When the weather cools, thoughts typically turn to whitetails but as soon as the rut passes here in the Carolinas, it’s time to break out the heavy tackle. The annual migration has been a real boom for local charter boats, a winter gold rush that until about fifteen years ago, was unheard of. That’s when the fish began showing up a short ride from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, becoming so huge the state created the T.A.G. program – Tag A Giant – to track these huge fish. Fierce fighters, a single bluefin tuna can bring huge dollars at the dock where Japanese buyers snap them up (I can remember an angler getting $17,000 for a fish in the mid-90s).
The photo above was taken by someone aboard the Pole Position, a 57′ war wagon captained by Gene Ingle and based in Wrightsville Beach. After the jump, check out the fish Gene’s crew caught, splayed out on the deck next to a mate for a size comparison. The crew in the smaller outboard (above and after the jump) are unknown, but they sure have their hands full! These fish were caught off Morehead City, North Carolina on December 5th, 2009.
Thanks to Beach Billy for sending these in!
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Fishing
North Carolina, tuna
If you’ve ever done any kind of fishing, you know that a surefire way to find your prize is to look for a potential food source. This could be checking the hatch to know what fly to use or the structure for what may bring up that bigmouth bass. When it comes to offshore fishing, birds are the key. As baitfish are driven to the surface, birds will pick them off, so if you spot birds diving in a particular location, you can bet it’s a good place to wet a line.
And that’s what happened off Cape Lookout in North Carolina recently, within an easy swim of shore no less. Red drum and spot-tailed bass had driven a buffet of bait to the surface and with the shallow depth and clear water, the entire show was something to see.
Check out the photos after the jump.
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Fishing
North Carolina, saltwater
Surf fishing off Cape Romain in South Carolina draws anglers from across the state, including the winged variety. This bald eagle latched on to a one fisherman’s catch and stuck around long enough to pose. Note: this is no trained bird, that line runs to the fish.
Thanks to Beach Billy!
Fishing, Sightings
photography, South Carolina
Reprinted from “The Sea Breeze: The Bayside’s Favorite Newspaper” of San Leon, Texas. Story by Steve Hoyland, Sr.
Two weeks ago a group of four men, Steve Hoyland Jr. with friends Bruce, Ken and Erik, set off on an overnight offshore fishing trip. They left at noon on a Tuesday and went about 120 miles out into the Gulf.
They were having a great night of fishing, catching big snapper, grouper, ling and kings. About 3 am, two of them went down below to catch some sleep. The two remaining on deck were catching fish and drinking beer, enjoy- ing the warm tropical night air.
All at once, Bruce got a big run on his line. This thing went all around the boat and took more than twenty minutes to bring up to the surface. When they got it up to the surface, they could not tell what it was. It looked prehistoric.
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Fishing
saltwater, Texas
Doubletough contributor Beach Billy forwarded this photos from a client who was in Alaska earlier this year on a salmon fishing trip. Lots of bear sightings, wolf, eagles and more, see the photos and the story after the jump.
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Fishing, Sightings
Alaska, salmon
What happens when a Tarheel enters a white marlin tournament? Broken records, that’s what. Robert Farris of Charlotte, North Carolina took three hours to land this 1,062 pound blue marlin during last week’s White Marlin Tournament in Ocean City, Maryland, breaking the state record set in 1989 by 120 pounds.
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Fishing
blue marlin, dolphin, Maryland, record, tournaments, tuna, wahoo, white marlin
Did you happen to see the report this week about the 11-year old who caught a whopping 9-foot, 193 pound catfish? A Doubletough story for sure as Jessica Wanstall of Sittingbourne, Kent, in the United Kingdom, spent twenty minutes while “my arms turned to jelly” before landing the big fish.
The article states the International Game Fish Association believes it to be a world record for an angler under 16 years of age. Unfortunately a second photo shows Jessica’s father helping his daughter hold the rod, which violates Rule 1 of the Angling Regulations in the IGFA’s International Angling Rules: ”From the time that fish srikes or takes a bait or lure, the angler must hook, fight, and land or boat the fish without the aid of any other person, except as provided in these regulations.” A review of the IGFA’s Junior Angler World Records reveals no exception to this rule. See the photo after the jump.
Check out the account of the catch here. At any rate, congratulations to Jessica on a magnificent catch and good luck to the next angler who may hook into it – after the photo the catfish was released back into the Ebro River of Spain.
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Fishing
record, Spain
