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Hello from Surf City!
My friend Ken and I went surf fishing today south of Jolly Roger Pier in Topsail Beach. Before going to the beach, we stopped at the engineers pier on Banks Channel to try and get bait. We couldn't find any finger mullet even thought we walked toward the inlet a good distance. We headed to the surf with cut shrimp looking for red drum. There was a lot of reds caught Sunday, and we were hoping they were still around. But no luck with the drum. We had a pretty good day though, catching one keeper flounder and a half dozen nice pompano. The blue fish kept us busy most of the morning, and cut my line several times. I can't remember how many we caught, we lost count. It was loads of fun, but none were large enough to fillet. I hooked into what I believe was a red drum. The fish steadily, but not real quickly, pulled line off my real. After a fight of five or more minutes, I lost the fish on the edge of a ditch that was about ten feet from the tide lines. I was fishing with a bottom rig and two number 4 hooks. The rig didn't look "chewed" so I don't think it was a big blue. So we had a pretty good morning of fishing.
But my biggest, and most exciting catch was a HUGE Osprey! As I was reeling in a blue fish to the shore, the bird dived on my blue fish, and tried to take off with it. But the top hook of my bottom rig caught the Osprey in the foot, more precisely a toe (?) right where his huge talons were. "After getting it to the beach, I tried to cover it with a towel, the way I cover a sea gull that gets tangled up in line. The towel over the head will calm a sea gull right down. But not this Osprey! He spread his wings and fought with the towel. OK, a towel over an Osprey's head don't work. Slowly and carefully, I eased down the line with plyers in hand, until I had the hook in the jaws of my plyers. A quick twist, and the hook was out. I backed up, and after a few seconds, that magnificient bird stretched out all five feet of his wings and away it went. What an experience! I have never been that close to a bird of prey. I have no idea why it didn't attack me while I was so close. I could have toughed his head with the huge beak talons open and ready to battle. But the bird just sat there calmly with his wings spread, and his beak open, making little noises that sounded a bit threatening. The Osprey could have shreaded my hands and arms if it had decided to attack me. Glad it didn't. I am hoping the foot won't get infected as the hook was in just past the barb. So not much damage was done to the foot. I was more excited about seeing this fabulous bird so close, than the keeper flounder I fileted and put in the freezer. Feet in the sand, saltwater washing up around my legs and feet. What a day at the beach!
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
