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
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