Dorados @ 60 Fathoms

Weather: Good

Fishing: Good Offshore, Terrible Inshore 

The Boat: Fixed 

On Friday I packed my bags grabed my new music from Sara who battled Itunes complications for hours just to make me a new cd for my trip. Pulling into Radio Island 2hrs later to find the boat fixed and ready to go. So I spent the afternoon getting the outriggers out, checking all the systems, fueling up the Triumph and hanging out with the guys at the docks. The staff at Radio Island Marina are legit fisherman and all around good guys I enjoyed the conversations about boats, life, and fishing. 

This trip was a special one as we had a special angler with us, Jeff's Dad.

On Friday night we did the regular routine hit up the ruddy duck, dropped by Lowes food, and checked in at the Quality Inn. Its starting to feel like we are regulars every trip seems to get easier in the sense of getting things prepped and ready.

The wind was forecast at SW but in reality it really blew straight west, making my side of the boat wet. We made it out to the 14 buoy where we found other fisherman trolling in the area along side of some semi formed  weed lines but nothing trollable. So we drove on, and on, and on passing non fish-able weed lines. Then the God sent bright glowing weed patch was seen on the horizon. 

We set lines and trolled once the lines crossed beside the big patch a reel went screaming and we where hooked up. Me and Jeff start clearing lines and hand the rod to his dad to start the fight. I picked up the left side rod pulled it out of the clip switch to second gear to hurry up the process. I felt no tension looked out and a dolphin jumped and Pop-pop said it wasn't his, a good 10 seconds of confusion set in. Then my drag started to peel off and we had a double!

Jeff gaffed Pop-pop's dolphin and threw out a bailing line and hooked up again. We put three dolphin in the boat in fifteen minutes. We then proceeded to chum and bail more dolphin near the mat, perhaps the strangest thing of the day was the attack of the birds.

It all started out with one bird feasting on our chum then they where diving at our spinning lines. Once hooked up these birds have no fear of attacking a dolphin and ripping the bait out of their mouths. Ok we can deal with a little bird action then the gang showed up and made trolling impossible. These dumb birds where picking up the plugs and eating the baits! So we picked up our lures headed in and trolled a few more spot with no success.

Overall it was one heck of a trip, good dolphin, decent weather, and great company. 

J.Jones

Blue Water Therapy

The Forecast : They Missed It
The Fish : Weren't Hungry

Our morning started late the 4:45am wake up call never came so we where up a quarter after five and headed out the door, little before six we where planing out. We knew it was going to be a bumpy ride, but two miles outside the inlet we hit a pretty high six foot swell and that set the tone for the day. The sea was mostly two footers with some four mixed in. Then a six footer would sneak up on us, they would send us climbing up and crashing down with a thud that was felt with big swell. Alright little clarification this was not a scene from deadliest catch, but rather a rough run offshore in a 23.5ft boat put into English class description. Anyways the forecast read 2 to 4ft with 5 to 15mph winds, yeah it blew 15 plus from the start.

My postcard pic from the ride in 

We went on to pass the king fisherman at the knuckle 9 buoy and found a nice sport fisher to follow out. This made for a bit better ride as the sport fisher cut down some of the waves. He soon stopped out at the 14 buoy which is about halfway to the big rock. We proceed on for another hour till we reached 60 fathoms near the big rock.

Jeff set the lines and I drove the boat as the weather was to rough to set the boat in gear and both of us set the baits. The radio was not giving me any hope as only one boat had picked up a peanut dolphin. So we trolled on, and about an hour later...click the line come out of the outrigger but no drag screams, must be grass.

It's a tuna after it, looking back a yellowfin tuna running the surface diving at bait relentlessly. You could see it's football shape and tail which each rise and dive. Then he was gone, just gone...The tail of the bait had been bitten off and the leader had some scars, we had just missed a 50 pound tuna by less than an inch. However the show was spectacular, so we circled area never found a hook up. The desperation and disappointment of the voice on the radio revealed no new dolphin, so everyone was just dragging baits.

As twelve approached me and Jeff where shot out of hope,eating cookies, and talking about the tuna we missed. The the drag screams off the portside we, our reaction time was far from great as we kinda looked at the rod then back at each other. Jeff jumps up and yells fish on, I clear lines as the drag runs scream, the fight lasted about five minutes as I stood there with a hand on the wheel and one on the gaff.

As the dolphin neared there was no one with him, I tried to talk Jeff into letting me fight and he become the gaff man. Yeah he pretty much told me to be a man a stick em, my gaff history is far from good as practice on bailers was a fail. This was clutch time I couldn't mess this up, so the dolphin cruised up to the side and I stuck em and slung him up in the boat like I had been doing it for years.

That was the only dolphin we caught but it was a still good day, I had gaffed my first good dolphin and Jeff didn't have to go to the office.

Finding Good Weather

Well its Thursday and we have stalked NOAA marine forecast for almost a month. The tropical storm has left the coast of North Carolina last week. The weather report is calling for 2 to 4ft sea with 5 to 15mph winds sounds like our kinda day, but you can never really trust these weather reports especially in small offshore boat.

We made the call at 1pm and by three my bags where packed and I was scrambling out the door. I was the first to make it into town and kinda late for checking the fishing report. By checking the fishing report I mean mean mugging charter boats as they take pictures with their clients. So strolling up and down the Big Rock landing I found small numbers of dolphin each boat had about six and no big bulls. Not what I wanted to see especially since the last month they have been catching around thirty a day, but we have to get out there and see for ourselves.

Most Charter boats wont give you the time of day, let alone a fishing report. I was also in search of finding a good weather report two boats gave me the "we haven't checked the weather report". Luckily I found a charter boat on the far end of the landing away from the restaurants and shops. It wasn't the prettiest sportfisher but a rugged salt worn cig smoking captain was happy to talk to me even after I told him I wasn't in the market for a trip. We talked about the fishing report, boats, the economy, and most importantly the weather.

As he smoked a cigarette he looked up the weather for me in two different places besides NOAA. The wind looks like it will be around 5mph in the morning and around 1pm it will move up to almost 20mph and seas building.

As I sat at the Ruddy Duck munching on some mean nachos waiting on Jeff to arrive, I sat back and reflected that there are still good people left in this world. I know the old captain wasn't going to give over his fishing spots but the time of day was satisfactory for me and the weather was a plus. So tomorrow we will go out and fish on our separate boats his 20 ft bigger than mine, and he will forget he even talked to me but I will remember him for trying to help me find good weather.

J.Jones

Carolina Connection: The Big Rock Teaser

With Just a couple of days before the big rock Mark Montocchio and the 36 North crew have constructed a Big Rock Promo video. It is really gives you the feel of the Big Rock along with some sick video.

I am personally excited for the big rock and will be following Team Enigma,because a good friend of mine is fishing on the team. You can follow the big rock via Facebook and on the web at WWW.TheBigRock.com

J.Jones