Schedule is no longer available.



All waypoints are listed from 1-8 or 1-2. #1 waypoint will

Be the closest to the ocean. East Coast Sports, its affiliates or

Employees cannot be held responsible for damages occurred

While using the information contained in this document. This Document

Is for informative use only and dose not indicate safe passage in or

Out of any inlet. These coordinates are supplied by the USACE and can

Be found at http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/nav//.



New River Report

Wpt #1 34.31.5055390 N X 77.19.7238788 W

Wpt #2 34.31.5992437 N X 77.20.3719018 W

Wpt#3 34.31.6760790 N X 77.20.4860834W





New Topsail Report

Wpt #1 34.20.0949014 N X 77.39.2831813 W

Wpt #2 34.20.2801249 N X 77.39.5666339 W

Wpt #3 34.20.3922875 N X 77.40.1008268 W

Wpt #4 34.20.5738885 N X 77.40.1812363 W

Wpt #5 34.20.7706658 N X 77.40.1303687 W






Piers

Surf City Pier = Caught the new Pier Record 124 kbs, 3 kings Yesterday, Lost 2 today, and a few Flounder as well as small Spanish in the Mornings

Jolly Roger Pier = Black Drum , Puppys , Big Pompano ,Spanish and a few Flounder , 1 King Yesterday Lost.

Sea View Pier = Big Spanish on Diamond Jigs , A few Spots , and a few Black Drum

Conclusion

Tie up some gold hook rigs for them Spanish.

Surf

New River Inlet to Surf City = Plenty of Reds at New River

Surf City to Topsail Beach = A few nice Mullets in the Suds

Topsail Beach Tonfiltered= Some Bigger Pompano

Lee island North end = Reds and Blues

Conclusion

A few Big Pompano around.

Waterway / Inlet
Reds all over the flats. I been catching them on Berkley Gulp Crabs and Shrimp. Cast in front of the fish and DO NOT MOVE THEM



Spanish have started showing back up just outside the inlet early in the morning. Lots of bigger fish mixed in with small kings make sure you know the difference (Gold Dots on the fish does not mean it is a Spanish)

Inshore 0-20 miles

E-Buoy Has Been doing well.

N 34 22 061 X W 077 10 951



Offshore 20 mile- 200 fathoms



No Report Been kinda Bumpy

Weekend Marine Forecast Inshore

S Of Cape Lookout To N Of Surf City Nc Out 20 Nm-

This Afternoon
NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 to 3 ft. A chance of showers and tstms.

Tonight
E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 to 3 ft. A chance of showers and tstms in the evening...then a slight chance of showers and tstms after midnight.

Thu
E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 to 4 ft. A slight chance of showers and tstms in the morning...then a chance of showers and tstms in the afternoon.

Thu Night
E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas around 3 ft. A chance of showers and tstms in the evening...then a slight chance of showers and tstms after midnight.

Fri
E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas around 3 ft. A slight chance of showers and tstms.

Fri Night
E winds 10 kt becoming NE after midnight. Seas around 3 ft.

Sat
NE winds 5 to 10 kt becoming SW. Seas around 3 ft.

Sun
SW winds 5 to 10 kt becoming NW. Seas around 3 ft. A chance of showers and tstms. Winds and seas higher in and near tstms.



Conclusion

Looks Good all week.

Water temp on the beach

83 degrees F


Till next time...
Tight Lines!
Johnny

14672

Windy and rough surf

An afternoon fishing trip to the beach near the old Barnacle Bills Pier turned into a review of lessons past learned. When I left home to go fishing, the wind seemed to be a non issue as they were very light. However, as I walked over the dunes on the access steps, the wind slapped me ferociously in the face. A gentleman standing on the access watching the wind driven waves of the churning ocean commented on the wind. I answered that it was windy, but I was here and was going to give it a try. I soon realized that I only had a couple of three ounce lead weights in my bucket and the fishing rod I had brought with me was a medium light 7 footer with a fast, or limber tip, and my favorite fishing rod for mullet fishing, but not enough backbone for heavy weights. Although I could have walked back home and exchanged my gear, (only three blocks) I decided to use what I had. Stubborness or laziness? I guess that is debateable. Anyway, as I was rigging up, I noticed a huge colony of sand fleas at the edge of the surf, and I grabbed my flea rake and made a hurried scoop. That one scoop must have netted me at least 50 huge fleas. Delighted that I had plenty of my favorite surf fishing bait, I finished rigging with a hand tied double drop rig with the three ounce sinker and baited up with the fleas.

Now I am not against a walk on the beach, but I usually don't while I am fishing. But the wind and current was so strong that my weight was bouncing down the beach like a super ball. (The older anglers will know what a super ball is.) Now was the time to dig up some long ago learned surf fishing lessons. I cast again into the surf, and as the rig moved down the beach, I moved with it, holding my fishing rod high trying to keep it out of the waves as much as I could. Sure enough, soon my rig stopped moving. I had found my fishing hole. A few minutes of waiting yielded no bites, so I reeled in and marked my spot on the beach and walked back to get my gear left before I began my walk.

I returned to the hole and about ten minutes of fishing didn't produce any catching. As I reeled my rig in slowly, as I normally do hoping to catch the attention of a passing fish, my rig suddenly became "stuck". I realized that this was the edge of the hole. As I began to tug on the rig to get it over the edge of the hole, I felt a nice bite, and reeled in a hand size pompano. I baited up again and tried the same thing. Threw into the hole, reeled in slowly to the edge when I felt my rig get tight against the edge, and waited. Another bite. So, I summized that's where the pompanos were feeding. I am no expert of underwater currents of wave action, but I am thinking that as the waves and current washed the sand off the edge of the hole, the fish were feeding on the critters that were being washed out of the sandy bottom. I stayed until dark catching more than a few hand sized pompano.

So, next time someone ask me if it is too windy to fish, I will tell them that it may be too windy for the fishermen, but not for the fish.

Till next time...
Tight Lines!
Johnny


14641

Tuesday night

I am just getting over a bad migraine. I have been shut in for several days. I haven't been fishing, but I did hear a little today. Becky at Surf City Pier Grill told Donna that the flounder has been biting, and there has been several nice keepers. Also a large cobia, and a couple of kings. I heard from Ken this morning that they had caught a couple of nice mullet in the surf. I will post more when I get out.

Below is an email from Trent, a reader from Greensboro who spent last week on Topsail Island with his family for summer vacation. Thanks to Trent for this entry in the blog. The picture below is Merle, Trents sister showing off her catch.

"Hello Johnny!

Vacation is a funny thing, you look forward to it for months and when it finally gets here it's gone in a flash.

I had internet access this week but no email to let you know how I was doing.

We had a fairly successful week of fishing. Between the eight of us, we caught 16 species of fish- flounder, spot, croaker, whiting, spade fish, black drum, pompano, bluefish, sting ray, northern searobin, lizardfish, grunt, vermillion snapper, red porgy, amberjack, and yellow sea bass. We didn't have much luck in the sound although my son, Benjamin, thought he was reeling in a log while fishing in the sound when the biggest flounder he's ever seen flopped on the surface and spit his gold Johnson Silver Minnow. We had great luck in the surf near the New River Inlet as well as at Surf City Pier. The grunts, snappers, porgys, yellow sea basses, and amberjack were caught on the full day trip aboard the Vonda Kay. Most of the fish were released but a few were kept to make a couple of great meals.

I also had my share of mishaps this trip. I backed the trailer of my boat into the dock piling at the boat ramp which ripped the leaf springs from their brackets and lodges the wheel on that side against the frame. Fortunately I was able to dislodge it with several strong kicks and do a makeshift repair which held long enough to get it to a welder in Sneads Ferry (T-Roys Welding-good work). The next day I blew a tire on the trailer. Friday night while we were fishing at the Surf City Pier, I thought the small ray I caught was a clear nosed skate. When I went to remove the hook I got a quick lesson that a sting ray's barb in the top of your hand really hurts. I contnued to fish until the pain had moved up to the top of my arm. If you didn't know this already, the remedy is to soak the affected area in very hot water for about 45 minutes. I had no pain whatsoever after doing this (except to my ego for doing something so dumb).

Besides fishing, we found time to search for sharks teeth (I think the dredging in the inlet stirred up some good ones), eat at Max's, Cindy's in Surf City and Mike's Farm in Back Swamp, and do a little shopping at East Coast Sports (great store), and spend some quality time with my family.

Tight Lines,

Trent Kreitler"






Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


14546

Saturday NIght

I went to the pier (Surf City Pier) this evening about 8 pm. I had some mud minnows and fished with a carolina rig (flounder rig) and a drum rig. I fished until 10:30, staying in the suds. Surf was near high tide, and the water was really high. The moon is just a bit past full, so I am not sure why the tide is no high. It was really high in the tidal creek behind the house today also. The water was way up in the marsh grass. I didn't catch anything tonight, but there were some mullet, spots, and blues caught on the pier tonight. Nothing fast and crazy, but one here and there. Pier was crowded.
Until next time..........
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Migraine, no post today.

Pier Fishing at Surf City Pier

Weather is HOT!!! I stayed on the pier this morning as long as I could stand the heat, which was until about noon:30. I was a little late getting started this morning. I got involved doing something last night and didn't get my "stuff" ready to go this morning until after 8 am. There was a trout and a couple of spanish caught before I got there, along with a good number of blues. I went loaded for flounder, but didn't have the ammo I wanted, which was live shrimp or finger mullets. So I settled for mud minnows, which I can catch most anytime with a trap and a piece of loaf bread. So I put the mudders on ice in my cooler and headed for the pier making a stop at Hardee's for a ham biscuit. To be clear, perfectly clear, just like the water was this morning, I didn't catch a thing. To add insult to my already shattered ego, I used the same mud minnow, a whoper about 2 and a half inches long, from the time I arrived at the pier until I left. I couldn't even loose my bait. I saw a couple of undersized flounder come over the rail, and one really nice keeper, a beautifully spotted summer flounder, probably about 20 inches long. The doormat flounder was hooked under the pier in the shade of the pier. There were also a few, maybe a half dozen small mullet caught that I saw, and some pin fish. Pier friend Glenn hooked up with a nice sheephead and with help, landed the big fish in a drop net. Our friends Andreaus and Karen were out this morning, and their luck was about like mine, landing no keepers. Andreaus did hook into something huge out near the end of the pier. After a brief but intense battle, the mystery fish proved to be the winner this time, escaping without being seen by anyone on the pier. There were several large sheephead roaming under the pier, picking barnacles from piling to piling. We also could see very large spadefish feeding on some of the numerous jelly fish that were floating in the water. As I walked to the pier house after deciding to leave until cooler temperatures prevail, possible tonight, I looked here and there in the clear water and noticed more than a few stingray, most about the size of dinner plates, cruising or just laying on the bottom just behind the breakers. I don't think I would wade in the surf today after seeing these.
Until next time......
Tight Lines!
Johnny


14258

First King

This young angler named Garrison caught his first king on his second day of king fishing from Surf City Ocean Pier. He only had the bait in the water for about 5 minutes! Garrison is the son of Ed Lore, owner of Surf City Ocean Pier. Way to go Garrison!

Till next time.....
Tight Lines!
Johnny










14112

Monday night

I finally felt like getting out of the house, so I went fishing this evening. Donna and I went over to the beach beside the old Barnacle Bills Pier. I caught sand fleas which were plentiful, although most were on the small side. There was virtually no undertow, and the bait stayed pretty much where I threw it. The tide was almost full high. The water was really clear except right in the surf where the waves turned over where it was a little muddy. I varied my casting distance trying to find fish, but the only thing I could find was pinfish, I am guessing, that would strip my flea leaving nothing but the shell in about five minutes, and I never saw a bite. I never landed anything. I didn't go to the pier, (Surf City) but I could see it from where I was fishing, and there was not many anglers there. The kayakers I have talked to haven't caught anything yet either.

A subscriber, Trent, and his family are on the island from Greensboro, NC this week. I hope Trent is having better luck than I had today. Good Luck.

Till next time.....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Heat Wave

I just can't stand the heat. If I try to go out in the day time heat, the migraines get really bad. I am going out a bit at night, but not for a long period of time. Thank God for air conditioning. I saw some mullet on the Surf City Pier last night. There were also a few spots and lots of foot long sharks. One angler was cleaning a flounder that looked to be about 15 inches long. No reports from surf or sound side.
Till next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Flounder

Donna's rehab is going nicely. A lot of the stiffness and swelling was going down. We took a walk to the beach this evening, and upon returning we discovered that the swelling had returned. The ice packs are back on tonight. Thanks again for the emails.

Now for the fishing report.

Flounder, some really nice flounder in the two to five pound range are being caught on Surf City Pier . Also the few brave souls who hunt the wiley and strong sheephead are having a great time. There have been some three to five pounders caught using sand fleas (mole crabs). These are not rumors, I personally have seen the pictures on the wall at the pier. The talk is about the spots. There have been almost none. One here and there, but the spring run never materialized. Everyone is wondering if the fall spots that everyone loves so much will bypass us also. We certainly hope not. I haven't seen or heard of anything coming out of the ICW or the surf. The winds are out of the south and light, except at night when we seem to have a blow and some lightning most every evening. I'll post more when I get some more information.

I would like to say a few words about the new salt water fishing license that is coming for North Carolina anglers this coming January. As a child, I was always in the woods with my Dad, uncles, or older cousins, hunting. Ours was a family of hunters. Every weekend we hunted. Every type of game you can think of, we chased or our dogs chased.

My point is, I was an adult and married before I saw my first white tailed deer. This was only after the state started collecting a tax, or a license fee for deer hunting. Some may say that the license had nothing to do with this at all, but I believe, strongly, that it did. Now white tails are everywhere. Overrunning gardens in sub-divisions, and even showing up in heavily populated business districts. A large number of accidents in North Carolina are caused by collisions with white tail deer.

The fee for the license will be small, about the price of one days fishing on a pier. If pier fishing is your thing, the license will be included in the price of your pier pass. For out of state anglers, there will be a weekly license available. The funds generated by the salt water fishing license will be used to study and improve the health of our salt water fisheries. It will also be used as a lobby in congress to represent the interests of North Carolina anglers. In my opinion one of the problems facing us as saltwater anglers in North Carolina is the fishing boats that drag the huge nets so close to our beaches. This doesn't happen in our neighbors territorial waters. Virginia and South Carolina prohibits these large boats from fishing close to shore. Some are even prohibited from fishing in the sounds and waterways. If the nesting grounds are disturbed or destroyed, the fishing will suffer as fewer and fewer fingerlings reach adulthood.

Like all of you, I feel we are taxed to death, and everytime we turn around we are hit with another tax. I don't like it any more than you do. But I really feel this license will help our fishery, and a few years down the road, we will reap the benefits of the influx of dollars to the Marine Fisheries Budget. I urge all of you to get involved and make sure that these dollars are used where they should be used, in the Marine Fisheries budget.
Thanks for listening to my rant.

Until next time....
Tight Lines!
Johnny

Donna's Physical therapy is going well, and seems to be working. We know this because she hurts worse now than before. She is a tough lady, she will work through this. Thanks to all who sent encouraging emails. I am still not fishing, but staying with Donna so she can stay off the knee as much as possible. I also help her with the exercises that she has to do for the PT. Thanks to Trent from Greensboro (Trent and his family vacation on Topsail Island) for the picture of the nice red in today's post. Don't you just love 'em with more than two spots! I have heard of several tournaments where the most spots wins. I found last evening there have been some nice flounder and trout caught in the surf, as well as just off the ICW in deeper water. Trout are biting live shrimp, if you can get the little "snapper" blues off long enough for a trout to get the bait. Flounder and drum are biting finger mullet and Berkley Saltwater Gulp, shrimp flavor. If you go out fishing, surf, pier, or boat, be sure to drink plenty of fluids...it's really hot with temps in the mid to upper 90's and humidity is 51%. Heat Index is a whopping 110*!

SO BE CAREFULL!

Until next time.....
Tight Lines!
Johnny


13782