First day off today in a long while. Sorry for being so lax but I promise to get more rigged up the summer slam is up and now we hurricane dodge and settle into some great fall fishing. Probably some of the best fishing of the year. Fishing I feel has been fantastic besides a few slow days here and there (mostly weather induced) we have enjoyed a steady dose of cobias all summer long. Got to load up some pics as well. Got this sofware so I can do so little u tube vids as well. Lost a buch of pics when I was yappin after a trip at the dock and I decided to push the digital camera into the water. Soooo I got another new one as well as my new go phone from wallyworld (5 cell phone I have managed to destroy). Thanks everyone for fishing and thanks for the pics you emailed off your cameras as well. I will get them up soon as well. Looks like a few days off coming. Cobias have been cooperative. Spanish and king mackeral have been plentiful, and Ches on the Carolina Blue has been doing great with the trout, puppy drum, flounder, stripers, and sheephead, and also he has been sending the guys back home with 1/2 to full bushels of crab most trips as well!!! Gotta give props to my buddy Donnie he landed a nice sailfish on the inlet change a few weeks ago as well. Pretty cool to get one that close to the beach and heck he had another come up that day as well. I had a shot at one a week or so later but when my guy pitched the eel it doubled up on the hook and the sailybird laughed at us. Ches got him a nice one about that same time about 12 miles off the beach. Not a typical catch for us. So give us a call and see if we can get you rigged up on some cobia trout striper flounder, mermaids whatever is biting. Video will be up in a day or two. Thanks everyone, Aaron
August 3rd
New pics posted today under the June/July album. All photos taken up until today will be in there.
Got the cobia count rockin. Sorry about losing the verbal updates that company went out of business. Best year was 264 so gotta long way to go but we are having fun trying!!!
Yep, yes sir got the pics all up today. Been whacking the cobes still. So for all you guys that missed out in June, lets go. got three today and some triggers with the biggest being 50lbs, yesterday we had fiv e up to 58lbs. Debbie, Billy , and his new young fishing wingman got 6 cobia and drum on her birthday afternoon trip. Thanks everyone for fishing. Got five spots left in August open then plenty in September.
***** Also got my buddy Ches running light tackle trips up the sound for crabs, shrimp, trout, flounder, sheepshead, puppy drum. Kid friendly and also we run a cool last light couple hour evening trip for anglers who want to fish dusk for speckled trout and save $ being a shorter trip. I will get all his info up soon. He has been doing real well this summer especially since the trout fishing as been hot up that way. Sorry I have not clued you guys in sooner on the page just been fishing everyday and been word of mouthing it, which has been working well. He is running the blue bus which we now call the Carolina Blue (Carolina Blue Sportfishing) which is 26' by 10 foot wide with tunnel hull full tower that you can ride in as well with high sides so nobody feels like flipping out. And he also keeps the boat a heck of alot cleaner than I do! He is a Kitty Hawk Native and I have grown up with him since elementary school. He is nice, kind, courteous, and fishes great. He is in his backyard fishing where he GREW UP and LEARNED how to fish in Kitty Hawk, out of Dock of the bay Marina. We book his trips right out of the house 252 441 6575. It is quieter very few boats and generally calmer as well. We also have some nice flexibility with him as well with putting muiltple day trips together for drum down the sound. Also we are doing the night fishing trips with the lights with the trout swimming up and around the late summer and fall. So if you want another option without a bunch of hype call us and we can get you rigged up. I will get pics and more info up on Ches as well!!!!!!!
29th
Today off the hook, John and Paul took an axe to em, caught blues, we were slow trolling the kite with some live baits when the drum out in the ocean found us. We hooked three, two on bucktails and one on an eel (never done that before) well the kite fell out of the sky we fought the drum as the boat drifted over the quagmire of powerpro crap. Sooooooooooo after releasing fish fat boy had to dive in and untangle the asssandwhich off the rudder and prop as the drum soaked away out of sight. Could not put her in gear till I got the crap out of the way. After 7 or so abalone dives I got cleared up just in time to see a 6 foot hammerhead swim up. Crawled back up and we hooked and landed that rascal then for the next 45 minutes it was big game shark whacking with some piggy blaktips and hammers40-80lb class I guess they were pushing/ eating the drum. The drum were those 15-20lbers. Then we caught a cobia, then the little sharpnose sharks moved in and we left to ride and sighcast once again. We quickly saw a 40lb cobia hooked and landed that one on the bucktail and then we washed up to another school of big red drum and these were the bigger ones 30-40lbers! We pounded these rascals solo for 45minutes til help arrived. Then John, Paulo, and myself were tired and they gave me a 2.5 hour early dismisal therefore I am home at 4 typing this quick note for you guys. This is how it can get somedays, other days seem like I get my head stuck between the ruder and wheel. So you never know til you go!
Fished yesterday afternoon landed one nice gaffer dolphin and missed a 50lb cobia. Not too much luck this half day.
I will get some pics up soon guys Thanks Aaron
July 27th
Sunday and finally a nice day off. Fishing has been good. Cobia fishing in particular. Yesterday was off the hook. Rocco and his family landed 11 cobia. Good ole sightcasting felt like it was June there for a day. Rocco got his first cobia, JT"s young son Parker (P money) got his first cobia, Maria, Gavin, Gina, and more got there first as well. JT had a pretty cool trip we designed an OBX sampler so to speak, 53lb cobia in the morning, then we tried to break rods and tackle (those trevally rods) on some AJs p to the mid forty range, then toss in dolphin and some tilefish as well. Mcneilia's got a nice cobia dinner as well. The Kelly young crew got five cobia in one moring. You never know till ya go. The B team is now the A team after a nice four cobia morning. Sorry Fran Fran the Eagles fan. Just kidding. Also this is prety cool I got the opportunity to meet some new clients this past few weeks and one family with the last name Kelly booked me for an afternoon. Well they had a 16-17 yr old son and his name was Aaron Kelly pretty wild well as you can guess he landed the cobia on this trip, ha. We did have different middle names and our birthdays were ten days apart. Thanks everyone for fishing and looks like a few openings left peppered aross August, so come on lets go have some fun!
We need more cowbell!!! We need more cowbell!!!. The great bouylama says. Koosies on the way. OUt of tshirt, and visors again. Anyone you did not get there calls back from me lately sorry as well. Lost a phone overboard, bought a new one, lost that one the next day when decided to dive down in the sharkened chumslick to get my rod back, then the next day ninja cobia stabbed my foot with a knife while he was being gaffed. At least the fishing has been good. Ok everyone sorry for the lack on reports. I have been fishing my butt off all day everyday and evening trips as well. Thank goodness for my wife who can at least get some pics up. We have landed cobia, dolphin, triggers, sheepshead, hammerhead and blacktips to name a few. There have been few boring spots, but really I cannot complain the fishing has been good especially for mid summer. The trout have been biting in the back as well, I just have not be able to pry myself away from the cobia, imagine that. The cobia fishing lately has been 50/50 half on the bag (chum bag) and the other my favorite sight casting along the tidlines rips and reef edges. CHeck out the pics. Congrats to everyone and thanks, Good Job Missy for the 52lb cobia she landed on 8lb test!!! Thanks everyone with the additional help and understanding of the fuel, it is your faith in me that allows me to stay in busines and fish where we need to be and not pretend to be.
June 17th
NEW PICS are online - sorry for the delay This fishing has been fun. water is getting hot and a good body of cobia have now made it to the ches. bay sooo now we pick at them, and try to beat up on the occasional dolphin, trigger, sheepshead. Thanks everyone for fishing. 99% of the fish are caught sight casting from the tower with bucktails and eels.
Rainy and windy with finally a day off. Fishing has been good. Cobia fishing has been preety good for us. Had some rainy days with JT, Darren, and Doug. But we managed to catch 2 cobia and plenty of sharks. The 24th we landed 4 nice cobia with Doug landing a piggy. The 25th JT and Joe Bane fished and we saw 7 hooked 7 and landed 5 with JT bestinbg a 82lb pigster. Thats the biggest one of the year so far... Pretty work Guys! Thennnnn Beautiful weather clear water light winds whole smear and the Knight crew came out. I told Jeff we would catch some cobia. Well after fishing from Hatteras inlet up to the shoals and all over and back to Oregon -Inlet we saw one small cobia on a turtle and did not even get a bite. We did have some nice mackeral but slow cobia fishing this day. Yesterday we ran down from Oregon-Inlet to Buxton. We caught a few spanish, bonita macks, and saw 8 cobia hooked 7 and landed five up to 62 lbs. We even tagged a cobia and released it with great health. Been working with South Carolina (genetic cobia tagging) and tagging for Virginia with the fish tags. We applied for a cobia tagging grant through NC sea grant to help gain more insight on migrations stock of status but got blasted out of the water. Studying dogsharks seemed more in favor!?! Well I donate my time and efforts to Fla, S.C and VA. to help these little brownies out. Thanks everyone for fishing hard and remember the very very few capts willing to run over the ocean for a fish with gas and diesel prices extremely high. Thanks everyone for the extra generousity so we can afford to look for the cobia!!! Gets pics up this afternoon.
22nd
My clerical skills were in the toilet today sunny with light west winds and I am at the dock. I screwed up my booking for the day. Fished yesterday saw 4, the first pair was a pair of 10 inchers so we just watched them padle along. On the second pair hooked two lost one landed one 63lb cobia. Spanish Mackeral everywhere as well, lots of Rays pushing in the evening. Things are looking good. Got May 29th left for prime cobia whacking. Thanks Zak and Phil
Fished the last few days. We landed some stripers, blues, and flounder around the inlet. I also got my first opportunity will ole Dynamic JR to go looking. Saw five cobia and landed 2 a 34 and a 60lber on the 17th. Washed back on the 18th but the 30 knot winds helped us back to the dock. I will try to get some pics up soon along with some more shots from Destin with a couple underwater cobia pics. Thanks everyone I also wanted to quickly note that I had a late cancellation this evening on two prime cobia dates, MAy 29 and June third. Then the next opening would be July 5th.
May 17th
Sam, Aaron's wife, writes:
The report as of 4 pm this afternoon Capt Kelly was in Hatteras, near Frisco and saw four cobia, caught two. One was 30-something lbs and the other was "a big one" maybe 50-60 lbs. Between traffic and screaming kids this is what I could gather...hope to hear new info soon.
May 9th
I have the photos of Destin and the first trips of May posted. Check them out.
May 3rd
Been back from Destin Fla for a few days now starting to get rigged up here for the upcoming season. I fished the afternoon yesterday with a nice 8lb bluefish and small blues as well. This normally marks some good action around the inlet to come with casting little jigs for the blues. And as the water warms I will search for the run of cobia mid to late May. Destin fishing was a blast. We caught some bad weather with blue northerners and that offset there cobia run. But we managed to catch 28 of those rascals averaging 30-40lbers. The pompano fishing was off the hook at times with 3-5 lbers landed. All the jack crevalles you wanted to sight cast too and the times we spent with a spoon out back the spanish ate us up. One day screwing around we pulled a drone spoon in line for forty minutes landed over 40 spanish with one over seven pounds. Pretty work Bennyhanna! The area was nice, people were nice and fishing and food was great. I will get some pics up here in the next day or two. Unfortunately we lost my camera into week three of fishing sooooo I will post what I can of other guys cameras and phone shots. Hunter got a couple cool underwater shots of cobia as well. Thanks everyone.
April Fools Day
Off to fish down south with some close friends in Destin Fla. They started to catch a few cobia. If any one is interested in fishing down there give me a call and I will try to find a good local capt. to get you with. We hope to enjoy the area and hopefully snare a few cobes!!!!
Tuesday March 18th
Sorry not been posting much beacuse really have not been fishing much. They got the first cobia of the year in Destin on Sunday. Looking forward to getting down there and hopefully having some good fortune. The fishing around the inlet has been slow. The striper fishing right now is slow, there has been a good sign of red drum around the inlet and back in the sounds already. Few days ago we saw a nice school of them. The tilefishing has been good when you can go which lately has been impossible, plus I am not gonna go off 30 miles if the weather is not slick. There has been a few trout landed as well and the willey tog is always lurking. Got a few openings next week then I will be off to Deston Fla for the month and then back here around the first of May. Then get ready should be cobia up here in May as well. Full moon on the 19th. Thanks guys and Happy Easter.
Congrats to James for landing a 52pounder on the diesel powered Rock Solid!
March 2nd
Got the pics up. Finally. Well been enjoyning the time off with the family. Still got the boat in the water for a peppering of trips in March. Got to get some painting done on the topsides, fix the tabs, and trailer that bird to Destin for some warm water white beaches and a heavy dose of red drum and cobia. Just wanted to tell everyone once again thanks for fishing with me last season and looking forward to another great year. Still have a few openings this summer so give me a call.
Super slacker here got some pics up, click on the hyperlink. Thanks
Been nice to take sometime off after another super busy year. I was on the water over 300 days this year and wanted to tell everyone thanks so much for fishing with me and supporting my family. I will get the bluefin, tilefish, rock pics up sometime here the next day or two. Thanks as well for the emails and support sharing concern for our future striper fishery. I will get some more info out as well.
Got the buds coming down. Got the condo right in Destin Harbor with the boat right outside and ten minutes from the pass. Crystal clear water and white sugar sand beaches.
I am still fishin a trip here or there around the inlet or tilefishing if it is slick. We have landed a few stripers around the inlet 12- 25lbs casting jigs. But by no stretch hot in heavy action. If you are bored and want to try for a few hours on the right tide then lets go. This fishing still holds up well in Virginia for the guys up there so maybe nexy year we will slink up there some.
11th
Enjoying the time off from the daily grind and enjoying too many glasses of wine bourbon and tequila. Thanks for the nice e-mails and inquires. I am stoked to catch 25 pound red fish as the bycatch.! Rock on.; Talked to the great bopper today (Donnie DOa charters) and he said they are still catching the rock so if you have not got them then you better go. Promise to get the all the pics and all including the last buffalo, I mean striper in NC. thanks Aaron
Feb. 8th
Well not so good fishing report for ya. Rockfishing off N.C has gone to the crapper. I do not know of any fish landed in the last four days with great conditions. Bait, whales, birds, and oh I amost forgot trawlers. The commercial "quota" never seemed to get filled this year and although we had pretty good overall fishing , the crumbs have now been caught. Sat. the second was the last sign of rock with the big fish set up in the usual places duck pier corolla light etc. Tom on the hooker even landed a 56 and 61lber. The Sunday morning the 3rd was good fishing with a mix of Oregon Inlet boats and Rudee Inlet boats just South of Corolla light. Sixty boats, sporty boats and three trawlers competed for the last school of rock off our coast that we have seen. Even yesterday as I took my nice skunk I watched a trawler just outside the inlet fill little commercial outboards for three hours tossing rock into them. You know what it is perfectly legal they can have 10 thousand rock aboard as long as they do not tie up with more than 100 rock. So at least they are not just tossing them back into the water dead as they used to do and the fish can be sold. Every time this winter we would get fish set up and they would get whacked. I know everyone has got to make a living yada yada but greed forces these commercial guys to exploit these offerings. Farmers of the sea I read. Farmers reap what they sow.
Commercial quota has not been filled yet on and on 3000 yd shots of 8" mesh down the davis channel all winter for a five fish by catch ha... water temps, the cycle theory, don't piss down my back and tell me it's rain.
Everyone better wake up so we can enjoy striped bass for generations to come.
I do not hate commercial fishing, we need it but we need the resource to be viable as well.
Maybe a one fish per man recreational deal and not so many highgraders and freezer burnt meat hogs could hurt either.
Ok I will quit crying but thats the deal we seemed to be cooked here. Gotta go and try again tomorrow maybe we will get a miracle. Talked to Donnie tonight and he said he had a good catch today off Va. but seems spotty up there as well. So if ya want to catch some bass up above give me a call and I can get you some numbers for some great small and big boat capts up there still picking away. As for the Rock Solid we went off the beach and whacked on some of those yummy tilefish today with double headers common. Really easy fishing today. So if you want to go tilefishing, togging, bluefishing, small sound rock, hopeless boat ride for the big rock, dogsharking, whale watching, booze cruzing , then I am your man. Also trying to put together some fishing in Destin Florida for some super red drum and cobia piggy whacking in late March through April I already have lined up some guys and if you would like to come down and fish shoot me an e-mail or call and I can go over the details. Thanks everyone and I will get the remaining rock pics up and bluefin and tilefish pics up as well soon as I can. Thanks
Got the new pics up today. I will get the rest up soon as well. Still been fishing out of Oregon-Inlet. NC. Looks kinda like a ghost town most everyone has gone to va beach. Not much boat pressure on the fish except when boats ride 40 miles from va to get them then it gets squashed pretty quick. We have enjoyed some really nice days of fising with 30+ pounders common on every trip. The occasion Coast Guard scare and the crazy open commercial nets days have been the only real pain in the butt factors. The water temps are cool and fishing has been consistent. Yesterday I guess a few boaters have started to figure it out because there were alot of trailers in the parking lot at the fishing center. Yesterday we landed fish up to 36lbs jigging off jockey's ridge and then went up a little farther and hit a couple smaller schools. Got the call from the creeper there was a bite off KItty Hawk Pier so we finished up there with a bigger class of fish. I only have a few dates in late Feb. Early March could be an option as well each year is different. Years past I have landed them as late as March 19th. Last year was feeble and we wrapped up early. I also can give you excellent recommendations for both big and small boats out of Oregon Inlet and buds in Va. Thanks everyone for fishing with me a rebooking for the 09 rock season. I only book one year in advance so the guys that fish that particular day get first dibs on rebooking that date that seems to be the best way to be fair with the striper and cobia trips. Check out the pics and make a post on em if you like I will try to respond as fast as my computer illiterate but can. And thanks to all the guys booking the condo for the night or two you guys have been keeping it real nice so I can continue to offer the accomadation.
14th
Still catching rock out of Oregon Inlet. Been running up the beach and landing some nice size rock. Got blown out as far as ocean fishing yesterday so we fished the inlet. We hooked 5 and landed 4 stripers up to 26 lbs on a half day trip. Today we fished up the beach with Ray and myself as the only boats fishing and landed stripers up to 28 lbs. Just had the 22nd and 24th open up in Jan and then the next open date would be the 12th of Feb. Feel free to call the house in the evenings and I can get you some reccomendations on some good captains with nice boats if I can schedule you in. Thanks everyone for fishing and I will get some more pics up soon.
January 7, 2008
Congrats must go out to James Godfrey on the 5th of January he landed a 52lb striper!! 51" long and 33" girth Wow pretty work. Bigest one of the season, so far! FIrst fish we put in the boat that day and what a great start. Just click on January 2008 link to get the lastest pics. Paul found your lost pic tonight and got that one on as well.
Fishing has really picked up here lately. FIsh have been fat cats with plenty of 30lb class fish. We had a change on the rockalicious with a 35lber. 10 bucks to get in biggest fish takes the pot, but ya gotts ta pay up before we set out the lines. Been doing the rockalicious for 6 years now same format.
Check out the new pictures in the January 2008 album. Also, check out the slideshow.
December 22, 07
Just finished up from fishing a couple of trips in the inlet today. No boats today must be in va. or montauk. We fished the morning and landed seven up to 29lbs and this evening landed our six fish limit up to 25lbs and came on in. I will get the pics up soon as I get the chance. Got just a few dates left open in Jan and Feb. Fishing out of Oregon-Inlet, NC. Thanks everyone for fishing with me and hope everyone has a Great Christmas with their families!!!
Been fishing catching hogs - dates still available - call the house
Dec 04
Fished a couple of trips over the last few days and landed ome nice rock 20-38lbers. Not catching big numbers but catching some nice big fish. Lets go fishing got some openings. Thanks Aaron
Nov 27th
JT came out with myself and Donnie and we landed the first shoal stripers of the year out of Oregon-Inlet. JT was not scared of the grim reports I had been giving him. Reg also caught a few the following day as well. Jt's Fish were 34 and 29lbs. So if you are itching to go I am right here at Oregon-inlet ready to take you! Thanks Aaron
16th
Hello there. Hope everyone is keeping up with me on the verbal reports and the photo albums. If you do not se you pic up there send me a e-mail or something. I am pretty sure I have most every shot up for ya. Cold today with 30+mph North winds and cold, not complaining because we need it and probably alot more to continue to drive down water temps. October fishing as a whole was fantastic this year with stripers, nice speckled trout, flounders, reddrum and even a few remaining cobia. Now it is mid Nov. and we have been picking out a few rock around the pilings. We did have a speckled trout spanking last week with fish up to 6lbs. IT was the 15th last year we started to catch sme rock on the shoals. So hopefully we will see some signs of live out there soon. Been playing musical boats here lately but hopefully this will alll be drawing to to and end with the diesel coming back after a few weeks to install dual exhaust mufflers. THanks everyone and hope to see ya out there soon!
Fishing everyday from dawn til dusk. Always on the water...can keep up with the verbal but the website is hard to do and keep up with emails. Don't forget to call the house - that's the fastest way to get in touch. Emails take a while to get to too. Sorry - trying to give everyone great trips...
There are tons and tons of pics. I'm adding them slowly but surely. Don't forget I'm not the best photographer! If you don't see yours hopefully it'll show up. They probably aren't in order. Thanks for the patience. Click below to see the albums or go to the Photo Albums link to the left.
Good fishing and pics slack too busy captain to update. Hope you have been listening to the verbal updates. Hopefully I can get to post all pics and reports today.
Been plugging away. Creepin around the inlet with some half day trips and a few all day mixed in as well. Been picking an occasional cobia, dolphin, and the wrecks and towers have been cooperative with the AJ's. We also have been whacking some sheepshead and spadefish. Sorry I do not have all my pics up. i.e. Kevin Lesser's cobia pic. I bounced the dig camera across the boat and now she is held together with duct tape so she seemed to lost some o the memory. One trip with the "A" team we landed a real trophy while trolling
July
22nd Got lots o pics up for you guys I think 42 ir so!
FIshed this morning with Kevin Lesser. The weather kept us inside the inlet because of the strong Northeast winds but did not stop us from having a good time. We landed stripers up to 31" around the pilings on the ole trout rods. It was alot of fun. Kevin normally likes to kill the cobia with me, maybe we will whack them on out next trip. I will continue to get so more of the pics up now! I will get Rnady's shots from his nice trip when I get teh pics from him. I am sorry to say I did not get all the pics up and loaded I seemed to have accidentally erased some. But check out all the pics you kinda get the idea. Thanks everyone!
Sorry about the ridiculous lap in updates and pics guys. Hope you have been keeping up with the almost daily verbal reports. I have a bunch of pics. To load up so I will start to plug away at them for the next few evenings and catch back up. I need to retally the cobia count as well because we have been plugging away at them right steady. Had a couple half day trips today and managed to box six out of seven cobias today. NOt a bad showing for the 19th of July. Sharkin has been fun this summer with some nice blacktip and acrobatic spinners pulling drag. BIg drum were found in the ocean today as well.
I will get some more pics up tomorrow Thanks everyone for fishing
June
4th
Sorry for being out of touch with the updates but hopefully you guys have been tuned in to the verbal updates I have been keeping up with. It seems most of you guys liked the feature and some guys did not know it was there. Just gotta push the play button for all the slow learners out there. Well I put the pictures up in kind of a progession from way back early May to now. I got shots of the first blues of the year, puppies, trout, tautog,flounder,blackdrum,dolphin,tripletail,spanish and bonita mackerals,...and oh yes Cobia! Spent a week down in Hatteras to get a jump on a few and we did but we really have been hitting them hard lately.
Meat man had a fun day with me catching some nice gaffers on light tackle a 8lb tripletail(cool fish that looks like an evil overgrown crappie, that I have wanted to catch for years, tasted good as well.) and a nice pair of cobia as well back on May21st.
Our two best days numbers wise was 17 and 15. The 17 fish day was out to Donnie off the beach with a massive ball of cobia and sharks. The cobia out there were good for numbers but not size but it was neat to see so many cocp puffs with sharkes and gaffers. We did slide back to the beach however to get a nice 68lber.
The 15 fish day was really awesome with the shove of fish very apperant on the 30th of May. Just lots of nice fish and plenty of shots for everyone. RIght outside Oregon-Inlet.
We have also landed some other really nice fish as well with some 70+ lbers in the mix. Most of these fish we caught sightcasting and not chumming. Over the last few weeks.
Randy landed five cobia and some nice sharks Saturaday with me.
Finally had a day off Sunday with 30knot winds and rain but today back at it and landed five cobia out of six sightings up to 64lbs.
Thanks everyone for fishing hard and giving me a chance to chase the cobia!!! Lookijng forward to some more.!!!
Been working on the future Rock Solid. Slowly plugging along tring to get her rigged up some day. It is not always a good start when you get a new "used" boat and one of the first things you do to her is take a sawzall and a grinder to her but hopefully all the growng pains will be worth the struggle. Been fishing back at the inlet here and there and it seems the weather has finally released her Northerly ways (got skunked one morning, blowing and felt like January) and some welcomed southwest winds have shown up. The waters yersterday went from 60 in the inlet to 64 in the afternoon. Zilch in the morning but when we rode back from catching some small stripers in the back the taylor blues were chomping. This morning the blues were back and we also landed a few nice keeper flounder. Tried the tog yesterday but got rejected. The speckled trout fishing has had brief glimpses of being good. Sounds like there really are alot of puppy drum making their way up the sound. Thanks everyone for fishing! And good luck to Robyn and Eric on tying the knot!
Hope everyone enjoyed Easter with there families. Should be fishing a few trips upcoming this week. Sorry about not getting the pics up from the trips I will get them up just gotta get through some server stuff.
April 4
Been fishing quite a few trips lately back in the sound. Overall it has been pretty good fishing with the best trip topping at 50 stripers on a half day. The fish are small 16-23 inchers but match the fish up with some 8-10lb spinning outfits and let the little rascals pull a little drag and come in. Ride time to the fishing is nice as well 15 minutes. Be happy to get anyone out for a am or evening trip, still have openings ths time of year. Just call the house because right now I am fishing right off the bay drive ramp in KDH 252 441 6575. Special thanks to everyone especially Rocco and his family for fishing the trips, having fun, and staying at the condo!
April 1st
Harpooned a nice 135lb cobia today. Never like to harpoon them but I was tired of crankin his fat butt in. Caught 70 reddrum on topwater. Never saw a boat. Great day but my charter for that day Ms Eva Longoria seemed a little too flirtacious for me being a maried gentleman and all. Sorry everyone already got that booked again for next year as well.
20th
Been sanding and painting the ole Rock Solid in preparation for another season. New bottom paint and new imron topsides. (got her for sale if anyone interested) Got to fire up the ole backup boat and do a little currituck sound fishing. Went the other day and only landed one. Fished this morning this morning with Joe Dugan and we had quite a good time. We landed seven and missed several more as well. I pulled off 4 or 5. Fish averaged around 20-22 inchers are were fun to catch tossing light jigs on 8lb spinning. Thanks everyone for coming out.
Remember always let the lady catch the first one! As this smart gentleman did`here.
Lets give a shout out to a fallen fisherman Bill Leader. Bill was a great client fisherman and friend. We whacked many a cobia together(9 best day), gaffers, and stripers (30lber at the bridge in May). But he was a South Floridian that came up here to fish with us made killer blakfin tuna salad, laid back, kept the Palm City grill rolling and always dropped me a line throughout the year just to see how I was doing. Not too long ago we were getting fired up on the late May cobia trip. Bill's wife called to let me know he just unexpectely passed. I will miss you Bill and if ya get the chance point me out a piggy cobia from the sky!!! Live every day like it is your last.
2007
March
11th
Sorry not been updating much and as you figured we have pretty much dried up around here. Now just fishing a trip here and there in the inlet/ sound and trying to get the boat rigged up for another season do a little painting etc. I will try to get you posted when the action heats back up but right now it is slow slow going. The only good news I have heard of late was Greg on the Fishin Frenzy had a couple of good tuna trips, yellofins and bluefins.
February
15th
Been slacking on getting the pictures up sorry about that guys just been fishing a bunch. The computer is a turtle and I needed a few blow days to get back up to speed. We have had decent fishing over the past month. We have had some days where we have jigged them up nicely and filled boxes and other days where we had to troll to make the catch and of course the inevitable skunk tossed in as well. What our fish has been lacking in numbers has been brightened up by the overall large classes of fish wqe have been landed. We have had plenty of mid thirties and 10 fish in the last 10-12 days over the 40 pound mark. One trip Randy Wong took first in the rockalicious with a 44lber. He also boated a 43,42,42,41,40,40,40 and some 30's as well. We have also had the torture "living the dream " day as well when we fish with the super harcharging ironman Man crew. They opted to fish and is was borderline day with 20+NW winds and everything icing up. I even had to pull out my old trick with the heat gun to get the water pump peeing again. 12 knot cruise up the beach only to break down and have to get towed back, Thanks Craig on the Fin Galley you are the man and giant moby's will grace your good Karma!
Back to happier notes ole Kerry got cranked up this year as he expertely manhandled behemoth after behemoth over the side of the gunnels on both Rock Solid and Big Johnson's boat the Gouger out of Oregon Inlet the following day as well. Matt Adams jigged up plenty as well and sent me some cool shots of basking whales and fish pics as well. I wil try to get them up as well. Thanks Matt.
Catches of note Little clam had a 55lber off Right Mounment, and Fin Galley had a 51 off Kill Devill Hills as well.
Check out all the pics to get a idea what we have been doing.
Only have one day left in June open but I do have plenty spring and summer openings, also happy to give good refferals. Just call the house 252 441 6575. Thanks everyone for fishing and staying in the condo as well!!!
Updating today. Been fishing everyday till yesterday was a blow out and today didn't look good as well. Today ended up being ok with a little rain but little wind. Hopefully someone ran up the beach. Not many of us left around the inlet. Devon on the poacher, little clam, Gouger Lee, a couple of big offshore boats and myself are still grinding it out. The rest on the clan packed it up and moved to Va.Beach or are just not untying their boats to go fishing. We have had to make long runs up the beach to catch fish. The fish we have been catching have been nice class 25-37lbers. The other choice my clients have been making is to fish the inlet. The fishing is tough but we have been digging out some nice fish tossing artificials. (4-31lbs) You never know what size fish you are going to pull up around there. We need some cooler temps to drive fish further south to get the fishing we normally enjoy this time of year. Most of the ocean fish we have landed have been caught trolling but a few times we have boxed them casting jigs. Been screwimg around this winter with a release clip off the downriggers so my guys can fight the fish on the jigging outfits without the Mojo. But I would like to thank all my guys for coming out and fishing hard and putting out some nice catches, for being fishermen. Another note, some of my crews will book multiple days therefore we can try different trips ie fish one day around the inlet jigging, no boat ride, or boat ride and hero zero stuff. Check out the pics, it's all good ,all fish caught out of Oregon Inlet N.C.
Man it feels like I have not updated for a year. First and foremost I hope everyone had a great Holiday season with their friends and family! Also I would like to thank everyone for helping me out with another successful year! Fishing is fishing and the relationships I have made with some of you cats over the years has become very special to me! Getting into the business I thought catching the fish would be all the fun needed but I now find myself just as stoked to see you guys. Check out this upcoming runon sentence. Watching the excited Dad finally hook a good striper at the bridge only to pass off the rod to his kid, hooking a 60lb cobia all bowed up on a eel in 2 foot of clear water, getting spooled on 6lb mono by a surprise attack 40lb drum on the bobber rig, hardchargers, sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, lightnight, squalls, 4 line, manatees, both mullets, cold beer, generousity, only boat in sight, figuring it out, secret weapon!!!, always goofing off, laid back (aka not anal retentive), meatasaurous rex, togholio, getting skunked (dog sharks still count as a skunk Reg) and crushing them, that's what it is all about!!!
7th
Sorry for the lax print reports and pic posts just been fishing all the time. Tried to keep you up to speed on the verbal report I try to keep that going almost daily. No news is good news right? Nope. Fishing has been very very tough. By keep fishing and busting my butt we have made some catches. The water temps are still very warm. Some guys moved up to Va Beach and some are just not fishing. If the temps get any higher then I guess I will put the cobia tower back on and go looking. I have been making my catches 95% on the time around the inlet jigfishing. Frustrating but very enjoyable once you get the hang of it. The big schools have really not congregated along our beaches. Got a call this afternoon there was a good bite late way up the line in NC and in legal land,inside three miles. Check out the pics and thanks to everyone for fishing hard.
Pound and pound around we go. I have been using the inlet to make my catches the last week or so. We really have not had anything to speak up schooled in the ocean as far as rock go. Since that one trip on the 12thpm. Buddies went 54 miles yesterday (one way)to get them. I am scared of that and I can't do that one unless you want to come off for the major gas surcharge. We need the water temps to cool down. Just been too nice. There has been some nice big bluefish action to fill in the void. We have not been catching tons of fish but we have landed some nice uns( stripers) into the 30ish range. And of course this morning when all looks bleak we slide out the inlet and quickly fill the rock limit in 30-40 minutes, you never know that is why you never can quit. Got some northeast winds today so maybe this will help. Thanks everyonew for fishing hard!
Tired but gotta get a quick update. FIshing has been alright around the inlet with some nice fish being caught but not very many. One morning we catch a limit the next we beg for a bite. But that is fishing. Right? Well we toughed it out this morning anchoring in the middle of the shoals, but we did land two fish two save the day. The afternoon was pretty good we ran up the beach to a good body a stripers and caught plenty trolling and casting jigs. In fact Debbie landed a new Rockalicious leading 40lber on the last cast of the evening! So that is sure a good sign some fish have started to show in the ocean for us! Gotta give Steve Capps and Co. hard charger awards for fishing the other day. IT was freezing with temps in the low 20's and blowing 30-40 from the North but they wanted to go. With my hands in my pockets and hinding behind my little curtain we landed 14 nice stripers around the bridge pilings up to 20lbs and we had a really fun time. Being in the Lee of the wind kept the water calm although it was so windy. Thanks to everyone for fishing even the guys last night that I kept out to 10:30 for slow fishing. Have two days left open for Jan and 3 for Feb but there are still some great captains open that I would be happy to refer.
Been fishing around the inlet and we have been picking at them. One here off the shoals and one here off the bridge and one here on a shallow ledge at night. But there has been some nice fishi landed one moring with the Linkos crew we landed a 27, 26, and 24 off the bridge. Pretty nice bridge fish. Gotta give Sinbad props for a fat 45 lber caught on a eel in the inlet. That is the biggewst shoal fish I have heard of. I also heard of a 47lber caught off the catwalk at night. So there are a few "big ones" meadering around. I still have some dates left in Dec, one left in Jan and five left in Feb and plenty in March. I am also looking to take a few more hard core anglers at night throughout the season for some eeling and pluggin. Thanks everyone.
Well did not fish yesterday or today because the 50+ mph winds kinda kept us at bay. We finished up on Monday afternoon with the Fhos party and we landed two out of three fish up to 30lbs. Which puts Jay first in this winters Rockalicious! Fishing has been still pretty slow overall. Gotta give the Walls party props for landing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place fish in the ocean category of the rockfish rodeo. We fished a hard moring trip and landed 9 nice rock. We were ousted out of 1st with Russel and Devon's 19lber they landed off the bar. They only got one but they got the right one for that day!, Congrats to everyone and the fishing center holds it down for another year. Thanks to everyone for fishing and enjoy your families this Thanksgiving. Aaron
Just when the fishing can not get any slower...well just a few days ago ole Reese the beach bum whacked some piggy rock to kick things off. He landed 12 fish up to 36lbs. Pretty work Reg. Hope is restored. Since then it has been not so hot for us, picking a few here and there. We had a good bridge trip a few days ago with the Rodgers crew boxing 7 nice fish. This morning we made a few grassy swipes on the shoals and filed that. We ended up landing a nice 21 and 17lber out of a handful of bites to save the morning. Supposed to get a big front on Tuesday so maybe this will shove some more rock down. Thanks to everyone for fishing and have a great Thanksgiving if I do not post sooner!
I think I can get up the overdue pics that I needed to post. Thanks for waiting. Fishing has been real real slow the last few days hopefully things will pick up in a big way! Got to go tog fishing on one of the nearshore wrecks and really whacked them. We realeased plenty and kept plenty and had some pushing the 6lb mark. We can also catch them around the bridge pilings but they tend to be smaller and picked over alot more. Normally do not fish for them but lately we have had a big void with the slow striper fishing. Maybe the full moon is now waning and the day bite will get back to normall, all the more reason to fish the night bite. Thanks to eveyone for fishing and sorry I did not get pics of the catches. Thanks Aaron
Sorry for not getting the pictures up guys the webserver is trying to help me but I am a computer idiot and I have to clear off some pics I am over the 500 pics count. Anyways the striper fishing has been tough over the last few days. We have been scratching one here or there but I suspect this will all change very soon. We did switch over to tog mode and we really whacked them one day last week. Pretty good meat shot. Some speckled trout showed up in the slough the other day and if the wind will finally give us a reprieve then we can get back to some fishing. I will get this pictures up ASAMDAC as soon as my dumb a-- can. Thanks everyone for fishing and hope this weeks gets cranked up with some good fishing.
24th
Blown out today with North winds 25-30. Fishing and weather has been pretty good. Stripers have been the main deal. We have mostly been livebaiting them around the bridge pilings. The fish seem to get bigger every day. We slipped out one day in the ocean because it was so nice and landed a limit of kings and two dolphin, four miles off the beach. I was surprised to see dolphin in this close so late in October but you never know. Thanks everyone for fishing! I will get the pictures up soon.
17th
Been fishing a bunch and the fishing for the most part has been good. We have mostly been concentrating on the stripers in the sound and landing some nice fish up to 14lbs (Felton crew). The limit is 3 per man so if you got the right bait and right tide you can really load up the meat wagon. We have also pecked away at some drum, trout, blues and a few flounder. Check out all the pics and see if you can find my hair. I have seemed to have lost the real chick getter hair do. Plus let me know what ya think of the new state of the art cutting edge fishing report that I can call in a give you a verbal update. You just click on the play arrow, I think. Thanks everyone, Aaron
Captain slacker here finally updating. Been fishing plenty and the evening and night trips have been doing well also. Starting to see more striper action. The sound season is now open! 3 Per man every day! That is good for all you meathogs out there. The fishing for the most part has been pretty good. Speckled trout have been the highlight. We have been tossing light jigs on 6lb spinning in the grassflats and coming out with some pretty nice action.
The redfish have been a little slow for us this year on the oyster rocks. Caught a nice 3.5lb flapjack today and Chris on the headboat said he saw a good sign of flounders coming down the sound. So maybe this will get going got the 15.5 pound flounder crew this thursday morning.
When the seas are calm we have been catching a few nice spanish and some fat alberts. And the Laws crew boxed two late round cobia with me the other day. Lyn had two nice cobia with me same day last year. Must be living clean.
So don't be scared lets go fishing am,pm,3/4, all day, evening, night, like Burger King have it your way. Still have some spots open through the fall and winter. Just call the house one evening and I can get you rigged up on the trip you want. Thanks everyone for coming out and fishing hard!
The hurricanes off the beach have been keeping the ground swell up making any ocean trips lately no bueno. This is alright anyways because I favor the inlet and backwaters this time of year. We have been catching stripers, small blues, speckled trout, and a nice class of red drum as well. The ole flapjacks are around but we really have not caught them good yet because the rough ocean really has the inlet water cloudy. Will start running a few night trips for rock and trout soon. Still have some openings in October or a Sept. eveing trip. The sound rock season opens Oct.1 3 per man 7days a week this go round. Sounds good to me. Thanks everyone for coming out and fishing hard despite the windy and sometimes rainy days.
Got the day off today with overcast skies and 70%chance of rain my cobia crew pushed back the trip a few days. Normally could not do it but the second week of September is always a tough one to book because the repeat trips are not there mainly due to hurricanes. We had a little blow last week when that tropical strom came through. Gave us 8 inches of rain winds up to 60, a couple days off, and a big groung swell. Before the storm we landed some fat alberts, a cobia, few kings, and an occasional dolphin. The evening prior to the storm ole ole ole JR brought down a couple buddies (was not sure if he had any but these cats claimed him) and he helped me show his buddies a good time in the lumpy raining ocean by hooking up a nice cobia and passing the rod off. We landed two out of three hook ups and hauled back in for cover. After the blow I fished with JT and he was the guinea pig trip. No reports to work off of so we just had to go try it. ALot of times the big flush of fresh water can screw things up a bit. He wanted to catch a few trout and that we did. We kept a limit of speckled trout up to 20 inches and had plenty of nice 2-4lb blues mixed in as well. Yesterday Ian and his buddies fished and we got the specialty guest apperance of DOA Donnie on the boat due to a scheduling conflict. ( I think he just wanted to see the newest secret weapons) We had a good time landing a coco coco puff, false albie, couple of gaffers and a few small bailer dolphin as well. Thanks everyone for coming out and fishing. Never know till you go!
Ok so I never did get the pics on later that night from the last posting so I will get them on this go around. Fishing has picked up with more cobia being seen and the puppy drum really cooperating. The limit on redfish is one per man per day 18"-27" they can not be over 27 inches. Mix in a few nice drum and a few blues trout and flounder and that is a pretty good fish fry in the making. I wanted to thank everyone for coming out. HAving fun and catching and catching some fish along the way. Happy b-day Pops, congrats out to Seth for getting serious, and Dave for the killer Steeler digs and flag for the ss ole leaky aka Rock Solid.
Sorry for the ridiculous pause in updates. Been out everyday and the last week of July and first week of August was tough fishing at best. We had a couple of skunks or near skunks. Also had soem cool trips like riding around all day with Kevin Lesser and letting him toss trout jigs at dolphin all day just a couple miles off the beach. The cobia count was just about on a stand still with 80 degree water along the beaches. The were a few caught sporadically chumming. We lucked our way into the big re drum in the ocean a few times with 30-50 class fish. Seems the fishing has begun to really pick up the last couple weeks. Starting to catch more stripers around the piling. Cobia are beginning to push back south from the bay, puppy drum fishing in the inlet has been really consistent, and the flapjacks are starting to make a apperance. Saw a couple nice beds of silver mullets starting to move on the last northeastern so that gets me excited as well, a sign that fall is approaching. The trout bite has been good at times as well. Props out to TJ for landing a fat 71lb cobia with me a few days ago!!! Pigster. Been creeeping out with a few evening trips and the drum and trout have been quite cooperative. Feel free to call the house if you are interested in doing a evening or night trip. I do not really book them in advance and you cant pull the availiability off the website. I just try to work a couple a week in and fishing tends to be pretty good on these trips. My pics this time around are struggling because my camera is MIA when I lost it helping a buddy get his sinking boat off the bottom at 2am. So sorry to Dan Dan the meat man I have lost your nice cobia shot and sorry everyone else. So now I have bummed the wife's camera (of course now she gets to upgrade) and I will once again get the pics going again. Thank severyone for emailing me a few shots as well. Thanks everyone for fishing and coming out on the Rock Solid. All those positive attitudes are great!
Got blown out yesterday and rained and t-stormed out today. Well the water has been very hot in the sound and ocean, a typical July pattern. The fishing overall has been tough with a splattering of decent fishing at times. There has been a few nice cobia, the big drum have shown a couple of times, flukin has been alright and the trout have been cooperative when the conditions are right. We were getting our butts kicked one morning with slow fishing so we started sight casting to the houndfish. They were tailing walking and greyhounding across the water pulling out drag pretty cool on the eight pound spinning. We landed at least 20 with three times that many jumping off.
Fished with ole JR the other day and we had a great time with JR's horseshoe once again coming out with a nice 4lb spanish airing out the bobber in the grass flats and a piggy 23 inch 3-4lb speckled trout! He also landed a houndfish flounders and stripers. That is got to be some kind of slam, e-mail me some good slam ideas for now we will call it the bobber slobber slam. Of course I fished with JR again couple days ago and the howning winds and crappy fishing crammed the horseshoe up our ... One striper saved the skunk...
Congrats to Big Jim for pounding on the sharky's and boxing a nice 50lber cobia!
Thanks to everyone for coming out and fishing this last week or so!
Sneaking in a quick update. The northeast winds kept us in the inlet for a few days but we had some great catches on speckled trout and a few taylor blues mixed in as well. There has been some stripers lurking the pilings as well. Not to mention a nice fat red drum Ken caught yesterday on a 3/0 hook intended for black drum. Got the day off Sunday and guess what I did, went fishing. This time I took the family and I think I worked harder than ever holding little Gabriel in one hand baithooks with the other while getting hit in the head with little croakers and sea perch. The Bug had a ball she was a terror on the croakers! Today was beautifull and fishing was tough but we kept circling around and putting around till we had a couple nice cobia in the box and then John gave me the early dismissal! Thanks John and thanks everyone for fishing over the last few days!
Ok so we did not get rained out today but I did stay in the sound with the Kennedy party and we enjoyed excellent speckled trout fishing. We landed over forty trout casting light jigs and livebaits. Pretty fun. Got to get that picture up later.
Now I need to get updated on the last few weeks. In a nutshell the fishing overall has been pretty good some days we have had some pretty good dolphin action close to the beach with some gaffers mixed in. The cobia fishing has not been hot and heavy but steady seems like we have been boating 1 to five fish a day. Sharkin continues to be pretty good at times. For the most part the speckled trout fishing has been great with a few puppy drum tossed in.
Had a couple no shows over the last few weeks and guys could not step up to the plate and call and say hey capt I can' make it my grandmother got run over by a bus full of penguins or something. I would probably let you off the hook. But not returning a call or getting you wife to say uhh uhh, hes not here right now you must have the wrong number click, is pretty weak. So I will be starting a wall of shame for you fellas that have a lack of respect for me. Call me up and lets get things straight!
The best thing I like about the no show guys is both days we blistered the fish with last minute charters with a good showing of cobia and 30+ dolphin. OUch!
Thanks to everyone for fishing hard over the last few weeks and I appreciate you coming out!
