|
|
 |
TUESDAY10-31-06
The weather threw everyone a curve last weekend, but, the recovery has been fast!!! The king mackeral are biting
real good at areas like the Shark Hole, 18 mile Rock, 15 Mile Rock. Cigar minnows seem to be their preferred bait of choice
at this time. Frozen are working good, but, jig up some live ones and these are working GREAT!!!! Offshore the bite for grouper,
kings, amberjacks, various types bottom fish is doing good,and there is still the possibility of hooking up with a Mahi-Mahi.
The Gulfstream is producing some Wahoo, although, you may have work a little harder than usual to find some, but, find them
and you will be very busy!!! If the weather
stays like this, look for the fishing to just get better!!!
SUNDAY10-29-06
The high winds have dirtied up the inshore
waters and it's too rough to get offshore. As soon as things settle back down we will have some more fishing reports!!! Mother
Nature is boss, and all we can do is wait her out. To be continued--------------- FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch and "Private
Bodie".....
In the "GUESTBOOK" Steve asked the question::
Our question is this - when you are bottom fishing what baits do
you use and how are they rigged? Also, do you use wire or rather how do you keep from getting cutoff by the toothy critters that
are encountered offshore?
OK, as for the wire, no, we just get bit off from time to time
and just retie when we do.
Now, as for the other question on bottom fishing, wow, I could
write several pages on this one!! I will try to get you started!!
We tie a double dropper bottom rig in the line, we use 50 lb. line,
this works better than light line, using 4/0 circle hooks and either 8 ounce or 16 ounce weights on the bottom depending
how hard the current is running and how deep. Use the lightest weight you can get by with.
Grouper fishing we use a "modified" carolina rig or a 3 way swivel
set up. I don't exactly know how to explain these rigs in writing.
As for bait, squid and cutbait is good for bottom fish.
Live bait usually better for grouper, Pinfish, Pogys, Cigar Minnows, etc. The trick to grouper fishing is not so much the
bait as anchoring on the structure!! Not close to it but on top of it!!!
If you can get away, I will be doing Seminars on bottom fishing
at both the Raleigh and Greensboro Saltwater Shows in January. I also do them for BOATERS WORLD in Wilmington. And, on February
3rd I will be at Brunswick Community College with SALTWATER SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE SEMINAR SERIES covering bottom fishing. I tell
you about these not trying to put you off!! At these sessions you can learn in one day what it could take you years otherwise.
Hope I helped some, I know I most likely didn't, but, that's a
hard question to answer in writing. Things such as this is better shown!!!
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch
FRIDAY10-27-06
As the old saying goes, "what a difference
a day can make". Today we were with Joel, Brent, Bruce, and Aaron Somero along with them was good friend David Samuelson.
We were supposed to do a full day trip today and I was going to cancel, but, the guys wanted to fish some, so, I advised them
that it was not supposed to get bad until later that day and we could stay close in and do some fishing. I let them know the
outlook wasn't too good with the weather we had to work with, but, everyone wanted to do what we could.
The strong front that was approaching had definately
messed with the fishes minds and equilibreum. The bite we had the day before had been blown away with the winds that had roughed
up the water from the day before that was flat calm to a good 2 foot chop this morning.
OK, we are going to try it until the swells get to
3 feet, then we are out'ta here I said. Everyone agreed. Suprisingly, we were able to fish longer than I figured we would.
But, the bite was definately slowed way down by the low pressure. We caught a big lizard fish, and we promptly deployed it
on a downrigger at 25 feet. We had not trolled too far when something big tried to tear the rigger off the boat. It stayed
deep like a tuna would do. Brent was the man on the rod but it didn't last too long, the fish proved to be just too much for
the 20 pound class king mackeral tackle we had him on!!! We will never know for sure what it was, but, we do know it was "BIG"
and "HEAVY".
By this time the seas were cranking up and we moved
back inshore to a live bottom area, here, we also found the fish to be a little lethargic. After moving up and down the live
bottom that is a ledge that runs to the east, I finally found a few fish.
We were catching some Black Bass that would have been
keepers just a week ago, but were now a 1/4 inch short of the new size limit, along with those we were catching a few bluefish,
some sharks, Aaron caught a real nice flounder,(of which I forgot to get a picture), maybe they will email me one!! But, again
Brent was the "rod man" when the big red drum hit. We all thought it was a big shark since we had caught several but when
it came to the top it was a 60 inch red drum, which I estimated at 45+ pounds, we did get that picture, since it was too big
to keep!!
Guys, we did the best we could today with the weather
we had to work with and had to call it quits around lunch time. The seas didn't want to cooperate past mid day, maybe we will
have better weather next time, don't think it will be any worse, unless there is a hurricane!!! Till next time, FISH
ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, what was my final score for the "swan dive" I did off the transom!!!!
THURSDAY10-26-06
Today "Private Bodie" and I were in the
great company of some local fishermen and fisherwomen. We had with us today Kim Ann Russ, that's right, the Kim Ann Russ from
Southport reality, with her we had the "birthday girl" Jane Astoske, who told her age but I don't think she looked a day over
20, with those girls were Kai Nielsen, and Kid Caison.
We started off on a King Mackeral mission and
found some at the Shark Hole and Coral Bottoms. The bite was not on "fire", but, it was steady most of the morning. As with
all fishing, some of the fishermen had put together the right combination of colors along with the preferred trolling speed,
you know, all the "right little things" that make the difference, while others were just "picking" at them. We would have
limited out if we could have kept all that hit on the hook. But for various reasons, several were "quick released" to fight
again another day.
We got all we wanted by lunch time and we went bottom
fishing. The bottom fishing was a little tougher. The new size limits that went into effect this past Monday has made keeper
size fish a little tougher to come by. But, we kept moving and moving until we found a school of fish that were keeper sized
and wanted to bite.
We were catching Triggerfish, Spanish Mackeral, yeah,
Spanish Mackeral on bottom rigs, I would say there were several where we were at, Black Bass, and of coarse, we were
catching some sharks. But, I must say that the fun really began when a big school of Bluefish moved in. They were catching
them two at a time as fast as they could drop down, and quite a few were good size fish.
Kim, Jane, Kai, and Kid I hope we met and passed your
expectations of what you expected on a fishing trip!!!, I know that Bodie and I enjoyed fishing with y'all!!!!! Till
next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!.
WEDNESDAY10-25-06
This is a call for all fishermen and fisherwomen!!!
"Private Bodie" the fish dog and I need your help!!! The fish, all types of fish, inshore fish, offshore fish, all kinds of
fish are on the attack here in Southport,NC. Grab your rods and reels and come help us catch these fish, IT IS TIME TO FILL YOUR FREEZOR FOR WINTER, NOW!!!!
TUESDAY10-24-06
I am thinking that
someone e-mailed me about some numbers to the 390/390, etc. or something like that. Please, if I didn't answer you, Please
e-mail me again, I am thinking it got deleted by accident
TUESDAY10-24-06
All I can say is that until all these fronts
cool the water down too much, the fish are biting. Right now, it seems like everything is biting somewhere. Too many fish,
Too little time!!!!
INSIDE: Redfish, Speckled Trout fishing is real good,
especially the Red Drum!! Also, the spot bite in the river at Southport and Lockwood Folly is cranking up!!
INSHORE: Blues, Whiting, Flounder, Spots are starting
to make some strong runs. Between the inshore and offshore, areas like 15 mile rock 18 mile rock, shark hole, this is where
some of the king mackeral have moved to. However, with the bait making it back to the beached and the spots starting to run,
look for some to make it back to the beaches to feed on these. On the way out to these spots, look for big schools of spanish
mackeral and blues that are popping up on top. Grouper bite is good now in these areas.
OFFSHORE: There have been some Black Fin Tunas spotted
and caught around areas like the Horse shoe's 1 & 2. Some king mackeral are also in these areas also as are some Mahi-Mahi
still hanging around. I caught a Mahi- Mahi last Saturday at 18 mile rock, and Capt Chuck Gambino on the "FISHBUSTER"
caught a Sailfish around 70 lbs. last Saturday around the 15 mile rock area.
GULFSTREAM: I have not been or heard from there, but
would expect it to be doing well with Wahoo's and it is time for the Yellowfin Tunas as well.
Weather permitting, I will be fishing sometime
this week. Have had to cancel all my trips so far this week. Hoping that I will be able to get Thursday, Friday, and Saturday's
trips in, not looking to promising at this point, but, it is that time of year.
Also, remember, we have had some regulation changes that
went into effect on the 23rd of this month: SNOWY GROUPER: Possession limit to one per person in the 5 grouper
per person per day aggregate recreational bag.
Golden Tilefish: Same as above, 1 per person in the grouper limit.
VERMILLION SNAPPER (B-LINER): Size limit increased from 11 inches to 12 inch
total length.
BLACK SEA BASS: Size limit increased from 10 inches to 11 inches total length
and to 12 inches next year, and bag limit reduced to 15 fish per person.
RED PORGY (PINKIE) Increase the bag limit from 1 to 3 per person per day.
I have compiled the above fishing report for
you to help you decide what to do this weekend if the weather will cooperate!! Worse case scenerio, you can always go spot
fishing on the piers, it really is fun, and although they are not one of my favorite fish to eat, they're not too bad!! Hope
this wil help!!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and (soon to be promoted )"Private Bodie" the fish dog, say HI!!!!.
SATURDAY10-21-06
I cancelled Fridays trip due to the winds,
but, Saturdays forecast was for 10 to 15 out of the NE with 2 to 3 foot seas. Well, lets see, 10 to 15 if you add those together,
that's 25, throw in an occasional 30 knott gust, OK, that's pretty close. Now, let's see 2 to 3 foot seas, if you add those
together you get 5, throw in an occasional 7 to 8 footer, yeah, that's pretty close too!!!
OK, that's enough picking at the weather
forecast, we are all only humans, and we all do and will make mistakes as long as we live here on earth. So, we had to make
the best of what weather we had to work with.
We decided to go fishing because the
forecasted NE winds at 10 to 15 would have the beach laid down and we were looking for some kings, grouper, and bottom
fish, which are all now in reach closer to the beach. We had another group of fishing guys from Fayetteville, NC.
These were Troy Ham, Marquail Flemings, Mark Flemings, Kerwin Steele, and Vic Impemva.
As we reached our first destination, the Shark
Hole, we were greeted with high winds and high seas. We and the weather made it there at about the same time. We were there
and was going to have go back in a 5 to 7 foot head sea, so we decided to make the best of it and it might possibly lay down
some later that evening, Wrong!!! Hey, it's the weekend, isin't it supposed to blow on the weekends?
We started off bottomfishing and light
lining. The current was running strong, real strong, this made it hard to grouper fish and bottomfish, but, we managed to
put some fish in the boat. Troy Ham caught his first grouper ever, even though it was too small to keep, he said that's fine,
I have always wanted to catch a grouper. Don't ask him about the other three he hooked up with and liked to took the rod out
of his hands before they broke off!!
Also, while bottom fishing, a small school
of Mahi-Mahi came by the bost, I grabbed a spinning reel baited with a cigar minnow and pitched it to them. They would look
at it and turn away. I pitched it back out and as they run up to it and started to turn away, I reeled it as fast as I could
and that was more than they could stand. One of them charged the bait and hit it in a mad rage. We left it in the water, but,
after a bit, we never seen the rest of them again.
Marquail was the rod man on the dolphin,
this guy handled the rod that was loaded with light line like a pro. He and the mahi-mahi went head to toe for several rounds
back and forth and on both sides of the boat, later, I was very impressed that this was his first time fishing in the
ocean on a boat. You couldn't tell it by the way he handled that Mahi-Mahi!!! I will have to say that I believe he is
a great fisherman headed for many more great days on the hi seas!!!
The kings were biting today, as we heard
from other boats on the radio. They were not "on fire" by no means, but they were catching some. We never got the first king
mackeral bite on our lite line, we did get several sharks on it though!! The King we caught was on a Drone spoon
we pulled as we moved to different spots to fish, too rough to run fast, so we fished while we were moving!!! The bottom
bite and lite lineing included today, Black Bass, Grouper, Bluefish, Flounder, Grey Snapper, Mahi-Mahi, King Mackeral,
Sharks, eel's, Ringtails, Pinfish, and Lizardfish.
All in all, we had a great day on the
water fishing. The weather was not like what we would have preferred, but, you have to sometimes make the best out of
what you have, and today we did just that. We caught fish, exchanged some fish tails, talked about past fishing trips, told
some jokes, had a lot of laughs, got some lines broke, had some fish get off, put some fish in the boat, and just had another
great day of fishing with some more of our customers that have become our friends through fishing!!!!!! Now, can you improve
on that, I don't think so!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch Foster and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, WOW!!!!
those were some big waves!!!!!
|
|
FRIDAY10-20-06
The king mackeral
bite has moved a little off the beach, but, some can still be caught in the areas of lighthouse rocks and the reefs. The best
bite has been in the areas around the 18 mile rock, 15 mile rock, sharkhole, etc; The grouper have also moved into these king
mackeral hotspots. They come in closer to shore this time of year, and they are here!! Try live bait or frozen cigar minnows
on the kings, live bait is usually better for the grouper, however, that is not written in stone!! The black bass will and
are also moving in closer this time of year. The same areas as for the kings and grouper should hold some schools of black
bass very soon!! Closer to the beach, there have been some pompano, whiting, flounder, red drum and black drum caught. The
grey trout should be here as should be the spots, but I haven't heard much out of those lately. Also, the spots should make
their fall run soon!! The strong SW winds we have been having will have the water dirtied up, but, it should clear up
fast. On the inside creeks and such, the Red Drum and Black Drum bite has been on fire. live mullet minnows and the berkly
gulp baits are doing very well!! The Gulfstream has been a little slow, there are some Wahoo's and Sailfish reported from
there, but that's been about it for now. The Yellowfin Tuna's should show up any time and when they do, that's where you can
find me, around the 100/400 or the Black Jack Hole!! Tomorrows weather looks pretty good, maybe we can go fishing again!!
Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog, says HI!!!!.
TUESDAY10-17-06
I have taken a few days
off to get some much needed repairs done on the "YEAH RIGHT" and to start getting ready for the up coming Bluefin Tuna season!!
We are also starting to prepare for the Greensboro and Raleigh Saltwater Shows, and we are trying to get our loose ends tied
up so I will be ready to go when the SALTWATER SPORTSMAN SEMINAR SERIES comes to the east coast, I was asked
by George Poveromo himself to join up with them this year and I accepted his offer!! Two days from now, on Thursday, I
will be doing a fishing trip and shoot a video for AMERICAS OUTDOORSMAN. We may do King Mackeral or bottom fish, and we may
do two shoots, one on each one!!
I have gathered a fishing report in the middle
of all this for you so it will help you plan your next outing. I didn't include the "inside" report, but, I was told today
that the Speckled Trout and Red Fish were biting like bulldogs and a lot of the Red Fish are big enough to fit into
the required slot limit to make them legal size. That means some "Blackened Redfish" for dinner!!!! Even a few flounder are
mixed in as are Black Drum also!! If you would like to go catch some Red Fish and Black Drum and flounder
on the "inside" give Capt. Marty Wright a call at (910) 200-7801. He operates "WRIGHT OF PASSAGE" charters and you will
get the same type of quality customer service you have grown to expect from "YEAH RIGHT CHARTERS".
Here's the report::
King Mackeral fishing is still good to great. They
have moved out a little, but, areas like Shark Hole, Jungle, 390/390, 18 Mile Rock, etc; there seems to be quite a few still
here, and some are big ones!! Live bait is getting harder to obtain with them going deeper and getting more scattered.
Look more for "mud balls" now than "flips" on top. Grouper fishing has picked up with the fish moving closer now to the beach.
Try the above areas with live bait, you may get a big suprise!!! The black bass are also moving in closer now, find a
good school and expect the action to be fast and furious!! Offshore, the bottom fish are willing to bite as they always
do in the cooler months. Winter is some of the best bottom fishing to be had offshore here in Southport,NC. with the usual
being vermillion snappers, grouper, triggerfish, porgies, silver snappers, grey snappers, and various other species. The false
albacore should be here very soon and Bluefin Tuna fishing is just a few weeks away!! Wahoo are reported in the Gulfstream,
WHERE ARE THE YELLOWFIN'S???? Inshore reefs are producing some grey trout and red fish along with some bluefish. Spots
should arrive in big numbers anytime now, but, a few are being caught now!!! Inside the Red Drum and Black Drum are biting
real good!!Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie' the fish dog says HI!!!!.
SATURDAY10-14-06
A question was asked in the "Guestbook" of what size fish
won the US OPEN KING MACKERAL TOURNAMENT and how much they won? The winning fish was 39.30 and they won over $39,000.
We had a trip today with the guys from Fayetteville,
NC. They are regular fishermen on the YEAH RIGHT, but, today the weatherman and mother nature could not agree on things,
and as usual, mother nature won again, as always.
The King Mackeral's were biting all around
us, but, we were wanting bottomfish, and not being able to get offshore made that task rather difficult, but, we did find
some black bass and some sharks. The bite was slow, with a lot of juvenile fish in the mix, but we fished as long as we needed,
to make sure everyone had a good amount of fish to show for their efforts.
It was a tough weather day and a tough fishing
day, but everyone worked together and we kept moving till we found what we were looking for, as James says, "GET THE HOT SAUCE"!!!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, HI!!!.
Here is a report of what's happening now!!!
The King Mackeral are biting at the old sea bouy and the Cape
Fear river channel, best bait here is live pogys. Cigar Minnows are doing good on the kings around the 18 muile rock
area. A sail fish was caught and released at the 18 mile rock by Bayne and Becky Hobbs on the boat "Bubble Gum" this
past weekend, The trout and drum bite has been hit and miss on the inshore reefs. Expect this to improve as the water
cools a little more. Spots, well, it's "spotty"!! I talked to several "spot fishermen" and got mixed reports as to some being
caught to a lot being caught and some wanting to know where they were. I guess you got to find the right "Spot" now at the
right time!! This will improve as well very soon!! There are lots of Bluefish in the area now and the Spanish Mackeral are
scattered, but, run into a school and you can catch them. Best place for them lately seems to be around AR-440. The grouper
are moving in closer to shore now as they do this time of year. The bottom bite offshore is real good, actually, some of our
best bottom fishing occurs in the winter months offshore. Haven't heard from the gulfstream, but the Yellowfin Tuna bite should
be anytime now!! FISH ON!! Capt Butch & Bodie.
FRIDAY 10-13-06
Today we went in pursuit of Flounder
and trout but they were not aware of it, or, maybe they were!! I went to several spots and we were met by some nice size bluefish,
but, no flounder or trout. The King Mackeral bite was happening around the "old sea bouy" and the river channel. From the
radio talk, it was doing well!!! Even a friend of mine, Bayne Hobbs on the boat "Bubble Gum" reported that he had just
boated a Sail Fish, got pictures and released it to fight again another day!!!
Now, it was hard to keep fishing for
these but, Bill Young, Gwenn Young, David Haney, and Jeannette Haney, from VA, and MD did not want any King Mackeral,
so, we kept looking for some trout and flounder. Every where we went it was either Bluefish, trash fish, or nothing at all!!
I had another place I needed to check. It
always has something on it, it may not have trout and flounder, it has in the past, but if not it will have something on it,
and today was no exception. It was loaded with black sea bass and a few sharks. We decided to get a mess of these since the
other fish were playing hard to find. I put 4 hooks on Jeannette's line and she even caught 4 at a time. There were a lot
of small fish (9 1/2") but there were quite a few good keepers here also. We even caught a gag grouper that was too short
also.
I had a time finding fish today, but,
again determination and the desire to not give up pays off again. No, we didn't get any trout or flounder, but, when the cold
winter winds are blowing up in Virginia and Maryland, and you curl up by the fire place with a bowl of "Fish and cheese soup"
(found on the recipe page on this site) trout and flounder will then be the last thing on your mind!!! Till next time,
FISH ON!!! Capt Butch Foster and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says,thanks David for the ginger snaps, they were real good!!!
THURSDAY10-12-06
I am sitting here at this "tireless tube" instead
of fishing today. We were going to go, but, the 15 to 20 knott SW winds had other ideas. Yesterday was a pretty day and to
recap a little of what is happening when you can get out will follow.
We are getting back closer to that time of
year when you need to be able to drop what you are doing and be able to go fishing at a moments notice, such as yesterday!!
The king mackeral bite was good on cigar minnows at
the 18 mile rock yesterday as was a report from Capt. Ron Farnsworth on the "Shes Slick" that the Spanish Mackeral were on
the AR-440 everywhere and they were hungry and were biting 00 Clarke Spoons. I know he is telling the truth, he and Admiral
Helen are bringing some to the house tonight for dinner.
Capt. "Dickie", on the "Get Reel" had a good
day yesterday on the bottom fish SW of the Tower. He was fishing with my todays charter, in which we were headed out for a
day of flounder fishing, but, the winds said other wise!! All of us had to cancel todays trips!!
This front is supposed to pass through this
evening and tonight. It is going to feel more like winter than fall, but, after things settle down, I look for the great Fall
fishing that we have down here to get into high gear. This cold front should "fire off" the spot run and get the kings to
"chewing" everything in sight!!! You can also look for the grey trout and Red Drum fishing to improve on the inshore reefs. There
have already been some grey trout being caught on the reefs along with some "BIG" Red Drum hooked up and caught.
While I am here, I would like to take a moment
and again thank all of you that have either signed, left a comment, or asked a question on our "Guestbook" section. This
helps us to know that you enjoy and like what we do. I am working hard at being your "one stop" on the web that will keep
you informed as to what is biting when and where here in Southport,NC. It is a lot of work to keep all this up and keep a
boat up and run charters too, and the only reason that I can physically and mentally do this is because it is a "Labor
of love" for my fishermen and fisherwomen family!!!! So y'all enjoy this site, it is here exclusively for all of you to enjoy,
and THANK YOU again for letting me know how you like it in the "Guestbook Section"!!!!
We are going to try it again tomorrow, if we
get out,You can find out what happened right here!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch Foster and "Private Bodie"
the fish dog says, dang wind, I wanted to go fishin'!!!.
In the "GUESTBOOK" Tyler asked
about stopping an anchor from dragging. First, THANKS for visiting our site and for asking your question!! You didn't
say what size boat or anchor you are using, but the system I use will hold a big boat (45 ft.+) or so and will allow you to
anchor right the first time.
When the current is running
that strong, it is usually to strong to bottom fish anyway.This used to happen to me as well, sometimes I would
go to all the trouble to get anchored up then the anchor would "drag" through my grouper hole, a fluke style anchor
was the worst for me to do this, and this will spook everything. To stop this, I now use 50 feet of 5/16 chain and a 22 pound
Plow Anchor. 300 feet of rope will be enough rope in most cases, however, I keep twice that much on my boat, (just in case).
I strongly reccommend, unless you look like "HULK HOGAN" to incorporate a windlass with this chain and anchor set up, or in
a few weeks, you will look like "HULK HOGAN"!!!! Hope this helps, I know this in most cases is "overkill" but in my business,
I can't use an anchor that drags!!! When this rig hits the bottom, the boat is anchored. If you go to this, be
sure to hook up the chain to the back of the anchor and tie the chain to the front where it will break loose and pull
the anchor out backwards if it gets "hung up"
SUNDAY10-8-06
Todays weather was predicted to be NE 10 to
15. Well, it wasn't. We went to try to get some more kings and when we got back to the old sea bouy area the winds picked
up to 20 to 30 out of the SW and the bite was non-existant except for a couple of sharks, one was an Atlantic sharpnose and
the other was a hammer head.
Gave that up after a couple of hours and moved
to some rocks that were loaded with fish. Here we hooked up with some big fish several times that broke our 50 lb. test line.
We caught a lot of small fish, a few black bass, and a few more sharks. The fish that broke the lines, some acted like sharks
and some of the others acted like some big red drum.
It is time for the big red fish to be here,
so, I am fairly sure that a few were red drum, this is the time of year for the big boys to get on the rocks and reefs just
off the beach. It was a very tough day, but, we had fun and managed a few fish for the frying pan!! Till next time FISH ON,
Capt Butch & Chris Foster, and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, man, that jerky hit the spot!!!
SATURDAY10-7-06
This was a "wild weekend" with the US
OPEN KING MACKERAL TOURNAMENT and trying to figure if the weather was going to be as reported or not, and it was not. We had
beautiful weather to fish the tournament, only thing, to get that beautiful weather meant the passing of a cold front and
the awesome king mackeral bite that was going on on Thursday was slowed way down by the full moon and the front that went
through.
Now, it didn't shut it off completely, but,
it was slow for most and some didn't get a bite. Capt Chris came home this weekend to fish with me and Andy Smith of Charlotte,NC.
Our day started off capturing live pogys at
58th Street and then we headed to the old sea bouy, just like everyone else, because the day before the bite there had been
awesome!!! We found it to be slow, Around mid day we checked out WOFES and the rocks off Lockwood just to see, we found
nothing, so we went back to the bouy.We ended that day with a "teenager" and one 22.40 and another 24.10. when we weighed
in we were in 13 place. The next day we had trouble getting bait and Ricky Holden saved the day for us again by floating
us a bucket full. We went back to the old sea bouy and we found the bite to be REAL slow today for us. We caught one around
15 lbs. and a little later one "crashed" a double pogy rig in the prop wash. Everyone that King fishes knows that this
bait is a "Big Fish Bait".
This fish tried to leave the country!!
Now I know that my "fish tale" is like many others, but this one did happen to us today!!!
This was a heavy fish, it made a couple of long runs and Andy
was working him slowly and gently to the boat. We were getting anxious, we had half the leader on the reel. We run about 50
feet of Trilene XT to help prevent the "tailing" of a big king mackeral, and it does a great job!!! But, when the line
goes limp and you pull back in two hooks and you only had a slight bend in a live bait rod it means only one thing, today
was not your day. Capt Chris and I have come so close so many times, we are past due!!!
Now, we know it could have been a big
shark, but it sure acted more like a big king. We never saw it, so, we will never know. We do know this, whichever it was, it
will be bigger next time!!!
Congratulations to those that placed and a
special congrats goes to good friends Bill Sears and his wife Barbara for taking 2nd place, WAY TO GO BILL & BARBARA!!!!!
Andy, Capt Chris and I could have not had a
better team mate for this tournament, you were great and you handled the rods like the professional fisherman that you are,
we will get him to the boat next year!!!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & Chris Foster, and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says,
don't forget the treats!!!
This is Andy Smith with his daughter Madison, holding
the King Mackeral we boated the second day of the tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THURSDAY10-5-06
THE KINGS AND BAIT ARE ON THE BEACH,
THE BITE HAS BEEN AWESOME, INCLUDING SOME "BIG" SMOKERS 40+ LBS.
WED.10-4-06
The fish are biting but I have taken
this week off to get ready for Thurs, Fri, and Sat. This week is the week of the U.S.OPEN KING MACKERAL TOURNAMENT!!!!
Here is the fishing reports that I have
at this time, this is the one that I sent to all the newspapers and magazines that I report to weekly, when I can't go get
it first hand,these come from very reliable sources!!!Let's go fishing!!!!FISH ON!! Capt Butch.
The fall fishing is upon us. The problem with making
a fishing report
> now is trying to decide where to start!!! I'll
do my best!!
>
> INSHORE: The spots made a little run a few
weeks ago, just enough to
> get a spot fishermans adrenlin flowing then they
seem to have stopped
> or slowed down a lot. Rest assured, the "BIG
RUN" is just around the
> corner!!! Whiting, Spanish Mackeral, Grey Trout,
Speckled Trout, Red
> Drum, Bluefish, Some Black bass, Flounder, King
Mackeral, all these
> are biting inshore now!! As the water cools,
the trout, Black
> Bass, and Red Drum fishing will get
even better.
>
> OFFSHORE: The bottom bite is good with Vermillion
Snapper, Grey
> Snapper, Grouper,, Amberjacks, Triggerfish.
The KIng Mackeral are in
> the South 40 area and to the west, they have
been biting in the Jungle
> area. Bait (pogys) are starting their fall tricks
of "Here comes a
> boat, RUN"!!! They are getting hard to catch
and scattered and real
> spooky as they do this time of year.
>
> GULFSTREAM: The word from the stream is a few
Wahoo with a King
> Mackeral mixed in once in a while, as well as
a few Blackfin Tunas.
> The Yellowfin Tuna should show up anytime, I
hope!!!
SUNDAY 10-1-06
Can you believe it!!! October is already here.
And this month means great fishing along the Southport, NC beaches, and today was no exception.
We left South Harbour Marina with Willie Spivey
and his son Alex, along with Brandon King, James McNeill, Alvin Chriscoe, and Gene Turner from Asheboro, NC.
We decided since the King Mackeral bite
had been so hot the day before that we would just go out and load up on those and then go bottom fishing. Let's see, isin't
there some kind of saying about counting chicken before the eggs hatch or something like that,well, it should pertain
to fish eggs. Every one was finding that the King bite from the day before had vanished. There were some being caught
but pale in comparison to Saturday.
We started at the Shark Hole, the bite there
was slow, I did see one boat hook up with a fish, don't know what it was, it pulled the hooks before they could
ever see it. There was very little bait there. Left there and went to the 18 mile rock, same scenerio, 22 mile rock, same
thing. I decided to head to the Gary Ennis, on the way out, we decided since the King fishing was so slow we would try
bottom fishing.
First stop the Vermillion Snappers were biting
like bulldogs. The guys were pulling in 2 to 4 pounders as fast as they could get to the bottom. Next thing we knew, we started
getting only the heads in. Sharks and 'Cudas moved in and took over, And just as I would have done, the Snappers
left!!! We moved to several more places only to find the bottom fishing to be slow also. I went to place to place in
my search and marked plenty of fish but they were reluctant to bite.
We decided to call it and head in. As I
was cruising back towards the Cape Fear, I told Willie I got one more place I want to check. I haven't fished it in a couple
of years, it has always been my "Ace in the hole" so to speak. I altered course about 30 degrees and set out for my "hot
spot".
Upon arriving, The fish were there, now
will they bite, or be like the other spots. It has been a good while since I got my fishermen into Black Bass that were biting
like these were. Two at a time as fast as you could drop and crank them up!!! It was no time until we had a five person
limit of Bass in the boat and these were the big ones. There is no telling how many smaller ones we threw back. Not only that,
the guys pulled two nice Flounder off the spot and limited out on Atlantic Sharp Nose Sharks at the same time.
I must say, I tryuly thought that today was
going to be one of those days that I was going to be ashamed to report on as far as the catching is concerned, but again,
perserverance and the drive to not give up paid off once again.
Oh yeah, Alex, who is 8 years old, well, I
won't tell you put right about all the big fish and big sharks he caught, but, I would like too tell him to be sure he
doesn't spend all those guys money at one place. He did so good, I even paid him also because I was on the boat!!!!
Willie, It has been a while. Seeing you
again brought back memories of the old Striper fishing days on Badin Lake. Thinking back makes me realize how fast time on
this earth is slipping by. Hope to see all of you again soon!! Hope everyone had 1/2 as much fun as we did!!! Till next
time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, don't forget the dog treats!!!
SATURDAY 9-30-06
We went fishing again today with Dave
Gorsline, Bobby Williams, and Jeff Noyes. Even though the King Mackeral are biting very well on the beach, we wanted some
Grouper and bottom fish for the freezor.
The passing low pressure and the high that
built in fast afterwards had the fish a little disorentiated, but we kept on looking until we finally found a "rock" that
had some fish that wanted to bite.
Now that may not be why everywhere we
went we had trouble catching anything but tomtotes and ringtails, but that's the best excuse I can come up with on such short
notice. But, I didn't give up and perserverance finally paid off with a nice catch of Red Groupers, Black Bass, Grey Snapper,
Sharks, Silver Snapper,Triggerfish, and a few B-Liners.
We finally had a beautiful day to go
fishing. Dave and his gang have had a bad run of nasty weather everytime we wanted to go fishing in the past, but this
time he hit it perfect, light winds and calm seas. We all had a great time and caught a bunch of fish. Till next time, FISH
ON!!!! Capt Butch Foster and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, Capt Chris we love you and miss you very much, and I will
second that one!!!!
THURSDAY 9-28-06
Today we went on a bottom fishing trip with
Ronald Grubb, Jerry Lester, and Crystal Holloway from West End, NC. We started on the Raritan wreck in hopes of getting
an AJ. They were there but would just look at the live pogys we had and then turn away, guess they were not in the mood.
We hit several Grouper rocks with fish on them
but they didn't want to bite, so I moved to fishing ledges and this was the ticket. On the first one, Crystal hauled up a
nice Red Grouper and as we worked up and down the ledge, they were putting Silver Snapper, Black Bass, Vermillion Snapper,
Grey Snapper, Trigger fish, and even got an Amoco Jack and an Amberjack.We all had a good time and even caught some fish too!!!
In other news, The King Mackeral and
Spanish Mackeral have finally invaded the beach. As I was heading out this morning, I heard Capt John (QB)of the boat SEAWITCH,
and Capt Chris on the boat LIQUID ASSET report they had put some nice King Mackerals in the boat off Yaupon
Reef and that they were "skying" all around along with Spanish Mackeral jumping every where. So, it sounds as though
the "FALL BITE IS GOING DOWN NOW ON THE BEACH"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Weather looks good for this weekend at this
time,(but,it can change) so come on down and catch some Kings and Spanish!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch Foster
and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!.
TUESDAY 9-26-06
Today we had a late evening trip with the gals
from COASTAL LIVING MAGAZINE, they were Jean Allsopp, Elizabeth Beeler,Kay Fuston, and Keri Payne. We started off Spanish
Mackeral fishing after Capt Buster on the SEA HAWK III gave us some #'s where he had caught some Spanish and Blues earlier
today.
It was obvious that a bite had been there
earlier. Birds were sitting all over the water and the bait had gone back down deep, not on top as they are when the fish
are feeding in them. We caught a few, about a dozen Spanish Mackeral and a few Blue fish and I overheard one of the girls
say lets catch something big. With this in mind and some blues and Spanish for bait we set out for some sharks.
With the girls having plans for
the evening, I didn't have a lot of time to work with, so, we rigged up a 50 lb. class outfit and went to an area that is
known to hold sharks. From this point on it went from fishing to catching!!! Elizabeth,Kay, and Keri all caught a 30
to 40 lb.+ Sandtiger shark then it was Jean's turn. A little apprehensive about catching a shark, it didn't take long after
the bite until she was fully involved and determined to land the big Black Tip shark see had hooked up with. We finally
brought it into the boat and it was just an inch short of being the legal size of 54 inches, all the sharks were released
to fight again another day.
Now, these girls are going to e-mail me some
pictures to put with this report. I was so busy helping get the fish into the boat I didn't have time to get any pictures,
however, I did get some video of Jean fighting her big shark and hope to have it on the CD we show at the fishing shows!!
It was a pleasure and an honor having
you lady's on board today and fishing with us!! We hope to see you again soon!!! Till then FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch Foster and
"Private Bodie" the fish dog says, "come on back and get another big shark, I KNOW I can whip one, I'll show you next time"!!!
MONDAY 9-25-06
The word of the day lately has been "Cancelled
for winds" and that continues today. Tomorrow we have a 1/2 day and with a N wind, we will be able to get this one done. Will
let you know what we do, don't know what they want to fish for yet, maybe kings, maybe trout, maybe spanish, what ever we
do, I'll let you know right here. Also, the spots are starting to show up!!!
SATURDAY 9-23-06
Winds blowing the seas up to 5 feet plus today,
so, we cancelled todays trip offshore. Tomorrow doesn't look much better at this time, but, it can change fast, if we go you
will know right here!!!
GEORGE, The "slabs" you refer to are skate wings,
there is a recipe for these on the "recipe page" on my web site, and, they are REAL GOOD. If you like scallops, you will like
this!!!
RICK, My opinion that the inshore King Mackeral
bite has been delayed by the rains from hurricane Ernesto. All the fresh water that flooded the Cape Fear river ran into the
ocean lowering the salinity of the water so this dirty and fresh water pushed everything back out to sea. The water
is getting back to normal, slowly, the bait is returning and the inshore King bite should happen at any time. This scenerio
of lots of rain is actually worse for our fishing than a full moon and an East wind, and the latter two are pretty bad and
all three are a charter captains nightmare!!! FISH ON!! Capt Butch
FRIDAY 9-22-06
Today we were fishing with Amy, Steven,
and Capt. Austin Surrett also along were Brian Oldham, and Bradie Hayes from Lexington,NC, the Silver Valley area. These were
some "hometown" folks, I being from the Lexington area myself, was wanting to get them offshore SW of the Tower today,
but, when I reached the Horseshoe #1 area I knew this was the end of the line so to speak!!
We would have to try to get hooked up here
or go back in. The seas were not as they were predicted to be today, now isn't that hard to believe!! There I couldn't
find much of anything, so I went about 8 miles to the SW to a little number, that move would also give us a better ride back
with the East wind. Yeah, I know, East wind, fish down here don't bite on an East wind, but, I had to get these guys some
fish, somehow!!
Here we found some fish on the bottom and a
little bait suspended. There was enough bait to hold a decent King Mackeral that we landed and had another run but missed
that one. " Bet there were some FLW TOURNAMENT fishermen today that would like to have had that King Mackeral, remember,
East wind!!!"
Steven was hot on the trail of Amoco Jacks
today, and his wife Amy, helped him with some of them and she also helped with some sharks also!!. Now,Bradie, she was on
a mission to catch all the sharks in the ocean, and was doing a good job of it.
Now, I promised I would not tell who
got the "bug" but, we were reduced down to one fisherman before it was all over with. Now I didn't tell who the one was who
was still fishing!!! It's nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to us all eventually. Besides, it turned rough enough
today that most anyone would get the "seabug" today. Suprised I didn't!!!
The fishing was tough to say the least, but,
"Private Bodie" the fish dog pulled it off again and got them some fish to eat for dinner and some to pull on their string
so they could have some fun catching and not just fishing!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch Foster and "Private Bodie"
the fish dog says, tell Capt Austin Surrett I said HI!!!.
THURSDAY 9-21-06
Nothing to report lately, waiting for
the winds to settle some. Just like in the spring, the fall and winter is a transition time, meaning fast changing weather
patterns which means winds, which means rough seas, which means trip cancellations, Yep, it's time of year again!!!! Hopefully
we can get out Tomorrow, time will tell!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
MONDAY 9-18-06
Fished today with Jason and Larry Blackburn
and Reverand Roger Radcliff from Pikeville, Kentucky. We started off looking for King Mackeral. The first stop was at
the South 40. We put the lines in and in short order we had a King Mackeral screaming the drag. Then we had another run, missed
him, had another, missed him, then missed a few more and had several short strikes. We thought we had found the "mother lode"
of Kings that have been so elusive for so long!!! Don't ever think you have fishing figured out, it will bite you!!! Then
the bite for us and the other boats that were there just quit. We had King Mackeral "skying" around the boat with bait fish
in their mouths, but, our baits were not to their liking, so, we quit trying to figure them out and went bottom fishing.
Now, the bottom fish are biting. We caught
Black Bass, B-Liners, Triggerfish, Yellowtail Snapper, Grey Snapper, Silver Snapper, Grouper, and sharks. If you see Jason
ask him about wishing for a big fish and what can happen. He wanted a big shark all day. We were getting ready to call it
a day around 3:00PM that's when it happened. Jason got a bite, then nearly 3 hours later, he had his big shark at boat side
for a photo shoot. Congrats Jason, we were glad you were able to get your shark fishing with us.
Fishing tales and memories made again today!!
I THANK YOU, all the men and women of the armed forces for keeping our country free so we can have the opportunity in this
country to do what we want to do and I THANK the LORD for giving me the health and drive to do what I do and I THANK all the
fine folks that have chose us to fish with, MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch Foster and "Private
Bodie" the fish says, man, I got a workout today, where did all those fish come from????
SUNDAY 9-17-06
Didn't go fishing today, had a cancellation!!
But, I recieved a "Guestbook" comment that all you Spanish Mackeral fishermen will be interested in. I have copied and pasted
it here for your convience, Please be sure to let Cary Kearns know that we all appreciate his generosity in sharing this info.
with us. This is the way it is supposed to work!! Cary, if I can ever help you let me know, I'll do my best!!! Enough talk,
here is where the Spanish were at the other day!!
Comments:
Yesterday I decided to go out of Lockwood Folly.
I headed towards the beach on Holden beach to get bait. I saw very few birds diving. So I decided to go on to the Horse
shoe. On my way there I saw lots of bait and spanish. I made a stop to try to net bait and my boat wouldn't crank back
up. so there I sat waiting for Sea Tow to give me a jump.Disgusted, I went home to polish battery terminals and charge batteries.
Anyways, my reason for posting was that the clear water line is on the east side of Holden beach from shore on
out. Also the spot where all the schools of spanish were passing was N 33 50.28 / W 078 10.86 . The schools
were one after another. Hope this helps.
SATURDAY 9-16-06
My report is running a little late today. Had a 1/2
day trip, but, when I got back I worked the rest of the day until 11:00PM on a new windlass that I just put on the boat.
It is a shame that you have to pay an arm and a leg for items like these then have to machine out parts to make them work
right. Guess I should be thankful that the Lord gave me the talent to do these kind of things, and I am!!!!
Now, to the fishing. We left South Harbour
Marina this morning on a 1/2 day trip with, Richard Turner, Cerrie Turner, Lisa Ramirez, Marro Ramirez, Gilberto Cruz, and
Julueta Cruz. We dropped the Spanish Mackeral lines in at the Hot Hole where there were a few birds diving. After a few circles,
it was evident that they either were not there or if they were, they were not biting.
I kept watching and saw nothing
that represented a Spanish Mackeral or the bait fish that they would feed on. OK, time to go to plan "B". You don't have a
lot of time to put it together on a 1/2 day, especially when the water is as dirty as it is right now. However, it is clearing
up, the cleaner water is getting closer to the beach day by day.
I asked if they wanted go to some rocks
I have about 8 miles out and see if we can get some bottom fish, they did, so we did!! As I pulled up to the rock ledge, the
fish were stacked up. I dropped anchor and immediately they started hauling in some nice grey trout, some mixed sizes of Blues,
and a few Black Bass. Even hooked up a few sharks.
Just as it started it stopped, the fish
were there but the bite turned off. I checked my tide watch and sure enough, the tide had gone slack, dead low, and that usually
means the bite will shut down until it turns again. But, only problem, when it turns today, we will be already back at the
dock!! We still picked up 1/2 a cooler of fish, more than likely a whole lot more fish than we would have had if we kept on
Spanish Fishing!!
Today, we were able to put the puzzle together.
What's the saying, "Someday's you get the bear, and someday's the bear gets you". Thankfully, we have managed so far to stay
one step ahead of the bear!!!
The arrival of the grey trout is a sure sign
that the fall fishing is about to kick off. So, if you have been to busy to go fishing yet, you have just been too busy, it's
time to go!!!
In closing this report, I would like to share
a suprise with you that I recieved the other day. I was at dinner, and the phone rang, and I answered it as usual, but, on
the other end was George Poveromo. Now George is the man at SALTWATER SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE that does articles for the
magazine, he also has a Saltwater Fishing Show on ESPN, plus, he heads up the SALTWATER SEMINAR SCHOOL that travels the country
each winter teaching people how to fish. I have been honored by being invited to join their seminar sessions this year
and I have accepted their offer.
And with this invitation I must thank all the
people that has made this possible, for without the blessings of the Lord, and the people that I have had the honor to
take fishing, this would have never been possible. THANK YOU ALL for fishing with us and the comments that you put on our
"Guestbook". As I have said before, "without all of you, what I do would be useless" THANKS AGAIN!!! Till next time, FISH
ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, Man, I sure love them trouts!!!!
FRIDAY 9-15-06
Today we finally were able to get back
offshore. It wasn't the calmest day I've seen, but, it wasn't too bad. Mostly in a big swell. We had one of the crews
from Washington, DC with us today and when we left the dock they said we want to catch some grouper. So, off we went
to the East side with, Reuben McNair, Clifford Stone, Rev. John Myers, Donald Stancell, James Hunter,and Samuel Cole.
Upon arriving at the first grouper rock, they
were there!!! We got the boat anchored on top of them and only had to move a couple more times all day. We caught Grouper,
Reds, Scamps, Gags, we also got Triggerfish, Grey Snapper, Amorings,(Amoco Jacks), B-Liners, Silver Snapper, Bigeyes,
Sharks, and we hooked some BIG sharks,Black Bass, Porgys, and be sure to look at the BIG Hog Nose Snapper that Clifford
Stone caught, I wasn't sure just who was going to win that battle, but Clifford came out victorious!!!
Finally, after two weeks of being landlocked,
we got back offshore, and I think we started off the weekend pretty good. I bet these guys won't have to be rocked to sleep
tonight, they stayed busy all day. As always, another good day of fishing with some great guys!!!!
Got a 1/2 day tomorrow, we will see if the
inshore bite has gotten any better!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie' the fish dog says, I stayed
home today and got some rest!!!
TUESDAY 9-12-06
Today we had a | | |
