Today was a trip to the Light house rocks and
adjacent local winter "hotspots" known in the past to produce lots of Black Bass, Grey Trout, and Red Drum.
The water temperature was 55 degrees and the
Gannett Birds were flying in a slow pattern looking as they were trying to conserve energy until the up coming colder weather
possibly increases the Bluefin Feeding which will bring food back to the surface once again in easy reach of the birds!!
Capt Chris had another day off work today from
Lowes, so he joined me today to help with the chores on the Yeah Right. We were fishing this morning with Tom Westfall and
his two sons Evan and Sam. These guys are from Columbus, Ohio.
We started at the AR-420. Here we marked a
lot of fish on the bottom but were only able to pick up just a very few small bass. But before we left for the Light House
Rocks, the guys were put to the challenge of getting an atlantic sharpnose shark into the boat, which they did quite well!!!
We left there and went to the Light House Rocks.
Here the color scope showed a lot of fish schooled up. I don't think I have ever seen as many 7 to 11 inch Grey Trout as there
were on Light house Rocks today.
We had a slow drift and we drifted for 45 minutes
the whole time marking huge schools of the undersized trout. Never put a legal 12 inch grey trout in the boat and we caught
a bunch, although we did pick up some legal bass.
I was making the comment that I couldn't
believe that with all the activity that we had not caught a Red Drum. Maybe I should have said that a lot earlier because
about that time Tom's reel drag went into high gear.
Capt Chris said, Big Shark or Big Drum!!! It
was the elusive Red Drum we were looking for today. It was big enough at 42 inches to get Tom a NC Live Release Citation.
But as luck would have it, it would be the only one for the day. You know, "fishing" is what it's called not "catching".
The winds had by this time shifted and were
coming directly out of the "east", a terrible wind for fishing here out of Southport,NC. We moved on to the WOFES where
we again marked lots of fish, but the east wind and slack tide had given everything "lockjaw" so we called it a day and
headed to the dock.
It was another enjoyable day with my son
and three great guys from the Columbus,Ohio area. I still don't know for sure as to why the fish are not here as
they should be, but they aren't.
Maybe they have all been caught, maybe
the water is too clear, maybe with the lack of rain the salinity of the water is too high, maybe it's too cold, maybe
I was never at the right place at the right time.............
Maybe I should just enjoy each day as
we have them and be thankful for what we did have instead of complaining about what we didn't have!!!!
Yeah, I like that last one the best:::::: Thank
you Jesus for a beautiful day of fishing, being with my son again, making more friends, and blessing us all with your mercy, AMEN!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch,
Capt Chris, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I don't know about the fishing, but, Sam's sandwich sure was good!!!!
SUNDAY 12-30-07
Got two more emails today that
there were two more boxes of FREE samples shipped out Saturday for the Shows to be given out at the seminars.
If y'all don't come get this stuff,
I am going to have to get a trailer to bring it all home. I am going to divide it up among all three shows or until I run
out. Which ever happens first!!!
Now, if you live in the Raliegh,NC
area or in the area where you can pick up radio station 94.7 QDR you need to listen and play the game thay are having the
week of the Bass and Saltwater Expo is in town.
"YEAH RIGHT CHARTERS" along with
the "BASS & SALTWATER EXPO have teamed up with radio station 94.7DQR to have a contest that week. The winner will be awarded
a FREE GROUPER FISHING TRIP with us!!!
On the local fishing scene, when
you can get out the fish are biting. I am going to slip out in the morning for a few hours and see how the inshore bottom
fishing is doing in all this warm weather. Will let you know tomorrow night.
The fishing inside for Red Drum
and Speckled Trout (I was told by a reliable source) are on the bite again on the Berkley Gulp and on mud minnows.
The grey Trout and Red Drum should
be all over the inshore reefs. As for the Bluefin Tuna, this warm weather can't be helping that bite out any at all. There
are still a few being hooked up but nothing like it should be. But, I think it's supposed to start turning colder soon, thats
got to help!!
Another year has come and gone.
I talked about this last year and I hope you listened and saved all your gas reciepts for your boat. If you did, you can get
all the "Road Use Tax" back from the State of NC. Any gas NOT burned on the highway is not to be charged the road use tax,
so you can get it refunded. Let me tell you, it can be a good amount. I use mine to pay my insurance every year for the
"YEAH RIGHT".
OK, If you did keep you reciepts
then you need to call the "NC DEPT OF REVENUE, Motor Fuels Tax Division at (919)733-3409 or toll free at 1-(877)308-9092 and
ask for form "GAS-1201" and if you are a commercial fisherman also as I am, you also get the State Tax Back as well. This
can reduce your over all fuel bill for the year handsomely and anything this day helps!!!
Now, if you didn't listen to me last
year, well, fuel is getting high enough now that I hope you will listen this year. But remember to save your reciepts, you
have to have them to file for a refund!!!! Oh yeah, and once you file, you will or should automatically get a form every year
mailed to you, I got mine about three weeks ago.
If you have a good fishing trip
let me know and I will pass it on. The where and hows are not necessary, we would just like to know if the fish are biting!!!
Send me some pictures and I'll post them up and you will be seen all over the world on my website!!
Now, besides our website in
California, we are also being seen in Scotland,UK' Australia,and now an english version in Germany. We are now world wide
more than ever!!!!
The Fishing Charters, Fishing Shows,
Sponsor Committments, Fishing Schools, Magazine articles (both writing articles and being written about) my seminar schedule,and
this website now consume over 95% of my time. And I couldn't imagine doing anything else at this time, in fact I am only getting
started!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come see me at the Shows if you
can, Barbara, "Admiral Bodie" and I would Love to see and meet you!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
& of course "the fish dog said "HI"!!!
Saturday night 12-29-07
Just an update
for the Shows. My sponsors are really stepping up to the plate now and the promotional give aways for our booth
and the seminars are growing daily. I have been working daily trying to orchestrate all this and it is starting to come together
very nicely!!
Some
have already committed to do it for all three shows. We are going to have some great products to be had just for stopping
by our booth and attending our seminars, and because of our GREAT sponsors, it's all FREE!!!!
SATURDAY 12-29-07
Just got off the phone with Jodie at BLUE
WATER CANDY LURES and you will want to come by our booth at the shows and see what you can possibly get just for stopping
by and registering.
Jodie, owner of BLUE WATER CANDY LURES has went above and beyond the call
of duty to provide us with some fantastic prizes to be given to some lucky fisher people at this years show's.www.bluewatercandylures.com
We are at this time working out more details
on other sponsor support for products and incentives just for you the fisherman and fisherwoman.
You do not have to be present to win the drawings
and your prize will be mailed to you and the winners will be posted on this website.
There is no cost to register for the drawings
at our booth. I am working on special drawings for the seminars plus at the seminars everyone will get tackle
samples as long as the supply's last and it's all FREE, FREE, FREE, Thanks to our GREAT sponsors!!
Mike at PABCO POWER BUOY has sent me two boxes of samples to give out
at the seminars. If you are a serious bottom fisherman, you need to attend a seminar or come by our booth and check out the
POWER BUOY and see how it works. This thing is AWESOME!!!
Plus, you can save some "BIG BUCKS" if you mention
me (Capt Butch) and order your POWER BUOY direct from the factory. I'll have all the info you will need to check one
out or to get your own POWER BUOY at the shows.
Or you can get the same deal right now by calling Mike at PABCO POWER
BUOY at(843)665-5613, mention Capt Butch, and save $50.00 off any POWER BUOY unit you purchase direct. This buoy is a "must-have"
for the serious bottom fisherman!!! www.powerbuoy.com
I have just got word from John at BONEYARD BAITS and ESTES TACKLE
CO. of donations for the special drawings at the seminars!!
ESTES TACKLE CO. has some lures that are great for "BIG" Grouper,
stripers, and Gulfstream trolling. I had a hook up last year on one of their lures while Bluefin Tuna fishing. Never
saw the fish, can't say it was a Bluefin, but it broke 130 lb. line. www.boneyardbaits.com
I have a few of the CW CRAB lures left for you to see and I have info
on how to get them plus I will show you how to rig these up for Grouper fishing. You won't believe your eyes when you see
these lures.
I don't have many CW Crab Lures left, I have them out being
tested by other Captains. But, I will tell you this. These CW CRAB imitations will catch Grouper!!! I know from
experience!!
Since it's so close after Christmas and I am in a giving mood, I sure
hate to part with my CW Crab Lures, but I just might have a few drawings for what I have left of the CW CRAB LURES at
the seminars. www.cwcrab.com
More is on the "drawing board" at this time and will be added as they
are recieved. One of our sponsors BUG-EM-BAIT CO. is going to have items at the show for me to distribute at the seminars.
www.bugembait.com
I will have the "LIFE-SAFER" device at my booth this year. Come by and
check it out.This unit has won numerous awards and has been recognized as the "GO TO" unit for a Rapid Response when seconds
count in saving someone's life. You owe it to your family and friends to carry one on your boat!!! www.life-safer.com
Richard Croom from FRESH NORTH CAROLINA SEAFOOD and also a rope dealer
has donated a "BIG" box of rope samples to be given away at the seminars!!
If you need more rope of any kind at an unbeatable price or Fresh Seafood
contact Richard Croom at (336)710-3805
It's going to be three days at three shows
for a total of nine days of give aways (or as long as supplies last) and chances for some free great fishing tackle and
supplies donated by our Sponsors.
So come on out and attend the seminars get
some free stuff and hopefully learn some new "tricks of the trade".
I'll be showing how to read a NOAA Chart to
find great fishing spots while sitting at the kitchen table and then how to set up your boat in different circumstances
once you get there, what to look for, how to rig, what you need to be sucessful consistantly at Grouper/Bottom fishing,
and how to use your equipment to put the odd's in your favor when that "BIG" Grouper attacks.
Not only that, I will be giving some good fishing
numbers that you can catch fish at even if you have a smaller boat and can't get offshore.
These numbers will be about 10 miles out and
is good fish holding structure year round!!!
It's going to be a jam packed nine days
of info. Tackle, Boats, and just fishing related everything. Check out the shows at www.ncboatshows.com where info is added as it becomes available.
I am getting excited about meeting everyone
and I can hardly wait. What was the Disney commercial a few years ago,"I'm too excited to sleep"!!!!
I look forward to seeing all you guys
and gals and sometimes I get overwhelmed but I haven't forgotten where I come from, because I know that without all of you
there would not be a "Yeah Right Charters".
I love you all, come see me if you can, Have
a Happy New Year, and may God Bless you all!!!!!!!!!! FISH ON, Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I'll be
there so come see me, I love you too!!!
P.S. Weather permitting, the fish are biting from inshore to the Gulfstream,
kings are at the tower, get a calm day and go get 'em!!!!!
THURSDAY 12-27-07
Can you believe this is December??? They are
talking about high 70's this weekend, and the fish are biting all the way to the Gulfstream!!
There were a few Bluefin Tuna hooked up today
with at least one I know of docked.
The King Mackeral are biteing at the Tower,
Wahoo's are still biteing in the Gulfstream.
The bottom fishing is great and the weather
today was beautiful with calm seas and warm temperatures. This is December,,,,, right???
I am starting to have second thoughts about
all these shows I am doing and all the preparation that is cutting into my fishing.
But normally, the weather would be bad and
the shows are a welcomed event. Besides, I do love to be there and meet so many new fishermen and women!!
And it looks like the weather is going to remind
us very soon just what time of year it really is and we will all be glad to be inside talking about fishing instead of being
out in the elements freezing to death!!!
The seminar schedule is up and you can plan
accordingly by going to www.ncboatshows.com
There were some typographical errors on my
seminars in the beginning and to all that called and emailed it has been fixed. I will be doing the "Grouper/Bottomfishing
& Chart Reading" as first advertised and on all three days.
So, recheck the schedule, and make your plans
for the first weekend in January and come see us at the Greensboro Coliseum in GSO,NC. Free samples from some of our sponsors
will be available at the seminars as long as they last!!!Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish
dog says, y'all come see me, I'll be at all the shows!!!
THURSDAY 12-20-07
Capt Chris and I loaded up the International
50 TW's with hopes of bringing a Bluefin Tuna to the dock today. Didn't happen!!!
I only heard of two Bluefin's caught today
and both were too short of the 73" limit to sell requirement. We started at the Raritan and worked our way to the Horseshoe.
From there we went to the shoals and worked the edge to the knuckle buoy. From there we went to the East side, here we found
a large school of trout, could not determine if they were grey or silver trout. If they were grey they were not legal size!!
We talked about catching a few for dinner, but not being sure which they were, we didn't!!
This should have been a great place for the
Tunas to be feeding. I mean there were a load of trout here, But I quess the Tunas didn't think the way I did.
I don't know if the one's that were here have
left or if the approaching front may have had the bite shut off. I would say the front has them turned off right now and as
soon as things stabilize a little better, the bite should resume as it was Tuesday and Wednesday.
But, then again, the bite at MHC today
was reported to have been "on fire". The "radio talk" was that there were 44 boats out up there and 44 boats were hooked up.
Now remember, that was on the radio down here, If you are a fisherman, you know where I am going with this!!!!
Well, I didn't care that we didn't get a Bluefin
Tuna today, sure I would love to have got one, it sure would help with the high fuel prices I am paying and not doing anything
commercially!! But the reason I didn't care was because I got to spend an entire day in the boat with my son Captain Chris
Foster.
Don't ever take the time you spend with your
children for granted. I remember Capt Chris and I going everywhere and doing everything together all the time and then one
day it was over. How could that happen so quickly? It's called life and sometimes it can be brutal and cruel.
Anyway, today it was Capt. Chris and I along
with "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog, and for a brief time today it was like "old times" again. Wish it could happen more often,
but I will Thank God for the times we can get together now, cherish every minute, and never take them for granted ever again!!!
Take a look at the big Red Drum we caught today.
I out fished Capt Chris on the Reds today, but his was big enough for a NC Saltwater Citation and both of mine were just like
the Tunas today, too short!!! Till next time, Capt Butch, Capt Chris, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, Chris, please
come back to see me when you can, we all miss you and love you very much!!!!
WEDNESDAY 12-19-07
Last count I got was 7 Bluefins hit the dock
today and I think some were caught west of us out of Little River,SC. That's it!!! I spent the day today working
on seminar material and fishing expo material, and got my permits renewed at the NC Dept of Marine Fisheries so that when
Jan 1st hit I will be ready for the 2008 season. But tomorrow I am Going after a Bluefin.
Capt Chris is off work tomorrow and can go
with me, so if you need to talk to me tomorrow, you'll have to do it when we get back tomorrow night!!!!!! I'll let you
know how we do right here!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch....
TUESDAY 12-18-07
I thought winter was supposed to be "down
time" for fishermen. I seem to have less time in the winter than I do in the summer, if that's possible!!
The winds have been blowing lately and fishing
has been pretty much on hold, until today. Yeah, you guessed it, what everyone has been waiting for. The Bluefin Tuna Bite
is on here in Southport,NC. Several fish were hooked up today with many lost. It's 6:00PM and just got a call that confirmed
two were on the dock at this time.
You been wanting to have the fight of
your life, well, now is the time!!!! Get your 50 to 130 lb class outfits spooled up, rig up with some Bluewater Candy
"Jag-3" lures on a 12/0 hook with a horse ballyhoo, good luck and when he bites, try to stay in the boat......
I want to welcome "FISH-NG ACCESSORY
COMPANY" to our growing list of the finest sponsors/product support people in the business world. Anthony Ng's Company
makes the "PRECISION ELECTRIC REEL MOTOR DRIVES" for many different reels. Here at "Yeah Right Charters" we have used different
brands over the years and have come to realize that the "PRECISION BRAND" means first rate quality and the best we have ever
used on our boat. In the Charter business, there is no room for a product that can't hold up. If it holds up to what we put
them through, they should last you a very long time!!!! Check them out on our sponsor page very soon!!! Till next time, FISH
ON!!! Capt Butch...
MONDAY 12-10-07
I apologize for being late with this report,
but the weather gave us a break and between getting ready for up coming fishing shows, seminars, TV segments, sponsor commitments,
etc;, I had to find time for some fishing and there are only so many hours in a day and lately there have not been enough
hours to go around!!
OK, Monday we went offshore with one of our
fishing groups that come from Washington DC to fish with us on the "Yeah Right". Today we were fishing with Sam Stewart, Sam
Cole, Reuben McNair, James Cobb, Bruce Byrum, and Rev. Daryl Bell. We all had a blast, Thanking God for such a beautiful day
and great friends, catching fish, telling jokes, and just enjoying the opportunity and the moment!! Sometimes I can put people
on fish, and sometimes some have trouble catching them, this is not the case with these guys, these guys can catch fish!!!
The bite on Sunday was not what I hoped it
to be in the area that I normally fish to the SW, so today I made the decision to run to the SE to some areas where I
had plotted out on my NOAA navigational chart Sunday night some 45 miles out. The contour lines and readings on the chart
looked like some good new territory to explore. Well, I have now found another fantastic bottom fishing area to add to my
log book as you can tell by the pictures.
Don't get in a "rut" like I had done!!
I teach at my seminars not to "beat" an area to death, and that was exactly what I was doing with the SW area. If you would
like to learn how to read a chart like this and find new fishing areas, I will be teaching how to do this and then how to
fish the areas at all three fishing shows this January in Greensboro,NC, Raleigh, NC, and Richmond,VA. Come on out and see
how to do it and get some free samples that are being donated by some of my sponsors, nearly all are donating, and the samples
will be "while supplies last"!!!
The "hot" King Mackeral bite at the Tower has
"cooled" some. You can still catch Kings but the bite is not as good as it was.
The Bluefin Tuna bite has not really "fired
off" here yet. There have been some hookups and one has been brought to the dock and another fish that was to short was caught.
Another fish that is caught sometimes while fishing for the Bluefin's is "Monster" sized Red Fish. How big you ask? Well
one was hooked yesterday that pulled drag from a Penn International 130 reel that was set up for a Bluefin. Now, that would
be a NC State Citation to be proud of, and I bet you would get the Plaque with one like that instead of the certificate!!
The weather looks like it is getting ready
to deteriorate on us. Hey, It is winter, even though it has not been feeling like it lately. But it looks like we are getting
ready to be shocked back into reality. But the good news is it should help the Bluefin Tuna fishing get better!!
Just try to be ready to go if you can when
you get the chance, winter usually will give some short breaks from time to time but they don't usually last long but if you
can make it out when it does, there is some great fishing to be had out there somewhere!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt
Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
SUNDAY 12-9-07
Here's a couple of reports recieved from some
fellow fishermen. Thanks guys for letting us know what's happening where!!!
Capt. Butch, I wanted to pass along a fishing
report. A friend and I left Carolina Beach early saturday morning and ran down a little north of the tower and caught a good
number of bottom fish including grunts, pink snapper, vermillion snapper and grouper. We had to do a good bit of moving
around but ended up with several nice fish including a citation grouper. My dad drove down saturday night to fish with me
and we got to the ramp and discovered we had a starter gone bad on the port side engine so it was a long ride home today,
but a nice one day catch anyway. Look forward to seeing you in Greensboro in a few weeks Good luck fishing! Randall Shreve
I just got in and the king bite was on! We had our limit by noon and started to bottom fish. No grouper, plenty
of snapper and a few black sea bass. It was a great day for a 20’ boat!
“Stick Slinger”
Jim Bowen
As you can see
from the reports the fishing is about as good as it gets this time of year. Another Bluefin was hooked up today on the shoals
but was too short.
I was coming in
from bottom fishing and was about two miles past the old position buoy and right off my starboard side it looked like someone
dropped a refrigerator in the water. I didn't see the fish, but it takes a big fish to make a whirlpool like this one was,
It had to be a Bluefin Tuna!!!
Today I was fishing
with William Roman from Texas,and Walter and Jeremy Wright from Shallotte, NC. William is going to email me some pictures,
I forgot the camera again!!!
We had a good
variety of bottom fish today and one real pretty fish that I have never seen one like before, we got a good picture of it
before we released it. It should be on here soon!!
But, I think today
we caught, hooked, fought, released, broke off, ripped off, the most and some of the biggest sharks that has been around my
boat in a long time. We stopped on one Grouper Rock and it was "Shark Mania" and I mean huge sharks!!!
Just a short rundown
of what's happening, will be back out tomorrow after more bottom fish. Check back to see if we can put the puzzle together
again tomorrow!! Thanks again Randall and Jim for the reports, other fishermen sharing their results is what it's all about!!!
Randall, hope
you get that starter fixed before the weather gets bad again!!! Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie"
the fish dog says HI!!!.
SATURDAY 12-8-07
It's late and I just now got to the computer
so I am going to make this one simple!!
John Dosher, Captain of the "Lil John" made
it official today that the Bluefin Tuna's are here. He put an 80 inch Bluefin in the boat off of Southport today!!!
The King Mackeral bite is hot in the area around
the Frying Pan Tower!!
As for the Grouper/Bottom fish, the only report
I got today was from the area SW of the Tower and it was slow there. I will be heading for the deep water tomorrow South of
the Cape Fear River in search of bottom fish!! Will let you know what I find out!!! Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch &
"Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!.
FRIDAY 12-7-07
The weather man's calm
report for today didn't exactly pan out. It was a little rough offshore today, at least in the vicinity of the tower buoy.
The hardy souls that did make it out today
gave us two confirmed hook up's on Bluefin Tunas. So, there are some here, we have just got to get one in the boat!!!!
The King Mackeral bite today was also reported
to be very slow. With the water warm here one day and cold the next and then warm somewhere else tomorrow, the king bite will
be hard to nail down. But rest assured someone will soon find them and if we all work together on this thing we can get our
permits qualified.
Weather looks good for the next few days, hope
you can get out and catch a fish or two!!
The Speckled Trout bite continues good and
the Grey Trout should be biteing good on the near shore reefs. The areas like Light House Rocks, AR-440,etc; should be holding
some Black Bass at this time of year, but with this crazy weather, you will only know for sure if you go give it a try!!
If you have a good day fishing we would
really appreciate it if you would let us know!!
As always, I will let you know what I know
right here, if you would like to email me a report at captainbutchf@earthlink.net then that would help also!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
WEDNESDAY 12-4-07
The weather man is still saying it's
going to be nice starting Friday. The Bluefin Tuna bite has exploded at Morehead. I would say if they are there you can find
some here as well. Last report was the kings were at the horseshoe's. Pull for the Bluefins till around 9 or 10 and if no
action head for the kings, you will be in the area anyway!!! We are finally possibly getting a break in the weather,
hope you can make it!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!.
TUESDAY 12-4-07
Keep
your fingers crossed. At this time the weather/wind forecast looks good for Friday and Saturday!!!!
SUNDAY 12-2-07
We were supposed
to have been after Bluefin Tuna today, but you guessed it, the winds just won't let the seas calm!!
But, all is not lost!!! The speckled Trout
bite is real good here in Southport,NC. My wife Barbara, "Admiral Bodie" and I went Speck fishing again this afternoon.
Now, we are not real serious when it comes
to this kind of fishing, this is some "down time" for us both so enough for a dinner or two and we are fine. Well, we
had two Speckled Trout, and we were happy!!
Well, just as we were about to call it a day,
we ran into Scott and Sarah Blevins from here in Southport. Now Scott never mentioned where he caught these Trout and out
of "Fisherman's Courtesy" I did not ask!!
I told him that we had two and that we were
using Grubs and the C W Crab Lure. Well, when he opened his livewell, he showed me that live mud minnows were the bait
to fish with today.
Scott was kind enough to give us a few
and we then caught three more trout and then called it quits, five trout was plenty for us!!
I got a picture of Scott and Sarah with their
catch before they went back to the hill. Now, this is the kind of fishing that makes big memories!!!
The wife and I will have to settle for a smaller
memory today, but, still memories were made today with us and the "fish dog" and this is a part of the sport we fisher
people all love and call fishing, it's not always about the catching!!!
On another note; If you want to try catching
a Bluefin Tuna better call quick, I only have a few days left open this year and the Tunas are here!!!
I have now done three TV segments in two attempts!!
How did I do that you ask?
Well, I was on a roll and talking about
the trout fishing we are having down here and when I tried to think what a mud minnow was called, I just as well had been
trying to read Japanese, so, we had to stop taping and start all over again!!!
But, I got it all right the next time,
three times now in two segments, practice makes perfect they say, and I'm getting in some extra practice!!
FRIDAY 11-30-07
Looks like everything is here to bring
in the Bluefins. I know there are some here, I got a look at one on Monday two weeks ago while heading offshore and another
Captain told me this evening that he had seen one jump clean out of the water chasing bait. All we got to do now is try and
get the weather to cooperate so we can go hook one up!!
In one of my earlier reports I gave the days
I was going to book this year for the Bluefins. Well, I forgot about the Fishing Expos this year. So, the days I am going
to book this year for the Bluefins are as follows.
Dec 2nd thru 22nd, Dec 27th thru
30th, Jan 1st and 2nd, Jan. 8th and 9th, and Jan 15th.
The rest of the days are taken with shows and
seminars so there are not many fishing days, you had better call soon or there won't be any left open!!! And check the "CHARTER
PAGE" on how you might get your trip FREE!
Again don't forget the shows this year. I just
got two boxes of free samples from PABCO POWERBUOY to give out at my seminars this year, we will give them out as long as
they last, Hopefully at all three shows!! But I have a bunch to give out!!!
So come on out bring your questions and get
some free fishing stuff to help out your fishing, compliments of Mike at PABCO POWERBUOY and YEAH RIGHT CHARTERS!!!
Going Pheasant shooting tomorrow, looks like
winds are still going to be blowing anyway!! Maybe I can get out Sunday evening sometime and see if the Speckled Trout
are still biting, I bet they are!!! Will let you know!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!Capt Butch
Wednesday 11-28-07
I am beginning to wonder myself if the winds
are ever going to let up any!!! They will....
I am going speckled trout fishing again sometime
before too much longer. Looks now like I may be able to have time some time next week, If I go I'll let you know how we do.
A lot of you are familiar with the "PABCO POWER
BUOY" that I use to bottom fish with. I have tried all kinds and types but this buoy is the best I have ever used. A lot of
thought and only the best materials available are used to manufacture this buoy. The retrieval of the anchor line is a "one
man" operation that is fast and effortless!! You
won't ever mind dropping your buoy in deep water again!!!
The reason I am reminding you of this buoy
is because if you are serious about bottom fishing, you need one!! And Mike at "PABCO POWER BUOY" has authorized me to let
you know that if you will call him to order direct at (843)665-5613 and tell him that "Capt Butch sent you" you will get $50.00
off each unit you purchase.
This is a "Yeah Right Charters" and "Pabco
Power Buoy" exclusive. I do not get paid one dime to use and promote this buoy, I do it because I have tried them all, and
this is a "tool of the trade" that works and makes serious bottom fishing a lot easier.
If you haven't ever seen how one works, I will
have them at all the Saltwater shows this year and at all my seminars, come check one out, you will be just as amazed as I
was!!!! Till we can go fishing again, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, be sure to stop by the
booth and tell me HI, I'll be there too!!!
MONDAY 11-26-07
Well the grips of winter are still trying to
take over and the fall warmer weather doesn't want to leave so the winds and fronts have to blow and push harder, and that
translates into rough seas, so we can't get out to fish!!
The Bluefin Tunas are here and as soon
as we can we will be out there trying to get hooked up to one of these massive "Freight Trains" we call a Bluefin!!
Just as when I started doing seminars
I was a little nevous at the beginning but soon over came that, well, this past weekend I had my first shot at the TV side
of fishing, and as with the seminars, I was a little nervous, but now I know what to expect and I think I will do much better
next time!!
Here is what information I have on the broadcast
at this time, I will try and get more info. very soon!! This is a different approach to a TV fishing show, this show covers
a lot of coast line and will help you plan your fishing trips!!!
Topic: Fishing Report TV Channels Posted:
21 June 2007 at 6:11am
COASTAL CAROLINA FISHING REPORT
Every Thursday Night
at 7:00PM
Not your typical Saturday morning fishing show, but the GO TO show before heading to saltwater fish in North Carolina. Don't miss us Thursday nights at
7:00PM, saltwater fishing
will never be the same!!!
Time Warner Cable Channels----Charlotte/Meck Area channel 09, Morehead City/Jacksonville
Area channel 25, Raleigh Area (from Ral./Cary down to Smithfield, up to Wilson and part of Rocky Mt., over to Wake Forest
and all the smaller towns in that area, Clayton, Selma, Zebulon, Rolesville, etc. channel 24, Winston Salem Area channel 75
except for Thomasville channel 70, Greensboro Area channel 69 except for Asheboro & Burlington channel 67. Greenville, Pitt/Martin/Beaufort County areas on Cable 7 Television
Watch the Television Program Here! This was the best I could do to simplify it for you. Click
on the November 22 show and it will take you to the place to watch the shows!!! If you can't get them on your TV, you might
want to "Bookmark" this so you can watch it right here every week
Weather/winds made us have to cancel todays
offshore trip. But another report of a Bluefin Tuna hooked up at light House rocks, this one got away as well!!
With the North winds of winter, Light House
Rocks can be very fishable this time of year. I have gotten all my tackle "tuned up" with fresh line and a box of new colors
of JAG-3's from Blue Water Candy Lures and the old best producers as well. The 12/0 hooks are sharpened and a fresh supply
of Horse Ballyhoo's in the freezor already brined, we are ready to go, are you?
We will start running charters for the strongest
fighting fish that comes to our coast on December 2nd. and run through January 15th. We will not run Christmas eve or Christmas
day, so, that only leaves 28 days we are going to book, so, If you have ever wanted to try this, don't wait to call, bookings
are taking place now!!!!
Check the deal we have this year on the "CHARTER
FISHING PRICES" page here on this site, you may very well get to fight one of these brutes and get a FREE trip!!!! Till
next time, FISH ON and God Bless!!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!.
Thanksgiving Day
11-22-07
My wife and I hardly ever have time we can
spend together anymore to do anything together. But today she was not in the Pharmacy at CVS and the wind had cancelled today's
offshore trip, so, we went Speckled Trout Fishing.
It was a very windy day making boat control
real tough, but to make a long story short. Grab some lead heads and a hand full of your favorite grubs and go fishing when
you get the chance!!!!! You might even still find a flounder hanging around like this one was!!
I will let the pictures of Barbara and "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog say the rest!! It was a very nice "laid back" day. The only way it could have been any better would be
if our son, Capt Chris could have been with us today!!
The Bluefin Tuna are starting to show up with some hookup's already reported
and a few fish have already hit the docks at MHC. I just got a call and was told that as of now, (8) eight fish have hit the
docks at MHC!!
The King Mackeral bite should still be good after this windy weather gets
out of here so we can get back out offshore. The last day the weather was decent, last Tuesday I think, they were still biting
good.The colder weather we have coming in may have the kings pushed a little farther out than they were when we
last went for them. But, it's that time of year for them to venture some 30 to 40+ miles offshore!!
Be sure to watch the "COASTAL CAROLINA FISHING REPORTS" show on North
Carolina Waterman TV. If you can't get it on you regular TV, you can see it at the NCW web site. www.ncwaterman.com click on the icon "participation" at the top, then click on "Message Board" scroll down to the third one "COASTAL CAROLINA
FISHING REPORT" and enjoy the show!!! If all goes as planned, I will have a complete fishing report on the next show.
Send me your pic's of your trip and I
will post 'em up for you along with credits, Till next time, Thanks, Fish On, and GOD BLESS!!!! Capt Butch, Barbara, and "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says fresh speckled trout for Saturday's dinner with our friends Capt Ron Farnsworth and the "Admiral"
of Capt Ron's family, you know, Ron's wife, "Admiral Helen"....
WEDNESDAY 11-21-07
OK, it's Bluefin Tuna time!! I was honored
to present a Bluefin Tuna seminar last night at the "University Club" at NC State University in Raleigh. I hope I was able
to help out and possibily answer some questions that some may have had about Bluefin's. Thanks Guys for having me as your
guest!!!
Here is a web site that will or should help
you commercial tuna fishermen with the prep of your tunas. Hope it will help you out. This kind of information is hard to
find and it took me quite a while to dig through all the "cyberspace lingo" to come up with it, and I am going to share it
with all!!! www.spc.int/coastfish/Fishing/Sashimi_E/Sashimi.pdf Be sure to notice the capital letters and
the underscore in the web address if you are copying it and be patient, it may take a little while to download, it's a lot
of info.
Capt Chris Morris on the "JUSTIN TIME" sent
me a note that he went out Saturday and seen a Bluefin Tuna roll, I saw one Monday in some bait with Gannetts feeding, two
more were seen later in the week and a reported hook up at Light House Rocks already!! Now, if we can get the weather to cooperate
it should be "Game On". I am posting the recent near shore forecast in this report, it hopefully will get better as the week
progresses!!
Also, be sure to check the Bluefin Tuna Deal
we have this year on the "CHARTER FISHING PRICES" page. A ten hour trip for one of the most powerful fish that swims
at a full day rate, and quite possibly your trip could be FREE!!!!
If the weather blows as predicted tomorrow,
I may go Speckled Trout fishing. I have some new "C W CRAB" lures that I need to try for BTC Lures,Inc. Check these
lures out www.cwcrab.com or come by my booth at the Fishing Expos this year
and I will have some on display for you to look at!!
Well, as I said, here's the nearshore forecast,
let's hope it gets better as the week progresses, Till next time FISH ON and GOD BLESS!!!! Capt Butch
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 911 PM EST WED NOV 21 2007 SURF CITY NC TO
SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC OUT 20 NM
AMZ252-221015- /O.CON.KILM.SC.Y.0059.071122T1100Z-071123T0600Z/ CAPE FEAR NC
TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20 NM- 911 PM EST WED NOV 21 2007
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EST THURSDAY THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT
OVERNIGHT SW
WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS AROUND 5 FT. SEAS AROUND 2 FT NEAR SHORE. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
THU SW
WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT... BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. NEAR SHORE...SEAS 2
TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF RAIN WITH ISOLATED TSTMS.
THU NIGHT W
WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING N AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. NEAR SHORE...SEAS 3
TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
FRI N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP
TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
FRI NIGHT NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. NEAR
SHORE...SEAS 2 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP
TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT... BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...INCREASING
TO 15 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SUN NE
WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING E. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
MON S WINDS
10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. MARINERS
ARE REMINDED THAT WINDS AND SEAS CAN BE HIGHER IN AND NEAR THUNDERSTORMS.
TUESDAY 11-13-07
Today I spent the biggest part of the
day preparing for jury duty this week. But, I dodged the bullet this time and was released today for another time. So, we
are ready to go back fishing!!!
It looks like from the NOAA weather reports
that it's going to start blowing up again tomorrow, but, the week end at this time looks great!!! Click on the "OFFSHORE FORECAST"
on this page above the fishing reports to keep up with what kind of weather they are calling for.
If you have ever wanted to catch King Mackeral
until you can not crank another one in, NOW IS THE TIME!!!!!!!!! The bite is as good as it has been in a long while and should
last until the weather turns for the worse and drives them farther offshore.
I have had a cancellation for this coming Saturday,
if you want to book a trip, it's first call gets the boat Saturday. Rarely do we have a Saturday open this time of year, but
this one is open due to some uncontrollable circumstances.
As I said, the bite is AWESOME!!! You don't
have to waste time catching live bait, they are fighting over cigar minnows. If it holds like it is now, you will most likely
be able to only get one rod out and have a fish on before you get the next one out. Yes, the October bite is here in November!!!
If you haven't been fishing all year and you have wanted to go, well, now's the time. Take a day for yourself and GO FISHIN'!!!!!!
Till next time FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, man when it gets like this I don't know where
to hide, Kings are flying everywhere!!!!
MONDAY 11-12-07
Today we headed offshore to the bottom fishing
grounds around the LORAN lines in the 360's.
I was fishing today with some long time regulars
and a couple new members to offshore fishing with us. The group today was Tony Cameron, James Williams, Tom Bates, Herb Campbell,
and Benn McDonald all from Fayetteville,NC.
Our first stop was immediate action. The fish
were there and were hungry. We caught some of the prettiest fish I have seen in a while.
We had a couple unique catches today. Benn
McDonald proved that the African Pompano just may stay around these parts for the winter as well. The thoughts have been that
these fish come through around July and are gone by late August, this may not be the case!!!
But, the prize today has to go to Tom Bates!!!
This guy hooked up with this big shark that we brought into the boat for a photo shoot. For safety reasons I am holding him
for Tom while he gets his picture taken. Always be careful of these creatures, they can do real personal injury to you out
of the water as well as in the water!!!
Tom didn't stop there either, next he hooked
up with a big Amberjack. But the real trophy has to be the big lobster he brought to the boat!! I have been fishing offshore
for many years, this is the first lobster for my boat as well!!
We ended the day with a great catch for everyone,
we had Grey Snappers, B-Liners, Triggerfish, African Pompano, Black Bass, Golden Tilefish, Joltheads, Amberjack, and several
species of Grouper, and a Lobster!!!
Yes, another great day of fishing and catching
with some of the great folks we fish with from the Fayetteville,NC area!!
The King Mackeral are biting well in the Horseshoe
and Tower area, I should be out there now getting my permits qualified for the year, but, instead, I am going to get ready
to report for jury duty this morning. So, if you can, go get 'em, they are biting and the weather is good for now!!!!
Also, don't forget about all the fishin' stuff
that is just around the corner!! The first one is the "Fishing Expo" at Greensboro,NC on January 4-6, the second one
is at Raliegh on January 11-13, and the third Expo is in Richmond,VA January 25-27.
I will be doing "Grouper,Offshore bottom fishing
& Chart reading" seminars at all these shows, I would be very happy for you to attend my seminars and bring
your questions!! You can get more information as it comes available at www.ncboatshows.com
Also, don't forget the "Fisherman's Post
Fishing School" on February 16th at the Coast Line Convention Center in Wilmington, NC.
I will be teaching at this school along with
many other great Captains and fisherman. Click on the FISHING SCHOOL link on the navagation bar on this
web site to get info and tickets for this very popular and information packed school.
Hope to see you at all the Expos and
schools this year!! Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!.
FRIDAY 10-19-07
We were scheduled to do an offshore trip today
but the weather had different ideas. And you know who wins that discussion, everytime!!!
This was the third time that William Dixon,
Bill Dixon, Joyce Dixon and Paula Whitfield from Oxford,NC had tried to go fishing and had to deal with adverse conditions.
Offshore was not an option today, but the King
Mackeral had been biting a few miles off the beach so they wanted to give that a try.
The winds were supposed to pick up that evening
so we took off to try and get the morning fishing in.
It didn't take long for the first bait to get
bit!! Each one got their king in the boat and they all had several more attempts but as in fishing things don't always go
the way planned.
For various reasons we lost more fish than
we put in the boat, but, just to hear that reel scream for mercy the way that only a king mackeral can make it do, well, hearing
that is nearly as good as boating the fish itself!!!! And
as predicted, around noon the winds picked up and the bite shut down so with the seas building and the slow bite, we called
it a day and went home with plenty of fish and even more memories and some new friends!!!
Now isn't that what it's all about anyway?
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
THURSDAY10-18-07
Again, fishing today brings to mind the
old saying "What a difference a day can make"
The winds had shifted back to the SE and this could
only mean good things for the king mackeral bite.
I had called to cancel our offshore trip today because
it was rough offshore, but, Mark Jones, Mark Hagopian, David Lasley, and Ron Hendricks from Raleigh,NC wanted to try
to catch something.
I told them that the inshore bite with King
Mackeral and Spanish Mackeral should be good today with the wind change so they wanted to give it a try.
Now bait was extremely hard to get this morning
and it was not until around noon when Capt John loaded his net and gave us some of those, for that we all were very
thankful!! We and several others had looked for
bait all morning and we finally fell into a shark fishing spell for a little while. Everyone caught a shark or two and then we decided to head out to try to catch some kings.
As the day progressed, the bite got better
and better. We caught King Mackeral, and at one time they were biting when we would let the baits out, hand feeding them you
could say.
We fished until we ran out of bait, but, it
was time to head in anyway. Every one caught a couple kings each and some were big kings. No, today they were all big kings,
some were just bigger!!!
As I was heading to South Harbour Marina, I
heard several boats reporting they had doubles and triples on!!
Looks like tomorrows offshore trip is going
to be blown out again, so, if it's not too rough inside again, we will be fishing for King Mackeral again tomorrow!
Check back and see what happens tomorrow right
here on this web page!!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!.
WEDNESDAY10-17-07
Today's fishing was the
kind that gives a Charter Boat Captain Night Mares!!!!
Now, the people I fished with today were very understanding
and realized that the fish don't always bite!! The morning trip was with Jim and Jessica Hooper from Fayetteville,NC
The SSE winds that had the King Mackeral and
Spanish mackeral in a feeding frenzy was replaced with stiff ENE winds. This translates into a shut off bite!!!!!
The talk on the radio was that the Kings that had
been feeding the day before were not there today, so, we decided to fish for Spanish Mackeral when we heard that the
bite was on.
I thought we were going to wear the Spanish
out!!! The bite started off real good, then just like the Kings, it shut off and that was it.
We continued to search for the Spanish because
the reports from the King fishermen was even worse than the Spanish.
But it never picked up again and we decided
to call it a morning.
Mother nature can sometimes make a total mess of the
best made plans, and today's catching was just that, but the fishing trip and the company was first class!!
The second half of the day is below!!!!
This brings us to the second half of
the day!!! I was fishing with Jeff Collins, Joel Collins, and Jeremiah Foster from Denver,NC.
Even though the King Mackeral bite was extremely
slow, this was what we were trying for this afternoon.
We kept thinking we was going to get a bite
at any time!! The three or four times the reel screamed it turned out to be a shark instead of a King Mackeral, except for
once, and that time it was a Bluefish.
No kings were in the mix for us today. The
ENE winds had virtually shut them off. Guess days like these are why it's called fishing and not catching!!! Till next time
FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
P.S. Talked to another Captain that went to the Gulfstream
and said he never got a bite today as well!!!
TUESDAY 10-16-07
Well, the weather man was not exactly on top
of his game today. The offshore bottom fishing grounds were a little rough. Not unfishable, but not comfortable either!!
I was fishing again with Mike Daughtry from
Princeton,NC., Eugene Forde from Goldsboro,NC, Martice Williams from Smithfield,NC and Joey Pierce from Princeton,NC.
They wanted bottom fish for their fish fry,
and they got bottom fish for their fish fry.
I got a good laugh out of Eugene when he was
catching fish as fast as he could drop the baits, He was give out to the point that his comment was "This has got to end sometime"!!!
We had a great day of fishing and fun!!! Eugene
got the big Red Grouper and another one along with a rare yellow tail snapper. Martice got his grouper and he caught a rare
Golden Tilefish, Mike also got a Grouper. Now Joey, he started out helping us this morning but decided to take a nap down
in the cabin, but before he did he caught several of the Grey Snappers and Joltheads we had today.
Between the exotic fish and the groupers, there
were also Grey Snappers, Joltheads, Silver Snapper, Triggerfish, and some monster sharks hooked up but were too powerful to
turn. There were also some big grouper that won the battle as well.
Better buy stock in Tylenol and Aspercreme
tomorrow, I got a feeling these guys are going to be a little sore from cranking in all those fish!!!!!!!!
Inshore, the King Mackeral are biting good
in the 8 to 10 mile range off the beach. Bait was reported hard to get today with some boats reporting not being able to get
bait until 1:00PM this evening. The bait seems to still be off of Holden Beach.
The Spanish Mackeral are on a feeding frenzy.
They are breaking the surface and jumping while feeding in large schools.
The spots have been,well, spotty!! But these
should make a strong run soon!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!.
SUNDAY 10-14-07
Today we were fishing another 1/2 day trip
with Mike Gregson and his son Patrick, Bob Gregson from Southport,NC, Matt Gregson from Boiling Spring Lakes,NC, and Mike
and Devin Keck from Mt. Pleasant,SC.
We were after King Mackeral again this morning and
being the third day past those cold fronts I had a better feeling about this morning than the past few days.
After a long run to Holden Beach to net Pogys, and
BTW/ Mike Keck has joined the "cast net hall of fame" on the Yeah Right. You see, I have a net that we had custom built for us and besides Capt Chris, my last mate Landon, and
now Mike are the only ones that I have seen that can throw this thing. I have too much arthritis in my shoulders to throw this net, or at least that's the best excuse I can
come up with. But, if you can throw it, usually
one time is all it takes to get bait, it weighs 60 lbs. dry!!
Back to the fishing, we had trolled for about an hour
and there had been a few fish hooked up here and there but we had not had a hit except for a bait cut in half. I figured something was wrong or not to the fishes liking. We
reeled the baits in and I changed up the rigs to something different.
First line back in the water got slammed by a real
nice King Mackeral. 5 year old Patrick worked this fish to the boat perfectly!! He let his dad Mike help him
so he could show him how it was done.
No sooner got this one in the boat and another
fish put the clicker in high speed scream, this time Mike Keck brought this one to the gaff.
The next few hits were big fish and Devin was the
rod man on these fish. As you know if you King Mackeral fish, on big fish things have got to go perfectly. The first one "tailed" the leader and broke off. The next one had the hooks deep and those sharp teeth
cut the wire. The next one, the hooks just pulled out.
Sometimes fate is just not on your side no matter
how hard you try!!!
The next reel went off and Matt was on the rod and things went great and the
fish was soon in the fish box!!
The bite was starting to heat up as it has been for
the last several days with the bite being better in the afternoon, but fishing time was running out!!!
Also, the Spanish Mackeral are schooling up good in
the 5 to 10 mile range out feeding heavy on the small baits. It's been hard to fish for Kings with all the Spanish jumping every where!!!!
But as fate would have it, we were fishing a 1/2 day
trip and it was time to head back. We still had a good morning of fishing, the weather was absolutely beautiful, met
some more great guys and even put a few fish in the boat, what more could you ask for!!!???
There was a "Big fish pot" on the boat today for the biggest fish and 5 year
old Patrick Gregson took all the guys money, I even gave him a "bonus award" for a great job of fishing!!!!!
Oh yeah, the "little thing" I did different were take
the skirts off the baits, today was one of those days they wanted the pogies to look as natural as possible with
no added flash, at least for us anyway!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I wanted
to go today, but two days in a row are harder now!!!
SUNDAY 11-11-07
Sorry the reports are running
a little late, got a lot of things going on at this time!!
Sunday we went out on the inshore reefs for
a few hours with Steven Taylor and Nikki to see if the grey trout and Red Drum were here yet. We caught a lot of blue fish
along with some grey trout but never hooked up with a drum.
Still, we had a lot of fun catching these fish
and it was a beautiful day fishing with a great couple. I only hope you two the best the future has to offer and hope to see
ya'll again soon!! Till Next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
FRIDAY 11-9-07
We thought just maybe we were going
offshore tomorrow but mother nature said not just yet!! Here's tomorrow's forecast, that's a little too much, no, that's a
lot too much!!
SAT NW WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT.
SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...EXCEPT E OF 1000 FM BUILDING TO 6 TO 10 FT...HIGHEST E.
Monday looks like it might work for offshore
at this time, if it does we will be going!!
But, the Trout and Red Drum are biting
inside in the creeks and the waterway, so, if you can't get offshore, some kind of fishing is better than no kind of fishing.
Don't know about the spots, didn't get the
chance to check on them today, but, they should be here, but they should have already been here too!!! When we get to go again,
I'll let you know what's happening!!
The one fairly decent day we had
this week produced some King Mackeral in the Tower area and some grouper are still biting in the 100+ feet of water.
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog is asleep on his bean bag dreaming of fishing!!
TUESDAY 11-6-07
Oh well, we had to cancel todays trip because
it is blowing again here on the South faceing beaches.
It is that time of year though weather we like
it or not, it's a transition period in the scheme of things that will lead into our winter time of year. The warm doesn't
want to go without a fight and the cold is determined to take over. The results are windy weather and rough seas.
It happens every year about this time and every
year we fuss and gripe about it but then the winter cold settles in and we get out the warm clothing and go
back fishing for bottom fish, Bluefin Tuna, and King Mackeral only to realize that just possibly the fishing is better now
than it was when the weather was here we didn't want to leave.
So again, all is well until the spring winds
come back at the next transition time of year and the cycle starts all over.
I guess you can tell by this so called "fishing
report" that we down here at the beach are bored stiff waiting for this time of the season to pass and once again settle down
and we can get back to the business of cranking in fish.
The report from the pier today was that
the spots have not showed back up yet. There are/were some whiting, flounder, and pompano biting but the seas on the beach
were real rough today and the water was real dirty again. It will get better!!!
The grey trout and Red Drum should
be on the near shore reefs anytime now. Did hear that a few trout were caught at the WOFES on Sunday!!
As I get more info. I will pass it on to you
right here, but, right now, fishing reports are hard to come by!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie"
the fish dog says HI!!
SUNDAY 11-4-07
The high winds and storms
have finally left the area and we can get back out fishing again. All the wave action has dirtied up the water. I was out
40+miles today and the water was still dirty that far out. But as the ocean does, it will be cleared up in a couple of days
and the fishing will be wide open again!!
I was fishing with some of the "FISHERMAN'S
POST MAGAZINE" crew today who were Gary Hurley,(Publisher/Editor), Max Gaspeny(Senior Staff Writer), and Eddie Hardgrove(Sales
Manager).
We were fishing for grouper and bottom
fish today and the bite was slower than usual mainly due to all the high waves and dirty water we were encountering.
We were hooking up with some huge fish. I lost
count how many times we were dragged into the rocks and structure by powerful fish to have the lines broken off on the sharp
bottom structure. We don't have a clue as to how big they were or what they were, we never got the first one up!!
We do know that whatever they were they were
big and strong!!! More than our 50 lb class tackle or us could handle!!
We caught some of the biggest B-Liners I've seen
in a while along with Grey snappers, Grey Trout, Silver Trout, Black Bass, Triggerfish, and sharks!!
The reports from other boats that were King
Mackeral fishing from the Shark Hole to the South Forty were all having the same results. No one was getting bit by a King
Mackeral. It was like they had just vanished from the face of the earth!!! Finally did hear of one king mackeral
being caught, and that was hooked up by a commercial boat trolling while heading offshore somewhere between the knuckle buoy
and the Tower area. With the weather patterns in a more tranquil state now, look for things to pick back up real soon!!
Water temps are heading to the favorable comfort
zone for the Bluefin Tuna's. These fish should be here before long. Man, what a beast to tangle with on stand up tackle. The
ultimate fishing challenge, these fish are awesome and the power they have is indescribable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The inside bite continues to be good on the
Red Drum and some flounder are still being caught. Mullet minnows and the Berkley Gulp Shrimp rigged on 1/4 or
1/8 jig heads are working well. The Speckled trout are biting on live shrimp fished a foot or two off the bottom on a
slip cork.
My prediction for all the spot fishermen
is that the bite will start sometime this week. The blow is gone, the water is the right condition and the water
temps are dropping . All things are right, the spots have now just got to figure that out, and I think they will this
week!!!
The weather looks pretty good for the week
at this point. So come on down and enjoy some of the years best fishing. Fall fishing on the Carolina Coast, as good as it
gets!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I can't decide which I liked best, the
fish scales or the sandwiches, heck, there both good!!!!!
MONDAY 10-29-07
We are in a fall pattern
now. Hopefully now we will stay there a while. I'm afraid though that as late as it is we may go straight to winter. But,
that's not necessarily a bad thing, our fishing in winter is real good here in the South East as well!!
Now, the King Mackeral and bait are on the
beach, and for the most part with the fall Northerly winds our beach is generally flat as a pancake.
But now all my trips are for offshore
and the same North winds have the offshore fishing holes whipped up to a frenzy.
There will be a new fishing report here as
soon as I get to go. But for now, the King Mackeral are biting on the beach, weather permitting, a trip to the Gulfstream
should get you some Wahoo's now and possibly a suprise as well ie; maybe a Mahi or Tuna!!
It's time for the fall run of grey trout
and big Red Drum on the inshore reefs. Last week we caught some grey trout and got a "citation Red Drum" on AR420. And
I heard that the spots have showed up. The Spanish Mackeral may still be around, but they should be gone anytime now with
the water cooling down. Will try to get an update on that tomorrow!!
Fall fishing is some of our best fishing of
the year. If you can only make it down once in the year, now is the best time. The offshore bottom fishing only gets better
from this point with some of the offshore species like Grouper and Black Bass coming in closer to the beach.
Fall fishing, cooler temps. low humidity, it doesn't
get any better than the fall fishing!!! Till
next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says "Yep, fall fishin' it don't get no better"!!!
WEDNESDAY 10-24-07
Here is a question from Rick in the "guestbook" this
may help others as well
Is there any menhaden around southport? I have never
seen a year where bait was so hard to get and I've never had any luck with cigar minnows inshore.
Hi Rick,
There are some pogys around. They can
be hard to find. One day they are on the beach at Southport/Oak Island the next day at Holden the next at Shallotte then the
next back at Oak Island, etc; I agree, it has been a tough year. With no rain to help keep the salt content lowered and to
help keep the water cool, the fish and bait had to retreat to better water. This summer when we were supposed to be catching
Spanish Mackeral on the beach, they were 35 miles offshore, and the menhaden were up the river past Wilmington.
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch
MONDAY 10-22-07
Today we were fishing with Chad Schreiner,
Jeff Short, Steven Lane, Bryan Banks and his son Chris Banks. They all were from Fayetteville,NC.
We went to the Horseshoe where the kings had
been biting well the day before. But we were now into the second day of east winds and it had seemed to have taken its toll
on the fishing.
We caught one king and lost a couple more,
then the bite shut down. We trolled for another 1 1/2 hours without a hit!! I asked what they would like to do but never got
a definite answer so as most any charter boat captain that is worth his salt would do, I opted to try to get them some fish
in the boat and figured to try some bottom fishing.
It was the wrong call to make, the winds, currents,
moon phase, and the area in general was not the best for bottom fishing and I knew that, but I had to try something.
The current and winds were so strong that a plow anchor would not hold.
You know, some times your a hero and sometimes your
a zero, I guess I know now why once I chartered a boat and the Captains cap had a message across the back and it read "I'm
just a Guide, I'm not GOD". That's the way I felt today, I was being very intimidated today!!
You do what you think is best and sometimes
you are wrong and I hate that when it happens!!! But at least I didn't throw my hands up and say, well, they ain't biting
let's go in, I did try my best!!
I then gave them the next options, either call
it a day or go back to the king mackeral fishing and hope for an evening bite. We went back to the Horseshoe and the scope
showed no signs of life. Now I know that sometimes you can catch king mackeral where there is nothing showing, but,
in general, they don't just go out "crusing with the top down" they are looking for food!!!! I moved over to the
Raritan, this wreck nearly always has bait fish holding on it and I figured a king should be in the area.
This plan worked out and we had a short evening
bite. Chris Banks landed the biggest king mackeral today in the upper teens. He fought a hard battle and was the winner.Take
a look at the smile this fish put on his face, what more could you ask for? But just as my luck had been all day the
'cudas and huge AJ's crashed the party and if you are a king mackeral fisherman then you know it's broken lines from
this point on.
Chad looked at me after the third broken
line and said what's going on, the line is breaking above the leader. Well with a 20lb. main line and a 25 lb. leader and
a huge Amberjack with your piece of king that the 'cuda's left down his throat, well, I think you get the picture, something
is going to break, and with the 20 lb. main line being the weakest link, it's going to break.
Every king we hooked from that point was immediately
cut into and then the other half was immediately engulfed by a hugh Amber Jack and the 20 lb. test was no match for these
brutes. I seen a few of them under the boat, they were gigantic, I believe the biggest I have ever seen!!!
The King bite today was at the Shark Hole.
Who knows where it will be today or tomorrow, but someone will find it. It may be me, or you, or someone else, but that's
why it's called fishing and not catching.
It's the challenge to out wit a simple
creature that can make even a genuis scratch his head in disbelief and wonderment as to why or where or when!!! Till
next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, "I like fishes 'cause they is delicious"!!!!
SUNDAY 10-21-07
Todays trip was scheduled
for the Gulfstream but when we got to the 360's we liked about another 20 miles to go and it was already 3 to 4 with
an East wind. I advised them that the stream would be even worse, and what we had now was enough for everyone!!
Everyone decided since they were in a good
bottom fishing area that's what they would like to do. So we went to the bottom.
I was fishing today with Scottie Dean from
Kingsport,TN, Gary Dean from Churchhill,TN, Jody Barker from Gate City,VA, Drew Hayworth from Kingsport,TN, and Chris Gray
from Kingsport,TN.
All I can say is that when we got anchored
up on the right school of fish, these guys went to work. They said it was their first time out, well, for the first time,
they learn real fast. Had they not told me that, I would have not known it!!
We had limits of Grey Snapper, Triggerfish,
B-Liners, Joltheads, Sharks, Amber jacks, Grouper, Almaco Jacks, and Pinky's.
Another rough weather day but a great fishing
trip with some great guys, and we even caught fish. What more could you want, yeah, I know, a little calmer water, but it
worked out just fine!!! Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch & the fish dog!!!
SATURDAY 10-20-07
Today I had some guys fly in from Illinois
to fish with me. We wanted to go offshore, but, the weather/winds still were too rough for that.
I called to cancel the trip but they said anything
would be ok. I advised them that the Spanish Mackeral and King Mackeral had been biting, but we had a wind change from SE
to NW, and that's not good!!!
I was fishing today with Rolando Gadrinab,
Roland Gadrinab, Nelcar Gadrinab,M.D., Anthony Crisceniti, Nap Abella all from IL. and Louis Gadrinab from Durham,NC.
We started off trolling for Spanish Mackeral.
They had bit real good the day before, but, just as I had expected, the NW winds had swelled the seas up to the point that
the water was now dirty and Spanish Mackeral don't like dirty water.
We trolled from the hot hole to Holden Beach
without even a peck. This ain't working, I've got to go to plan "B".
I made my way to the areas where the King Mackeral
were biting just the day before, just like the Spanish were, but just like the Spanish, the King bite was not there today
either. Everyone was struggling just to get a bite, a few fish were caught, but very few!! Most fishermen didn't get a bite
at all!!!
Now, this is a charter captain's nightmare,
what's supposed to be biting is not, and you have just reached your limit of offshore travel due to the winds and waves.
So, what I did next was the only thing I could
do!!! I buried my face into the screen of the color scope and put the boat on a course with the current and started hitting
every drop I could find.
Finally, we were putting fish in the boat and
that was all they wanted was fish of some kind, and they got 'em!!
We caught sharks, Grey Trout, a Citation Red
Drum, Black Bass, Blue Fish, Blow Fish, Pin Fish, Pig Fish, Big Croakers, Lizard Fish, Hard Tails, Greenies, and Tomtotes.
At one time they were catching fish so fast I could barely keep up with them, but somehow I managed it!!!
I will be trying for something again tomorrow.
Was scheduled for a Gulfstream trip, but, the weather had better change quick if that's going to happen.
But, what ever we do, I'll put it here so you'll
have an idea of what's happening down this way!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog
says HI!!!!!.
SATURDAY 10-13-07
Today we had two 1/2 day trips. The first trip
was not the kind I like to report, but it is what it is!!
I was fishing today with Lynn Whitmire from Brevard,
NC, Todd Meece from Pisgah Forest,NC Tim Meece from Penrose, NC and Danny Roess from Pisgah Forest, NC.
The bite was slow as a snail for us. There was an
occasional "hookup" but the bite was not like it had been the past couple of weeks. The Spanish Mackeral were everywhere,
but the decision was made to try for the bigger King Mackeral. We stuck it out with no results. We were about out of time so in a desperate move we tried the spot we caught
all the Bluefish at the day before, but here all we got was a nice Flounder and some pigfish.
It was one of those trips that shock you back to reality
as to why it is called fishing and not catching. Yeah, the fishing was slow, but the comradrie was great today and
as usual, the fronts didn't seem to slow "Admiral Bodies" appetite any today, he stayed close to the grocery cooler. Till
next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie the fish dog says, look at the bright side, it can only go up from here!!!
SATURDAY 10-13-07
We picked up our fisherpeople for the second
half of the day. This evening I was fishing with Ron and Jan Jenkins from West Bend, WI. and Mike Jenkins from Fayetteville,NC.
On the way back to the reef where everyone was fishing today, I saw some more Spanish Mackeral jumping.
I asked if they would like some of these, thankfully,
they said yes. Some of the Spanish were good sized ones, just ask Jan, she was catching most of the big ones!! First line in and "BAM" fish on!!! It was fast for a little while,
then the tide fell out and they slowed down to just picking one here and there.
It was getting later in the day now and the bite the
day before on the King Mackeral had been later in the day, so we were hoping that they might bite again today around
the same time, they do that a lot, so we went to try those. We put the first line in and before I could get another one in, it looked and sounded like someone threw a volkswagon
on top of the bait.
A big king with a bad attitude attacked the
bait so hard the line didn't stand a chance. We wound what was left in and the line was "frayed" 4 feet, that was a big King
Mackeral.
Lines back in and a bait was cut into right behind
the head, how do they do that and miss all the hooks???? We lost several fish this evening for several different reasons, but none were from fisherman error. The fish
that were put in the boat were fought to the boat like seasoned pros.
It's 3:00AM Sunday morning now, and I have another
1/2 day trip in a few hours, check back this evening, or is that tomorrow evening, no, I think it's this evening. It's been
three days now since the fronts have passed, the fishing should be back on track by now, we'll seen!!! Till next time, FISH
ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, cooler weather, fish scales on my teeth, fish slime in my hair, life
is good now!!!!
FRIDAY 10-12-07
Todays trip was to be a all day offshore but
the winds that morning kept us on the beach.
We were fishing with some guys from my hometown of
Lexington,NC. They were Lee Comer, Tommy Comer, and Steve Hartzog.
We pulled a while for Kings with no results, then
for Spanish, same results. The passing of two fronts back to back seemed to have slowed the bite way down.
We then tried to jig up some grey trout and Red Drum
but were immediately attacked by the Bluefish.
At this point it was a welcomed sight!! As we were
fishing I kept noticing that the seas and winds were dropping out.
It was late now, around 1:00PM, but as most of you
know, I don't worry about the clock all the time, and I will get you fish if at all possible.
This time was no different. Wind them in guys, we
are going offshore.
I don't think they really believed me, with it being
so late. I'm not real sure I even believed it, but we did.
I knew we wouldn't have long to fish if I was to get
back before dark thirty. But, I knew that this was what I had to do today to get some fish and now the seas would allow us
to do it, so, we did it!!!!
We didn't have a "killer catch" but for the time we
had, we did ok. We ended the day with Blue Fish,Triggerfish, limits of grouper, Grey Snappers, Black Bass, and sharks.
Thank Lee,Tommy, and Steve. It's always a pleasure
to spend a day fishing with hometown folks, be sure to eat a BBQ sandwich for me the next time you are at the BBQ Center!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Cot Butch and "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!
10-11-07
Got a report that the Kings and
Bait are on the beach again. Although the bite is not as hot as it was last week, it's still pretty good! Looks like the biggest
thing now is the weather. The buoy at OCP this morning had the waves three feet on the beach. That's miserable conditions
to fish in for most of us. But, the nearshore report now look good for the weekend. Offshore, I hope it changes, looks rough
at this time!! Here's the report for offshore and nearshore (at this time) for this weekend;
Offshore;
TODAY SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT W OF
74W WINDS SHIFTING TO W TO NW. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT....EXCEPT W OF 1000 FM 3 TO 5 FT ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS.
TONIGHT WINDS BECOMING NW 15 TO 20 KT THROUGHOUT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...HIGHEST NE.
FRI THROUGH
SAT NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 KT OR LESS FRI. SEAS BECOMING 2 TO 4 FT SAT...HIGHEST FAR E.
SUN
AND MON NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. Nearshore;
CAPE FEAR NC TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20
NM- 907 AM EDT THU OCT 11 2007
TODAY NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS AROUND 4 FT... SUBSIDING TO 3 FT THIS
AFTERNOON. NEAR SHORE...SEAS AROUND 2 FT.
TONIGHT NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4
FT.
FRI N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING NW AROUND 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO
2 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.
FRI NIGHT W WINDS AROUND 10 KT...BECOMING NW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS AROUND 2
FT.
SAT N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW AROUND 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS AROUND 2 FT.
SAT
NIGHT W WINDS 10 KT OR LESS...BECOMING NW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS AROUND 2 FT.
SUN NE WINDS AROUND
10 KT. SEAS AROUND 2 FT.
MON NE WINDS AROUND 10 KT...BECOMING SE. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.
OCTOBER 10 - 07
I just spent one of the best days I have had
fishing in a long, long time. Captain Chris, my best friend, my buddy, my Son, spent the day with me as we fished the
back creeks for Red Drum and Speckled Trout.
I had to keep pinching myself today to
make sure I had not died and went to heaven. There is nothing in this world that makes me any happier than to spend a day
with my Son!!!
We had plenty of drinks and sandwiches
and fried chicken on board so we anchored up and put the lines out and it was like "old times" again for today. Although we
didn't have a "red bag" we had plenty to eat. Capt Chris knows what I mean!!!!
It's a shame that when they start to grow
up they think they have to grow up so fast and throw out common sense and turn their back on what will really mean
the most to them when they get older. I guess that's life and where the saying "live and learn" may have come from. Why is
life so backwards??????
Anyhow, we started off throwing artificial's
and we weren't having any luck. Now I am the first to admit that there are some people that know a lot more about this inside
fishing than me!!!
One of those people is our good friend Captain
Barry Phillips, owner of LUCKY FISHERMAN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT!! I told Chris, Barry catches a lot of these fish, I'll call him,
he'll tell us what we need to do to catch these "skinny water fish"!!
Thanks Capt. Barry, your information
helped us a lot, and that kind of fishing is a lot better than "beating the bank" with artificial lures.
We caught a decent Flounder and Capt Chris
caught another one but it was a throw back at 13 inches. Capt. Chris had a couple lines broken by some "BIG" Red Drum
but we caught two throwbacks and two keepers. The fishing was a little slow for us, but remember, our talents are offshore
and ocean fishing, there we can hold our own!!!
I had planned to bring them home
and have a fish dinner tonight with Capt. Chris and our good friends Capt. Ron Farnsworth and his wife, "Admiral" Helen and
Capt Chris's mom Barbara.
None of us had seen Capt Chris
in a while and were very excited about the dinner plans, but, as usual Capt Chris had to leave and go home suddenly. We
all hope someday soon he will figure things out. Hopefully before it's too late!!!
We had our fish dinner of fresh Flounder. Although
it was very tasty, there was a lot of dissapointment around the dinner table without Capt. Chris there, we
all miss him so much!!
But he and I had a great day today and
he even got a picture of me giving a whole new meaning to the term "shellfish".
Capt Chris, it has been way to long!! Life
is too short for you and I not to do this more often!! I don't know about you, but it brought back a lot of great memories
that I cherish and will never forget till the day I leave this earth!! I LOVE YOU SON!!!!Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch,Capt.
Chris, and"Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, Capt Chris, I've missed you too, you are my favorite "chew toy" you do know
that, don't ya'???
P.S.
BTW/ Capt Ron fished the beach today. His report was that the Pogys
were gone from the Lockwood Folly Inlet all the way up the beach and the King Bite for them didn't happen today. They even
tried the Spanish Mackeral for a while with no results there as well!!
What's new, it's been like this all year this year, here one day,
gone the next!!!!
Comments: In the 10/03/07 you mentioned fishing from anchor.
In this section you spoke about balloon fishing. You mentioned that you should keep the balloon 1 ft from the bait.
If I am using a wire leader 4 to 5 ft long how do I do this, am I missing something here? Should I tie the
balloon above the wire leader or what exactly do I do? I have never fished from anchor but man would I love to try this.
Here's the quote from my report:
If you use balloons, keep the balloon around a foot
or two to your bait. If your balloon is 4 or 5 feet from your live bait, you will have a tangled mess.
Joseph,
In my opinion a 4 to 5 foot wire
is a bit much. Most live bait rigs are only approximately 18 to 24 inches long. Therefore, this would put your balloon
1 to 2 feet from your bait. If you prefer to use this long wire, then just wrap the balloon twice around the wire and tie
it off. Wrapping it will help keep it from sliding on the wire. Hope this helps answer your question!!
FISH ON!!
Capt Butch
FRIDAY 10-5-07
The King Mackeral bite is good on the beaches.
Reports are that the Kings are feeding so heavy at times that they are nearly running the bait out of the water up on the
beach. If you ever wanted to catch a King Mackeral, now's the time!!!
First day leader of the US OPEN with a 40 lb. fish is
a good friend and fellow Southport/Oak Island fisherman Marshall Franks on the boat "CATCH-N-UP" Hang in there Marshall, congratulations, and
good luck!!!
WEDNESDAY 10-3-07
The U S OPEN is this weekend and the bait is on the beach somewhere between the Cape Fear River and Ocean Isle.
Today, there was some off Oak Island!!
I know that's a big area, but that's the way
it has been lately!! Also, don't overlook mullet another good King Mackeral Bait. If you catch a Spanish Mackeral or a Blue
Fish, rig him up fast and get him back into your spread. Dynamite on "Big Kings"!!!!
When I got bait I would not venture far from it. The
Kings have a reason for why they are in an area, and bait/food is a major factor that regulates this reason for being at a
particular place.
They are on the beach this time of year to do one
thing. And that's too feed up for the colder months ahead, so they will stay with and near the bait, and so should you!!
It doesn't make a lot of reason to catch bait
that is schooled up in an area then run off to where there is not any bait, Think about it!!!!!!
A good big fish tactic is to anchor up and fish with
kites or use balloons. And chum heavy. I like to catch extra bait and grind pogys and add "Pogy oil" to the mix!
If you use balloons, keep the balloon
around a foot or two to your bait. If your balloon is 4 or 5 feet from your live bait, you will have a tangled mess.
Also, the short distance from the balloon will make
your bait fight the balloon and prevent it from running back to the boat!!
Another good approach is to drift with the wind if
possible. use your motor as a rudder to control the drift of the boat. Chum here as well!!
Which ever way you fish, be sure to chum, if nothing
more that just Menhaden oil or milk. This will attract the fish to your boat!
Drifting and trolling either one will provide you
the chance to run a "Ribbon Fish" on a downrigger. Run this on a "Ribbon Fish Rig" at the appropriate depth that you are fishing
in.(ie: 20 feet of water, ribbon fish at 10 feet)
Ribbon fish are a King Mackeral attractor, sharks
like them to, but treat every hit as a big King Mackeral, you never know until you see it!!!
Both anchoring and drifting present your baits in
a natural state with no engine noise or exhaust gasses being emmitted into the water, everything looks natural!!
When rigging I like to use a leader of at least 10
feet long of 20 lb.TRILENE XT line in green color. My opinion is this is better than flourocarbon from keeping a
Big King Mackeral from "Tailing" your line and cutting off. This is my opinion, and you might not agree, and that's
fine, so use what you like best!!
If you have to troll, use a "live bait" rod,
this is a rod with a lite tip and a lot of "backbone". The lite tip won't jerk your bait around with the seas and makes it
look more natural, and the "backbone" gives it the power to land a big fish.
Troll as slow as you can. If you are still
trolling too fast and pulling your baits hard, try tieing a bucket off the cleat, Run your trim tabs all the way down, if
you have twin engines, put the one you aren't trolling with in reverse, all these will help to slow you some!!
I like to pull live bait no more than 0.08 knots if
at all possible.
If the winds and waves don't allow you to go slow
enough by trolling or drifting, anchor up chum and kick back, you may get a big suprise.
Keep a poly ball rigged at the front of the
boat so you can untie and get off anchor fast if you need to chase down a "Smoker king"
Use a good quality reel with plenty of 20lb. line
capacity and a smooth drag system is a must!!!
I hope these tips help you get the big one this weekend!!
Till Next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says, Finally, cooler weather is here!!!
SUNDAY 9-30-07
I am a little late with the reports but we have been real busy lately. The winds are howling offshore, so it's catch up
day here in the office.
The weather cooperated with us on Friday and the forecasted evening blow never materialized and we got a good offshore
fishing trip in.
I was fishing today with Timothy Compton and Katelyn Miller from Advance,NC. We started off the morning on the usual bottom
fishing grounds but had to look a little harder today with the full moon current running wide open. When we found the right
school of fish the bite was hot.
Tim started off fishing with us and was bringing them up from the bottom two at a time, but then, just as fast as he started,
he decided to lie down and rest a little while. He must have been really tired, he rested all day.
Now, let me tell you about an amazing young lady. Her name is Katelyn Miller, to say this lady loves to fish is an understatement!!!
All the fish you see here in the picture(except for a few) were caught by Katelyn. She single handedly brought up the slack.
She told me several times she couldn't feel her arms and she was shaking from catching so many fish, but, she never let up!!
Included in her catch of Black Bass, Vermillion Snappers (b-liners), Trigger fish, Joltheads(white Porgy), and Grouper,
was a real nice Tile fish and Queen Triggerfish.
She wanted to catch a shark, which we usually do out there where we fish, but things didn't work out today.Oh yeah, she
got the bite, but it was a huge shark!!! It is not uncommon for our fishermen to bring up big 200 to 500+ pound sharks. But,
the one that Katelyn hooked was so big she could not stop or slow him down and he finally broke the 50 lb line like it was
nothing!!!
If you see Katelyn, give her a pat on the back, she is one tough fisherlady and I was proud to have her and Tim fishing
with me today!!
SATURDAY 9-29-07
Now I want to tell you about what we did on Saturday and the noble outcome of this event.
As I have said before, "fisherpeople are the best people in the world" and you will see what I mean here in this report!!
A group of us fishermen that are members of the Frying Pan Tower web site formed a little "wildcat king tournament" Saturday.
We all pitched in $60.00 per boat and after donating $100.00 back to Frying pan Tower we had $350.00 for the biggest King
Mackeral at the end of the day.
Our fishing group consisted of::
Capt Ricky Holden "Reely Miss Behavin'"
Capt Butch Foster (that's me) "Yeah Right"
Barbara Foster,Tom Warner, Richard Clark, Jerry Clark, Angela Clark, William Deal, Allen Young, Danny, Keith, Rebecca,
James
Cain, Brad Cain, Jonathan Edwards Steve and Marissa Smith "Beer Run", Marshall Franks "Catch-N-Up", Patrick Scott "Wild
Child", and
Chris Frank "Capt'n Crunch"
The wind was blowing and the fishing was tough but some managed some fish. Barbara and I had several runs today but only
one fish stayed hooked up, it was a 25+ pounder, a respectable fish but not big enough.
William Deal and his crew caught a few fish, but theirs, like mine had been on a diet and had lost too much weight to take
the top honors.
Richard Clark, fishing on the boat Captained by Tom Warner brought home the winning fish today that not only won the money
but also got him a NC Citation. His King Mackeral was 34.70 pounds!!!
Now, here is where I get my information from about fisherpeople are the "BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD" Also today, they were
holding a benefit flounder tournament for a fellow friend and fisherman Brandon Matthews. If you don't know who he is, Brandon
fell from a treestand and is now paralized from the neck down. His fight to beat this and his attitude has been an inspiration
and very humbling to us all. He has shown us not to take anything for granted, you never know what the future has in store
for you so quit complaning and enjoy what you have today, for tomorrow your whole life could be changed.
The winning team of Richard Clark, Jerry Clark,Angela Todd from Kernersville,NC and Tom Warner from Raleigh,NC are all
heros in my eyes as we went to the benefit tournament for Brandon and presented him with todays winnings to help him in his
fight to beat this!! I am humbled and proud to be associated with these guys and gals,Fisherpeople,
THE BEST AND MOST NOBLE PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
U S OPEN KING MACKERAL TOURNAMENT open for charter!!
Check "SPECIAL DEALS" page for more details!!!
WEDNESDAY 9-26-07
Got a call today that the King Mackeral
have invaded the beach here in Southport,NC
The bait showed back up over the weekend
and I guess the Kings planned an ambush. Soooo, while they are here and before they leave...........
GO GET 'EM
TUESDAY 9-25-07
I wish the winds would blow harder and blow
this windy stuff outta' here. It's blowing just hard enough to make it too rough to comfortably fish offshore!!
I hate to be cancelling trips, but if you can't
have fun and enjoy it, I say save your money and go when you can enjoy it. That's what this past weekends guys did. The first trip we had planned was rough, we could have gone
that day but we all would have been miserable. So,
they waited and rebooked and we had a beautiful day to fish!!!
You have to be patient sometimes when you are
trying to deal with Mother Nature!!
Hopefully, things will settle some and I can
get you another fishing report on here soon!!
While I have you here, I would like to take
a moment and introduce you to BUG-EM-BAIT,CO. They
have joined our growing companys that are a sponsor partner with Yeah Right Charters!! We welcome them aboard and be sure to stop by and see Captain Lloyd at 6006 Oleander Drive when you are
in Wilmington,NC or give him a call at (910)452-9955, If you need it he probably has it or he can get it for you
real quick!!!! Be sure to tell 'em Capt. Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog said HI!!!
The NE winds are inducive to Spanish Mackeral
fishing on the beach now. The King Mackeral bite should only get better as the fall weather approaches.The Blues should be
here as well as some spots are showing up with the cooler weather!! (of course, all my trips now are for offshore)
Till next time, or the winds lay, FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch
SATURDAY 9-22-07
(Let me start off by saying that to all you who have
called for Sept. 29th to go fishing and I was booked, well that charter trip has had to be cancelled, that date is open again,
and the 1st Visa/MC deposit will hold it for you. This date,(Sept 29th and Nov. 17th are the only two Saturdays
I have left open until Dec.)
We finally got a beautiful day just like all
the rest, but this time the wind was not blowing a gale!! It was a beautiful day to be offshore fishing today and we were lucky enough to spend the day with Rob Lashin from
Hampstead,NC (he owns STROKE OF COLOR PAINTING) and with him were Mike Huddy, and Mike Wualraf, both from here on Oak Island,NC.
The bottom fish were not as prevelant as in the past,
but there were plenty to be caught, you just had to look a little harder today than in the past! We caught several grouper today and had some big grouper hooked up but they proved to be too strong an
adversary today for our group. In other words, they
couldn't get them out of the rocks!!
Pictured below is one of the biggest and prettiest
"Queen Triggerfish" I have ever seen. We thought
it might be citation size but it was not big enough!!
There are still a few Mahi-Mahi roaming around out
there in the "big water" where we were at today.
We had a school of bailers come up today but only
managed one in the boat, the other one got off while trying to keep the school at the boat and when he left they all left!!
The current started running a little strong this evening and I deployed the "Pabco
Powerbuoy" so I could see just which direction the current was running and to keep me on the fish I had marked.
This is one of the best pieces of equipment that has ever been made for a bottom
fisherman.
Check out the picture here and you can see how it will show you the current and
where your fish are located.
When the current is running to strong to anchor, this buoy is remarkable, you
can see the current and keep an engine in reverse and stay right with your fish.
Next best thing if you can't anchor, if you can anchor then drop the "Powerbuoy" off
to the side of the fish or the ledge or structure and then you can get anchored up right on top of your quarry!!
And, when time to leave, the retrieval is motor driven, quick and effortless!!
I'd be lost without mine!!! If
you would like to get your own "Powerbuoy", give Mike a call at (843)665-5613 (www.powerbuoy.com), you'll be glad you did!!!
Also, don't forget the "SWIV-L-STOPS" this little device is a blessing in its
own right!!!!
We ended the day with Limits of Grey Snapper, Vermillion
Snapper, Silver Snapper, Almaco jacks, Trigger Fish, Sharks, and Grouper.
While most everyone else was asleep on the "bean bags"
on the way to the hill, I had several occasions to see bait being run out of the water and fish jumping of various types and
sizes.
This to me looks like a good start to a near future
"dinner table" for some Bluefin Tunas.
Yeah, that is just a few weeks away and it looks like
it is all coming into play as fall/winter approaches.
If you haven't gone fishing yet this year, now is
the time, and if you are too busy to go fishing, you had better "stop and smell the roses"
life here on earth is too short to let the finer things
pass you by!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!
FRIDAY 9-21-07
Well it looks like Saturday may finally have some
calmer winds.
If so, here is what I know to be happening right now.
I am planning an offshore trip tomorrow then I will
know if they are still biting out there.
But until then, here's the scoop::::
The rains we have had can only improve the fishing
situation. And with the influx of mullet minnows on the beach, Spanish Mackeral here as well as the Blue fish,the King Mackeral
will have to be here in full force real soon.
And it may be sooner than later!!!! Today 9-21-07,
I was on the pier and about two hours before dark, there were four King Mackeral hooked up.
Another boat caught 14 Kings at the Yaupon Reef and
several more boats had King Mackeral there as well.
So, I would say, until the Pogys get back from their
vacation up the river, get yourself some mullet and go catch some King Mackeral.
The fall fishing is starting to take shape.
There have been some spots caught in the surf and
on the piers, and some have been the "yellow bellies". Try your bloodworms here, a good bait for spots.
The pompano, the small ones (Florida Pompano) have
been biting in the surf and on the piers, shrimp is hard to beat, the fresher the better.
Blues are biting as well, they will hit just about
anything from bait to lures!!
Spanish Mackeral are hit and miss, various spoons
and jigs are the choice here.
The grey trout should be cranking up soon on
the near shore reefs and while jigging for these you can most likely expect to hook up with some big red drum, so don't rig
up too lite!!!
There are still flounder being caught, although this
is slowing down a little from a slower year than usual already.
October should bring the bite back to the Gulfstream
with the cooling waters of fall and winter inundating the area.
Wahoo's and Tuna's will most likely be in the area
of the Black Jack to the Same Ol' soon!!
The biggest trouble with fall is trying to figure
out what you would like to fish for!!!
Sometimes I sit at the mouth of the Cape Fear River
where it empties into the ocean and will have to flip a coin to decide if I'm going offshore or staying inshore to fish that
day, it's that time of year!!!!!!!!
WEDNESDAY 9-19-07
Just in case you are wondering why no fishing
reports lately, the winds are howling down here at the coast this week. Hopefully it will calm some soon!!!! FISH ON!!! Capt
Butch
SATURDAY 9-15-07
While some people went fishing today, I thought it
was too rough and to dangerous to subject my fishermen to these kind of conditions.
We gave it a shot, but with the waves a
good 4 feet and close together and wanting to go offshore, I made the call to cancel.
Found out later that everyone was glad I made the
call not to go.
As I have said before, play with the ocean and she
will kill you, besides, if you can't have fun and enjoy the fishing, why do it, save your money and do it on a better day.
If you don't go out in these bad conditions,
you have a lot better chance of having another day, throw caution to the wind, and it may be your last time out.
I'd rather make a few bad calls and sit home on some
good days than to make a call I will have to live with the rest of my life.
So, if you have me booked and I call the trip
off it's because either I am sure the weather is bad,or not sure if it's going to be good, hey, I want to take you fishing!!!
When I don't, I loose a days salary, and my work is
seasonal!!
But your money or a fish is not worth anyone's life!!!!!
As long as I am in my right mind, I will not start
making stupid decisions to take you out in bad weather just for your money.
And if we try to go out and the forecast has missed it and I have to cancel,
well, that's not my fault or your fault.
So what I do here is not charge you anything for trying.
I DO NOT do this thing of "If we leave the dock it's going to cost
you"!!!
Some help out with the fuel when this happens, and that I appreciate, but that
will always be optional and not required.
When The forecast is wrong and we try to go, that uses up around $75.00
to $100.00 in fuel, but you will never be charged for me trying to take you fishing!!
I'm "not crying on anyone's shoulder" I just want everyone to realize we are
different from most other charters, and I am proud to be different!!!
That's why we are the only NC Charter that is a member of the BETTER BUSINESS
BUREAU!!
I sure hope you can respect me for that. Just like this year when the fishing was bad on the beach and
you folks would call to do a 1/2 day.
I know a lot of you thought I didn't want to
take you fishing, I DID and I DO!!!, but the fish were not here to catch on a 1/2 day trip, except maybe for some sharks,
and some of you wanted those and we went and caught them.
But the Spanish Mackeral were not here and I knew
it so I didn't want to take you fishing without you knowing the slim chances of catching a Spanish!!
I didn't want to take you out and say,"Oh well,
I guess they aren't biting today" and just take your money for a boat ride when I knew they were not biting in the first
place, and I wanted you to know that up front!!
I try to run my business as fair and with as
much respect as I humanly can.
When people talk about "YEAH RIGHT CHARTERS" I want them to only have good things
to say about us!!!
Of course, as we strive to be the very best in the business, I realize this will
cause some to hate us and talk bad rumors about us.
But my thoughts on this is that when your competition is putting you down, then
you are being flattered and definately doing things right!!!
If ever I need to be corrected on a matter, PLEASE let me know!!!!
I am getting older and things don't work as well as they did when I was younger.
So, if I forget to call you or email you, it's not on purpose, so PLAESE remind
me and I'll try to do better!!
I sure hope ya'll like the way I try to
be honest and fair, and will come see us when the fish are biting!!!!
Say you don't know if the fish are biting?
That's no problem, just give us a call, we will tell you the truth!!
It may not be what you want to hear, but it will be the truth!!!
BTW, The 1st SPOT run should be just around the corner with this cool snap. A
few have been caught lately in the surf.
Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!
FRIDAY 9-14-07
We had a great trip today with four members
of the NORTH CAROLINA WATERMAN TRIAD CHAPTER. I
was fishing with Ben McVonough from Kernersville,NC, Mike Thompson from Troy,NC, Chris Hancock from Germantown,NC, and Kyle
Angel from Winston Salem,NC.
It was a little "iffy" from the start but it was looking
to get better as the day went on so with a decent ride out and a trough for the return trip, we headed to the 350's.
These guys are all veteran fishermen and I knew they
were up to the task at hand!!
The current was runnung extremely strong as it has
been doing a lot this year. A 16 ounce weight would get the bait to the structure where the fish were holding, but I had to
anchor the boat to allow for the current. This is
fishable if you know how and where to position your boat to take advantage of the current breaks that are available
on the oceans bottom structure.
Boat placement is the key to catching fish in these
currents, and learning how to do it can mean the difference between catching a few or loading the boat. It took me probably 30 minutes or more to anchor the boat properly.
Close only counts in "horseshoes and hand gernades"
you got to be "on target" when botton fishing!!!
I was beginning to think that I bet these guys thought
I didn't have a clue as to what I am doing. I told
them to please be patient with me, sometimes getting the boat right was tough.
Someone said, I don't know, the current is mighty strong!!
I'll get it right in a bit, you got to be right or
they won't bite.
The anchor course was almost 90 degrees to the waves
with a wind barely overpowering the seas, with a 260 anchor course I headed about 270 past the fish and dopped the anchor.
As the boat settled out, I could see that I was
finally just above the down current break.
This should do it here, drop your baits!!!
Well, it was on from that point on!!!
Many times two fish at a time!!!
Some of the biggest Grey Snappers I've seen
all year!! Ben caught a big Red Grouper, all the
guys caught some grouper today!! We had around a
dozen Grouper with Reds, Strawberry scamps, and Graysbys making up the creel. We limited out on the reef complex species which were Grey Snapper, Triggerfish, Joltheads, and Almaco
Jacks.
We had some big vermillion snappers and Silver Snappers
as well.
Another great day on the water with some more great
people!!
Guys, if I don't get to see you before, be sure to
come by and see me at the BASS & SALTWATER FISHING EXPO this year in Greensboro,NC, January 4th thru 6th. Till next time,
FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
THURSDAY 9-13-09
The thunder storms kept us at the dock again
today!!!
Maybe tomorrow!!
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch
WEDNESDAY 9-12-07
Had an evening trip today but mother nature had different
plans. And she wins every time, she isn't a "team player".
Will be on the beach in the morning looking for Spanish
Mackeral and possibly some sharks. Will let you
know if this rain has helped the situation any. Don't
see how it could hurt!!!! FISH ON!! Capt Butch
MONDAY 9-10-07
Today I had the pleasure
of fishing with Ron and Cindi Monroe from Mt. Prospect, IL. They were fishing with their daughter Tracy Monroe from Chicago,IL.
Ron and Cindi have fished with me in the past, and
as before, they are always a pleasure to spend some time fishing with!!
They are just good people and so is Tracy!!!
I had planned on trying the Spanish Mackeral that
was on our beach this weekend, but this morning we had a 10 to 15 knot SW wind, so, Carolina Beach, here we come.
With the main land blocking the SW wind, it was pretty
nice up there.
The Spanish Mackeral were biting fair at Carolina
Beach, only problem was they were all too small to keep, just missing the 12 inch fork length limit.
We accomplished the mission by getting each one their
first keeper Spanish Mackeral ever and enough to try some for dinner.
Now that they had caught a Spanish Mackeral, they
were wondering, there has got to be something that fights harder than a Spanish Mackeral out here.
With that information, we headed out to catch a Shark.
Got the boat positioned and freelined the baits out
and we were all talking when the conversation was interrupted with the scream of a reels clicker system in dire need of some
relief!!
We already had Tracy in a "fighting belt" so she was
first on the rod.
It got off !!, she said, No, I think it's coming to
the boat, crank fast I said.
Well, she soon found out that I was right and the
fight was on!!!
She finally wore him down and we invited him in the
boat for some pictures and possibly some Shark steak dinners, but he was only 51 inches long, just 3 inches short of legal
keeper size, so he's still out there waiting to fight again another day!!!
I think Tracy will be careful what she wishes for
when fishing in the ocean from now on, we were not sure there for a little while who was going to win this battle, but with
some help from Dad, she got the job done!!!
We deployed the lines again and we got two more good
bites without a "hookup".
We were getting ready to leave when the rod doubled
over and Ron this time was hooked up with a shark but it proved to be smaller than Tracys.
Tracy was the "big fish" guru today, she caught the
biggest Spanish Mackeral and the biggest shark.
Cindi caught some Spanish today but never got a chance
at a shark. We had a 1/2 day and the SW winds were picking up and we had to leave before the tide started falling or
we would have a real rough trip back down the Cape Fear.
Another good trip with some great people, the fish
we caught was just a bonus to the trip making it another perfect fishing trip!!
Ron and Cindi, it was great to see you again and Tracy,
it was a pleasure to meet you as well!!!!
Hope to see you all again soon, Till next time, FISH
ON!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, Cindi, I hope I can make it next time, I'd love to see you again!!!
SATURDAY 9-8-07
With a tropical storm brewing on the offshore
grounds our offshore trip was cancelled for today.
I was already planning what I was going to do with
the day off Saturday when Bob Mace called to do a 1/2 day Spanish Mackeral trip.
Bob and I have tried to get out before to the
Gulfstream but were blown out by bad weather every time.
This time with the winds coming from the NNE, a 1/2
day would work for us because the beach would be calm.
I met up with Bob and Lisa Mace who own MACE ELECTRICAL
SERVICE and with them were Joe Zlato, John Smith, and Garry Stamey all from Charlotte,NC.
The Spanish Mackeral started off slow and progressed
as the day went on.
I located them in about 15 feet of water just
west of Yaupon Pier and they were biting best on the gold 00 Clark Spoons on #1 planers.
An occasional fish would come on the 11/2 ounce trolling
weight.
We were having a lot of double hook ups on the planers,
with some triples thrown in as well.
After 1st Mate Barbara landed a few and the guys seen
how it was done, they took over and were putting the Spanish Mackeral in the boat.
We caught a lot of fish, and as in Spanish fishing some
of the time they were too short and had to be thrown back for another day, but they were still fun to catch!!
Around 11:00AM the sun was high and the winds shifted
to the East, and as the East winds does down here, it shut the bite off!!
We had plenty of fish to eat, had great conversation, and
we all had fun catching the Spanish Mackeral, (the added bonus to a "fishing trip")
We wound up with 37 nice keepers, that's 74 fillets
for future fish dinners.
The best part of the trip for me today again was the
fine people I met today!!
There are still some mighty fine folks left in this
world and I do believe that most of them like to fish!!
I do know that the people that fish with us are all
some of the Greatest people in the world!!!
Till next time, FISH ON, Bob!! (he knows what I mean)
Capt Butch, 1st Mate Barbara, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, Yeah, I dazzled everyone today with my charm and fish
scaling ability!!
THURSDAY 9-6-07
Monroe, NC is lucky to have Jeremy, Don,&
Adam Rushing along with Gary Mullis & David Green as citizens of their town.
I met up with these guys this morning at South Harbour
Marina for a 1/2 day Spanish Mackeral fishing.
After about 30 minutes with these guys, I felt like
I had known them for years.
The best way I can think to describe them is "just
good people"!!!
The bite had been a little slow lately but today they
seemed more aggressive than they have been lately!!
We had a lot of fun and we caught a lot of fish, and
had a lot of missed strikes and fish that just got off before we could get them to the boat!!
I think the biggest catch today was when I went to
throw a 00 Clark spoon back in and was standing on the line!!
The "hook up" was easy, getting away was the tough
part.
You wouldn't loose any fish if they were as hard to
get off the hook as I was today!!
Oh well, just a part of this business, it's going
to happen occasionally!!!!
A lot of the Spanish Mackeral were too short to keep,
but fun to catch anyway!!
We ended the morning with 29 keepers and a few were
nicer fish.
The reason I say "nicer" is that they all are good,
just some a little "gooder". (yes, I know that's not a word, but it works)
If we could have kept the "Spanish Man" on the "Hot
Seat" today, we would have had a pile of big fish.
The "Spanish Man" was none other than David "grandpa"
Green, every time he got in the right position at the rod, all he would catch was big Spanish Mackeral's while the other rods
would get the "throwbacks".
I am going to see if I can convince him to give us
some pointers on how he did that!!!
I really enjoyed the trip today, it's people like
these and so many others that fish with us here at "Yeah Right Charters" that makes me know that I have a hard time seeing
me doing anything else!!
I get to be with the best people in the world, all
the fishermen and women that fish with me.
Thanks to you all for the memories we have made so
far, and hopefully we will make many, many more!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch & "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!.
MONDAY 9-3-07
Today was a new day and we were fishing with Mark
Jones and his son Ben from Raleigh,NC. With them was Jeff Warren from Cary,NC and Stan Graves from Shoal Creek, AL.
We were on a 1/2 day trip again this morning and
we were again looking for Spanish Mackeral.
We ran down the beach towards Lockwood Folly all the
while looking for signs of Spanish Mackeral.
There was not the first tern working any bait anywhere,
it looked like it has looked all summer, like there was no life on the beach.
Finally, about the "Big Hill" I seen a Spanish jump.
I slowed the boat to the usual 7 knotts trolling speed
and deployed the spoons.
There were some here, I would see one jump here
and there but they wouldn't bite.
I started switching up spoons and tried
various colors and sizes of planers.
The bite was slow at best.
Ben caught several that morning and we had some "throw
backs" that were too short.
The big one of the day hit a spoon on a planer and
darted across the spread and got tangled in the trolling weight line. This is the rod we thought it was on.
Ben was reeling it in and got to the weight and then
I tried hand lining it in.
What had happened was the spoon on the weight rod
had tangled in the planer line and before I could figure out what was wrong, I saw him run to the side and the line went into
his mouth, and those razor sharp teeth he has set him free!!
the hot spanish bite we had the first of last week
has cooled off as fast as it started.
Hopefully, it will pick up again as the water cools
a little more, time will tell.
Captain Ron Farnsworth and Admiral Helen(they
run the boat "Water Boy") came to the house Monday evening for dinner and brought the four Spanish Mackeral they
caught that morning for our meal.
I didn't try the water right on the beach, everywhere
else, but not there, this is where he caught these in about 12 to 15 feet of water.
I was marking plenty of bait and even seen them jumping,
but, sometimes you just can't make them bite, no matter how hard you beg!!!!
Fall will be here real soon. The mullet are beginning
to run and the king Mackeral shouldn't be able to stay away much longer.
They should invade the beach before much longer, but
I won't make a prediction this year because this has been one of the toughest years I can ever remember for fishing on the
beach!!
When they arrive, I'll let you know, how long they
will stay at this point is any one's guess!!
But, get a day to get offshore and if the current
isin't "screaming" too bad, the Grouper and Snappers are biting real good.
These fish don't care how hot it has been or how dry
it has been, they will bite and you can catch them if you go to the right places and have half way decent conditions!!!
I forgot my camera today, hopefully one of the guys
will email me a picture of Ben with his fish, if so, I'll put it here!!
Looks like the wind is going to blow me out all week,
and now we may have a tropical depression forming just off the coast, if this is going to happen then let's hope it will bring
us the much needed rain we all so desperately need. Till next time and better weather, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!.
SUNDAY 9-2-07
Today we were originally
scheduled to head offshore, but the NE winds were not going to let that happen!!
We moved the trip back to a 1/2 day since the beach
would be calm!!
We got a real late start today so we were only able
to fish for just a little over an hour today.
We were fishing with Brad & Michelle Crabtree
and their two children Brianne and Adrian, also with them were Brad's sisters, Marlene and Candy from Monterey, TN.
The hot Spanish bite we had earlier in the week had
cooled down some by the end of the week.
As I was waiting for my fisherpeople this morning
I could hear on the radio that they were biting fair, but it was slowing down.
And as luck would have it by the time we got there
the winds had picked up pretty hard and the sun was bearing down and the bite was down to a crawl.
The other boats that were Spanish fishing that morning
had gone shark fishing and the reports that I got were that no one got a bite from a shark, it was tough after 9:00 AM that
morning.
Still, the kids caught a few fish and it was the first
time they had ever been on the ocean and caught a fish there, and they were happy, what else matters???
Had we got there earlier, I think we would have done
real well with the Spanish Mackeral, but it wasn't meant to be so I did what I could.
With the knowledge that the fishing had gotten tough,
I called my evening charter and let them know that the fishing had gotten slow after the sun was high.
Since it was a little rough to be comfortable
and the slow fishing that had occured, I suggested we try it again when times are better and all agreed.
I am glad this decision was made, If we can't go and
catch fish and have some fun, then I don't want your money.
I want to get paid for a fishing trip, not a "boat
ride"!!!!
You don't have this option when you go out on the
first trip, but you should know it after that trip, If you don't know by then, you need to be in another business!!!
Hopefully Monday will be better, till next time, FISH
ON!!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I like them Spanish!!!
SATURDAY9-1-07
You know how it is. The weather man says it's
going to blow 10 to 15 out of the NE, not a good wind at all for us here in Southport,NC.
You look at the Tower buoy and it says 2 feet every
nine seconds and the wind is calm. Yeah, you figured he's missed it again, and you want to go fishin'!!!!
Well, he doesn't always miss it, and today he didn't!!!
The guys today wanted grouper and I tried to get them
out to where there were some.
But, the winds picked up and so did the seas, and
in a hurry, so we did a 180 degree turn and I am here at 12 noon doing fishing reports for the "Fishermans Post" and the "News
& Observer".
At least I will have these done before midnight tonight!!
The radio talk that the big (2-lb+) Spanish were plentiful
on the beach this morning, and with a NE wind, the beach is "slick"
I will have first hand reports tomorrow on the Spanish
Mackeral and just maybe a shark!!
It's too rough offshore but the inshore fishing
has finally picked up and the NE winds usually has our beach calm!! Till next time, FISH ON, Capt Butch
FRIDAY 8-31-07
Not fishing
today, but, as I told you earlier in the week, they would change the forecast before the week was out. Let's just hope they
"stick to their guns" this time and the Tower Buoy responds like wise!!!
SAT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT OVER THE NW PORTION
BECOMING E 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.
SAT NIGHT AND SUN E TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT S PORTION VARIABLE 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.
MON AND TUE E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...HIGHEST
E.
THURSDAY 8-30-07
Today "Admiral Bodie" and I met up with Phil, Ryan,
and Josh Barry from Greensboro,NC.
I hope Josh enjoyed his freedom today, you see, he's
getting married Saturday at Bald Head island.
Congratulations Josh to you and your future wife,
I hope you two the very best in all you do!!!!!!!!!!!
I was delighted to be able to inform them that after
two months of telling every one that called to do a 1/2 day trip that the fishing inside was real tough, that the Spanish
Mackeral and Blue Fish have finally showed back up on the beach!!
There were plenty of glass minnows, the terns were
in a feeding frenzy, Spanish Mackeral and Blues were jumping and we caught a lot of fish.
I didn't say we kept a lot of fish, but we caught
a lot.
Over half had the "head and tail disease" (head
to close to the tail) or just too short!!
Still, after a summer of grass on the beach so thick
you could almost walk on it, the water extra hot, no bait, and no fish this was a welcomed sight!!!
All the charters were talking and you could sense
the excitement in everyone's voice that these fish had finally shown up making our jobs much more enjoyable
and productive when we can get our fisherpeople some fish on the 1/2 day charters.
I realize that not everyone can or wants to do a full
day trip, and I hated to be so negative when you called but there was no fish to be caught on the 1/2 day trips except for
maybe a shark, and these were not very predictable this year as well!!
It's my job to get you fish, I know I shouldn't put
so much emphasis on catching fish and I am trying to do better, but still that's my job, to get you fish, and if I didn't
care, then I wouldn't care if you caught fish or not, but I do care, I don't want your money if you don't catch fish, because,
simply put, that's my job and I care!!!!
But now, hopefully, they are here to stay for a few
weeks anyway, what ever the case, they are here now, so go get you some, we have all waited long enough!!!
If I sound excited, well, I am, It's been a slow,
tough year on the inside this year and now it finally looks a little more promising!!!!!!
Phil, Ryan, and Josh it was fun and an honor fishing
with you guys today!!!
There is a Big Spanish Mackeral still lurking out
there in the waters off Southport,NC. You have to ask Phil how big it is, we both seen it, nearly got it in the boat, but
it wasn't hooked as good as I thought it was and it came off the hook .
Yeah, I lost the fish, I'll admit it, I done it, so
I'll agree with how big Phil says it is, it was a nice one though!!!
It was a good trip to start off a perfect wedding,
and I am proud to have been a part of the occasion, Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog
says Hooray, the Spanish are back and I went fishin'!!!!!!
WEDNESDAY 8-29-07
With 3.6 feet waves every
5 seconds this morning we decided to try it again a better day.
Yeah, that's fishable, barely, but why go if you
can't enjoy the day of fishing, and trying to bottom fish in that is like trying to stand up in a washing machine.
I know, it was rough yesterday and we fished.
The difference here is it got rough while we
were there.
Got a 1/2 day tomorrow, High water salinity, Hot water
on the beach, East wind and full moon, I'll have my work cut out for me tomorrow, but I will do everything I can to get
fish!!
Check back and see if I pull it off!!!!!
I would like to take a moment and welcome Gary Hand
and SOUTHPORT CANVAS LLC to our growing number of sponsor companys. Go by and see Gary for
all your Canvas needs. Be it Bimini Tops, T-Tops, Boat Covers, Cushions, Enclosures, or anything you might have in mind run
it by Gary, he most likely can get it made up for you!!
Check out their location and details on the sponsor
page on this web site!!!
FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
TUESDAY 8-28-07
I met with Dave Hays, Kevin
Hess, Megan Hess, Bob Pabalano, Nate Hess, and Rebecca Hess from Galloway, Ohio this morning at South Harbour Marina.
There were thunder storms lurking offshore
but were moving on out and clear skies following.
At that, I still gave the option of another
day or just not going at all.
The decision was to give it a try.
I was planning to head south to the loran line 350's
area, but just as I figured, when the storms passed, the winds shifted to the NE and this would mean a dead ahead head sea
for 44 miles on the trip home, I don't think so!!
With the NE wind, I ran to the knuckle buoy, this
gave me a quartering sea and from there to the Tower Reef gave me a trough to run in, although the seas were not bad
on the ride out.
On the way, I mentioned the fact that it was a NE
wind and a full moon.
Full moon conditions usually mean extra strong currents,
and a NE wind can get nasty and today was no exceptation, at anchor, a 16 ounce weight would nearly float, so we were
forced to drift.
Also, as it so happens sometimes, the weather forecast
that was on the computer must have been meant for somewhere besides the Cape Fear Coast.
The 5 to 10 knot winds predicted were more like 15
to 25 and building and so were the seas.
It got rough on us and the fishing conditions were
extremely tough, but these guys figured it out real quick and still managed a good catch for the conditions they were in.
Dave, Kevin, Megan, and Nate were doing a good job
at catching fish today, we caught a pile of fish, unfortunately, a lot of them were under the legal size limit and had to
be released.
But still, several fresh dinners are on the agenda
for the group in the near future.
I know I only mentioned four fisherpeople, you
see Rebecca was tired and was just resting, and Bob had this thing for the bucket we had on board, we were wondering if they
had fell in love, he just wouldn't let it go.
We had a good time, the seas were not the best to
be out in, and had they predicted what we had, I would have not gone to start with.
This is why when I am asked what size boat do you
need to go out in my answer always is, "You don't get a boat to go out in, you get one to come back in"!!
Again, I apologize for the weather, this one sneaked
up on me, the Tower Buoy was saying 2 feet ever 9 seconds, that's calm, it can and does deteriorate very fast out there,
as it did today, just thank God for a very seaworthy boat as the "Yeah Right" has proven herself many times!!!
Ok, we didn't have all the fish boxes full today and
every one was commenting that we had more fish than they figured we would have considering the conditions but we still
made the best of what we had.
We did get Big Black Bass, Grey Snappers, Vermillion
Snappers, and Triggerfish. Kevin and Nate had the Grey Snapper bite down to an art on the starboard side of the boat, while
Dave and Megan were pulling in the Black Bass on the port.
We thought that Megan might have hooked a grouper
but turned out to be a Big Black Bass on each hook of a double rig instead.
With the seas picking up to around 5 to 6 feet and
nearly all starting to feel the effects, we decided to call it a day around 2:00 that evening and headed to the hill.
Hope you guys will try it again sometime, our fish
catching is a lot better in calmer conditions, besides, you've got the rough behind you now.
Paul was out there with us and he was trolling for
Kings, I asked him how he was doing he said good if you were after Bonitos and Barracudas, I think he did pick up a King Mackeral
or Two.
I also talked to QB, he was to the SW of us about
12 miles, he reported the current not too bad in the deeper water (90 to 100 feet) and they were catching some grouper with
their bottom fish out there, you can catch grouper where we were at, but not as good as in the deeper water. I chose the shallower
water for the ride back in a trough verses a head sea!!!
The weather forecast for the weekend looks, well,
just like a weekend is supposed to look, I guess!!
But hey, it's Wednesday, and I am sure it will change
before the weekend gets here, let's hope for the better!! Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" The Fish
dog says Hi!!
SUNDAY 8-26-07
Had a cancellation for Saturday and Sundays
trip was moved to a later date in September.
So, I took advantage of the two days off to
do some much needed matenance to the "YEAH RIGHT".
Manning Outen fished Saturday and called me
to let me know that the bottom fish offshore were still "chewing down".
A load of fish that included eight keeper grouper
and an eight foot tiger shark.
Sounds like a very exciting day out there and several fresh fish dinners are
in the future!!
At least he told me after I got all my repairs
and service finished!!
Thanks Manning for the "heads up" on the fishing,
we will be back at it this week, stay in touch for more reports, Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
FRIDAY 8-24-07
Well, I finally quit listening
to the weather man and went to see for myself what the seas were like.
3 to 5 foot,YEAH RIGHT!!!! It was flat calm
out there!!!!
Well maybe not flat calm, but no more than 2
feet at the very most at anytime!!
I had decided that if I kept waiting for a
"good forecast" that my fishing career may very well be over for a while!!
Now I'm not saying to disregard what the forecast
says, but, 5 knot winds and 4 to 6 seas with no storms in the ocean.
I'm not saying that it isn't possible, and
it may happen, but it's not happening at this time!!!
So, I met up with Charles Bennett from Tyro,
NC and two friends Donald and Greg Kinley from Lexington, NC.
With the forecast still in the back of my mind,
we ventured to the river channel where I could see from there that the weatherman's record was just "stuck"
I made the run some 45 miles offshore in nearly
perfect sea conditions. Why wasn't it perfect conditions, I don't know, except maybe that nothing on this earth is perfect!!
Any way, when we dropped on the first school
of fish, we got "NO" Bites!!
The next school, NO Bites!!
I was getting concerned, what's up???
I looked at my tide watch, the tide was beginning
to make a switch and I figured the fish were relocating for the tide change and that was occuping their attention at that
very moment.
So here I adjusted accordingly, and the guys
couldn't keep their baits on the bottom!
It was fast and furious from that point on till
the next slack tide!!
They had a bet on the biggest fish and Charley
went ahead and got that out of the way first thing with the big Amberjack being the first fish he caught.
Now Greg was about to challenge the big fish
pot several times, but, just couldn't keep them on the hook!!
Donald held his own and put both groupers in
the boat!!
It was a real pleasure fishing with people
from my home town area again.
That's the thing I miss most about not being
there anymore, it's all the nice folks around that area of NC.
We ended the day with quite a catch for just
three people!!
We had Big Black Bass, Almaco Jacks, Amberjack,
Shark, Grey Snappers, Triggerfish, Huge B-Liners, Big Joltheads, Silver Snappers, and two Groupers, a nice Red and a nicer
Scamp!!
I bet they sleep good tonight, I know I will!!
Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, fall is just around the corner, Yeah!!!
WEDNESDAY 8-22-07
This morning we woke up to Thunder Storms on
the beach and the Tower Buoy was saying 3+' waves every 4 seconds or so. This is too rough to enjoy fishing, and if you can't
enjoy it, why go?
So, we called it off again today since we were
headed offshore!
I have included a new updated weather forecast
for the weekend.
This 5 to 10 knot and variable wind and 3 to
5 and 4 to 6 foot seas is not making any sense to me, especially with hurricane Dean gone!!
Am I missing something here!!!???
CAPE FEAR TO 31N OUT TO 32N 73W TO 31N 74W 400 PM EDT WED
AUG 22 2007
TONIGHT VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
THU SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT.
SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.
THU NIGHT AND FRI VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
FRI NIGHT AND
SAT S WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
SUN AND MON E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
TUESDAY 8-21-07
Todays trip was cancelled due to the weather!!
Mike has tried to get offshore with me now four times, maybe five!! This has been a tough year for weather and offshore
fishing!! We'll try it again later!!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
P.S. A lot of you have called me wanting to
know about the weather this weekend, here is what the weather report is now at this time!!
CAPE FEAR TO 31N OUT TO 32N 73W TO 31N 74W 1030 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2007
OVERNIGHT S
TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT E OF 1000 FM... VARIABLE 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT.
WED THROUGH FRI VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.
SAT WINDS
BECOMING S TO SE 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT... HIGHEST E OF 1000 FM.
SUN SE
WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT FAR S PORTION...10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...HIGHEST SE.
MONDAY 8-20-07
The saga continues!!
The offshore trip scheduled for today was pushed back to an inshore trip due to the persistent winds of this el nino year
and the big swells rolling in off of hurricane Dean down in the gulf.
The saga of the slow bite inshore still
continues as well!! If we don't get some substantial rains soon to lower the water salinity and cool it down some, the inshore
bite is going to stop completely!!!
Today we were fishing with Tom Regnell and his
son Will, these guys are from Alexandria,VA.
We started off up at Carolina Beach where it
was a lot calmer due to the mainland blocking the SW winds.
We started fishing for some sharks first, this
was slow as well producing only one Lemon Shark. When a shark won't bite it is slow!!!
We finally gave this up and tried for the Spanish
Mackeral. The Spanish had been biting some as of late up here, but today, as they are famous for doing, they were playing
hard to find!!
We finally did get a few Spanish for dinner
and a couple were around two pounds, nice Spanish, and caught several that had the "head and tail" disease!!
No, they weren't diseased, they were too short, their
head was too close to their tail!!
But you know, the best part of our trip was
the conversations we had and the fact that a father and son was able to spend a day together on the water doing what they
loved to do with each other!!
I too remember those days, the real truth is
these type days just don't last long enough, so please take the time to spend some quality time with your son's and/or daughter's,
you and them both will be glad you did!!!
The shark Will caught wrapped up around
the motors and I got the line untangled and was totally suprised when the fish was still hooked up.
Today was his day to be caught, we took some
pictures and then Will released him to fight again another day.
Tom and Will, it was totally my pleasure and
an honor to be able to be a part of your day today. I only hope the best for both of you in the future as Will continues
to "sharpen" that eye for when a fish bites.
I will close today with a quotation
from Will, I am proud to say that he has taken our motto and used it very well, several times yesterday I heard him say FISH
ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI and I'm just waiting for cooler weather!!
SUNDAY 8-19-07
When I came to the dock Saturday afternoon,
my next days charter was there.
They were Joe Ambroso, Chris Bust from NC,
Bob Gofonia from Pax, AZ, Max Vestnio from Long Island, NY and Charles Lesperance from, Victor,NY
We were to do a 1/2 day trip and I informed
them that the inshore fishing on the 1/2 day trips was not doing good at this time.
But the call was made to try it anyway and
they found out that I was telling them the truth.
We did hit a school of Spanish Mackeral and
loaded all the rods up with four fish, but we could never find them again!!
There was not a white tern in sight all morning,
no bait on the scope, it was like the "dead sea" out there.
We gave up the trolling to try a little inshore
bottom fishing and this too was dead for us.
Joe did hook up with a fish that was too big,
a 36" Red Drum, just as well though that it was not in the 18 to 27 inch slot, we were more than three miles out and it would
have been illegal to keep anyway.
Now don't get me wrong, even the trips where
we don't catch a lot of fish are good trips, just not a lot of catching sometimes.
I have had a lot of people tell me that I am
hurting my business by reporting these bad catching days and that I should do like others and don't report anything until
I "load the boat", or say I do and don't put up any pictures!!
My answer to that is, "If I do that then I
will be just like everybody else, and you still won't know the truth and you still won't know when the fish are biting or
not"!!
This is a strange business to be in, it's like you
are danged if you do, and danged if you don't!!!
Please, leave me a comment in my "GUESTBOOK"
and let me know what you think!!
#1- Do you like me giving
it to you straight ?
#2- Would you rather I tell
you what you want to hear?
Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch
SATURDAY 8-18-07
Today we woke up to weather that was
no where near what was predicted for today, Imagine That!!!
I called my group to cancel today's trip
which was Eddie Lesueur, Thomas Peters, John Dare, and Stanley McMurry from Tenn.
Now, Eddie is the type guy who doesn't like
to take no for an answer, but with 4 foot seas every 4 seconds, no was the answer that morning!!
I kept watching the Tower Buoy and at around
10:00AM it finally dropped off to where it was "doable", then we left out!
I couldn't go where we had been fishing because
of such a late start and a "dead ahead sea", so, we went to the Tower.
Here the current was backing up into the wind
and the current was so strong that two 16 oz weights would not keep us on the bottom, a tough bottom fishing situation to
say the least.
We finally gave it up after catching a few
fish and headed to try to find less current.
We finally made it to the Raritan where Eddie
hooked up with three monster fish. One pulled off, another straightened the hooks and another one got him in the prop on the
motor.
There were a few more big fish hooked up here
but were lost also to various reasons.
Well, I was thinking AJ's and finally Eddie
hooked up and everything went right and the fish was brought to the gaff.
It was a real hard and tough day today for
me in trying to put these guys where we could catch fish with such a small amout of time to do it in, but I got them some!!
I told Eddie the next time he came down and
the weather turned bad, let's go play golf or go fishing on the pier, 'cause we weren't going offshore!! Till next time, FISH
ON!! Capt Butch
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16
Captain Butch had a really good report here, but when I added the picture for some
reason it disappeared. I did want to tell you that the fishing has been tough lately, with lots of wind and rough seas.
Fishing on the beach has been almost non-existant with few spanish and sharks being caught. The flounder and spade fish might
be there, but the jelly balls for the spade fish are not.
Sorry to disappoint so many that call for 1/2 day and we tell you the fish are not
biting to well inshore, but this business was built on truth. Sure truth doesn't help pay the bills, but it helps you sleep
better at night and you won't have to answer for your lies on the judgement day.
Capt. Butch along with Capt Chris, who had a day off from work and thrilled his dad
by being able to go, took Tom Storrs, of Washington, DC and his sons out on Thursday. They tried Carolina Beach, since
Oak Island beach was too rough, but had no luck there. They then fished on the shoals where they caught the shark below.
There were several other boats out that day but they returned to port empty handed.
Capt Butch has gone out today, Saturday, so perhaps he'll have a better report later.
Till then, Capt Butch and Capt Chris say FISH ON!!
William Storrs show off the shark he caught.
TUESDAY 8-14-08
This report should be under the one on the
bottom, but, it's late and it has been a long day!!!
The second half of our day was nearly a reflection
of the first half!!
This time we were fishing with Kip, Marybeth,
and Ben Howlett from McLean VA.
The fishing was still slow but we managed to
get Ben his first Spanish Mackeral as well!
The smiles say it all!!!
We tried some shark fishing for a while and
got a few bites and one bite was a good shark. It made three or four hard runs on 30lbs of drag but never got the hook.
Again, we were brought home, but this time
it was by "Captain Ben" doing the driving. Be sure to let him know as well how good he drives a big boat!!!
Both trips were fun watching these young fishermen
get their first fish, I just wish the fish were here like they are supposed to be this time of year so these guys could
have had a better fishing experience!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
TUESDAY 8-14-07
Today we were fishing the first half
of the day with Jarrett Whitley, Adam Whitley, Chris Whitley Sr, and Chris Whitley,Jr. from Harrisburg,NC.
Even though the fish have not been biting very
well on the beach lately we achieved the most important goal today and that was to get Jarrett, or should I say "Captain Jarrett"
his first Spanish Mackeral!!
Yes, the bite was terrible, but I was fishing
with some guys that are true fishermen and understood the fact that the fish don't always do what we like them to do.
But the smile on "Captain Jarrett's" face indicates
that the fish bit good enough for him anyway, and that's really all that matters.
If you see "Captain Jarrett" let him know that
he can really drive that big boat mighty good!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
Monday August 13th
We were fishing with Tim Jackson,(aka Hurricane
Tim) Kim Jackson, Katie Lester, and Heather Huggins.
We were on the offshore grounds after bottom
fish and grouper.
The bottom fish are biting offshore very well
at this time and the grouper bite is great, just ask the "grouper lady" that would be Kim.
She caught 3 of these big grouper, but, Heather
was waiting for quality instead of quantity.
Heather only caught one but it was the
biggest of them all!!!
It was another good day on the water
and I was with some good friends from my home town of Lexington,NC. It's always a pleasure to fish with Tim and Kim and
I think we now have a couple of new offshore fishing gals that you will see a lot more of in the future!!!
I sure hope so, these girls know how
to fish!!!!
The inshore bite for spanish and sharks is
not very good at this time, and it looks like we may be having some bad weather working it's way here in the next few weeks.
Will this help the fishing or make it worse??!!
We will see...
Oh yeah, as for "Hurricane Tim" I don't know
what the future holds for him, it was actually calm and flat seas Monday!!
Has he lost his touch and can't bring windy
weather with him anymore when he comes to the coast??
I sure hope so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
SUNDAY 8-12-07
Is this August or March???? The winds are blowing
and the seas are rough!!! Ever since I got back from the seminar road trip the key word has been cancel!!! Well, it will calm
down again and at least for now the temperatures are not in the 100+ range as they were at the first of the week. As soon
as the weather/winds break we will be headed back fishing. Be patient and "hang in there"... FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
FRIDAY 8-10-07
OK, I will apologize for
"sneaking off" a few days. I am humbled by the dozens of emails from you guys and gals hoping all is well and why I haven't
posted lately.
Thank You all for your concerns, as I said,
I am very humbled and it means a lot to me, so, I owe you all an explaination!!!
Here's where I've been. I actually went to
Kernersville,NC and did a seminar for the Triad Chapter North Carolina Waterman Saltwater Fishing Club on Monday evening on
bottom fishing.
I really enjoy doing this, but, my schedule
can be hard to work these in at times, especially this time of year. I never knew that when I scheduled these that it was
going to be so HOT!! So, I actually didn't have to be out on the ocean in such miserable conditions, and at my age, that's
a blessing!! Jesus has a way of taking care of his own!!!!
On Tuesday, I spent the day meeting with a
few of my sponsors and discussing how we could better promote their products and services. This too, I really enjoy doing,
just hard to get the time this time of year!!
On Wednesday morning I finished up my sponsor
committments and headed to Charlotte,NC to speak at the Charlotte Offshore Saltwater Fishing Club.
Both of these clubs are to be commended for the great
works that they do, especially for our kids!!! When you meet one of these club members, be sure to thank them, these clubs
are much more than just fishing, they are a tremendiously great asset to the fishing world as a whole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everywhere I went I met old friends, put some
faces with a few names, and made a lot of new friends, I have got to have the best job in the world!!!!
Andy and I were talking Wednesday night about
the weather this weekend. You all know Andy,(BOAT DOC), now you know who I'm talking about. Well Andy, looks like you were
right, I got home and have had to cancel the trip I was scheduled to run today. But with a predicted heat index of 115*, well
it may have been a good thing, tomorrow doesn't look good either at this time!!!
You,ve heard the saying, "it's a small world"
well it surely is!! I got back to Southport yesterday evening and we stopped at Golden Corral to get a bite to eat before
heading on home.
We were having a quiet dinner when my wife
said, that guy in line looks just like Maynard. I commented that we all have a twin somewhere. She then said, no, he's looking
at me like he knows me, I commented that I also stare when I see something strange looking, (but after 35 years of marriage,
she paid me no attention, you know, the selective hearing syndrome) we both have it now!!!
Well, turns out she was right, it was Maynard
Smith from Winston Salem,NC. Maynard and I go way back to the Striper Fishing days mainly on Badin Lake,NC. Maynard is the
best carpenter I have ever known. His finish carpentry is highly sought after by many, many home builders. His finish work
is a "work of art" he's a "perfectionist" and it shows!! He also fishes the same way!!!
He told me the Stripers were biting just like
they did that one summer, that translates to me that they are doing quite well. That summer, it was extremely hot, just like
now, I was fishing with Alvin Orrell, a good friend from my hometown community, and we all were slaying the stripers that
summer.
This has brought back a lot of good memories
over the years. Enough that I could probably write a book about those times, but I doubt anyone would want to read it, so
I'll just keep remembering!!!
It has been a great week for me!! My wife said
she has never seen anyone before go to work to get a vacation from work. She just doesn't understand the way we fishermen
and women work, maybe she is the lucky one, I don't think so!!!
Any how, that's why I haven't posted lately!!
and as soon as the weather (wind) settles again, I will be posting. I am not going to take my charters out in this rough stuff
and get everyone beat up and sea sick. I want them to remember their trip as a good thing, not a nightmare.
Hang in there, keep checking back, when things
settle we are booked every day and will have reports again when mother nature decides we can. Till next time, FISH ON!!!!
Capt Butch
SATURDAY 8-4-07
With storms just offshore and the Tower Bouy
reporting 3.3ft every 3 seconds, I wouldn't subject my fishermen to such a harsh and rough ride today, plus, it was
just plain dangerous to go out in this type weather....
So, again, we opted for a better day!!!!
Will be back on the fishing
scene in a few days, keep in touch, will be reporting again very soon!!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
FRIDAY 8-3-07
I based my decision on a late incoming trip
by what the weather was yesterday and how it looked at the time of the decision.
According to the "Tower Bouy" I made the wrong
call, but according to the weather service, the storm front was pushing bad weather in front of it up this way.
The moral of this is::: I was not sure so I
didn't go!!! There will be better days to be sure about, a fish is not worth anybody's life, and the ocean will kill you if
you don't give her the respect she deserves!!!
Hopefully, I will know more tomorrow and will
have another report tomorrow night!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch...
THURSDAY 8-2-07
Today we were fishing with Jonas Ferreiras,
Jimmy Platingos, Dave Szczepanski, Mark Jones, Steve Szczepanski, and Louie Vobato from Myrtle Beach,SC.
I checked the weather report and forecast this
morning and everything look good for a long offshore run, YEAH RIGHT!!!
About 8 miles out I stopped and just about
cancelled the trip. But everyone was in agreement to stay in a little closer even though it would mean that the fishing would
not be as good.
I kept looking and probing bottom structure.
Even with a strong ENE wind, which is absolutely terrible for fishing, and that was backed up with reports from other charter
boats that were reporting as few as three fish for the days catch.
I just kept on the move and we pulled up a
decent catch when it was all over with. We finished up with a bunch of Grey Snappers, Triggerfish, Grouper,B-Liners, Black
Bass, Silver Snapper, Almaco Jacks, and Sharks. The current was backing up into the wind today so we could not even run a
"lite line" to try for the Kings and Mahi!!
Not too bad for the rough conditions we were
faced with today. As I have said before, don't complain about the way things are, look at it as a new challenge to your fishing
ability.
Master the day and your confidence will grow
to new heights and soon you will be able to figure out a "game plan" no matter what mother nature throws at you!!!
But be careful and use good judgement, and
if you are not surebe safe and don't go, wait for a better day!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon,
and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
WEDNESDAY 8-1-07
THANK YOU to everyone that has helped in achieving
this goal!!! This is a great step foreward for our fishing future!!!!
Senator Soles Works to Protect Brunswick County Beaches
RALEIGH —Beaches and the
growing tourism industry of Brunswick County will be better protected under legislation the North Carolina Senate passed today
under the leadership of Senator R.C. Soles, Jr.
The bill makes it unlawful to take menhaden or Atlantic thread
herring with a purse seine net within 3 nautical miles of the shoreline of Brunswick County from May 1 through October 31.
"For decades, dead fish from nets have been washing up on our
beaches. This legislation stops it. I am pleased with the strong bipartisan efforts to correct this problem and protect our
precious beaches," said Senator Soles.
Again Thank You all for not letting this bill
"die" this time. You spoke up and we were heard and we had good people helping us out, so, be sure to drop them a note of
"special Thanks" at bonner@ncleg.net and rcsoles@ncleg.net I can't thank everyone enough for getting the job done, all are to be congratulated on this accomplishment!!!
MONDAY 7-30-07
Today we were fishing with
Greg Lima, Ann Lewis Lima from Fayetteville,NC and also Lee Lienemann and his son Zachary from Fort Leavenworth,Kansas.
Our target today was bottom fish. We ran out
to 100+ feet of water to start our fishing. This depth has been producing the best for us lately.
Upon arriving and dropping the anchor on a
likely spot I deployed the lite line and never got the rod in the holder before a big king mackeral jumped all over the frozen
cigar minnow.
I knew it was a big fish the way he screamed
the reel, a real smoker. Lee fought the fish to almost boat side, close enough we seen her once, a real nice fish, looked
to be in the high thirties.
And as the way most big kings get big, the
hooks just pulled loose. Oh well, that's why it's called fishing!!
I rebaited and deployed it again and bam, a
Mahi-Mahi dived on it this time. Lee fought this one to the gaff, a nice bull around 12 pounds.
I went through the same scenerio with several
Mahi and two more kings, one around 10 pounds and another in the 20s.
I was thinking if this keeps up, I will
need to put the lite line up if we are going to ever get to fish on the bottom.
As it often happens, the lite line bite slowed
and we were finally able to get to the bottom.
There were three "highlights" today on
our trip, the first was Lee catching that big king mackeral, the second was Zachary landing an Amberjack that was as big as
he was, and the third was watching Greg and Ann fight the big Red Grouper to the top. It was Ann's grouper, she
just needed some help with this one.
All the guys and gals did an outstanding job
today. The seas were calm and the winds were light and it was about as hot as I can remember it being out fishing in a long
time but that didn't seem to bother the fish.
Oh yeah, I about forgot, there was another
highlight today. You should have seen the Shark that Lee got to the boat, Greg got some pictures of it, hopefully he
will email them to me so I can post them here.
We were going to put it in the boat but the
line broke before we could get him in. It was a big one, I estimate between 150-200 lbs.
We had a great trip today, it was way too hot
for Bodie today and 1st mate Landon was getting some things ready to start back at NCSU today so I pulled "double duty" today.
Lee, when you and Zachary get back to NC, I
hope I get to see you two again. Be safe in your dutys keeping America Free and you will always be in our prayers. Greg and
Ann, if you make it back to Southport again, give me a call and maybe we can relive our fishing trip over dinner sometime.
Thanks to all that fish with us and support
"Yeah Right Charters" You all are the greatest people in the world and have become a part of our family, God Bless You All!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch, 1st.
mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!!
Sunday 7-29-07
Today we were fishing
with Andy, Jerri, and Thomas Blanton from Rocky Mount,NC.
We were after bottom fish today, but about 30 miles out I spotted
a good sized board floating in an area that had several flying fish close by.
This is a perfect scenerio for Mahi-Mahi, and it proved to be
true again today.
We picked up a big triple tail along with eight Mahi-Mahi before
the rest of the school got smart and left. We went on our way to our original destination about 45 miles offshore.
The fish were not schooled up as they have been all week, but
they were there enough to make everyone's arms sore before the day was through.
Today was the first time these guys had ever been offshore fishing,
and I have a feeling it won't be their last.
Andy, Jerri, and Thomas, the only way we could have possibly made
the day any better would have been if Amanda had felt well enough to have joined us today!!! Let's hope soon she will be able
to experience the thrill of offshore fishing as well!!!
Another great day with more great people sharing my world out
on the "high seas", it doesn't get any better than this!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate landon, and "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!.
SATURDAY 7-28-07
What a day the crew from Charlotte,NC
had today!! We were fishing today with Billy Brown, Charles Williams, Red Lockhart, James Holloway, Jesse Holloway, and Roy
Hunsucker.
These guys wanted bottom fish to put in the
freezor. Well, when you see them in a few days from now, (they will be cleaning fish that long), just ask them how it went...
They told me that this wasn't fishing, THIS
IS WORK!!!!
We ended the day with around 450 to 500 lbs.
of fish. We had full limits of "reef complex" which were Grey Snapper, Triggerfish, and Almaco Jacks. We
also had Amberjacks, Grouper, vermillion snapper, Silver Snapper, sharks, Mahi-Mahi, and another Hognose Snapper.
These guys put a whipping on some fish and
in the end they were pretty whipped themselves, but, it was a good kind of whipping!!!
Another great day with more great people..
How can it be any better????? Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog
says, FISH ON, TOO!!
Friday, July 27
We fished
with these guys earlier in the week on Monday, but we could not get offshore due to the weather.
Well, when we got in Monday evening, we
decided to try it again on Friday. This time the weather was perfect, HOT, but perfect!!!
I don't think Harrison, David, and
Phillip Call were expecting what was in store offshore. These fish fight hard and bite like bulldogs!! Doug, their dad, has
fished a lot and knew what was in store, but I think the boys were quite suprised!!!
We ended the day with limits of fish
and sore arms!! Another great day on the water with some of the greatest people in the world, and those people would be fisherpeople!!!
Boys, take care of dad, and I hope
to see you again soon!!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, sorry I couldn't make
it Friday, I'll try again next time!!
THURSDAY 7-26-07
Well the weather has finally settled
a few days and the fish are biting. Just ask these guys!!!
We headed offshore this morning with some clients
that have turned into friends over the years. They are Pat Kee and his two sons Ben and Haden with them were Jim Parrish and
his son Kyle. They are all from Charleston, WVA.
These fellows are always a pleasure to spend
a day with on the seas and just great people!!
I could go on about how the fish are biting,
but I will just let the smiles on these young men's faces do all the talking!!! Oh yeah, check out the shark that Kyle got
to the boat side for a "photo shoot" plus all the other fish that Ben, Haden, and Kyle caught, Yeah, Jim and Pat helped out
some also!!
The weather is calm, now's the time to catch
'em up!!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
WEDNESDAY 7-25-07
We had three guys fishing with us today from
Pennsylvania. They were Doug Vandine, Ray Redding from Muncy, PA and Andy Bovaird from DuBois, PA.
We got off to a slow start this morning, but
as things progressed, so did the fishing, or should I say catching!!
We had a great time and these guys put the
fish on the deck today.
They all caught grouper, but Doug was the undisputed
"Grouper King" with the four biggest Red Groupers. Now Ray, I could tell he was "holding back" not to show up the two younger
guys, especially Doug since he was his "father-in-law"
Now Andy, he held back nothing!!! We
tried to get the biggest nurse shark I think I have ever seen in the boat, but when it decided to leave, not even a flying
gaff would hold him, he just swam off into the deep blue sea!!!
Check out the pictures of that shark right
here along with the rest of the catch. Another great day of fishing with the best people in the world, "people who fish".
Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I rode on the back of a nurse
shark one time, really, I did, just ask dad, I mean, Capt Butch!!!
TUESDAY 7-24-07
Today we went fishing with Ron Harvey, Ronnie
Harvey, (these guys have been fishing with us for several years now) with them they had some new guys, they were Brock Garrett,
and Javan O'Neal. They all are from WVA.
Well to make a long story short, the fish are
still biting offshore.
I have a new respect for you guys that charter
inshore!!! No disrespect intended, but ya'll can have it!!! I'll stick to offshore fishing!!
We loaded the boat today with Grey Snappers,
B-Liners, Almaco Jacks, Amber Jacks, Trigger Fish, Joltheads, Grouper, Black Bass, Sharks, King Mackeral, Mahi-Mahi, and even
caught a Cubera Snapper!!!
Thank You Jesus for calming the seas for us
again today!! He knew I probably wouldn't stay sane if I had to fish another day inside!!
We went straight off the Cape Fear about 45
miles today and the fish were hungry. The weather looks ok for the rest of the week (at this time) so get out there and "Catch
'em up"!!! Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I wanted to go today,
but the arthritis in my legs said no, maybe again soon!!!
MONDAY 7-23-07
We picked up Doug Call, David Call, Phillip Call, Harrison Call, Chris
Pollock, and Christopher Pollock from Roanoke,VA. at Bald Head Island this morning.
I spoke with Doug on the phone this morning and advised him that today
offshore was not an option, especially with the young boys that were going to be on board.
I even let him know that the inshore King, Spanish and shark bite
has not been the best lately, in fact, it's been pretty bad as of late; Hey, we just want to go fishing, was the reply.
So we went fishing!!! The Spanish Mackeral were around. We could see them
jumping occasionally, but only one was put in the boat and another was lost at boat side, a bigger one, of course!!!
We pulled off this and went shark fishing, and this too was slow. We did
get a few Atlantic sharpnose that we could keep for the grill. Doug would have had a real big fish story to tell, but I couldn't
get the boat turned fast enough before he "dumped" the reel and broke it off the spool!!! This was a "BIG" fish!!!
No, the catching wasn't the best, but the company made up for that, it
was an enjoyable day on the water, and this is what makes a great fishing trip!! If it were all about the fish, then it would
be called a "catching trip" Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says,
Yeah man, it was cooler and I went fishin'!!!!
SUNDAY 7-22-07
Another windy day, another day "on the
hill". Tomorrows weather forecast looks promising, we will see!!! Got trips every day this week, hopefully we will get some
of these in so we can have some reports as to what's happening offshore!!! The Red Drum and Flounder bite is real good
now with a few trout mixed in!!! Keep in touch!!!!!FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.......
SATURDAY 7-21-07
What a week/month we have had. I don't ever remember the
winds being this unsettled this time of year. We have had to stay mostly close in to the beach where the bite has been anywhere
from real tough to not at all. The first few weeks we were plagued with "grass" everywhere fouling your lines when you tried
to fish. But it's now all washed up on the beach!! The only expectations have been a few times that we have been able
to take advantage of the Islands blocking the SW winds where we could run up to Carolina Beach, but, here also, the bite has
been real slow with mainly Shark fishing providing some action. The shark fishing has also been sporadic!! The reefs around
10 miles out at CarolinaBeach have produced a few King Mackeral,
Spanish Mackeral, and a stray Mahi- Mahi or two! The usual fish holding spots off our beach has produced some fish over
the past few weeks; the trouble has been finding calm enough seas to get out there. The inshore fishing for King
Mackeral and Spanish Mackeral has been about as slow as I have ever seen it. When we were able to get offshore before all
this wind moved in we were doing real good with the Grouper and Bottom fish in the areas around the Tower and to the East
and South West. The King Mackeral and Spanish Mackeral bite in these areas were fairly good as well. Hopefully when we do
get back out there the fish will still be there, but, from what I've seen so far this year, I wouldn't be surprised at anything!!
If you are not trying to make a living in the charter boat business, count your blessings this year. We have cancelled more
trips than we have run, and the trips we have run have been real hard to produce fish on. This is the best I can come up with
at this time; it's hard to provide a fishing report when you are sitting on "the hill" waiting for the winds and seas to calm
down so you can get back out!! Yeah, I know, this is not the kind of report you want to be reading here in July, but I am
known for telling it like it really is and sometimes the "truth hurts"!! Let's all just hope that by the time you are reading
this that things have turned around for the better and once again the word from the back of the boat will be” FISH ON"!!!
Also, we would like to welcome L &
A AUTO REPAIR, TIRE, & ALIGNMENTCENTER
to our growing sponsor companies. Check out the full details on our "Sponsor Page" about this fine business and go by and
see Jonathan for your car care needs!!! Oh Yeah, Jonathan said to bring a written quote from anyone else and tell him
you saw it on this web site and he will beat their price!!
FISH ON!!
Capt Butch
WEDNESDAY 7-18-07
Had to cancel todays trip. The winds
have decided it is time to blow again for a while. We will report what's happening when we are able to get back out. Hopefully
by the weekend, hopefully, sooner!! As soon as we go you will know!!! But I can tell you this. If you can't get offshore,
the inshore King fishing and such is slow, and who knows where the Spanish Mackeral are!!!
FISH ON!!
Capt Butch
TUESDAY 7-17-07
Today we were fishing with Steve Baker, Bryan
Baker, and three of the toughest and best fishermen and fisherwomen I have ever known. These three are their kids, Robert,
Sam, and Caroline Baker
The summer pattern with the winds that we are
having has the fishing real slow. Everyone is having a hard time putting fish in the boat on their fishing trips.
The biggest problem is the winds have held
us to the beach lately and the beach is not producing very much now!!
The Spanish Mackeral have virtually vanished!!!
The King Mackeral are farther offshore like
the Horseshoe areas and we haven't been able to get out that far, so therefore, the fishing has been tough!!
But, even with all this going on, we still
managed to get all three, Robert, Sam, and Caroline their first King Mackeral.
Robert caught the first one, Sam, he caught
the second one but his was under the 24" size limit and had to be released. Caroline's King was bit half into by a big Barracuda
before she could get it to the boat, but, still her 1/2 fish was bigger and heavier than the whole one we had.
We had a couple more on that pulled the hooks
and one was a "smoker". We dropped to the bottom and got some nice B-Liners and a few grey snappers.
Think about that, think the fishing ain't messed
up, we caught B-Liners INSHORE!!!!
Hope things get better for fishing soon!!!
Steve, Bryan, it is always a pleasure to spend
the day with you in the boat and you guys have got three kids to be very proud of, I know I sure am proud of them, they are
fantastic young men and women!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog
says, I am sad I couldn't go today, I sure missed not seeing my buddies today.
MONDAY 7-16-07
Today the winds held us to the beach
shark fishing. Offshore was not an option, too windy!!
We were fishing with Scott Karasinski,
Mike Karasinski,Sr. Mike Karasinski,Jr and Courtney Karasinski. Now, Scott and Courtney were from Mequon, Wisconsin. Mike,Sr
and Mike Jr were from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Also fishing with them were Kelly O'Grady and Coni Jotaratuta from Fredricksburg,Virginia.
We went to Carolina Beach because it was rough
on our beach. Up there it was calm and the fish were not biting well at all.
We had a half day trip and all we could get
was one run, a few missed strikes and only put one shark about 35 lbs. in the boat.
This shark was fought and landed by Mike Karasinski,
Jr. We were hoping for some more but mother nature had different ideas so we had to play by her rules!!
We had a great day of fishing with these guys,
just the catching was a little slow but everyone seemed to have a real good time just being out enjoying each others company
and any fish that bit was just an added bonus!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon and "Admiral Bodie"
the fish dog says I'll be back just as soon as it cools down a little!!
SUNDAY 7-15-07
We had a short day today and had an all girl
crew from Dallas Texas. They were students from Vanderbilt University and it was Anne-Louise Ryan's 21st birthday so, lets
all wish Anne-Louise a happy birthday!!!
The other gals were Audrey Decherd, Grafton
Day, Tori Patterson, and Janice Ryan. We were after anything that would bite and we had to stay close in due to the windy
conditions that were in the forecast for later today, and they hit it this time!!!
The King Mackeral bite was slow so we went
after some sharks. These were more cooperative and the girls set out to invent a new way to fight a fish and it looks like
they were a success!!!
We now have what's known as the "shark
trio fighting position" and the "you pull and I'll crank" technique!! I can attest that both fighting procedures will work
just fine!!
We had a great time fishing with these
girls and they are true sportswomen and all were very nice young ladies and a pleasure to spend some time on the boat with
them!! Hope to see them again soon!!! Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the
fish dog says, come on fall and cooler weather, I need a "fish fix"!!
FRIDAY 7-13-07
As some of you very
well know that when you book a charter it's like a "crap shoot". You have to play the cards mother nature deals you or fold
and leave the game.
Or, another way to put it might be "sometimes
you're a hero, sometimes you're a zero.
Or, yet another, "What a difference a day can
make"!!!!
Any of the above could be related to yesterday's
weather and todays. As I mentioned yesterday we couldn't get offshore and the bite was dead on the beach.
This was not the case today. Today we headed
offshore with Sam Manning, Mark Manning, and Andy Bose from Bardstown,KY. With them was a friend Mike Mays from Elizabethtown,
KY.
Along with all the bottom fish these guys put
in the boat today, Sam highlighted it with a big Almaco Jack, Mark caught a big Spanish Mackeral, and Andy caught a shark.
Now Mike's highlight was short lived, what ever he had hooked was big. We don't have a clue as to what it was. It didn't break
the line or anything, it just came un-hooked!!!! Maybe next time, Mike!!!!
About 3/4 through the day I learned that these
guys had never been out fishing in the ocean before, well, you would never have known it the way they pulled the fish in!!!
As I said in the beginning, you have
to get the right weather to be able to catch fish and today the Lord cast His hand upon the waters to calm them so we could
go fishing. Be sure to thank Him the next time you have calm seas and you too get to head offshore!!! Till next time, FISH
ON!!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, it's just too hot for me now, so, come on
cooler weather, I want to go fishin' again!!!!
THURSDAY 7-12-07
The winds we have had all week have really
messed the fishing up for a little while inshore!! We had two 1/2 day trips today and the first half was saved by two shrimp
boats at Carolina Beach.
Here we were able to get Anthony and
Casey McFadden along with their friends Colton and Bill Branscomb from Chilliothe, Ohio into some shark fishing.
This was the only reported action that was
happening today and it was not on fire. We hooked up 6 or 8 that broke off and put about that many in the boat. They all averaged
around 30 to 40 lbs. which were short of the 54 inch limit to be legal keepers.
They give everyone a good fight and were a
blast to catch and release.
We picked up our second group at 1:00PM and
was heading up the water way when Patrick on the Twister radio'd me that the shrimp boats had left Carolina Beach. I figured
this was not good, and I figured right!!! The evening bite never materialized, it was horrible for Grant Moss, Larry Strauss,
and Zack Strauss. We could only get one bite from a shark that may have been 12 inches.
Everyone that was King Mackeral fishing at
Southport and Carolina Beach was reporting not even a bite!!!
Spanish Mackeral fishing was the same!!!
The beach up at Carolina looked like the "dead sea".
Our beach, Southport, is dirty and the
grass is terrible at this time. You will need to get offshore to catch anything much right now!!!
Hopefully, this weather change will turn things
around in a day or so. It has got to improve, it can't get any worse!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon,
and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
WEDNESDAY 7-11-07
More fishing
reports coming as soon as the winds settle down. I have elected not to go out in these rough conditions and jepordize anyone's
life over a fish. Besides, it's not any fun when it's rough. There will be better days soon, keep in touch!!!!
TUESDAY 7-10-07
Lets hope this heat and wind doesn't hurt
the fishing. We are having to cancel trips this week so far due to rough conditions from a 20 to 30 knot SW wind. The whole
week doesn't look good at this time. But, time will tell the full story!!
Before the windy and HOT weather we were having
great catches on the Red Grouper. Limits were not uncommon. Baits that were producing were live Cigar Minnows, Live
Pogys, frozen Cigar Minnows and hand size pieces of cut baits.
Also, find a spot where the current was not
"screaming", the deeper the water the less current. The areas around the Tower in 40 feet of water has had terrible currents
lately and I have found that to the East and South West in the deeper water, 80 to 100+ feet the current has not been bad
at all. But, by the time you read this, this could all be changed to a different scenerio!!
In the less current areas is where you will
have your best luck on Bottom Fish like Black Bass, Vermillion Snapper, Grey Snapper, Triggerfish, Joltheads, etc. Squid,
and cut bait will serve well here to get these tasty fish on the hook!!
King Mackeral were biting well at the areas
like the Horseshoe's, 15 mile rock, Jungle, 90/90, etc. Here, you will do well to get some live pogys. However, if the live
bait is hard to get, they will bite the frozen cigar minnows good as well. I like to pull them on the "Hank Brown" style lead
heads, this will make the dead minnows swim to look like they are alive. Just be sure you hook them straight up from
the botton through the center between the eyes to prevent them from spinning. I like to check them at boat side for running
properly before I send them back in the spread.
Keep an eye open while Bottom Fishing
for Mahi-Mahi. We have been having them come up around the boat while grouper fishing. Keep a couple of spinning rods ready,
and when you see them, pitch a small quarter sized piece of squid at them on a plain #4 wide bend hook. Keep one
Mahi-Mahi in the water hooked up at all times, this will keep the school around the boat long enough to catch several
before they move on!!
The Flounder fishing season is here. The inshore
reefs are producing with mullet minnows rigged "carolina style". Speckled Trout have been biting well off the piers
on live shrimp as have the King Mackeral on live baits!!
Spanish Mackeral fishing is "spotty". The fishing
for these have been tough with all the Sargasco Grass that has blown in on the beach from offshore. I have had reports of
a lot of Spanish Mackeral action taking place at the 90/90 and Jungle. Try your 00 Clark Spoons in gold and/or silver pulled
on #1 and #2 Planers around 6 to 7 knots. Watch for the white terns working the schools of glass minnows that the Spanish
chase to the surface, a dead give away that Spanish are in the area, you will also see the spanish jumping out of the
water a lot of times when feeding, but, not always.
Spade fish are on the reefs now in good numbers.
A piece of "jellyball" will usually trigger a bite from the verocious fighters. Don't rig up to lite here, or you won't land
these hard fighters. Keep a few to eat, but please release what you can't eat to help preserve these fish for future fishermen!!
SHARKS, OH YEAH!!!! The Shark fishing is wide
open now!!! There have been some "monsters" hooked up lately!!! Some have eaisly broken 150 lb. test line lately. But, some
in the 100+ pound range have also been brought to the boat. Baits here include Pogys, Spanish Mackeral or just about any kind
of oily, fishy chunk of bait will work here. Just tie a big circle hook 10/0, 12/0, etc on you line, wire leader is up to
you, free line it out behind the boat while drifting around the shoals or off the beach and HOLD ON!!!!!!!!!!
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch
George Mullins ask
in the "GUESTBOOK" what kind of fish finder I use.
George, the
type of unit I use is a SITEX CVS-106 and a GARMIN 198C. I feel these are some of the best units
on the market, however, after years of using locators, I know what to look for. Nothing beats experience!!!!
SATURDAY 7-8-07
Today we went fishing with Ray Haight,
Don Nichols, and Kevin Hendricks from Bolovia,NC. We were targeting Grouper today and considering this was their first
time at grouper fishing, I think they did well.
The grouper were not biting as well as they
had been the first of the week, but, they were biting pretty good.
We hooked up a lot of grouper only to be taken
into the rocks and broken off. And you grouper fishermen know that when that happens a few times it's "Game Over" on that
rock.
We had a several "throw backs" but
Don did get three nice keepers to the boat. We kept moving and hooking up and breaking off fish nearly all day. I think
they have the technique figured out now and the next time they get a grouper bite the results will be a little better than
today's were!!!
We had the classic "fire drill" today as well
when a school of bailer dolphin came up around the boat. We managed seven of those before they moved on!!
Ray and Don also went one on one with a good
sized Almaco Jack today and even got their limit of Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks.
We managed a few good sized Black Bass,
but, we stopped on one ledge and were double heading big black bass but all we could get to the boat were heads. Sharks and
Barracuda's were chopping them off as fast as we hooked them up, I have never seen before every fish you hook up eaten like
they were today. I mean double header bass and both were chopped off at the gills!!!! It's a vicious world in the ocean!!!
Kevin finally woke up from his nap that evening
and joined in a little while and helped catch some fish before we headed back in!! The current at the Tower was "Screaming"
as hard as I can ever remember it doing. This makes for tough bottom fishing, but we were persistent and methodical and filled
a fish box in the boat full of Grouper, Grey Snapper, Mahi-Mahi, Black Bass, Sharks, and Almaco Jacks before we came in today!!
Another good day on the water with some
great local fishermen. Hope we can do it again soon!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog says, I just can't make it much anymore, but I think about all my fishin' buddies and the goodies you
all have brought me over the past few years, for that, I LOVE YOU and I THANK YOU!!
P.S. Also, I would like to announce that "YEAH RIGHT CHARTERS" has been
invited to join
the "COASTAL CAROLINA BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU".
To be invited to join this you must prove outstanding business practices and is by "Invitation Only" and we are
honored to accept this invitation!!
FRIDAY 7-6-07
We went fishing today with Jason Burkhart,Joe
Ward,Brandon Phillips from Thomasville,NC and with them was Marlon Suggs from Denton,NC.
Jason is a NC State buddy of Capt Chris's and
just so happened Capt Chris was able to attend this trip to fish with a friend from college.
The bite was not all that great today, but
we kept "picking" here and there until we "picked " up a good mess of fish.
Everyone seemed to have had a good time and
I believe everyone caught all the fish they wanted to catch.
I am never happy with what you catch, I always
want you to get all you possibly can, after all, it's my job to get you fish, and when I don't fill up all the boxes in the
boat, I feel like I let you down, I didn't do my job to the best of my ability!!
Jason, it was good to see you guys again. It
was good to have you all back on the boat again and have Capt Chris with us again for a few days.
I know Capt Chris has moved on to new
territory, but I/we sure do miss him and wish he were back fishing with us again, but, he says fishing isn't what he wants
to do, so we have to move on without him no matter how bad it hurts, that's life and that's the way it is and if you
draw and make a bad hand, you have to play the cards you are dealt!! Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, Capt
Chris, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
THURSDAY 7-5-07
Today we were fishing with Chip York, Craig Perkins,
Gerritt Howard, Randy (Shorty) Sharpe, and Brad Womble from Denver,NC.
We were just after fish today and the weather
man never said anything about all the storms we had to go around and the ones that were over us, it rained most of the day
offshore, so, we fished in the rain, or should I say, they fished in the rain. I expressed my rights as being the Captain
and stayed out of their way down in the cabin of the "Yeah Right"!!
I told them I was checking for leaks, but I
don't think they really believed me!!
We had another great day of fishing with more
great fishermen who knew how to have fun. You guys were great to fish with and hope we can do it again soon. Hopefully conditions
will be better suited for fishing next time, but I don't see how we could have any more fun, except maybe in dry clothes!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!.
WEDNESDAY 7-4-07
Today was another
very special day for Capt Chris and myself. We went Fishing with Dale Foster and his wife Ella.
Dale and I have the same last names,
but, as far as we know we are not related. However, we have hunted and fished together for more years than we count now, we
now go a far piece back, Dale, where have all the years gone, and how can they go so fast???
I have got to tell this on Dale.
He didn't like to bottom fish, he always wanted to troll. Well, we were fishing a couple of years back and the trolling bite
was nearly non existant. I asked if he wanted to try a little bottom fishing, he really didn't but Ella sorta wanted to so
we did.
Now, I guess Dale had related
bottom fishing to like spot fishing on the pier. I got anchored up on a grouper rock and told him to get ready. He looked
at me like "Yeah Right". Well when that first Gag grouper hit, we nearly lost Dale over the side of the boat.
I won't repeat what his comment
was to a gag grouper bite, but, if you want to know the out come of that trip, just check out the picture on this report,
I think you will understand then.
Dale and Ella, Capt Chris and I
truly enjoyed our day fishing with ya'll. You guys are some great friends and I really do miss Lexington,NC sometimes mainly
because of some of the times we have had in the past, but that's what makes our fishing trips so special, getting to see old
friends again!!!!
Hope you guys aren't too
sore from pulling in all those grouper. Keep in touch, call anytime, come see us when you can, we love you guys!!! Till next
time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch Foster, Capt Chris Foster, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I'll try to make it next time
and Thanks for the jerky.
TUESDAY 7-3-07
We always look forward to our annual
fishing trip with Niles Elber from Washington,DC Richard Pellack from Charlotte,NC and Lindsey Efland.
We were scheduled to do an overnight trip and
Capt Chris had planed to go along so I would be legal doing so.You have to have two Captains on board to do an overnight charter
legally!!
Well, the weather (winds) was not condusive
for that night so we had to call it off. A little later that night the phone rang and it was Niles and Rich on the phone.
They wanted to go fishing on Tuesday.
I informed them that the weather was
not going to be very good on Tuesday for fishing. They said that anchoring up in the river and spot fishing was fine with
them, they just wanted to go fish for something, or ANYTHING!!!
The seas were not too bad the next day, but,
the Horseshoe was as far as I was going because they were not that good either. So we went there and was able to save our
annual fishing trip this year with three guys that have become some great friends over the past few years.
As always, we had fun and if Niles plays his
cards just right, he might talk Rich into giving him some pointers on grouper fishing.
Oh yeah, if you see Niles, ask him if he knows
why they call Amberjacks "Reef Donkeys"!!!!
You guys take care and hopefully we will see
you before next year, but, if not before next year, lets hope Capt Chris will be able to join us again, it wouldn't be the
same without him!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch Foster, Capt Chris Foster, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says
HI!!!.
MONDAY 7-2-07
Sunday we went with 1st mate Landon's
Dad and brother and friends. They were, Landons dad Wayne Myers, Benton Myers and Dustin Myers from Smithfield,NC. With them
was Dillon and Mike Daughtry from Princeton,NC.
The fish of choice was eventually voted on
to be grouper. With the choice more for grouper than a bunch of bottom fish and grouper, this made it possible for me to focus
on the better grouper holding areas rather than multi-species areas.
The first areas I went to were dissapointing.
I had not fished them since last year and was surprised at how few fish were there. There were plenty of bottom fish but very
few grouper. These areas in the past haven't normally held a lot of bottom fish, but today they did.
I had in mind another area to our SW,
so we set out for this one. After about a mile or so, I was watching the color scope and marked a small but very good looking
rock. I hit the save button on the GPS spun the "Yeah Right" around and got on top of it and told everyone to drop down and
see what was there.
First drop, we hooked up five grouper
at once and put three in the boat. Yes, that number is in my log book!!! I circled the area and got four
more numbers from the same area. When the dust had settled we had thirteen groupers in the boat.
We had enough grouper, now we could finish
the day with some regular bottomfish and do a little trolling for kings before we headed in.
We found a good King Mackeral bite a
little inshore from where we were at. Only problem was the Sharks and Barracuda's were hungry as well and all we could get
were mostly heads. We did get a couple whole ones to the boat then it was time to call it a day.
We ended the day with Grouper, Sharpnose Sharks,
Black Bass, Grey Snappers, Silver Snappers,Triggerfish,Vermillion Snappers, king Mackeral, and Barracudas. Another good day
on the water with some great people and we caught a few fish, what more could you ask for!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt
Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I'm getting older, I can't make it as much as I used to, but
I'll be back soon, so save me a few fish to bite on!!!
TUESDAY 6-26-07
We were fishing today with David Thornton,
Perry Carter, David Brown from Winston Salem, NC area and with them was Shannon Kelly from Dallas, TX.
Now, David and Perry are not new to the
offshore fishing scene. In fact, these are the guys that did the video with us two years ago on King Mackeral fishing in November.
Be sure to stop by our booths this year at
the Raliegh and Greensboro Saltwater Shows and check out their fishing ability on the TV there. It was non stop action!!!!
Getting back to today's fishing. The King Mackeral
were "slick" today. I don't have a clue as to how many Kings were lost today, but I do know it would have limited us out if
they hadn't pulled the hooks before getting them to the boat.
As for the Mahi-Mahi, they wern't quit as lucky
escaping!! We didn't loose very many of those. Mabey a 1/2 dozen or so!!
That evening the bite slowed and
we spent the last hour or so bottom fishing. Another good day on the water with some great friends!!
Shannon Kelly and David Brown are
most likely "ruined for life" I heard someone say that these were their biggest fish ever and one of the guys had just caught
their first fish ever, sorry guys, don't blame me for this, David Thornton and Perry Carter are the ones that took you fishing,
I just drove the boat!!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch,
1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
SATURDAY 6-24-07
Today we were in the hunt for some Mahi-Mahi.
We were fishing with Chris Petroff, Eugene Coe,Sidney Passmore, Dean Maxwell from Thomasville, NC and also with us was James
Glover,jr and Mark Royal from High Point, NC.
The seas were a little "rolly" this morning
but we had a good ride to the Horseshoe area where the king mackeral and Mahi-Mahi had been biting well.
They were biting well today as well. But, they
wanted mostly live bait today.
If you took the time to get live (pogys) then
you were in luck. Offshore, usually frozen cigar minnows can almost hold their own against live bait. But you would know it,
today that wasn't so!!!
Our fishing team was running late today and
didn't get to the marina until 9:30AM today and with us getting under way around 10:00AM, we had already lost some valuable
fishing time so I chose not to take up any more time and head offshore with frozen bait especially since bait had been hard
to find all week.
Well I learned about half way out that the
bait was thick on the beach this morning, (why not), but it was too late then. The bite the day before was "on fire" for us
with frozen baits, so I was hoping it was today, well, go figure!!!
As I have said before, somedays your a hero
and some days your a zero!!! We still had a lot of fun and everyone caught fish. We even got a few small Mahi-Mahi along with
some King Mackeral. Had a lot of runs with missed fish and short strikes, but the action was erratic, live bait was definately
the choice bait today!!!
But on the bright side, I talked with another
Captain that was fishing out there and found out that our results were pretty good after all. But those that fish with me
know that I am never satisfied with what you catch, I always want you to get the most fish you can possibly get. I'm supposed
to, taking you fishing to get fish is what I do!!!
As for the trip, it was another great time
on the water (for most of them, you know, the "dreaded sea bug") with some great (almost hometown guys).
We heard some good jokes, told a bunch of fish
tales, "true ones of course" I think we even shot several deer, caught some fish, and even had a few of those unorthodoxed
"fire drills" a few times, you fishermen will know what I mean. It was fun, Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate
Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I'll be back at it soon!!!
P.S. There won't be any fishing reports for a couple of days. I am down for two
days for maintenance and repairs.
FRIDAY 6-22-07
Today we were fishing with Michael
Salinger, Frank Salinger , and Doug Zehe from Cleveland, Ohio with them was Brian Weist from Purcellville,Virginia.
We met at South Harbour Marina this morning
and I was told something that I have never heard before. This was a first.
When I asked what they wanted to catch today
they said that they wanted to catch some bottom fish along with some Mahi-Mahi and/or King Mackeral.
Now granted, that is not unusual!! What was
unusual was I was also told that they didn't want to catch as many fish as they did last year, we just put them on too many
fish last time.
Sorry guys, looks like I did it again, I just
can't help it, I love to get my friends/fishermen fish when they go fishing with me!!!
They and we had a blast today. We were
catching bottom fish two at a time and the creel consisted of Grey Snappers, Black Bass, Triggerfish, Almaco Jacks, Silver
Snappers, Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks, and vermillion Snappers.
We got all those we wanted then went on the
hunt for the Kings and Mahi! It wasn't long before pure pandamonium broke loose on the "Yeah Right"
We started trolling at a spot and caught a
King Mackeral, but it was slow. I was thinking now if I was a King Mackeral, where would I be right now, and I had an idea.
We reeled in and took off, upon arriving it
wasn't long before rods were bent over and reels screaming with fish everywhere!! We didn't have long to fish, but in the
short time we had, Frank Salinger caught a Big Bull Dolphin, Michael Salinger battled a 30+ pound Amberjack to the boat, Brian
and Doug were then caught up in a trio of reels screaming as three Mahi hit at one time. One managed to escape, but they each
added a nice Mahi to the Big King Mackerals they caught.
It's always fun when Michael and his crew come
fish with us, and this time was no different. We are already looking forward to the next time we get the chance to do it again!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
THURSDAY 6-21-07
In the "GUESTBOOK" Rick asked where the bait has been, this is
where I have seen it and heard of it lately: The Bait has been on the South beach of Bald Head but, a LOT of it is REAL small!!!!
Today, I heard that some bigger baits were caught in the creek at the Wildlife Boat Ramp, and I seen some flipping yesterday
that looked decent right outside South Harbour Marina as I was leaving the Marina.
THURSDAY 6-21-07
I had big plans today of working on the
"Yeah Right" but if you are in the charter business you soon learn not to make big plans for they hardly ever work out!!
This morning at 5:00AM my phone rang and I
had a group that consisted of Thomas Peters, Ron Burns, Johnny Utsman, Eddie LeSueur from Johnson City, TN, so we went fishing.
I hope the pictures will post, when I
took them with the camera they looked pink through the camera. If they do, check out the Big Hog Nose Snapper that Thomas
caught.
It's late and I got to do it all over again
tomorrow. Check back again for the fishing reports!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, "Admiral Bodie" the fish
dog says HI!!!
WEDNESDAY 6-20-07
The only way I could have had a better birthday
today than fishing with Charlie Crabtree, Mitch Crabtree, Jack Tonges,Bo Ward, and Nick Korn from Dixon, Illinois would have
had my son Capt Chris with us today!!
The weather man had predicted strong storms
this afternoon so I suggested we turn our full day trip into a half day trip so we could be back at harbour safe
before all this transpired, and this is what we did.
I would like to take credit for finding
these Spanish Mackeral but they were found by another Captain, and out of "Professional Courtesy" I won't reveal where
they were. But, I do know that there were some caught around the "Hot Hole" today, and you can usually catch them when they
surface elsewhere.
Just watch the water for them jumping and watch
for the white terns that dive into the glass minnows they run to the surface.
I had a full day trip tomorrow and we were
to go after sharks and other offshore species. The boats that were shark fishing today were coming up with very little
to show for their efforts and I felt that after this front passes tonight, what fish were biting today would have "Lockjaw"
tomorrow.
So, we have selected to re-schedule tomorrows
trip to August where the shark bite should be better, providing we have more stable weather at that time!!! Only time will
tell!!!
So, tomorrow I have a day off, now I can change
the oil and filters on both engines, change the lower unit grease on both engines, reroute the fuel line on the port engine, replace
the washdown pump that burnt up yesterday, replace the windshield wiper motor that burnt up last week, clean up the cabin
in the boat, replace the spark plugs that are way past due, change all six fuel filters, three on each engine, replace the
auto pilot with the new one that finally got here today.
I've got to stop there, I am starting to have
my doubts that I really want tomorrow off. But hey, in this business, this comes with the territory!!! Till next time, go
catch some Spanish Mac's, FISH ON!!!Capt Butch and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I called in sick today and missed one
of my favorite fish to jump on, oh well, I'll get 'em next time!!
TUESDAY 6-19-07
I have said many times that a 3 foot sea @
5 second intervals was to rough to fish in and I don't like to go out in those conditions.
Well, today I was reminded why I don't go out
in those conditions, IT IS ROUGH!!!
Today we were fishing with Martin, Mark, and
Pierson Shaw from Greenville,NC. When I called him this morning at 5:00AM and told him it was "border line" for me we decided
to give it a try.
It wasn't bad going out, I thought that maybe
I was just getting soft in my old age, I'm not it was rough.....
The winds have slowed the bite some offshore.
The bottom fish were reluctant to bite today, although we did catch some that included, Grey Snappers, Triggerfish, Jacks,
Groupers, Black Bass, Sharks, and a Mahi-Mahi on the lite line!!
The current was running strong today also,
that doesn't help matters either!!! We anchored up on a lot of fish, but for some reason that only they know, they didn't
want to eat our baits!!
Oh well, that's fishing!! No one can say that
we didn't try!! I guess if they bit all the time, there wouldn't be any left to catch by now!!
It is the 19th of June and the weather/winds
should settle down soon and then we can have calm seas again!! Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and
"Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
MONDAY 6-18-07
Yeah, I know, no fishing reports!! What's going
on here? It's the middle of June, it's supposed to be settled down by now!!
I hate that I had to disappoint my last two
days fishermen with the bad news of rough conditions offshore, but, somethings you can't do anything about, and the sea conditions
are one of them.
Oh sure, we could have gone out, but if you
can't go and have fun, and believe me, crawling around in a boat when it's so rough you can't stand up is NO fun, then why
would you want to go?
Hopefully, the water conditions will soon match
the time of year and settle down. The cool mornings we have had lately usually come with a price, and that price was unsettled
conditions and rough seas.
However, if you have been outside the past
couple of days, then you are aware that we are starting to get into a summer pattern and that "should" mean that the seas
will be laying down. Let hope so!!!
I know that when you book your fishing trip
several months ahead, it's anyones guess what the weather will be like, but at least you will have a shot at getting good
weather.
It's a gamble you take in this business.
So many people wait until they get here to call, and find out that all the dates are already booked and they don't have a
chance to get a good weather day. It's like trying to win the lottery without buying a lottery ticket!!!
So, if you want a chance at good weather,
you need to call as soon as you know when you will be here, book a day, and you might be one of the ones that get good weather!!!
I used to go when the weather was bad, but along with age comes
wisdom, so please, if it's bad and we don't go, it's not because I don't want to take you, besides, if I don't go, I lose
a days wages, my work is seasonal, and I can't draw unemployment!! I just know from experience you will not have any fun
and your chances of feeling ill are increased a lot, plus, you won't like me anymore at days end if I take you out in bad
seas!!!
We will see what it looks like tomorrow,
hopefully it will be settled enough to go. If it is, I'll report the results here tomorrow night!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch.
SATURDAY 6-16-07
After having to cancel yesterdays offshore
trip today greeted us with near perfect conditions. We were joined today with some local people that have fished with us before
several times and a few 1st timers on the ocean. I bet after today, it won't be their last!!
We were heading offshore today with Ralph Lewis,Patty
Lewis, Terry Locker, and Amy Brittain from Southport,NC and with them were Ken and Pam Puckett from Bolivia,NC.
To make a long story short, it was a
day of fishing that most folks dream about. Except for the short intermission when the tide went slack, they were busy
all day cranking in the fish.
Our catch today was aided with limits
of "Reef Complex Species" such as Grey Snappers, Triggerfish, Jacks, we had a couple limits of big black bass, some
groupers, pinky's, B-Liners, and although we didn't get a King Mackeral on the "Lite Line" we did get a couple of Mahi-Mahi.
Another great day of fishing with some past
clients that have become some great friends. If you can't find the time to go fishing sometime, you had better stop
and look around and notice how fast life is slipping away, you need to spend a little quality time on yourself once in a while!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, Bridgette didn't go fishing
today so I didn't go either!!!
WEDNESDAY 6-13-07
Checked the Tower Buoy this morning and
it was 1.2 feet every 7 seconds, swell height was the same. Weather forecast was for 5 to 10 knot winds and variable.
This is the reason I stress safety in going
offshore at so many of my seminars and about being careful going offshore in a small boat. Now granted my boat is only
28 foot, but it has proven itself as an extremely sea worthy vessel more than once, but, I have seen 18' boats with
low freeboard and low transoms at the Tower before.
Let me explain!! My wife asks are you going
today? My response was, sure, this is the best I've seen it all year!!
I met up with Paul Schwab, Mary Kaye Schwab,
Brandon Johnson, Courtney McKinney, Savannah Nagel, and Bridgette Nagel from Cincinnati,Ohio. After rounding up some
live pogys we set out for the Tower in hopes of filling the boxes with fish.
I was heading to the Fairway buoy and was noticing
the winds and seas building, a far cry from what I had read that morning in the reports. I looked at 1st Mate Landon and told
him something is wrong here. I guess after so long of doing something you get a 6th sense. I checked the plotter and seen
that the water was conducive for a move to the West side so I turned the "Yeah Right" towards the Raritan wreck on the West
side of the shoals.
Let's stop here for a little, I think
this is far enough the way things are. Turned out, that was way too far enough!!! The winds built to a steady 35+ knots and
the seas were building just about as fast. It was time to abort this trip and head for the hill. We were in steady 5 to 8
foot seas and we hit a span of about a mile of 10 to 12 foot seas. It was predicted calm and could have been disastrous for
a smaller boat!!
Please be careful out there, the ocean
is a force to be dealt with. It takes no prisoners and has no conscience.
As for the fishing, Paul caught a King Mackeral
and Courtney and Bridgette caught a shark. Today was a rough and tough one with the high East winds, it's amazing that we
even caught a fish at all.
This was these guys first time on the ocean,
I sure hope they don't think it is always like this, if it was, I would be doing something else and that's a fact!!! Till
next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I sure do love Bridgette, and hope
I will see her again soon!!!
TUESDAY 6-12-07
Today we started off with a 1/2 day trip. The
Spanish Mackeral were schooling up off the beach, but were reluctant to bite. So, since these guys had never been offshore
before, they decided today was the day to give it a try. We extended the trip to a full day, and away we went!!
I was cursed with that dreaded East wind today
but we prevailed and found some bottom fish that we could entice into biting. The lite line never produced a bite except from
some sharks.
We were fishing today with Joseph Dean, Trish
Dean, Emily Dean, Sara Dean and Steve Arbogast from Raleigh,NC. These guys said they had never done this before, but after
a little seminar in bait and gear use, it wasn't long before they had it down pat!!!
We left from the Tower area and went to a wreck
to try to finish off the day with possibly some dolphin and/or King Mackeral. We found some Kings and got a whole one in the
boat before the Barracudas discovered what we were doing. From that point on all we were catching were "fish heads" so we
called it quits and came to the hill.
It looks as though today were born some
new offshore fishermen and fisherwomen, and I can't think of anyone else I would rather have out there fishing than these
guys, They were all a pleasure to spend a day with fishing!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and
YES, "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog went fishing again today, he's almost his old self again, eating pieces of goodies, riding
on a bean bag, and cooling off on his ice bag!!
MONDAY 6-11-07
OH well, sometimes your a hero and sometimes
your a zero. I looked at the Tower Buoy and the weather prediction this morning and the seas were like 3.3' every 4.9 seconds
and the winds from the ENE.
It looks like I made a bad call this morning but
I was afraid that the seas might not lay down (as they did) but possibly get worse. And this would not have been a good scenerio
for one of my fishermen.
He is scheduled to have knee replacement surgery
next week and I could not take the chance, and would not take the chance of taking him out if there was any possibility of
hurting his knee any worse!!
So, regards to this, I don't have a fishing
report today. Tomorrow, I have a 1/2 day trip. It will be my first time on the beach this year so I haven't a clue as to what's
biting inshore. I should have a better idea tomorrow evening.
Check back, weather permitting, I'll let you
know what happens!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I'm getting better each
day, Thanks for all the emails and concerns for Bodie, I think he really knows that you have sent them!!! God bless you all!!
SUNDAY 6-10-07
We didn't fish Saturday, we had a Gulfstream
scheduled but the Tower buoy was showing 3.9 every 4.3 seconds so I decided not to "beat up" everybody, there would be better
days!!
Today was one of those better days. We left
South Harbour Marina this morning with Joey Davenport, Lamar Lundy, Reza Fatehnie, and Ali Fatehnie, all from Charlotte,NC.
We were after bottom fish and I knew
that I had to get my job done early as the winds were predicted to turn to the ENE and an East wind down here pretty much
shuts the bite down.
We left the Marina this morning and upon
arriving at our first fishing hole, the dreaded "sea bug" jumped all over one of the guys and would not let go!!
Despite the winds shifting and causing us to
have to change up our fishing technique to keep enticing bites, we had a decent day offshore on the bottom fishing grounds!!
We ended the day with limits of Grey Snappers,
Triggerfish, a couple of King Mackeral, Bonito, Spanish Mackeral, Pinkies, Black Bass, and Sharks.
What can I say, another good day of fishing
with some more great fishermen. This is about as good as it gets!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon,
and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I had to go to the doctor yesterday, I was sick, I got some medicine though, I'll be
back fishin' again soon!!
FRIDAY 6-8-07
Today we were on another bottom fishing
mission!!! We had with us Skeeter Midgette, James Midgette Jr., and Margie Midgette from Winnabow,NC and Ricky Midgette from
Wilmington,NC.
The day was filled with eventful events.
James caught his first King Mackeral, and a nice one at that!!! Skeeter and Ricky caught a little bit of everything, but,
the real prize winner was Margie. This lady caught two Kings at one time. She had one on the hook and the other one had wrapped
its tail up in the line in front of the one on the hook. I've been fishing a long time, I have never seen anything like that
before. To top it off, she wanted a grouper, so she catches one. But not just any grouper would do, she catches a real nice
Black Grouper. First one of those I've seen in a long time!!!
We ended the day with limits of Grey Snappers,
Pinky's, Black Bass, Triggerfish, Almaco Jacks, King Mackeral, Grouper, and Sharks. The day was another beautiful day in God's
glorious domaine. We are so fortunate we have the opportunity to share it with fishermen and fisherwomen and make so many
lasting memories!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!.
THURSDAY 6-7-07
As the old saying goes, "what a difference
a day can make", and that is no more true than on the ocean!!! Today we were fishing with Johnny Hubbard from Bristol, TN,
his daughter Alicia Hubbard from Jefferson City, TN, along with Ernie Hobbs from Tullahoma, TN, and David Hobbs from Jefferson
City TN.
We caught a bunch of fish today and Ernie
and David both got a nice Mahi-Mahi to go with the other fish that they were all pulling into the boat. Johnny caught a nice
scamp grouper along with a bunch of other fish.
Todays catch ended up with a mixed bag
of Black Bass, Joltheads, B-Liners, Mahi-Mahi, Triggerfish, Almaco Jacks, Grey Snapper, Silver Snappers, Calico Bass, scamp
grouper, Atlantic Sharpnose sharks, and then the "BIGGIE"!!!!
Who else would hook up with a fish three
times her size, none other than Alicia Hubbard. This gal, who might weigh 90 lbs. soaking wet and both pockets full of fishing
weights hooked into and sucessfully landed a Black Tip shark that measured close to 80 incnes.
She fought relentlessly for nearly an
hour on fifty pound class tackle, and she won the battle and came out victorious!!! Congratulations goes to Alicia for a job
well done, this brute would have brought a lot of grown men to their knees, but, she did it!!!!
It was a wonderful day with some great
people sharing the boat with us today. There were many long lasting memories made today, and really, that's the way it's supposed
to be!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, Thanks for the jerky,
that's my favorite treat!!!
WEDNESDAY 6-6-07
I went outside this morning at 5:00AM
and was greeted with a light breeze on my face. This is never a good sign!!! I came back inside and pulled up the buoy at
the Tower and it was evident that the weather man had goofed again!!
We had some guys today that just wanted to
get out of the office for a day and that's basically what happened. We were fishing with David Geddings from Greensboro,NC,
Darryl Goodwin from Clayton,NC, Rodney Vanbaskeczk from Aberdeen,NC, and Mike Taylor from Lillington,NC.
Upon advising them against going offshore in
4.9' waves every 4.3 seconds we wondered if we could catch some Spanish Mackeral on the beach. We figured we would try. We
rounded the corner at the West cut and after about 200 yards we had had enough, it was rough on our beach.
Knowing that the west winds would have
the same effect on Carolina Beach as a North wind does here, we decided to head up there. We were right, the beach was flat
calm but a little dirty. We went out a few miles to cleaner water but still no bites. I switched the radio over to channel
69 to see if any of the "locals" were doing anything, IT WAS DEAD EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!
All reports were "not even the first bite"
from everyone!!! When we finally left around 1:00PM to head back, the tally for the day was one boat at the Schoolhouse Reef
had caught one king mackeral, Capt Jeff on the "J BIRD" had three keeper Spanish Mackeral and one throwback, and we had one
shark, missed several more , caught a Bluefish and lost a Bluefish, and that was all we heard or knew about all morning.
Today was one of those tough days that
a charter captain in his right mind would never report, but it is what it is and that's the way it is, so, here it is!!!!
I guess the past few days of rain and winds
with the front passing through has messed up the water and bite for a little bit on the inside, but, you can rest assured
that when you can get back offshore they will be "chewing" on anything they can find!!! And I am going to try to get back
out there tomorrow. Check back tomorrow night, it can't be any worse than today was!!! I HOPE!!!! Till next time, FISH
ON!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
TUESDAY 6-5-07
We have been land locked for the past
few days. To be honest, I needed the break, I just hate some of you didn't get to go fishing because of the bad weather!!
The weather looks as though it is going to
be shaping up into a summer pattern the next few days and right now the weekend looks good. But as you know, it can change
quickly down here and it's just Tuesday.
No, I am not always negative, I just know to
always be prepared for the changing weather conditions that can happen here real fast!!!
I have gone to bed with the forecast of clear
skies,slick seas, and light winds in the morning only to wake up to thunder storms and 30 knot winds, always keep that
possibility in the back of your mind and you will handle our weather just fine!!
I am going to give it a try tomorrow, don't
know yet where we will be going, but, I'll give you the results here tomorrow night. Till then, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch &
"Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!
MONDAY 6-4-07
How do I respond
to this without making someone upset. I probably can't, but it needs to be done!!!!!
For those
of you that sign our "GUESTBOOK" and/or leave comments, I really do Thank You!!!! However, it seems here lately that my "GUESTBOOK"
has been used to attack a fellow Charter service and I just can't let my web site be used for that purpose!!
Please, if
you have a problem with another charter service, let them know. I realize they don't have a "GUESTBOOK" where you can voice
your opinion, but they do have a phone #, so call them and let them know how you feel, or better yet, GO SEE THEM!!!
My web site
was NOT created for the purpose of hurting anyone, and for this type of material to come through my "GUESTBOOK"
is not acceptable. If it continues, I will be forced to remove the "GUESTBOOK" from the site!!"YEAH RIGHT CHARTERS" was built
out of hard work, customer service, honesty, going the "extra mile" if necessary, and respect for my fellow man and woman,
whether they
are beginner fishermen, pro fishermen, veteran fishermen, or don't fish at all, or are thinking about starting fishing.
Many of you
know that I will, and have helped out total strangers that are just getting started fishing.
So, PLEASE,PLEASE
let's all use the"YEAH RIGHT CHARTERS" web site for the benefit of helping others, not hurting them!! We all live in
AMERICA, and we have a choice, if you have a bad experience somewhere, you have the right not to go back.
I, too, in the past have been guilty of talking bad about bad experiences, and I realize it's hard not to do, we are
only humans and we all have feelings that can be hurt when you have been betrayed, rediculed, and/or lied to, and to
strike back is only natural!!!! But I have come to realize that all you are doing is lowering yourself to their standards
when you strike back and if you just leave it be and let it go, their deceitful ways WILL catch up with them and eventually
they WILL "self destruct" and then they can't blame anyone but themselves!!! You WILL reap what you sow, that one
you can count on!!!
So Please,
I ask you from the bottom of my heart, let's keep the "GUESTBOOK" full of pleasant articles, (unless you have a gripe with
me, then let me have it, It is my site about my charters, I realize I can't possibly please everyone all the time, and if
you are not pleased, let me know, but, if you are, I'd like to know that too!!) But, this is the web site for "YEAH RIGHT
CHARTERS", and other web sites should not be discussed here,(unless about good things) let's all restore what this site was
developed for in the first place---- FISHING INFORMATION and HELPING OTHER FISHERMEN!!!!
Thank you
all for taking the time to read this, It had to be said and it's got to be done. I have worked too hard to build this charter
service and web site to let it be torn apart by actions such as this!! I apologize to anyone I may have offended, but this was
and is a necessity!!!
FISH ON!! Capt Butch
& "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says HI!!!
SUNDAY 6-3-07
Another bad weather day so I'll pass on a few
more emails I have recieved about fishing to help pass the time!!
Hi Butch,
Bill and I decided to make a run to the tower for a half day. After getting the tower in site we began to mark fish
everywhere. We dropped in baits and continued toward the tower. Within 1 hour we had limited on Kings, several times with
multiple hookups. After that we pulled up and bottom fished. We caught several Snappers and Sea Bass. We also had some
real fun pulling in about 8 sharks in the 4 foot size which we released.
Just as wave cast predicted at about 1 PM the wind picked up and we headed home. I would like to give you a lot of
credit on this day of fishing. As we just took in your seminars in Greensboro we picked up knowledge to know what to look for
and not ride around wasting time and fuel. We will be looking for more seminars next winter.
The proof is in the catch
We are newbies in this offshore stuff.
hammertimemate
Charles Wilkerson
Here's one from Dr. Mark Pisano
I was
feeling the Private Bodie karma Sunday and was SW of the Tower where I hooked my first Bull. My sister and I were out
on our 25 ft Hydrasport “Bravo” (docked in Holden Beach Marina). We killed the bottom fish at the Tower
and got so tired, we had to troll to catch our breath. Didn’t take long….we had 2 kings in the boat after
about 30 minutes and THEN the cigar minor with the black and purple skirt was devoured by Mr. Bull and the fight was on.
25 minutes later, he was officially invited to dinner; he went 14.12 lbs. What a day! I had to share it with you
and really feel like the Private Bodie Karma was working for us. Funny thing though……….the more I
tell the story, the bigger that fish gets. I’ve shared the story with 5 guys at work already and he has worked
his way up to 19 pounds!!!!
Fish
On!
Mark
SATURDAY5-2-07
We didn't fish today. We could have booked
today several times but it was supposedly already booked, and that's all I will say for that!!
At least I have had a chance to catch up some
emails and questions from my fellow fishermen and women!! Man, I must really love what I do or I must be crazy,(more than
likely both) I just looked at my watch and it's 3:10AM Sunday Morning and I started answering emails around 8:00PM
Saturday evening, that means I've been on this computer answering questions for7 hours and 10 minutes!!!!!!!! So you see,
it's not all fishing, but, I enjoy it all even though sometimes I get pretty tired and a little overwhelmed and just don't
seem to be able to get caught up sometimes or have enough hours in a day!! So, Please, be patient with me, I will
get to your email questions, but, this is a very busy time of year for me!!!
I wanted to take this opportunity to post a letter
I got from a friend of Captain Bill Propst. If you remember, Captain Bill is the one who stayed with me for the long 5 hours
it took me to get in and with him was his friend Rock Stone. I am very proud to know these guys, if you run into them be sure
to Thank them for me and us fishermen, Oh yeah, you've met Captain Bill on the water I'm sure, he operates one of the Bald
Head Island Ferry's!!!
Here's the email I recieved, it just verify's
what I said earlier, Fishermen are the greatest people in the world!!!!
Capt. Butch,
Just wanted to drop you a line and say I am glad everything worked out on the boat.My
name is Rock Stone (No joke! That is what you get with a dad who is a football coach!).I own a wholesale/retail
seafood company in China Grove, NC.I
am best friends with Bill Propst and fish with him every week his ferry schedule will allow.I
will bring you a hat if I can remember to stick one in Bill’s truck during our early morning haze!I
was on the boat for the slow ride in Monday!I am sorry we could not do more, but at least we
knew you got home safe.Our only regret was that we didn’t have any high speed hardware
on board for kings!Bill and I agreed that offshore was no place for a man on one engine
and could not live with leaving your fate to the radio!Bill is a one in
a million guy and I am proud that he considers me a lifelong friend.I spent many years running
around his hardware store as a kid.I have been commercial fishing and shrimping since I was 11 years old.I
have spoken to you several times as we departed at the wildlife ramp and just wanted to put a name with the face.I
also wanted to thank you for all you do for our business of the sea.I monitor your website
daily and the information you post is invaluable to us when planning our trips.Bill and I structure
a good bit of what we plan to do around your reports.Also wanted you to know that I have
started my four year old already and can’t wait for our days offshore to come!I won’t waste
any more of your time, but just know that your hard work and reputation for honesty don’t go unrecognized or unappreciated!We
are always glad to help and won’t hesitate to call when we get on fish.May your days be
filled with light winds and tight lines!Catch Em’ Up,
Rock Stone
Stone Seafood Company
(704)855-FISH
P.S.-Keep me in mind if you run across any more bean bag deals!
Unless Bill buys a 70 footer sometime soon, I have got to get a better seat!
Some old football injuries keep my back screaming on the rough days!
FRIDAY 6-1-07
Went on a bottom trip today with Ed Bickett
from Mint Hill,NC, David Bickett from Winston
Salem,NC, Tom Beaty from Fort Mill,SC, Ed Roussel from Winston Salem,NC, Carl Westbrook from Charlotte,NC, and Scott Westbrook
from Lake Tillery,NC.
Things were going real good then it happened,
the dreaded "seabug" jumped on two of our fishing party reducing our bottom fishers to four. Now, we had a line out for Jacks
when one hit and after that Ed, another one of our fishermen said these here fish are what I want to catch, so then there
were three bottom fishermen!!
This was the third year that Ed Bickett and
crew had booked with us and we finally got good enough weather to go!! It was worth the wait, these guys were a pleasure
to fish with!!
Anchoring the boat today on the fish was next
to impossible with the wind backing up into the current, but we managed a decent day of fishing with Grey Snappers, Tile Fish,
Trigger Fish, Almaco Jacks, Groupers, Amber Jacks, Black Bass, Bonito, and a Bull Dolphin around 15 lbs.
Radio talk today was that the
bite turned on at the Horse Shoe finally!! Saturday looks OK in the morning at this time, Sunday, well I have already cancelled
Sunday's trip!! We will have to see what next week brings at this point. But the fish are biting so take some time off and
go have a little fun, you have earned it!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the
fish dog says I went fishing today and I showed that ol' Bull Dolphin who was boss on the 'YEAH RIGHT"!!!
THURSDAY 5-31-07
Met up today with Brent Harris
from Port Saint Lucie,Fl, Mark Jacobs(not pictured) from Arnold, Md., David Smith from McClean, VA, and Volker Mittendorf
from Hillsboro, NC.
We were after Grouper today and the first two
stops proved to be pretty good. Well, I had found a new place last winter while looking for the King Mackeral that were playing
hard to find then, and when I charted it out, I found it was not on a NOAA chart so it might be a good place to Grouper fish!!
Since I had not tried it yet this year, I decided it was time to go there!!
Well, to make a long story short since it is
so late, I'll just let the pictures tell this report!!! Till tomorrow, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral
Bodie" the fish dog is under the weather but hopes to be back at it soon!!!
WEDNESDAY 5-30-07
I'll not lie about it!! It's late (9:30) and
I just got in and I am dog tired!! But fishing with good folks like I did today is what keeps me doing what I do!!!!
Today we were fishing with Paul Paoli from
Badin,NC and his Daughter Heidi Paoli from High Point, NC and Mario Paoli and his wife Jennifer from Calumet, Michigan.
This was a first trip out for a couple of them
but you would never have known it, they all fished like they were in their back yards!!
It was a combination Bottom fishing and lite
lining trip. The lite line did not produce for us so the last hour of fishing we set out on a trolling pattern and this is
where we picked up the two Mahi-Mahi and King Mackeral.
The remainder of the catch included limits
of Grey Snapper, Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks, Pinkys, Black Bass,Triggerfish, Groupers, and Amber Jacks.
Another good day on the ocean fishing with
the greatest people in the world, the great fishermen and fisherwomen that fish with us!! I appreciate you all and God Bless
everyone!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Admiral Bodie" the fish dog says, I took the day
off today to celebrate my promotion to "Admiral"
P.S. I had a lot of e-mails tonight when I got in,
PLEASE be patient with me, I will answer them soon, but I am just to tired tonight to get them answered, Hopefully I can get
to them all tomorrow night!!!
TUESDAY 5-29-07
Thanks to all who have emailed and called about the
engine on the "YEAH RIGHT", but as I said in yesterday's report, "SUPPLY BOAT COMPANY" is the best in the business as far
as I am concerned!!!
With the mechanical knowledge of Mike Coffelt
and Tim Day, the problem was diagnosed and repaired in short order. It was amazing to watch the way they reasoned as to why
a particular occurance had happen and diagnosed the problem down to being able to repair the problem.
After the problem was figured out (which was
water in the fuel pump, and how it got there) and as to the reason it had recieved water in the fuel cannister and how
to prevent it from happening again, well, after this was resolved, Mike received a service Bulletin from HONDA stating the
exact diagnosis and repair he had already figured out. Fishermen, I'm telling you this is the man for YAMAHA and HONDA, go
see him if you have problems or call him at (910)754-7966. Mike and his crew can fix your boat!!
I have recieved a few e-mails from fishermen
this weekend. Reid Goodman and Dr. Mark Pisano sent some pictures as well. Take a look at the beautiful Gulfstream water
and the Porpoise sent by Reid Goodman and the Bull Dolphin sent by Dr. Mark Pisano. Thanks guys for sharing this with us!!!
MONDAY 5-28-07
First of all I hope everyone took a moment out
to say a prayer thanking all the service men and women, past and present that have kept and are keeping our country free.
Before I get to todays report I want to thank
a very special Captain we have among us. I had an engine to go down today offshore and Captain Bill Propst who operates the
boat "LISA LUANN" stayed with me for 40 miles at around 8 knots to make sure we got in ok. Captain Bill Propst, you are a
Captain of Captains and words can not describe the honor in what you did, THANK YOU again, if you ever need help on the offshore
fishing grounds, the "YEAH RIGHT" is only a radio call away!!!!
We went to the SW side of the Tower today to
do some bottom fishing. We had with us today our friends from Asheboro, NC and surrounding area. They were Brandon (Sharky)
King (be sure to ask him about the nick name), Eddie Howell, Tom Kindley, Eric Waugh, Wayne Lambeth, and Scotty Hoover.
These guys gave 1st Mate Landon a workout
today. There were fish coming in the boat from every direction. When the dust finally settled, we had both fish boxes
in the boat full with Grey Snappers, Trigger Fish, B-Liners, Black Bass, Almaco Jacks, Pinkys, and 16 keeper Groupers.
It was a slow ride back to the hill at 8 knots!!
But you know, there was a positive side to this mishap!! Think about this, The Lord works in mysterious ways!!!! These
guys were talking about how tired they were and were concerned about being able to stay awake on the long drive back to Asheboro.
The slow ride back gave them the opportunity to get some sleep and refresh themselves for the trip home. The engine will
be repaired to run again, and these guys made it home safe after some rest!! THANK YOU JESUS FOR TAKING CARE OF US FISHERMEN
AND FISHERWOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I am headed to "SUPPLY BOAT CO." this
morning to see Mike to see what the diagnosis is on the sickly motor. But, I have seen Mike work on these motors and I know
it will be cured in short order and running like new very soon!! But, if your engines are running good, go get yourself
some fresh fish dinners, and if I can swing it, I will be headed to Asheboro,NC soon to a fish fry. Till next time
FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, those slow rides home are hard on the bladder,
if you know what I mean!!!!!!
SUNDAY5-27-07
Today we were on the bottom fishing grounds
again. We were going to try for some Kings and Mahi-Mahi but the reports were of the bite being slow so we elected to drop
to the bottom and lite line. The lite line never produced a fish for us all day.
We were fishing with Charlie Lim, T.C. Chhay,
Ralph Samuels, and Patrick Cramer from the Concord/Charlotte, NC area.
Check out the Leopard Shark that was caught
today. A Leopard shark is a juvenile Tiger Shark. As they get bigger, the "Leopard Spots" grow into "Tiger Stripes" therefore
the name "Tiger Shark".
We invited him in the boat
for a photo shoot, then we released him to thrill another angler on another day!! Holding his tail is Ralph Samuels, on the
"Business End" is yours truly, and the angler that captured the prize is next to me, Patrick Cramer.
We had another great group with us today,
things didn't go too well for one of the guys today, hope you are in better spirits tonight than today, and I am sorry this
happens to some people. It happens to me occasionally, and I can relate to how you all feel when this "BUG" gets
you and that's why I try to do all I can to make you comfortable when it hits you!!!!
Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate
Landon, oh and "Private Bodie" the fish dog called in sick this morning, (he was too tired to go again today)
Saturday5-26-07
Todays trip was for some Kings, Dolphin, and
Bottom fish. We had with us today Galen Seidner, Derrell Perkins, Jim Phelps, Robert Carter, Mike Benton from the Denver,NC
area and David Lawrence from Magnolia,Texas.
We started off trolling for Kings and Dolphin.
The bite was not to bad, however, the hookup to bite ratio was less than desirable. We did manage a nice Mahi-Mahi and a few
King Mackeral, although we lost more than we caught!!
We all had a great time and caught a bunch
of bottom fish to go with the trolling species. Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Private Bodie"
the fish dog was happy!!!
FRIDAY 5-25-07
You may want to buy some stock in "Aspercreme"
or something like that!! I had a group from the Hickory, NC area with me today and these guys were busy all day catching
fish!!
Today we were fishing with Alvin Souther and
his son, Alvin Jr. along with Brad Souther, Andy Taylor, Chris Hudson, and Tim Greene. Another 1st class group of fishermen
and just good people!!!
We were fishing the bottom and lite lining
for King Mackeral and Mahi-Mahi. The lite line only produced one Mahi-Mahi and one King Mackeral, but, the bottom fish made
up the difference!!
We ended the day with 10 keeper Grouper, 2
Pinkys, 1 Mahi-Mahi, 1 king Mackeral, 10 bass, and 120 reef complex species that included, Grey Snappers, Trigger fish, B-Lines,
and Almaco Jacks. The current was running hard, but, the fish were biting harder. We also hooked into some big grouper and
big sharks that the guys could not do anything with but just hold on until they finally broke off!!
It's supposed to be another beautiful day tomorrow,
hope to see you on the water!! Till next time FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and of course,"Private Bodie" the fish
dog says, Hi!!!.
TUESDAY5-22-07
In
the "GUESTBOOK" Rick asked about the King Mackeral being inshore and where there was some bait,Pogys.
There have
been some Kings caught inshore and off the piers. The winds lately have dirtied up the water, but things should be normal
any day now. The areas you mentioned should be as good as any place you could try inshore!! As for the bait. The area
around the Hot Hole has had some from time to time but the biggest concentration has been around the shoals off of Bald Head
Island. Good Luck!!!
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch &
"Private Bodie"
Casey, I could not
get your e-mail to respond to you so I'll answer your "Private Message" here. You need to call Mike at Supply Boat Company
(910)754-7966. Be sure to speak with Mike. If this can be done, he can do it and it will be reasonable!!! Be sure you tell
him I sent you and he will do everything possible he can do to help you!!
MONDAY5-21-07
HMmmm!! It looks like that maybe "Private Bodie"
may be on to something here. Dr. Mark Pisano sent a possible interpatation as to what the fish dog may be trying
to tell us!!! What do you think? I think he might be right, and if not, I think he's real close. THANK YOU Dr. Pisano,
we really enjoyed this. And you never know what the future holds-- A BODIE CAST, now that's an idea worth looking into!!!
P.S. We are already thinking about promoting him to
"Admiral Bodie" he has definately put in his time on the water!!
Capt. Butch,
Sounds like there is a new and better off shore Marine Report from:
Private Bodie!
Heck, I’d call his Marine Forecast if he put one up. When he gets his own Private Bodie phone number, put
it on the web and we’ll all take advantage of it. Yes! Our 4 legged friends DO know more that we do sometimes.
Maybe
something like this:
GROWLS
ONLY=3-4 feet
GROWLS
AND TEETH= 4-6 feet
ONE
BARK= 3 feet
ONE
BARK AND TAIL WAGS= 2-3 feet
BARKS
AND TAIL WAGS=1-2 feet
BARKS/TAIL WAGS/LICKS/YIPS= 1 foot
It would turn “The Private” into more
of a celebrity than he already is in the fishing world. I may have to promote him to “General” if he gets
his own phone number!!!
Dr. Mark C. Pisano,
Ft.Bragg (home of the Airborne!)
SUNDAY 5-20-07
What was forercast yesterday to be a
calmer day on the water today was WRONG!!! We made it to the mouth of the Cape Fear River and that was far enough.
S00ooo!!! There want be a report today, in
fact the 40 plus foot boats that were on the outside a few miles even returned to the hill, fellow fisherpeople, it was ROUGH
today!!
Got a couple days off the first of the week,
then we will be back at it getting some more reports of what's happening!!
Let me give you something to think about, now
I know I am opening myself up to a lot of ridicule and picking, but hey, that's what it's all about anyway, if you can't have
a little fun, why do it in the first place!!
OK, here it is: Today was supposed to have
been nice, the radio talk had guys going to the SW of the Tower, some to the Gulfstream, some East side, just going all over
everywhere in hopes of loading the boat with fish. Now, here's the part that worries me.
A lot of you know just how much
"Private Bodie" the fish dog loves to go fishing, well this morning when I asked if he was ready to go, he growled at me.
Thinking that he was just picking, I approached him and asked him again, this time he growled and went and hid under the bed.
When I got back home, he acted unusually happy
to see me , as if like he thought he would never see me again!! Rather spooky when you think about it, was it just a coincedence?
Or, did he really sense that it was too rough to go offshore?
I don't know, but, I do know they are a lot
smarter than we give them credit for. Don't think they are smart? Well, just think of all the things your dog has you trained
to do!!!
Between our dog and our wife, we have it made!!
We don't have to make too many decisions, they both have it all spelled out for us. Enough of this, let's hope we can go fishing
again soon!!
Put a comment in the "GUESTBOOK" what you think
about this (or anything else) if you would like, I just thought it was very strange he didn't want to go fishing this morning!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon, and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I'm no dummie, it was too rough
to go fishin' today!!!
SATURDAY 5-19-07
Woke up this morning with a report from the
Tower buoy of high seas and NE winds.They were in a swell with the prediction of the winds falling out to 10 to 15 this
evening.
My first thoughts were to stay on the beach
and try for some Spanish Mackeral, but when I met up with Alan Loving, Boyd Hall, Taylor Hall, Roger Coleman, Tony Armstrong,
and Brent Smith from Madisonville, TN. These East TN boys have a reputation as being pretty tough, and these guys I could
tell were no exception, so we went to the Tower.
Upon arriving, we dropped in the baits and
very shortly we had our 1st King Mackeral screaming the clicker on the reel. Brought him in the boat then we had another hit.
We had visions of limiting out just like we did last week here at this same spot. But, just as it started, it stopped, and
not just for us, but for everybody in the area we were in!!
We went to the spoons and only picked up two
more kings!! It was around 12 noon and everyone decided that they would like to try for some bottom fish. The East wind that
had shut the King Mackeral bite down doesn't bother the bottom fishing as bad.
Now, the current was "screaming" as it has
been doing lately, So, I positioned the boat on the down side of a ledge that I have fished several times with good results.
Today was no exception!!! The 16 ounce weights no more than hit the bottom and the rods bent over with the pull of some hefty
Grey Snappers, Black bass, B-Liners, and Sharks!!
The slow bite from the King Mackeral was soon
forgotten as the fish boxes in the boat started filling up with some very tasty fish dinners for the guys!!
It was a morning of rough seas, but the
day ended up with calm seas, beautiful weather, two boxes of fish and I and 1st Mate Landon, and "Private Bodie" the fisH
dog, got to spend another great day on the water with some Great guys from East TN, I don't think a day could have been any
better!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate landon, and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, another day
of fish scales, sandwiches, and saltwater, I wonder what the poor dogs did today?
THURSDAY5-17-07
The winds kept us on the beach Wednesday
while fishing with Trace Smith and his friends where we found the water to be sandy due to the recent winds that have stirred
it up quite a bit. This had slowed the Spanish bite way down to a crawl.
But, today the winds had backed off and we
were able to venture farther offshore.
Now, a run to the Tower is not usually what
I can do these days with the fuel prices the way they are on a 3/4 day trip, but, those that have fished with me in the
past know that I don't worry about the fact that it may cost me more for fuel than I get for a trip, I will do what I have
to do sometimes to get you some fish if the weather permits and I can.
Well, today the weather was better, the bite
was slow yesterday on the beach, and I knew that the fish were biting at the Tower!! So, I figured that three hours fishing
in productive water would be better than six hours fishing in a "dead sea"
So, we jumped across Frying Pan Shoals and
I headed the "Yeah Right" for the Tower Reef #2 in search for some bottom fish.
1st Mate Landon and I had with us today
some more friends that we have made in the fishing business. They were Bill Gluck from Cary,NC and Archie Cress (Bill's Father-in-law)
from Mynot,ND. Rocky (Bill's brother-in-law) usually fishes with us, but could not make today's trip, sure hope you can make
it next time Rocky!!!!
We got anchored up on a school of fish
at the reef and although the current was "screaming" so hard we could barely keep our baits on the bottom with 16 ounces of
weight. But, the fish were hungry and the bite started off good.
We put out a lite line and very soon the clicker
screamed and the hooks pulled just as fast as he bit. Put it out again and it took off with what looked to be a Mahi-Mahi,
this fish pulled off as well. Now I am building up to something here!!
We put the lite line back out and we went back
to bottom fishing. A few minutes went by with no hits and all of a sudden, there was a boil and a swirl that
looked like someone had dropper a "HUMMER" on the bait and the line started peeling off the reel. I had to go get the anchor
up before this fish "spooled" the reel so we could catch up with it.
Now, remember I said earlier we only had
three hours to fish!! Well, to make a long story short, in about two hours Bill finally worked the fish, (now remember, this
fish was on 20 pound King Mackeral tackle) close enough to the boat we could get a look at it. He had went to battle with
a Tiger Shark on 20 lb. tackle that was in the range somewhere around 12 to 14 feet long. This fishes back was as broad as
a horse's back!!
After seeing what it was, we wanted to get some
pictures of it and we finally realized that despite our every effort, the only way that was ever going to happen was to put
more pressure on him and risk the line breaking, at the present rate, we would still be there trying to get him up. Well,
there is no picture, so you know what happened, but at least we did get to see him once good enough to know what it was!!
Only problem with the shark was the fact that
the time it took to get him up took up all our fishing time for bottom fishing. Archie was ready to cut the line and get back
to bottom fishing, but the fight by this time between Bill and that shark had gotten to be "personal". The big shark finally
won the battle, but only because he jumped on the lite tackle, had he bit the 50 lb. class bottom tackle, he might not been
as lucky!!!
For a little over an hour of fishing between
two people, Bill and Archie had a respectable bottom catch of some 2 to 3 pound black bass, good sized grey snappers, a few
"pinky's", kelp bass, B-Liners, and some more smaller sharks that we released.
Bill and Archie, it was great to see you guys
again and share some more memories, hope to see you again soon!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st Mate Landon,
and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, Archie, be sure to bring some more rye bread next time, that's good stuff!!!
Here is a report sent to the "GUESTBOOK" by Manning Outen
about the fishing at the Tower on 12th and 13th of May: Thanks Manning for letting us all know!!!::
Comments: p>
WOW, this was my first trip to the Tower and one I will never forget. Thanks to Capt. Butch for heading me in the right direction!!!
I called 7:00AM and asked where I should fish and Capt. Butch said the Tower and Yeah he was right again.
The first day with my son Hunter,
Chris, and Jack. We caught bottom fish until they said enough. While we were fishing a 20lb mahi came by to see what
was up. Big mistake, we hand feed him for a bit and Hunter slid him a hook and he danced his way to the boat. We decided to
troll around lunch time and the Kings would not let us eat! Cris, the birthday man on board caught a monster king 30lb.
and we grew tired after hours of now stop action. What a day.
Day two with my youngest son
Stewart and Doug was just as unforgetable! We started the day fishing the top and a nice Mahi was first to the ice chest.
The Kings we coming in waves of three on top baits and I eventually had to put one rod away. When the action slowed we worked
the bottom for a while with limited success. The boy wanted more top water so we caught and released Kings for a while and
were back at the dock by
SATURDAY5-12-07
Yes, you read the header
right!! It's Saturday and I am at the computer instead of offshore terrorizing the fish.
No, today's charter had complications beyond
our/their control and couldn't make it. 1st Mate Landon and I discussed the possibilities of heading offshore and
doing a commercial trip since the King Mackeral were biting fairly well, but, we were both tired from yesterday's trip and
I couldn't stop thinking about how far behind I am on answering my e-mails so he went home to rest and I will rest after I
get all these e-mails answered and get the fishing reports sent to all the Magazines, News papers, and fishing sites that
depend on me each week!!
Speaking of yesterday's trip, Landon and
I were honored to have with us a fine group of fishermen from the Lumberton, NC area. They were comprised of Carless
Lee, Clifton Fulmore, William Satler, Andray Jones, Robin Johnson, and Jimmy Crumpler. A fine group of gentlemen and
fishermen!!!!
Our quarry today was to be bottom fish and
lite lining for King Mackeral. The current was "screaming" but the fish were there and biting. Problem was, too many species
were biting. You get anchored up and start catching nice, big, bottom fish, then here comes the party crashers, the Atlantic
Sharpnose Sharks.
Now don't get me wrong, the sharpnose is not
a bad eating fish, but, with a one fish limit, six drops and you were limited out. And as for the lite line, they got so aggravating
we just pulled it in!!
The fish are biting, but, you have to keep
moving away from the sharks, cause when they move in, the bottom fishing is over!!! Also, we don't know exactly how to
explain this, but, we only had three(3) guys fishing, the other three on the Starboard side of the boat decided to lay down
and take a nap or something like that. Now, I am at the age where my memory is not as good as it was, so, I'll let them tell
you about the benefits of taking a mid day nap on a fishing trip offshore!!!! Oh, yeah, I did hear one say something about
never eating "pig skins" before you go fishing, that must keep you awake or something???
I had run to the SE of the tower to a wreck
in 110 feet of water, hoping to find less current and less sharks. We did find less sharks, but the current was worse but
due to the fact that you could get your baits to the bottom before being attacked by the sharks, we were catching some decent
bottom fish here!!
Well, it was getting late in the day and the
guys had wanted to try to get some King Mackeral, but due to the "shark frenzy" we didn't have any.
About this time Manning Outen, a fellow fisherman
that I invited to anchor up behind me this past winter to get some black bass returned the favor!! He called and
said he had the Kings going and with NO SHARKS!!!! Now, we had one fish box full of bottom fish and were only
about 12 miles from Manning. Upon asking if they would like to finish out the day trying for the Kings where Manning had so
graciously invited us to join him, well, in short order we were up and running. Thanks Manning, you are a true sportsman,and
you were asking me where the fish were, I think maybe I need to be asking you!!! Thanks again my friend, you "saved the
day" for me!!
Upon arriving, Manning was making a circle
so we stayed well clear as not to interfere with his fishing and we dropped the baits in. I was marking plenty of bait but was
having no takers so after a little bit I suggested we change our strategy. That change in our game plan netted us with 18
King Mackeral, all six guys got their limit of three each.
Another great day, some more GREAT people,
but hey, I have come to realize that all fisherpeople are just Great people, but I like to think that the ones that fish with
us on the "YEAH RIGHT" are the GREATEST OF ALL!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and of course,
"Private Bodie" the fish dog says, man, these guys wore me out yesterday, there were King Mackeral flying everywhere, I didn't
know which one to jump on!!!
(P.S.) Pictures will be on here Sunday night. My "Picture
putter-on-er is visiting her mother for mother's day)
(P.S.S.) Who ever did the "Wind Dance" Thanks!!!!!!!!
TUESDAY5-8-07
WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE DO AN ANTI-WIND DANCE!!!!!
FRIDAY5-4-07
No, I haven't completely stopped fishing!!
We were off to a good start, then this front came in and the winds shifted to the NE and all my trips are for offshore and
the fishermen and women have all requested not to go if it's rough and I have been honoring their request. That's why I haven't
had any fishing reports lately except for what's happening here on the beach, and it looks pretty good!!!!
Kings and Cobia are here along with the Spanish
Mackeral. Got a report this morning of some big ones being caught, don't know how big, I was just told they were big!! I wonder:::
Big Spanish or small kings????? Be sure to check that dorsal fin, if it's two tone, it's a spanish mackeral, and they
have to be 12 inches. If it's a solid opaque, then it's a King Mackeral, and they have to be 24 inches fork length. Don't
get caught with some under sized Kings thinking you have some big Spanish!!!
I have cancelled tomorrows trip, just like
I did todays and all the others here lately. But, being the full moon is here, I just may go to my favorite bream lake tomorrow,
they should be on the beds and that's when you can catch them so big you can't get your hand around them. So, if it works
out, you may have a "bream report" tomorrow. Till the winds settle again, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & the fish dog says HI!!!
THURSDAY5-3-07
OK
Boys and Girls, here is the news we have been waiting for!!! Talked to the people at OCEAN CREST PIER (910)278-6674 this
morning and yesterday starting at 9:15AM until 5:20 that evening they had a run on King Mackeral with the largest being
30.4 pounds and a total of nine fish put on the deck along with a 64 pound Cobia. Also, the night before, they had a run on
Blue Fish and Spanish Mackeral. The folks at YAUPON PIER (910)278-9400 reports the same action with King Mackeral and
this morning when I was talking with them they were having a run on Spanish Mackeral then. It's fishing time, let the games
begin!!!!!!!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
Monday4-30-07
As you know, every day is different on the
ocean!! And today's trip was a bottom fishing trip. We were fishing today with Rob, Nancy, and Scott Faulkner from Copley,
Ohio.
The full moon and extremely fast current made
conditions tough for most bottom fish persuers, but I knew where to go to break the current flow and where some down current
ledges were that should be holding some good fish, and they were!!!
Scott said he never catches anything when he
goes fishing, well, he can't say that anymore!!!
Nancy fished for a little, but soon decided
to keep "Private Bodie" company and be the "official picture taker" for the guys!!
The picture on top is Scott with two King Mackeral
he caught on the lite line. Rob is pictured next with a false albacore tuna. Nancy was not pictured, she was helping me take
the pictures!! For just two people fishing we had a good catch today of King Mackeral, Joltheads, Triggerfish, Vermillion
Snapper, Grey Snapper, Silver Snapper, Big Black Bass, and a bunch of Blacktip Sharks and sharpnose sharks.
Thanks guys for fishing with us today, you had
a choice and you chose us and we really do appreciate it and you!!! I hope we exceeded your every expectation!!! Till
next time FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and of course "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I love fishes, cause they
so delicious!!
SUNDAY4-29-07
I now understand the old saying "the
thrill of victory and the agony of defeat"!! I just spent a day in the Gulfstream with some great people. To me that was "the
thrill of victory". They were Josh Sprowl, Jonathan Sprowl, Lauren Sprowl, and John Follun from Raliegh,NC.
Now, let me explain the "agony of defeat" part.
I have just experienced the ultimate charter captains nightmare.
Today, if I went right, I should have gone
left, if I went left, I should have gone right. Have you ever had one of these days fishing??? I did today.
Although the bite was not "on fire" there were
some fish being caught by some boats. We pulled everything we had every way you could pull it.
Teasers, Daisy chains, Green Machines, long
lines, planers, "Wahoo Bombs" diving lures, Bonito lures, sea witches (in every color in the rainbow) cedar plugs, Bally Hoo's
rigged every way you can rig them, you name it, we tried it!!! We trolled fast, we trolled slow, we trolled straight, we trolled
in "s" curves, we drifted, I trolled continously changing engines for different sounds, and all we could get was a Barracuda.
Yes, I just lived the "ultimate captains nighmare"
and it would be best on my reputation not to even report this. But, I have built my business on fair practices and honesty!!
So, it is the way it is, and this is the way
the Gulfstream was for us.
We pulled off and went to the bottom for about
an hour before we had to head in. At least the bottom fish and sharks were willing to bite. Although we didn't have long to
fish, we did rather well on the bottom!! Jonathan and Lauren are pictured holding up a nice Blacktip caught byJonathan.(it
was released unharmed)
Josh, you and your wife have a young man and
young lady to be very proud of, I know I too am very proud of them!!
All I can do is apologize for not being able
to attract a bite to our rigs Sunday in the Gulfstream!! When the true fact of the matter hits home and you realize why it's
called fishing instead of catching, it hurts!! I let you down and I can't help but wish I knew what else I could have
done!!! Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, The smiles in the
picture say it all!!!
FRIDAY4-27-07
Will the
winds ever calm down????? Yes, they will, but for now the key word in the offshore game is CANCEL!!!
Talked to
Scott Blevins two days ago and he was doing good on the Speckled Trout in the creeks on live mud minnows. Looks like I am
going to have to take up fishing inside!! Scott also runs the tackle shop at Southport Marina, if you need Cigar Minnows,
he usually has plenty of them. Give him a call at (910)457-5701. If he doesn't have any, try Dutchman Creek Bait & Tackle
(beside the airport) (910)457-1221.
Tomorrow's Gulfstream trip has been cancelled (Saturday) but, it looks
like maybe Sunday and Monday we will be able to do it. Let's all keep our fingers crossed and if the weather holds we
will be able to salvage one day this weekend. Let me know what's happening and I'll pass it on, Thanks!! Till next time FISH
ON!!! Capt Butch & "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I have had enough beauty sleep, let's go fishin'!!!
MONDAY4-23-07
What a beautiful weekend we just had. The weather
has finally decided it might go into a tranquil spring/summer pattern with SW winds bringing warmer temps and calmer winds.
We were fishing today with Bruce Graves, Jim Hannah, and James Hensley from Charlotte,NC. Landon (1st Mate) and I also
had the honor today to have with us Captain Jerry Dilsaver from NORTH CAROLINA SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE!!
The weather at the Tower was as predicted,
but, that wasn't the story at the Steeples yesterday, it was ROUGH. The bite for us at the Steeples was not happening.
Despite our continous changing up of rigs and tactics, we just could not get any takers at the Steeples yesterday. All boats
there were reporting "dead" conditions. I only saw two flying fish all day in the stream. But with the changing weather pattern,
you can look for the Gulfstream to "come alive" any day now, or at least that's my prediction and I would have to bet on it!!!
The Hydra Sports Boat "KING SEEKER" picked
up a Blackfin that looked to be in the low 30's and I think they said a Wahoo at the Black Jack as soon as they got there
but that was it for them in the stream the rest of the day. I have been going to the Black jack and the bite has been
at the Steeples, today it was at the Black Jack, if you can call it a bite. Two dozen boats and handful of fish to me is a
very slow bite!!!
About 6 miles inshore of the Steeples was a
beautiful rip that had some weeds on it and a 4 degree temperature break, on this rip we hooked up with 8 dolphin,
got two in the boat, and also picked up a small tuna.
The plan was to fish the Steeples then head
back to the Tower and King Mackeral fish, but, Saturdays hot king bite was not happening today!! We kept fishing the Steeples
area as the radio talk from the King fishermen was basically the same results we were experiencing, the fishing was tough.
As the day progressed the Stream got rougher
(it was hard to believe it was so calm at the Tower, and so rough out there) so we decided to head back. I was going to stop
around the Tower and try to get the guys some King Mackeral to go with the dolphin's and tuna they had, but, the bite at that
time was still slow so I elected to go to the bottom for some "fish dinners" and "lite line" for the Kings. Good thing
we went for the sure bet, the "lite line" never produced anything!! Heard another captain say he had been lite lining
all day and had only picked up one King Mackeral!!
From the other Captains that were King Mackeral
fishing, it sounded that the King bite picked up some later that evening as some were going to fish until dark to try to finish
up with a respectable commercial trip for the day.
The bottom bite was good, but barring screaming
currents, you can usually depend on that fishery for some "fish dinners". We didn't boat any Grouper but had some big Black
Bass, B-Liners, silver snappers, and Grey Snappers. There were plenty of sharks mixed in the bite with some scrappy Black
Tips putting up quite a fight and acrobatic moves at boat side!!
It was a beautiful day on the water making
new friends and sharing the boat with old friends, telling some fish tales, passing on some jokes, reliving some past experiences,
watching "Private Bodie" come "unwound" every time a reel screamed and getting fish slime and scales all over him as he showed
them who was boss in his boat!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, 1st mate Landon, and "Private Bodie" the fish
dog says, turn a good day into a GREAT day, GO FISHIN'!!
FRIDAY4-20-07
I told you things were going to get better!!!
The weather looks like spring may finally prevail with warmer temperatures which means Hi Pressure which means a SW wind that
should start to calm.
Saturday looks a little rough in the AM, but
should get better as the day goes on. I think I am going to move our Saturday trip to Sunday, the weather Sunday now is reported
to be fantastic!!!
And on top of that, the Cigar minnow shortage
we have here in Southport is not as bad as it was!! Dutchmans Creek Bait and Tackle (beside the Airport) told me they had
some, 14 boxes to be exact, (910)457-1221. And Southport Tackle Shop at the Marina in Southport also let me know they had
some, don't know how many boxes, but they said they had quite a few (910)457-5701.
And if that's not enough, You're going to love
this one!!!! The Buoy at Frying Pan Shoals is back up and running!!!. Who ever was responsible for getting this fixed,
I want to say THANK YOU from "Yeah Right Charters" and all the offshore fishermen and women that fish our area!!!! I'll say
it againTHANK YOU
SO VERY MUCH!!!!!!
Come on down, it's been a long wait, but this
time it looks as though the right stars have aligned and it going to be GAME ON!!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt
Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I got me a new fishing hair cut today, bring 'em on, I'm ready now!!!!
THURSDAY4-19-07
Another day of fishing
cancelled!! The winds just don't want to break their grip this spring. And if you can't go offshore and have some fun and
not get beat up by rough seas, then I ask, What's the point!!!
Fishing is supposed to be fun, and you can't
have any fun in rough seas.
The fish are biting and some hardy fisherman
are going out and catching them when we get a little break in the winds. Just seems ironic how the few days that it has been
a little calmer, I haven't had any trips booked and the days I have trips on, it's blowing!!!
I thought about heading out those days and doing
some commercial fishing but with fuel prices the way they are and the kind of mileage I get with my boat, it would be a losing
situation!!
So, I like most others are here on the hill
waiting for the weather to break!! It will, it does this every year, we don't like it, but there are some things in this life
we can't change, and the weather is one of them, so we have to play the hand we are dealt. The trick is to know when to call
and when to fold!!!!
If you are one of the hardy fishermen that
has gone and caught some fish, email it to me and I will post it here, of coarse, I will keep your secret spot secret, or
better yet, just don't tell me where you caught them but we all would like to know that something is biting out there somewhere!!
Till next time or until I get a report or the winds settle, FISH ON!!! capt Butch & "Private Bodie" says, FISH, what's
that? I think I remember!!!
FRIDAY THE 13th
I wonder if the day and
date has anything to do with the weather, probably not!! No, I got up this morning at 4:00AM and started monitoring the weather.
Although a beautiful day here on the mainland, the waters in the ocean are a different world!!
I pulled up Bouy #'s 41036 and 41037 and they
both were showing rough conditions at sea. Both were showing 3to4 foot seas every 3 to 4 seconds and a wave steepness of very
steep.
By this time the weather on the TV was on, and
both local channels were showing NNW 15 to 20 Knot winds with 3 to 4 foot seas.
If you fish in the ocean much at all, you know
that these conditions are not any fun to fish in. If you have a good seaworthy boat such as the "YEAH RIGHT" is, you can fish
these kind of seas.
But, you go fishing to have fun, and it's hard
to have fun trying to fish in these rough conditions so after discussing the conditions with the fishing group, we all decided
to wait for a better day, and from the way the trees are moving from outside my office window, I do believe we made the right
decision.
Now, I know some will go fishing today and say
it was great!! But, with age comes wisdom and knowledge. And I am wise enough to know that 3 to 4 foot seas is NOT great!!
And I have enough knowledge to know that a 15 to 20 knot wind at sea usually only means rough conditions!!
As I said, we could have gone and fished, but
why go out when you know you are going to be in a rough sea, the object is to have fun and be safe, and with the given conditions , I
didn't feel either one could be 100%.
The hardest part of the whole deal was trying
to convince "Private Bodie" that we will be able to go fishing again soon!! I don't think he really believed me, but I promised
him a walk on the beach later today and that seemed to smooth things over, at least for now anyway!!! FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch
& the fish dog says, we will fish again, someday, when Mother Nature decides to calm down some!!!
THURSDAY NIGHT 9:45PM
Sorry this is so late, but I just got a report
from Raymond DelPezzo who went to the 100/400 and Black Jack this past Tuesday and he let me know that the bite was slow there
and the water had cooled down a little.
A Wahoo and a few knock downs was all that they
could come up with, and those were near a real small undefined weed line.
With this info. that Raymond so graciously
passed on to us, I think I am heading straight to the Steeples in the morning. Check back sometime tomorrow night or possibly
saturday morning for what results we find!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Private Bodie" the fish dog
says, it can't blow forever, I'm going fishin' tomorrow, YEAH!!!!!!
THURSDAY4-12-07
The winds continue to blow!! Just heard on
the news this morning that there is supposed to be a coastal low form off the coast this weekend, WOW, we have been hammered
lately!!!!
I can't get to my destinations for they are
all Gulfstream trips, maybe soon it will settle enough to get back out there!!!
I Have another report to pass on, this one is
from Aaron Sneed!! Thanks to all you guys that help us keep up with what is happening out there, just be careful in these
rough times, the ocean has no concience!! Remember, if there is any doubt, DON'T GO!!!!
Hey, Butch the seas
have been rough right.My name is Aaron, me, my dad David Dillard,my brother DJ Dillard and our friend Sammy Wilson came down
from Hickory NC to do some fishing.We arrived at Southport on April 5th,Thursday and fished Friday. We caught 26 sea
bass and a lot of spiny dog fish, it was fun even though the Tower was where we wanted to go. Saturday the wind was blowing
so hard we did not leave the dock. Sunday we roughed it out and went to the fifteen mile rock and caught a bunch of throw
back sea bass. It was fun but my younger brother is the captain and he said pull them up we need to find warmer
water. So he set our course to the horseshoe. We arrived and the temp. was 67. We bottom fished and caught 37 keeper seabass,
7 pinkies, a nice grunt and a 5ft. sharpnose shark. On our way back in the seas were getting rougher, my brother, a good captain,
put the nose up on our 26ft. Gradywhite with twin 200HP outboards. As we drove closer to the inlet the swells got
rougher and as we went through the channel the kind people on the "HOOKED UP" broke the swells down for us. I'm
sure they remember us. Our fishing team was Aaron Sneed, David Dillard, DJ Dillard, Sammy Wilson.
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch
"Private Bodie" the fish dog
Aaron Sneed, David Dillard, DJ Dillard,& Sammy
Wilson
WEDNESDAY4-11-07
Mother Nature is still showing herself as who's
the boss. The winds lately have reaked havoc on all the charter captains here in Southport/Oak Island!!
If she holds her pattern for the rest of the
week, I will have cancelled ten gulfstream trips in a row!!
But, let's see if we can look at the bright
side of all this!!
#1- I am getting a bunch of much needed rest.
#2- I have the time to fix a lot of things that
have been broken.
#3- I am not having to buy a lot of that high
priced gas.
#4- I have time now to up-grade my advertising
schedule
#5- I have time now to get my office organized.
#6- I have time now to meet with my sponsors.
#7- I have time now to repair some more of my
tackle.
#8- I have time now to up-grade my internet
contacts.
#9- I have time now to service all my equipment.
#10-I also have time to take #1 off this list!!!
Last Sunday Jeremy Hicks on the boat "HOOKED UP" ventured
out in the rough seas to do a little fishing. His report just verify's the fact that all we need is some calm winds and seas!!
There have been a couple of days OK to go out
a little ways in the past week, but, just too risky to try the Gulfstream. No fish is ever worth a human life, so if you are
not sure DO NOT GO!!!
Thanks Jeremy for sharing this report with us
all!!!!
Just thought I would let you know that on Sunday,
we braved the wind and waves in the "Hooked Up" and headed out in search of Bottom Dwellers' and Kings. We steamed
to the Horseshoe. We found 64 to 66 degree, king green water and worked those areas for a while without success.We formed
a plan to work SE from the Horsehoes' to the 15 fathom line, where the SSTcharts showed 68 degree water
might be, and then work our way to the tower, searching for 68 degree water. We caught a few scattered
out kings about 5 miles to 3 miles out from the tower, where we found 68.2 degree water that was
cobalt blue. And once we made it to the tower area, it was on. In less than 2 hours, we had 15 kings and
3 alberts in the box. Then we decided to bottom fish for the next bit, and we were catching 3 at a time
of beeliners, grunts, ringtails and sea bass. Also mixed in were juvenille groupers and rock bass. Over
all had a great day. I am sure that if we would have steamed to the tower and fished there all day, we could
have caught atleast 10 boxes of kings. I believe that in the next few weeks we will see the kings show back
up in numbers. Just thought I'd pass this along. Jeremy Hicks
MONDAY 4-9-07
The cold fronts and winds have tried to hold
on and not let spring take over so they had to hopefully give it one last go!!
It was strong enough to cause all our trips for the
past four days to be cancelled. We may have been able to have gone today, but it wasn't worth the risk to try it to the Gulfstream.
There will be calmer days, and for safety's
sake we will wait for those days to venture 60+ miles offshore!!!
However, the fish are biting, when the weather
calms enough you can get offshore, they will be waiting for you!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Private Bodie"
the fish dog says, I have learned to watch for deer now, man what a life, If I'm not fishin', I'm Deer Huntin'!!!!!!!!
TUESDAY 4-3-07
Today we were headed back to the Gulfstream
witn Gary Deeck, David Harris, Sam and Zack Lambert. Unlike yesterday, the seas were a little rougher than yesterday, but
were supposed to lay out as the day went on, and they did!!!
I had visions of fish boxes overflowing with Wahoo
and Tunas. As we got closer to the 100/400 the boats were that already there were reporting trouble finding any fish.
I decided to move a little closer to the Black Jack
Hole and a degree or two warmer water. The water color was OK, but not quite what I like!!
We made a few circles around the Black Jack, no action!!
I was listening to the other boats on the radio reporting the same results.
With this knowledge, I turned and set a course towards
the Steeples. About 1/2 way there, Capt Roger on the Carolina Contender hooked up with a Wahoo. Must have been the only Wahoo
there!! We fished the same area (thanks for the #'s Capt Roger), then moved on towards the Steeples.
The bite was real slow today. After yesterday's bite,
we had thought that with the calmer conditions we would have to hide in the cabin to bait a hook today. Fishing and fish never
do what it's supposed to do, or at least the way we want them to!!!
Arriving at the Steeples, the water was about as Gulfstream
Blue as you'll ever see it, I had a better feeling here. Well, it was slow here. I was pulling an assortment of Bluewater
Candy Lures and Cape Lookout Lures skirts and heads, and a "shotgun" rod with a cedar plug on it.
Just as we crossed one of the mountain tops,
the cedar plug rod bent over, Someone yelled fish on and "Private Bodie" the fish dog came un-wound!!!! It was a Blackfin
Tuna!!!
I immediately reeled in two more rods and fitted them
with cedar plugs. The old standard in bluewater fishing did it again!! Soon, we were loading up one, two, and sometimes three
rods on the cedar plugs with Blackfin Tunas. Tunas were flying everywhere in the boat, Bodie was jumping from fish to fish
trying to make them hold still, and suddenly the slow bite was forgotten!!
There are some Yellowfins out there, Capt Roger was
fishing two hundred yards to our port catching Blackfins also, when his number was called and he hooked up and boated a Yellowfin.
I think we had a couple of Yellowfins hooked up the
day before that pulled the hooks on a diving plug, the reel was "melted down" the hooks pulled and there were no gashes cut
in the lure to indicate a wahoo bite, but, we'll never know for sure!!!
The Blackfin bite slowed so we took off to the Tower
area to get a mess of bottom fish before heading in. Another good day on the seas with some Great guys!!!
The King Mackeral have finally showed up offshore.
From what I hear, they are on the East side. Come on down and let's go fishing, you've waited all winter, and now it's
time!!!
I have to keep pinching myself to make sure I am not
dreaming. I love what I do and I love to see folks catch fish and have a great time, how could you not love that??????
P.S. To all the e-mails I have, I will try to get
them answered tonight or tomorrow. Please be patient with me, I am getting older and slower!!! Till next time FISH ON!!! Capt
Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, finally I can get some rest, the wind blowing is not always a bad thing, at least
not for me!!!
MONDAYS REPORT 4-2-07
We spent the morning in
the Gulfstream and found the conditions not exactly the best in the fishing world. The bite however, was about as good as
you could ask for!!
We were fishing today with DR. Patrick, Patrick Jr,
Phillip, and Jerry Cieplak. The first three guys are from Vienna, VA and Jerry lives here on Oak Island.
The ride out was great, the seas were in a SW swell,
and I told my mate, Landon Myers, I hope the Stream is the same way but don't be surprised if it's not very nice. And
when we got there, it wasn't !!!
Despite the not so perfect conditions, we dropped
the ballyhoo's in rigged with Cape Lookout Lures MK 340 Bullet in Black and Red, two more were rigged with
Cape Lookout Lures A Bomb Chugger in Black and Purple, and the other two were rigged with Blue Water Candy Lures 1/4 oz. Hair
and Mylar Skirts in Blue and Black.
Our fears of a slow bite due to the front that was
moving through was very soon forgotten!!! A reel screamed, I looked back and another Wahoo jumped five feet out of the water
with another bait in his mouth,(he missed the hooks), we had Mahi-Mahi in the spread, hooks pulled from several fish and I
had all my Cape Lookout Lures, Two Yozuri Bonito Lures, and four Bluewater Candy Skirts cut off!!! The bite was on, and as
it goes a lot of times when fishing for these razor sharp toothy critters, we only were able to boat a few fish!!!
Just as it started, the winds picked up, changed direction,
and the bite shut down. We continued trolling the area for another hour and then decided to get out of the five foot plus
seas and see if we could get some bottom fish.
We made the run to the East side of the Tower where
we found a good concentration of bottom fish and some calmer seas. We got the "YEAH RIGHT" anchored up on top of them
and even though we had to fight a very strong full moon tide, we still managed a decent bag of bottom fish. Check out Jerry's
big Red Grouper!!!!!!.
No, conditions were not in our favor, I had even considered
cancelling the trip, but, we went out to just see how it was. Like I said, it was in a three foot SW swell about every five
seconds and the ride out was great, the stream, now, that was a little different. By going to the east side that evening,
we also had a good ride back!!
We took a "good day, bad day" situation and made a
great day out of it. Made some new friends, caught a few fish, told some "fish tales", and spent the day on the water and
not in the office, now, how can you beat that???? Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch and"Private Bodie" the fish dog says
HI!!!!!.
SATURDAY3-31-07
Today I was fishing again with Willie Spivey,
Brandon King, Mike Harrington, Jeff Nance, and Tommy Kindley. We were after bottom fish and found them to be holding in 105
feet of water on the east side.
We caught a pile of grouper and seven were keepers,
we also had Grey Snapper, Triggerfish, Silver Snapper, Sharks, Black Bass, Calico Bass, Vermillion Snapper, and some
of the biggest lizard fish I have ever seen!!
Check out the big shark that Brandon invited
to a photo shoot before releasing!! If you think this one is big, just ask the guys about the one that was swimming right
under the boat, it was huge, I''d say over 20 feet, very possibly bigger!!!
The Gulfstream today gave up some nice Wahoos
and a few Yellowfin Tunas. They came from the Same 'Ole all the way to the 100/400.
The King Mackeral showed up today finally,
look for them along the 180 line.
The fishing season is here, it's time to go
catch some fish. If you're too busy to go fishing, then, you're just too busy!!!
It's late and it has been a long day, but I
wanted to give you a little heads up on what is happening before I "crashed and burned", ("Private Bodie") the fish dog already
has and I think I will join him. If you have pictures or a fishing report, send them to me and I'll put it up on the site
for all to see!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie".
THURSDAY 3-29-07
Just a quick run down of what's happening before the
cold front hits:
INSHORE: The speckled trout bite is good now as the
big females are starting to spawn. Red Drum are biting also. Remember, these big females are our future speckled trout fishery.
So, if you don't have to have them, please release them!! Heard of some Black Drum starting to stir!! Spiney dogfish sharks
are making their spring run, all you want at the inshore reefs along with some bottom fish still around.
OFFSHORE:
The bottom fishing has been good. Most fish have been in the 50 to 100+ feet range. Black Bass are running bigger this year.
Grouper are biting well also, start in the 80' range and work out from there!! The King Mackeral seem to have left the country.
No one has been able to find any lately, where they are is anyones guess right now!!!
GULFSTREAM: On one day,
off the next last week. But, the Wahoo's are making a good showing now from the 100/400 all the way north to the Same 'ole.
They are feeding on the smaller Blackfin Tunas that are in the area, so try dark colored skirts and lures to entice bites. Yellowfin
are reported north of the Same 'ole, this means they will be here most likely anytime in the next few weeks. Fishing time
is here!!!
The weather this weekend looks fishable at this time,
especially Saturday, here's the forecast as of now: We will see if it changes..
FRI NE WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT...HIGHEST E.
FRI NIGHT NW WINDS DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT.
SAT AND SAT NIGHT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT SAT.
SUN AND MON WINDS BECOMING S TO SW 15 TO 20 KT SUN AND NW LATE MON. SEAS 2 TO 5 FT.
SATURDAY NIGHT 3-24-07
I think one thing that makes me love this sport
of offshore fishing is the fact that every day out there is a new and different day.
Today we went bottom fishing with Darren,Rose,
and Raymond Ellis from West Phalia, Kansas. I had great plans for them at the wreck we fished yesterday.
I figured that with the fish we were able to
catch there yesterday with such a short period of time that with a full day to fish there, well, you know where I was heading.
Yesterdays current flow was "straight up". We
got there this morning and we started off like someone lit a fire under our butts. I looked at Landon, my 1st. mate and said
it's going to be awesome today. First drop, two Big Bass at a time!!!
Then wouldn't you know it, the current started
"screaming" I mean 16 ounces of weight would not hold the bottom. Where I was fishing was in 110 feet of water.
We were forced to move to shallower water, there
we found the bite to be good, but the quality of the bass were not the same as the ones I had on the wreck farther offshore.
As I said before, every day is a different day
offshore, I quess if it didn't stay challenging, it would be boring and I wouldn't want to do it!!!
The King Mackeral, from the reports I had are
still in hiding!!
Heard that a couple of boats picked up a few Wahoo's
today in the stream, that's encouraging, didn't get any word on the Tuna's today!!
Cigar minnows are still hard to find, if not
next to impossible!! I believe what's going to happen is this: We are going to go out there one morning soon and every thing
is going to be here at the same time and you won't be able to decide what you want to fish for!!!!!! Let's all hope that's
the case any way!!!
I had a ball fishing with Darren, Rose, and
Raymond today!! These guys are some great people. Now Raymond, when you decide to teach Mom and Dad some of your fishing techniques,
remember, don't tell them every thing, well, second thought, go ahead and tell them all your tricks, I don't think anyone
will ever be able to catch fish as good as you can, You are the man!!! Tell all your school buddies if they don't believe
that you caught two sharks, tell them to just give your Captain a call, I'll set them straight for ya'!!!! Till next time,
FISH ON!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog has nothing to say tonight, he's already "crashed and burned " he's
one tired puppy tonight!!!
FRIDAY NIGHT 3-23-07
After Tuesday's some what of a bite in
the Gulfstream, I thought that 3 days later with the weather the way it has been, well, I figured today would be a "HOT" day
in the stream.
Well, again I was wrong. The bite for us was
non existing!! I was fishing today with Courtney, Joshua, and Matt Boomsma from Blair, Nebraska.
Around 2:00PM we decided to make a run back
toward the Tower and see if the Bottom Fish were biting better.
Yes, they were biting just fine!!! I pulled
up on a rock in 110 feet of water and there were 3 limits of some good sized Black Bass that wanted to hitch a ride with us
back to the Marina.
A tough bite in the stream, but a good bite
on the bottom.. Remember, some where out there you can usually find some fish somewhere that will bite, just be versitile
and keep changing up till you put a plan together!!!
It's late and I'll be back out tomorrow, check
back, I'll let you know how we do!! Till next
time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" tthe fish dog says HI!!!!.
WEDNESDAY3-21-07
Well today is the first
day of spring, it's time to go fishing, I hope the winds will settle more now so we can all get offshore.
They did calm yesterday and I along with Captain Ricky
Holden, he fishes the boat ("REELY MISS BEHAVING") took off to the Gulfstream.
We, along with several other boats in the stream,
and boats in the Tower area and different locations found the same results. The current was running extremely hard and the
bite was extremely slow at best.
We tried to bottom fish at one point, and with two
pounds of weight we could not get our baits to the bottom, so we elected to go back to the trolling pattern even though, according
to the plotter on the boat we had already trolled 22 miles without even a bite.
Well as they say, persistance does pay off sometimes!!
We had decided to call it quits in an hour and head to the hill. I went into the cabin and came out with a Blue/Chartruse
colored SCOOTER made by BLUE WATER CANDY LURES.
I rigged up a ballyhoo with this lure, dropped
it back in the Shotgun" position about 500 feet and we had no more than set it in the hardtop rod holder when our number
was called!!
It was Ricky's first Blackfin Tuna. Now Ricky is a
veteran of Gulfstream fishing, but, this was the first Blackfin he had ever caught, and I'm glad that we made it happen on
the "YEAH RIGHT", CONGRATS go to Ricky!!!
No, the fishing was not hot today. But we did manage
a couple Blackfin's, but even if we had not got those two bites, how could you not enjoy a beautiful day in the Gulfstream
with a great friend and person, Ricky it was a true honor to share the boat and good times we had today, let's hope we can
do it many more times in the future!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch, Capt Ricky, and "Private Bodie" the fish dog
says, Captain Rick, you sure make a "mean" sausage biscuit, you can fish with me anytime, P.S. (be sure you don't forget to
bring the biscuit's)
SUNDAY 3-18-07
Got
a mini report for you. Was in the tackle shop yesterday when a fisherman came in to buy some more mud minnows, said he had
been limiting out on the speckled trout every day this week fishing in the creeks about four feet deep using a bobber
stop. Also, he has been catching some nice red drum with some in the legal to keep slot limit of 18" to 27" and a few
have been bigger!!
Several more fishermen were reporting very good catches of trout
and drum as well.
The winds may keep us from going
offshore, but there are fish to be caught in the calmer waters inside. So get some mud minnows, Dutchman Creek Bait &
Tackle(at the air port) has them, and go catch some red drum and speckled trout.
When you get some trout, try the
"barbecued trout" that's on the recipe page here on this web site. It doesn't sound good, but, I think you will be suprised.
By the way, for you "old salts" such as
I am, this recipe was one of Franc Whites favorites from the days of the "Southern Sportsman" TV Show. Now tell me that doesn't
bring back some memories!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
FRIDAY3-16-07
All I can say is THANK YOU to you guys that
are sharing your fishing adventures with us all. We are now having over 1,000 visitors to our site a day so you are really
helping us all know how to better plan our trips and this will help out in these days of high fuel prices.
Thanks again from me and all our loyal readers. Soon,
I hope to be adding some reports also, but as usual here lately, I have had to cancel Saturdays fishing trip due to the winds.
We will be able to get offshore just as soon as the season stabilizes a little more.
I answered his e-mail, my guess was he had on an Amberjack and the fish
he saw swimming were AJ's as well, what do you think?
A trick I told Joe you may want to try sometime. When you have AJ's around like
that, take a 1 to 2 oz jigging spoon and drop it in front of them and jig it real fast up and down. (the heavier the spoon,
the faster you can jig it, and fast is the key element here) This will (most of the time) trigger a reflex strike.
I know they prefer live bait, but I think the jig is moving so fast in their
face they can't identify it and it aggravates them to the point that they can't retain from striking it.
As I said, it will work more times than not, but sometimes nothing works. Just
thought I'd share another tip you can add to your fishing tricks to help you stay "hooked-up" Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt
Butch
Here is Joe's report::::THANKS JOE!!!!!!!!
Butch,
Even with the call for 5 foot seas i gave it a shot.
Left out of Southport at 9:00 am, stopped at a few inshore areas with no luck. Seas were up but with a 9 second swail it was
just more of a roll and not a bad ride. Decided to head to the Tower and cruised a steady 20-25 knots. Hit the Tower at 12:30,
one boat in the area that looked like it was heading back. Dropped lines in the water with a double of black bass right off.
Consistent hook ups of bass, grunts the usual, mostly smaller size with a few decent bass mixed in. Dropped a live bait down
to the bottom near the Tower on the hd stand up rod while playing with the spin casting rod pulling in the smaller bass then
it happened a tug on the hd rod then over it went. That hd rod bent right over. The fight was on. That fish was really pulling.
The line was pulling going under the boat.Did not feel like a shark and then it was over the line went slack i pulled the
hook. Any ideas what i missed? Also saw big schools of good size fish right next to the boat swimming by real slowly tried
trowing all kinds of lures to them with not even a look. Know what they might have been? Left at 3:30 back to the ramp. Back
just after 5:00 Calm seas all the way in. Pretty good day on the water after not being out for several weeks. Can't wait for
the next time.
Joe
THURSDAY3-15-07
Lets all Thank Scott for his generosity in sharing his fishing reports
with us all. I have finally got to where I see the light at the end of the tunnel as they say so mabey when the winds finally
settle I will be ready to go fishing myself. Got an offshore trip this weekend but if the winds don't change it won't happen.
I hope you all have had a chance to get out some and do a little fishing!!! It's time, and
we are booking up fast for the up coming season. We just need some calmer winds to get offshore and get some fishing reports
of our own. Now here is Scotts report, THANKS again Scott:
Capt. Butch,
I took a few guys out yesterday to Yaupon and they caught the fire out of Spiny Dogfish. Dogfish
are great fish for first timers to catch. They had a blast. After their arms were tired we came back inside
and caught 3 nice reds, one of which was 32". On Tuesday evening me and a friend form work went and caught 9 trout
from 6:30 to 7:30. That was one of the best times I have ever had catching trout. I've about got the tackle
shop taken care of so stop by and check it out some time.
Scott Blevins
WEDNESDAY 3-14-07
We finally got a calm enough day to go fishing
and I had made other plans to be at the NC Waterman meeting in Greenville,NC to help Bailey with the presentation of Cape
Lookout Lures. We were pleased to hear that this was the largest turn out since the Greenville chapter was formed several
years ago. Thanks to all that attended, we appreciate all of you!!! It's 1:50AM and I just got in and have not talked
to anyone yet that went fishing Tuesday. Capt Brant reported a nice Wahoo caught in the stream with other misses. I will most
likely have more info. for you tomorrow. If so, I'll post it here!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
MONDAY 3-12-07
I personally have not been
out fishing and have not talked to anyone who has. But, Scott Blevins who lives here was kind enough to send along this information
to give us all a "heads up" on what's happening on the inside. Thanks Scott, your generosity will help others know what's
happening so we can plan our fishing trips more efficently, and with the fuel prices the way they are, every little bit helps.
If you had a good or bad day fishing, please e-mail me at captainbutchf@earthlink.net with your report I'll keep your "honey hole" a secret, or just don't tell where you caught them, but let us know if
you have a good catch and I will pass it on here. Thanks in advance from all us fisherpeople!!
Now, here's Scotts report:
Capt Butch, I have a much better report today.
On Saturday I went out in my kayak and got pulled around every where. I caught 6 nice trout and 6 nice reds, 5 of which
were slot size or over. I lost, or didn't hook at least 15 fish. I went thought 3dz mud minnows. All in all
a nice day to be on the water.
Scott Blevins
SUNDAY 3-4-07
I hope everyone
is doing well. I especially hope my best friend Capt. Ron Farnsworth(he runs the boat "SHE'S SLICK" aka "WATER BOY") is feeling
better!!! I know he's in good hands, Admiral Helen will take good care of him!!!
The fishing is just around the corner, no,
it is actually here, you just need calm enough seas to get out. The Bottom fish such as the black bass, snapper's, etc; are
biting well. The Black Bass have been some of the biggest I've seen in a while!! The grouper bite is ok, but will get better
real soon!!
There have been some Wahoo's and Yellowfin
Tunas caught in the Gulfstream last week!!! It is March you know, the month that the stream usually "fires off"!! It is hard
for me to wait for the Gulfstream every year, this is my favorite place to pull 'Hoo's!!
The Dogfish Sharks are here inshore what
seems like record numbers!!! Plenty of action,Great fight, and Great eating, and no limit !! When you look at it that
way, what more could you want?
Inside the Speckled Trout bite has picked
back up. Talked to several anglers Friday that had caught from thier limit to as many as 17 trout an outing!! Mud Minnows
seems to be the bait of choice now, and Dutchman Creek Bait & Tackle tries to carry plenty!! You can call and see if they
have them at (910)457-1221. Be sure to tell them where you found out about them from, I would appreciate it!!!
I didn't go fishing today, instead I went and
dug me up a bushel of oysters for dinner tomorrow night. Yeah I know, it's a lot of work, but when they start coming off the
grill and they are steaming hot, you seem to forget about the work!!! Let's all hope the winds will soon calm down and we
can go fishin'!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, yeah, we need a bushel
of oysters, I love 'em too!!!!
THURSDAY 3-1-07
Boy, have I got a
fishing report for you guys and gals tonight!! The crappie bite has been on at Lake Wylie, south of Charlotte, NC. The pressure
was more than we could take!!
This morning I met with Capt. Chuck Gambino, Alex
Zukalski, they and "Private Bodie" the fish dog and I left out at 3:00AM to meet up with Capt. Lanny Pennington and his wife
for breakfast at IHOP in Fort Mill,SC.
From there we left for the lake to go crappie fishing.
Capt Lanny has a "secret spot" that he shared with us today where he had been slaying the crappies for the past several days.
My biggest concern was the strong low pressure that was rapidly moving across the state.
Well to make a long story short, if Capt. Lanny would
have had some help we would have had a lot more crappies than 21. Alex helped him a little, not much, but a little, while
Capt Chuck and I had some hits and missed the fish. He and I would have been just as well off joining "Private Bodie"
in the truck for a morning nap.
The fishing was tough at best!!! We were joined by
a few other fishermen that were locals as Capt Lanny is and there was only one fish caught among them.
There is a lot of luck in fishing, but there can also
be a lot said for local knowledge. I quess I will have to admit it, even though it will make life hard for a while when we
are around Capt Lanny, but I have no choice, for he put 99% of the fish on the dock. Now, Capt Lanny, don't go getting the
"Big Head" I didn't say that I thought you were that good, I think the phrase I am looking for goes something
like, "I'd rather be lucky than good anyday".
Capt Lanny knows I am just picking with him. He is
a very talented angler, and a master at the art of crappie fishing. Guys, I had a great time today!! It was a great change
of pace and I look foreward to doing it again sometime, but, for the most part, I think I will stick to the fish that have
saltwater in their veins, I can catch those, I HOPE!!!!!!
SATURDAY 2-24-07
Well I had reported that my opinion was that
the Black Bass had probably moved offshore a little. Well, some may have but not all!!!
Tim Jackson along with Kim and son Dillion
went with me today out to the ledge off Southport. We caught a pile of sea bass and with the new 11 inch limit, we still managed
nearly two limits of some good sized bass.
And if you were wondering if the Spiney Dogfish
Sharks are here yet, well YES THEY ARE!!! If you have never tried these sharks on the table, you don't know what you are missing.
These are one of the best tasting sharks that swims in the ocean and there is no size or creel limit on these so you can fill
your freezor with some very tasty steaks, and try some in some of the shark recipes here on this web site, you will like them!!!
The fish are out there just waiting. Get the
winds to calm a little and you too can help ease the "cabin fever'". Tim, Kim, and Dillion, it was fun!! Hope we can do it
again soon!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, "Yep, another great day on the
water fishing, or, was it Kim and Tim's ham sandwich, I think a little both!!!
FRIDAY 2-23-07
We are trying to get the season jump
started here but the winds just have too strong of a grip on the weather. Offshore tomorrow (Saturday) does not look favorable
at all but the near shore just might be fishable.
The water is cold, around 50 degrees, and the
fish may have very well moved back out to deeper and a little warmer water.
That is just my opinion, but if it blows
out of the North like they say at 10 knotts or less ( yet to be seen) I just may have to venture out and see if any black
bass are still in the area.
If I get out tomorrow, I will let you know
what I find right here. So check back tomorrow night and if I make it out and find some fish or not, you'll know about it ASAP!!!
Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I don't care if it's Spiney Dogfish Sharks, I'm
ready to go fishin'!!!!!!........
FRIDAY 2-16-07
Got a report here from
Rick Wiginton up in the Carolina/Wrightsville Beach area. Thanks Rick for your help in helping us know what's biting!!!! Get
a calm day and head offshore, they are there and are hungry!!!!
We did alright over the weekend, or at least got my saltwater FIX.
We started fishing around 8:00 after a 2 hour boat ride, little bumpy though. First stop and first drop up came a nice Red
Grouper 25", a few minutes later up came the 2nd. Red Grouper 23". I was thinking alright we are going to have a great day.
Kept on dropping and we were pulling in Black Sea Bass, Grunts, Ells, Trigger Fish, Hog Fish, etc. Made a move and caught
(1) more keeper Red Grouper and much of the same as stated above. Around 11:00am the bite stopped, we were on fish and made
several presentation changes but could not get them to bite. Overall a great day on the water and we brought back some fish.
I am good for a few more weeks now.
Come on Spring!!!!!!!!!!!
GottaGetUm
TUESDAY 2-13-07
Got a fishing report here from Tommy
Stewart. Thanks Tommy for helping fisherman know what and where they are biting!!!!
Just wanted to give you a little
report from Saturday. Three of us went 24 miles due south of New River Inlet. The wind was tough but the seas
never got worse than 3-4. We ended up with 45 black bass up to 3.25lbs, 12 grunts up to 2.5lbs, 5 porgies up to 2lbs,
3 flounder up to 2.5
FISH ON!!!
Tommy, Capt Butch & "Private Bodie" the
fish dog says THANKS FOR THE REPORT!!!!
TUESDAY2-13-07
I woke up yesterday morning with no intentions
of going fishing. Not that I didn't want to but the winds have been blowing steady lately and I figured today would be
no different.
Around 9:00AM I decided that I might
go try some speckled trout fishing if it wasn't too windy.
So, I made my way into the office and went
to the weather here on the fishing reports page. The forecast wasn't bad for Monday.
That caused me to pull up the few weather buoys
that are still working offshore. At the buoy that is 250 NM SE of Charleston, which is about as close as we can get right
now it showed a wave height of 1 foot every 7.7 seconds.
Well, I went numb!! Here it is beautiful offshore
and I have messed around until it was nearly too late to go fishing!!
I immediately got on the phone and rounded
up a few friends and we put this thing together at the last minute. I met up with John Leach, owner of DUTCHMAN CREEK BAIT
& TACKLE, and one of our friends, Richard Croom. As I was at the tackle shop, another friend of mine, Capt. Steve Hinson
had just landed his plane at the airport, which is beside the tackle shop, and I told him of our plans and invited him along
with us.
We finally got on our way around 12:30PM. I
made our way to the #1 Tower reef some 24 miles offshore. As I expected, it did not show much, I never find much on
this reef, about 2 more miles is the #2 Tower reef, this one I like best, I nearly always find fish on this one, this time
was no exception.
We got anchored up on some fish, I checked
my tide watch, and saw that we had about two hours until the tide went slack, that was perfect, that's about all the time
we had to fish if we didn't want to come home in the dark, and we didn't want to, because, for two reasons, one, when the
sun goes down this time of year it gets cold on the water and second, it's just dangerous to run when you can't see what's
in the water that you might run over!!!
We all started off like gangbusters, but as
the years have a tendency to do, after the first hour, John and I, the two oldest, were feeling the effects of our years and
were forced to take a break from the fishing.
The moral of this report is as I have said so
many times before, this time of year you have to be ready to go at a moments notice. You never know when the weather will
give you a break!!
For no longer than we got to fish, and we didn't
have a mate on board to keep us bait cut up and to take our fish off, we caught some nice black bass and a pile of vermillion
snappers which all fell short of the 12 inch size limit and check out the big Tautog that Steve caught and is holding up in
the picture.
Steve had just hooked a big fish before
that and when he hooked it, he thought he was hung up then it started swimming off. We never got to see what it was before
it broke the 50 lb. test line. We figured it a shark, but it didn't really fight like a shark, but, we'll never know!! When
he hooked the Tautog, he said, here we go again, but this one was easier to get up.
This trip was just what we all needed to ease
a case of "cabin fever". Weather looks bad for rest of the week, but, as it so often does like yesterday, it can change at
a moments notice. Now I can go to the FISHERMAN'S POST FISHING SCHOOL this Saturday with a fishing story that didn't happen
last year!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I got to go fishing yesterday for
my 6th birthday present and even got some cheeseburger and scales in my hair and fish slime on my face, LIFE IS
GOOD!!!!
Saturday2-10-07
We were supposed to go offshore today on a
bottom fishing trip, but, just like all the other trips for the past two months, we had to cancel due to the winds roughing
up the seas.
It was probably a good thing for my wife though, she
woke up very sick this morning so I carried her to the doctor, then the hospital, don't know what's wrong for sure, but they
give her some medications and she seems to be doing better.
Since I don't seem to be able to get offshore, I
am going to try and do some Trout fishing some this week. Hopefully I can get you a report on those one day (weather permitting).
I have some new lures that I want to try out on the trout. We have a new sponsor, BTC Lures, Inc. of Hockessin,DE maker of
a new patented crab lure. These things are so life like if you look at them long you'll swear you can see them move. They
are made with the ability to absorb one of the liquid scents on the market. I can't hardly wait to soak one in some
crab scent then drop one in a Grouper hole offshore!! Check one out at www.cwcrab.com and tell 'em Capt Butch sent ya'!!
The weather (winds) don't look too promising for next
week as far as getting offshore is concerned, but, as you know, it can and does change quick down here.
Get a few warm days in a row this time of year and
the fishing can be real good for the trout and drum. On normal days, the best trout and red drum fishing will be in the warmest
part of the day. Get a calm enough day that you can get offshore 10 to 15 miles and you should get some black bass. The grouper
and snappers will most likely be offshore now in the approximately 100 foot depth range.
If you are getting a bad case of "Cabin Fever" then
come to the second annual FISHERMAN'S POST FISHING SCHOOL next saturday at the Coast Line Convention Center in Wilmington.
There will be a ton of subjects covered and hands on rigging stations. Last year I was only on the stage, this year I
will be doing the seminars as well as teaching how we tie some of our rigs as well. We have a trick that will let you troll
all day for Spanish Mackeral and your leader will not be twisted up at the end of the day, I'll be showing to rig for that
as well!! So, contact Gary at (910)452-6378 or email school@fishermanspost.com and get your ticket to attend and come on out and lets
get ready for the new season that is all but here!!! Hope to see you next saturday, Till then FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I want to go fishin'!!!
WEDNESDAY2-7-07
Well, I'm back!! The Mother board on my other computer
bit the dust on Monday night and it is now 10:11PM on Wednesday night and I have just got the new one up and running. the
fishing in the creeks had been decent, but the ocean fishing hasn't been happening due to the winds. Weekend may turn out
decent after all. But, it's only Wednesday, it will , I'm sure change several more times before Saturday. FISH ON!!! Capt
Butch
SUNDAY 3-4-07
I sit here at the computer this morning
after being humbled yesterday by all the events that took place at the 20th anniversary of the SALTWATER SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE
SEMINAR SERIES that I had the honor to participate in.
I was even more humbled at the opportunity
to finally get to meet a lot of you guys and gals that are frequent readers and are a part of our web site and our "fishin'
buddies" which, if not for you guys, this whole thing would be useless. I love all you guys and gals, the joy
it brings me to meet and talk with you and to try and help you catch more fish, well, I'm not educated enough to explain
it in words, so maybe this will help explain it some, If I were to win the lottery and became finacially able to do what
I do for free, then I would be in heaven on earth!! No, I'm not crazy, I just love all you guys and gals and have a true
passion for what I do!!
I was also honored to be in the presence of
so many professional Captains. These guys have always been my "heros" and now I have the opportunity to work with them as
we all try to help you guys catch some more fish. So, the very first THANK YOU is for GOD'S BLESSINGS for
this part of my life!!!
We were also honored to have Mike Marsh present
as our press reporter to cover the show, Mike is a renown freelance outdoor writer for many outdoor publications and newspaper
sports sections across the country. Mike's knowledge of the outdoor sports makes him a first class writer for
the fishing and hunting business in NC and beyond. He also has some very informative books on the outdoors in which you
can order right here off this web site on the sponsors page!!
Our host, George Poveromo aided by Dr. Ray Waldner
and the whole seminar cast were nothing short of the best in the business. They put these things together like a "well oiled
machine"!!!
But, the real truth of the matter is, without
all you fishermen and fisherwomen that attended the seminars, well, if not for you guys, this show could not go on.
So, on the behalf of the whole seminar staff
and I again want to say THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE!!!!!
I hope every one left with a little more knowledge
that will help you with your fishing, I know I did!!
Oh yeah, "Private Bodie" the fish dog told me
to tell you he was sorry he couldn't make it, but, he wanted to Thank all his fans for thinking about him and he says HI!!!
The last report I got on the fishing was the hot bite
that has been occuring with the Speckled trout. Mud minnows seems to be the hot bait, but, I bet the Berkley Gulp baits would
work and most likely what ever you have the most confidence in would be worth a try as well. The Red drum action should be
good now also, although I have not heard of anyone catching any!! If you have a good day, please let us know, so everyone
will know what to fish for when they get the chance to go fishing.
THANKS again, yesterday was a day I will never want
to forget, and it was all because of all you fisherpeople!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Private Bodie" the
fish dog says, I sure was sad to have to stay home yesterday, but I got a treat when dad got home, so all is well in my world,
I'll see ya' on the boat!!
THURSDAY3-1-07
I talked to a guy
yesterday that said he talked to a fisherman yesterday that told him he had caught 13 Speckled Trout the day before. That
would have been on Tuesday. He didn't say where he caught them, but, he did say he caught them on mud minnows. As I get reports
of fish being caught I will relay them here. If you have a good day fishing let us know so we can pass it on to others.
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch
TUESDAY1-30-07
Before I get to what little there is
to report on the fishing, I want to take a moment to make a few comments and answer a few questions about some subjects on
the "GUESTBOOK", so please, bear with me.
First and foremost I would like to say that
it does me good to know that this web site is bringing GEORGE PEAVLER, from Jacksonville,NC who is in the USMC a
little happiness from home while he is stationed in Africa. You can click on his name on the "GUESTBOOK" and that will bring
up his email. Why don't you guys and gals send him a message to let him know how much we appreciate what he and his comrads
are doing for us and our country. As I state on the home page, without these guys and gals of our armed forces, you would
not be fishing today or tomorrow. THANK YOU George for what you do and return home safe and soon!!!
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch Foster
Casey, The fish are biting if you can get out
there. The weather as it states now, does not look too good for this weekend. The near shore forecast has Saturday at NW15
to 20, and Sunday N 10 to 15. The offshore forecast is nasty, but, it is that time of year!! As for the lady at the "watering
hole" I have several guys that fish with me from up there, maybe that's where she heard about me, I don't know, I am in a
lot of market areas though. If it's too bad to fish, get your tickets for this Saturdays seminar being held at the Odell Williamson
Auditorium at BCC hosted by George Poveromo and SALTWATER SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE. Whatever you decide to do, just be careful and
have some fun!!
Now this one I have been thinking about a lot!! I
need to address this one!! This is to JOHN Q. PUBLIC!!!
Thank you for signing my "GUESTBOOK" I really do want
you guys and gals to give me your comments and questions, but, I have a problem with this one. First of all, if you are
to ashamed to sign your name, then maybe you should not put it in print!! If you read someone elses report and you don't like
what they wrote, you should take that matter up with them. Please, do not use this medium to criticize someone else or slander
them. You may not like what they do, but, you can't please everyone all the time. My "GUESTBOOK" was not put here for such
purposes. It was put here for you to ask me questions about fishing and to let me and others know how you like what we do.
I am so sorry if I have affended anyone, but please, all I ask is that we use this"GUESTBOOK" in the manner in which it was
intended. THANK YOU for your understanding and your continued support!! Capt Butch
Now, as I said earlier, the fishing has been put on
hold. Tomorrow is the last day of the commercial Bluefin Tuna fishing and winter has got a hold on us now. The water temps
are in the 50's now and the winds are blowing. But, find a good day and you should be able to run out a few miles and get
into some Black Bass action. Be careful out there, these winter winds can make the ocean rough in a hurry!!! Till next
time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
SUNDAY1-28-07
Well the winter winds are upon us now.
The trips we had planned for the week have all been cancelled due to rough seas. It is that time of year!!
The Bluefin Tuna fishing is about to wrap it up in
a few more days, then life can get back to normal for a while. We were "snakebit" this year, had one fish pull the hooks
on an 11" clear and metalflake Boneyard Baits Grub, and two more broke off on a horse ballyhoo pulled behind a white head
and white skirt Blue Water Candy JAG3. One was on a #5 planer and the other was on a long line.
The only fish we boated this year while after the
elusive and powerful Bluefin Tuna was a big Bonito caught by Russel Wilson. The way that fish hit and peeled line was deceiving,
but, when we picked the rod from the rod holder, we knew if it was a Bluefin, it was going to be the smallest one ever caught!!
While the weather is bad, take a break and come to
the Odell Williamson Auditorium at BCC this coming Saturday, February 3rd for the SALTWATER SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE SEMINAR,
you can get your tickets at www.nationalseminarseries.com If you have never attended one of these, they are a lot
of fun and you should bring a note pad, for you will most likely learn more than you can remember so you will need to
take notes!!!
As for the fishing, I haven't heard of anything different
since my last report. The weather (wind) has kept us all at home doing our spring cleaning a little early this year.
Every Saturday in February is booked up so if we get
some calm winds we will have some reports for the winter time fishing. Or, I should say that the 10th and the 24th are for
fishing and the 3rd (as mentioned above) and the 17th is the FISHERMANS POST Fishing School at the Coast Line Convention
Center in Wilmington. If you would like to attend this, contact (910)452-6378 or email school@fishermanspost.com or you can also get your tickets at TEX'S TACKLE or BOATERS
WORLD (Wilmington,NC location). For accomodations close to the school contact COASTLINE INN @ (910)763-2800. Better hurry,
seating is limited!!
If you have a good catch while out, shoot us an email,
we won't tell your "hot spot" but we will post what you caught here so other fishermen and women will
know what's biting. Plus, I'm not going to lie about it, it will help me get a fishing report together for this time of year
so we can all read about something being caught while times are slow!!
Hang in there, Spring is not that far away, get your
Gulfstream tackle oiled up and ready, March is only about four weeks away. Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and
"Private Bodie" the fish dog says, Capt Chris, we all love and miss you, come see us when you can!!!
WEDNESDAY1-24-07
Yes, I know, the winds are calm today
and I should be out getting you a first hand fishing report. But the truth is, I have procrastinated and the fishing season
is nearly upon me and I am finishing up all my maintenance on the boat and tackle so everything will run smooth this year.
I have some friends out there today and
I will let you know how they do.
The Bluefin bite has slowed and the fish seem
to be more scattered, or that was the case before all the winds came in and held most boats to the dock. Just look for the
bait and Gannetts to find the tuna's.
Talked to a friend yesterday and he said they
went out this past sunday for some black bass about 15 miles out and did rather well and along with the black bass they also
picked up several flounder in the 3 to 4 lb. class. This is not the only case like this I have heard about.
There is some Wahoo action in the Gulfstream
now.
It is getting time for the Spiney Dog Fish Sharks
to make their apperance. Have been told they are already here. So, if you like to catch sharks, your time has come!! They
are fun to catch, there is no limit on them, size or quantity, and they are very good to eat!! Just watch out for that sharp
spine on their back at the base of the fin, they can inflict a very painful wound!!
I should have all my winter chores caught up this
week, then I will be able to join you on the water as well when we get another weather break.
Find a calm day and wrap up warm and go get some fresh
fish for dinner. They are out there just waiting for ya'. Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish
dog says, I want to go fishin'!!!
THURSDAY1-18-07
Yes, I know
I haven't reported anything lately and I apologize!! The shows have kept me hopping for the past two weeks, but, I have a
little break before the next one on February 3rd with SALTWATER SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE SEMINAR SERIES at Brunswick Community College.
Check this one out at www.nationalseminarseries.com
It was a real pleasure meeting some old friends
and making new ones at Raliegh,NC last weekend. (even saw a couple of nieces and nephews at the shows) We had a great
show and met a lot of great folks!!! Thanks to all that attended our seminars!! I hope I was able to help you catch a
few more fish this year and possibly answer some questions you had been wondering about.
Just a reminder: If you liked our seminars
please let us know by leaving a comment in the "GUESTBOOK" on our web site. If you didn't like them, please let me know that
as well. Your input is the only way I will know what I need to try and improve on.
I also want to Thank the new sponsors that
came to us giving us the opportunity to try their products. From what I saw with their presentations and documentations, I
look forward to using and promoting these fine products for a long time to come. Be sure to check them out on our site at
"OUR SPONSORS PAGE"
The Bluefin Tuna bite is hit and miss now.
I do believe this cold snap will stimulate the bite and the last part of the season should be interesting. The bottom fishing
is good, and I was told yesterday of a boat that went out after Black Bass a few miles and found an area that was loaded
up with Flounder and when they left, they were loaded up with Flounder. If you haven't already taken care of this, please
remember to get you saltwater fishing license before you head out, that went into effect January 1st. If you are a Lifetime
Sportsman License holder before 2006, you have been "grandfathered" in. Remember, the YEAH RIGHT carries a "Blanket
License" so you don't need a license to fish on our boat, this covers non-residents as well!!!
The hardest part now is finding a day that
is calm enough to get out. But, we live at the coast, and if you don't like the weather now, just wait 10 minutes, you may
like it then!! I went to the web site at the Frying Pan Tower Buoy and emailed them that we depend on the buoy a lot to determine
if we can go offshore and would appreciate it if they could get it fixed again. You may want to do the same, couldn't hurt!!
That email is:: webmaster.ndbc@noaa.gov
This is a good time of year to take care of
the repairs to your boat and tackle that you have been putting off. Don't put it off much longer. March is just around the
corner and that starts our Gulfstream Fishing. Before you take off to the Stream this spring be sure your tuna permit hasn't
expired, you will need this for the Yellowfins as well!!
Fishing info. is hard to come by this time
of year, so if you have a good report you would like to have posted here, just email it to me and I will report it here for
you!!
I can not say Thanks enough to all the people
that have supported us over the years!! You all are very special to me and you are much more than just clients, you are all
part of the YEAH RIGHT FAMILY and are very appreciated!! I look forward to fishing with you all again in the future and I
hope the New Year brings all of you health and prosperity beyond your wildest dreams!! From all of us here at Yeah Right Charters,
Lifes short, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I am boat showed out!!!!
TUESDAY1-9-07
First of all, I have got to say a BIG THANK
YOU to all the fishermen and fisherwomen that fished with us in 2006, you are all the GREATEST!!!! I also want
to thank all the folks that came by our booth and came to our seminars at Greensboro this past weekend at the Bass and Saltwater
Show. Thank you all for the nice comments in our "GUESTBOOK" page on our web site. Thank You for all the nice emails a lot
of you have sent me. I am very humbled and very Thankful to you all. It was an honor for me to meet all of you through our
fishing trips and at the show!!! For without all of you guys, what I do would be useless!!! Thanks to a couple
of our best friends Capt Ron Farnsworth and his wife, Admiral Helen. They came by and helped us out with our booth some, Thanks
you guys, your GREAT friends!!!
Another Thanks goes out to our sponsors that
have helped this past year be our best ever. Please check them out on our Links Page. One doesn't have his web site up
yet, so it's not on the links yet, but we welcome BLUEWATER CANDY LURES to our growing list of sponsors.
I am steadily getting ready for the show at
Raleigh this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If you have the opportunity, come by and say HI, or attend one of our seminars
and let us know if you like them or not. If you don't like them let me know, that's the only way I know to improve on them
and I would appreciate your input, good or bad!!!
Be sure when you stop by to tell "Private Bodie"
the fish dog hello, he likes all you guys as much as we do!!!
When the weather will let you get out, the
Bluefin Tunas are still here. Seems like the most action lately has been around the Knuckle Buoy. Pull your Blue &
white, Pink & white, and plain white skirts in the BLUE WATER CANDY JAG 3. If you can't find any, Dutchman
Creek Bait & Tackle usually has them in stock, call them at (910)457-1221.
It looks as though we are going to finally experience
a little winter weather. I don't know why, it's only January. We have all been spoiled by all this warm weather and I am not
so sure that our fishing would be better if the weather was a little more seasonal, so, I am sorta glad to see it get
colder, like it's supposed to be!!!
As soon as the shows are over and I have more
time, I will try and get you a more detailed fishing report from the inside all the way offshore, but, I do know that there
were a few Bluefin Tunas caught last week before the blow came in.
Again, THANK YOU ALL!!!! Hope to see you this
weekend in Raleigh!!! www.ncboatshows.com FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
WEDNESDAY1-3-06
First of all, let's all wish Capt Chris
a Happy Birthday, on January 2nd he reached the dreaded 21st year on this earth. As we older folks know, it gets tougher from this
point on!!!
On the fishing scene, the winter fronts are
here, the winds are blowing and the fishing has been put on hold due to rough conditions!! I just checked the Tower Buoy,
and today is no exception. But before all the bad weather, the Bluefin Tuna bite was good from the Shark Hole to the Knuckle
buoy. The King Mackeral bite was good at the Tower and to the SW. The bottom fishing, if you could get out, was good
as it always is offshore here year round!!! Mabey things will settle soon and we can get back out there!!!!
Well, look at the bright side of this
weather. It is supposed to blow all weekend with rain every day. So, what better time to come to Greensboro,NC to the Bass
and Saltwater show this weekend and attend some seminars and talk about fishing!!! If you can't make it to this one, mabey
you can make it to Raliegh next weekend for that one!!! You can go to www.ncboatshows.com and get the seminar schedules if you would like to attend.
We would love to meet you guys and gals that follow our site and talk about some fishing and share tips and techniques with
you all!!! I sure hope to see you there!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, come
on out to the shows, we all know I am the one you really want to meet and I'll be there!!!
SATURDAY12-30-06
We were headed offshore today with Steve
Walters, Scott Walters, Marc Estridge, Richard Webb, and Rob Trimmier. However, about ten miles out we decided with the Tower
Buoy reporting 4 ft seas every 4 seconds and a stiff NE wind, that it was going to be too nasty and get worse offshore
where I had originally planned to go.
With the change in plans, we headed for the
ledges off of Southport and the Lighthouse Rocks areas. The current was running strong with a good 3 to 4 foot wave and the
water inside this close was cold at 58 degrees and the bite today on the bottom fish was slow at best. The fishing conditions
for bottom fishing were tough at best!!!
I had believed for a long time that when
the water gets this cold that Sharks would leave the area for warmer water, well, that theory was abolished today. We caught
a limit of Atlantic Sharpnose and released many more. There were plenty of Black Bass, but, this years limit of 11 inches
made it necessary to release the countless numbers of 10 7/8 inch fish that were caught. There were a few blue fish and joltheads
mixed in as well. Today was not one of the better catching days, and I am embarrased with the results. But,
with what Mother Nature gave me to work with, I did the best I could do, and I will always give my reports to you
"straight up". What's the old saying? "Sometimes the truth hurts". Thanks guys for being true fishermen and understanding
that some times this is just the way it is!!!!
There were some King Mackeral caught today
at the 15 mile rock in 61 degree water. No, that's not a misprint, 61 degrees!!
The big news is still the Bluefin Tuna that
continue to bite here from Ocean Isle to the Knuckle Buoy!! Today, there were several fish caught, I heard that there were
around 10 caught. I do know of 4 confirmed landings with fish in the high 70's and one reported to be 89 inches. The bite
is still happening mostly in the Shark Hole to the Knuckle buoy area and on the Frying Pan Shoals where the Pogys are starting
to "stack up". This will provide a feeding mecca for the Bluefins and the January bite should just get better!!!
It's not a dream anymore!!! The fish
of choice this time of year now has got to be the Bluefin Tunas we have right here in our back yard. Who would have ever thought
that we would get a World Class Bluefin Fishery right here in Southport, But, we did and it is for real!!!
The weather is not looking good for the next
few days at this time. But, as you know if you fish here, it can and does change quick sometimes. So, keep it monitored and
when the opportunity arises, tie on some "JAG-3" trolling lures from "BLUEWATER CANDY" Lures, place a "Horse Hoo" or a "BONEYARD
BAITS" 11 inch Grub behind it, and when your number gets called, HANG ON!!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch and "Private
Bodie" the fish dog says, you guys come on back anytime, I love to play "get your foot"!!!
THURSDAY12-28-06
We set out this morning
with Russel Wilson, Alfred Wilson, Ian Greveling and Mike Greveling to see if we could intice a Bluefin to bite. With the
bite happening from Ocean Isle to the Knuckle bouy, we decided to start at the Shark Hole. This is in the middle, and we could
work either West or East, depending on what reports were reported. We were in the Gannett birds and Porposes all feeding
on bait, but, today was not our day!!!
It was a good plan, but, our number was not
called today. We had a bite, but it was a bonito, although a tuna, not the kind we were looking to hook up!! Several numbers
were called today though. There were several Bluefins caught, last count I had was nine, several were too small and were
released. I do know that three were confirmed legal size and are on the way to Japan.
Around 12:00 Noon, we had worked our
way to the Horseshoe. Our crew decided that they would like a few bottom fish to carry home, so we anchored up on some good
marks on the scope and between the tomtotes, they managed several nice Black Bass and some Grey Snappers along with some B-Liners
and Silver Snapper. I don't have any pictures since I forgot the camera. Till next time, FISH ON!! Capt Butch
TUESDAY12-26-07
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!
As we approach the New Year, look for January to be even better Bluefin Tuna Fishing than we've had. Just before the Holidays
and the bad weather moved in, the Bluefin Tuna fishery was starting to get very interesting with Capt Brant from the OIFC
boating three Bluefins on the same outing and calling one of his buddy's to come out and he hooked up almost immediately.
But, shortly after that the weather turned and has everyone on hold for a spell!!
I am going to give it a try Thursday
if the weather will cooperate. Right now, one forecaster says it will, while another says it won't, we will see who's right!!!
The Tuna are apparently scattered from here to who knows where. We were concentrating on them at the Horseshoe, Knuckle Buoy
and points East and North, but, the last ones caught before the blow was to our West off of Ocean Isle and they were feeding
on Grey Trout. So, this tells you that you could start trolling at the WOFES and you may possibly hook up a Bluefin Tuna anywhere,
But, I would still concentrate on the birds and bait if I could find them, if you can't find any birds and bait, hit the areas
that usually holds concentrations of trout and be ready!!
It looks as though this Bluefin Fishery
off our coast is better than we had imagined it earlier. With the class of fish that were hooked up a few weeks ago and the
amount of bites and breakoffs and fish that have already been landed, I would say that we are looking at a WORLD CLASS BLUEFIN
TUNA fishery right here in our back yard!! These are the types of things that dreams are made of !!
So, come on down and take your chance
to go toe to toe with one of these "BEAST" of the deep. But, be warned, they can humble you very easily!! Until you have actually
been hooked up and "harnessed" one on one with one of these fish, you CAN NOT imagine the kind of "BRUTE POWER" and awesome
strength these fish have. They have been known to rip rod holders out of the gunnels of fiberglass boats, and can still pull
a 30 foot plus boat sideways at two knots while pulling drag from a reel with a setting of 40 plus pounds drag, and are still
feeding while doing all this!!!! It's just one of those things in life you have to experience to believe it, and you
will still have trouble believing it after you do it!!!!
If the weather does as predicted, Thursday
may be our only shot this week. But, check it daily, even hourly, it can and does change quickly here on the coast !!! If
we get to go, we will be here with the results!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
FRIDAY12-22-06
The weather is supposed to blow for the
next few days with rains in the mix. However, when you get a break in the weather, the Bluefins are biting from the Shark
Hole east to the knuckle buoy. As I said before, look for the signs of life that depicts a feed in progress. There was a confirmed
landing yesterday of one and several more hook up's.
I will be on the Tuna scene after the first
of the year. Hopefully, we will be able to hook up and land some and get some pictures!! I and "Private Bodie" wish
all of you a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt. Butch and "Private
Bodie" the fish dog, says HI!!!!.
TUESDAY12-19-06
Can you believe this!!! I listened to
the weather man again today and the predicted winds of 25 to 35 knotts this evening never came and I missed another great
day on the water. But, with this ocean you have to respect the weather and with the predicted forecast it wasn't worth the
gamble that they would be wrong!!!
But, the Lord has given us two weeks of unheard
of calm seas for this time of year. Although I have had a lot of preparations to be made for all the up coming events and
haven't had a chance to fish much, those that have have been having a "field day"!!
I will try to recap some of what's been happening.
Notice I said try, there has been such good fishing, I am sure to miss something!!!
INSHORE: Yesterday,
I went fishing with my wife Barbara, she hardly ever gets to go anymore and she wanted to go catch some bottom fish but didn't
want to go offshore. We went to the Lighthouse Rocks area and here we found the Black Bass, Bluefish, and Grey Trout to be
very cooperative. The Black Bass we found were less than the new size limit of 11 inches. Most were 10 7/8" and we put them
all back. The Bluefish are out there with a vengence. I bet we caught 200 of those and we threw all those back. We caught
a pile of Grey Trout but only wanted enough for dinner, so, we kept five of those and came home. It was nice to just go and
fish not caring if you even got a bite!!!
OFFSHORE: Man, this
place has been awesome!!!! The King Mackeral bite has been phenominal!!! They are slowly working their way offshore to the
normal wintering grounds, but, right now they are a little SW of the Tower,(about 2 miles) Also, if you like the battle of
a Bonito, there are plenty of those out there also.
BOTTOMFISH: With
the New Moon waining, look for the Grouper bite to get better. It's been a little slow lately, but will pick back up soon!!
As for the other botton species, they are hungry and if you drop a bait in a school you better be ready, the bite will be
instant. When we were drifting for Kings Sunday, I dropped a bottom rig to the bottom and it wasn't long until my shoulders
and arms were aching. I talked to Capt Chris this evening and he said he was fixing some of them for dinner tonight!!
BLUEFIN TUNA: The
Bluefins are here, but, you have to find them!! They have been any where from the Shark Hole to the knuckle buoy to the fairway
buoy to the 30/30 and anywhere in between!!! Look for the Gannett Birds diving on the bait. Look for the fish to actually
be surfacing or jumping while feeding. Also, watch for "oil slicks" these are created when they are feeding. Use your
nose, remember when you were a boy and you went bream fishing in the spring and you would sniff the air trying to get a whiff
of that musky wetermelon smell that meant a bream bed close by, same thing here, but leave the breambuster at home!!! This
past weekend there were some true Giants hooked up. These fish were brutes that were beyond your wildest imagination!!! The
guys that were lucky enough, and I use the term "lucky" with mixed emotions, that were lucky enough to hook up these fish
could not do a thing with them!! Other fishermen went to their aid to try to help, but, a fish that can pull line from a reel
with a heavy drag and pull the boat sideways at the same time is a TRUE GIANT that is to be dealt with. The Giants
are here, now will anyone be able to get one in the boat? I know I will be trying a lot more in January after all the
shows are over!!!
GULFSTREAM: I have
not heard a thing from the stream, but I suspect there would be a wahoo or two hanging around the break!!
INSIDE: The Speckled
Trout and even a few drum are being caught. I hope I haven't left out too much!! As you can see, the fish eat in the winter
just as you do. A lot of people think that when winter comes the fish quit feeding, when actually, it can be some of the best
fishing of the year!!! So, when the weather gets nice again after this front passes, come on down and get rid of the cabin
fever and catch you some fish!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!!Capt Butch.
SUNDAY12-17-06
The fishing lately has been good
and today was no exception. Capt Chris came home this weekend to go Pheasant hunting with me Saturday, and today we were
joined by his and my friend William Deal to get some more king mackeral quota on my federal king permit
so I won't lose it. Federal requirements are that you have got to catch at least $10,000.00 or 25% of your earned income
each year of King Mackeral or they will revoke your permit!!!!
We went to the Tower area where we found
the Kings willing to accomodate us. We were beginning to have second thoughts though after hearing on the VHF radio of
the "Giant" Bluefin Tunas that were being hooked up. We had our Tuna tackle on board, but we knew we had to get some King
Mackeral today, the time for me to qualify my permit was running out!!! There were around 8 Tuna hook up's that I heard about
this morning, all the way from the Shark Hole to the Knuckle Buoy, and they were big fish, some were so big that they
could not even be slowed down, much less boated, and 130 lb. test lines were being broken!!!
Will be going out tomorrow to do a little bottom
fishing on a 1/2 day trip. Will let you know what transpires and what I hear on the Bluefin's. Till next time, FISH ON!!!
Capt's Butch & Chris Foster and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, man, where did all those kings come from!!!!
FRIDAY12-15-06
The weather is nice here at this time.
The weekend weather looks fairly good and the King Mackeral bite is HOT at the Tower area. Mixed in is some bonito's.
The Bluefin Tuna bite should just get better
as January gets closer. Try for these at the Horseshoe to the Fairway Buoy to 18 Mile Rock to the Sharkhole, you get the idea,
they could be anywhere. Watch for the bait and Gannett Birds diving. Also, keep your eyes open for the Tuna surfacing while
feeding!!
The Speckled Trout are still biting.
Try the Berkley Gulp Baits. The jerk shad and the 3" Pogys have been doing good. If you can get some live shrimp, you will
have premium baits!!
The offshore bottom fishing is about as good
as it gets now!! You can get some nice Black Bass now without having to run all the way offshore. Try areas like the WOFES,
Lighthouse Rocks, etc. Most likely, you will also pick up some Grey Trout while fishing for the bass along with the possibility
of a big red drum!!! But, head offshore and you can catch all the bottom species now!! Good luck, be careful out there, and
have some fun!!! I'll see y'all when I get back from Pheasant Hunting!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch.
TUESDAY12-12-06
The fishing here in Southport,NC is about as good as it gets!!! This week so far has been nice offshore and the fish
are cooperating real nice!! The story on the speckled trout and red drum continues. Fishing for these are good in the creeks,
rivers, bays, inlets, jetties,etc;etc; look for the red drum in the backs of creeks now. If the weather doesn't get too cold
this winter, it should stay good for the rest of the winter.
King Mackeral fishing has been hot around the Tower
at this time. Be sure to check the Horseshoe area on the way out, you may not have to run all the way to the Tower!! Try cigar
minnows,(jigged up alive or frozen) you can also expect this time of year to have some of your baits ambushed while trolling
for King Mackeral by the False Albacore AKA: Boneheads, that are here this time in the season. These fish are not good to
eat, or, at least that is my opinion, and yes, being that I love to cook, I have tried them!! They do make excellent strip
baits though for the up coming spring Gulfstream Fishing!! Also, don't be too suprised if you hook up a lost Mahi-Mahi while
out there king mackeral fishing around the Tower, yeah, there's still a few around!!!
Bottom Fishing, what can I say, at around 5 to 10
miles and on out, it's about as good as it has been all year. It may very well be the best right now that it has been all
year!!! This IS the time to fill your freezor with usually big Black Bass, trigger fish, Grey Snapper, vermillion Snapper,
Grouper, and who knows what else out there may bite!! Before you go bottom fishing be sure to check with the web site
www.ncdmf.net as the size limits and bag limits has changed on
some of the bottom fish and groupers!!
Haven't heard anything from the Gulfstream, but would
expect some Wahoo's to be on the prowl around the Black Jack to the Steeples, somewhere along the break!!
The big news remains the Bluefin Tuna's!!! There have
been Bluefin Tuna hooked up from the Shark Hole to the Frying Pan Shoals Slough, and that's the ones we know about!!!This
past weekend there were a couple of Bluefins landed in Morehead over 600 pounds each. When these fish make their way down
to our back yard, well, you know the outcome!!! Last year Capt Wally Trayah and his crew fought one on the "FISHWHISTLE" for
over 11 hours and pulled his 31 foot Contender boat 21 miles before it finally broke the leader. This fish was estimated to
be over 1000 pounds!!! No, that's not a "typo" error, that is "OVER 11 HOURS, 21 MILES, AND OVER 1000LBS"!!!!! These fish
feed hard and by January they have put on a lot of fat and January is the month when you can expect to have the opportunity
to hook up a "REAL GIANT"!!
The weather and fishing is in top form at this time,
however, don't expect this weather pattern to last much longer, remember, it is winter time, and when you get a "break" this
time of year, you got to move on it, you can't wait around for it will surely change, and soon!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!!
Capt Butch.
SATURDAY12-10-06
Some more Bluefin Tuna's were landed
and hooked up today!! If you have a chance go get 'em!!! FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
BLUEFIN TUNA SPECIAL
Here's the deal!!! I am bound by the rules
and regulations of NOAA Fisheries, but, I am giving you the best deal that I am allowed to do so by the regulations!!!
Book a trip for Bluefin Tuna and if we
land one that is under 73 inches and you want to keep it, then we would be fishing in the ANGLING CATAGORY that
day and you would pay for the charter. But, since we don't have to go to Morehead City now to catch these fish, I am doing
these trips now for the same rate as a full day, $795.00.
If you land a fish that is over 73 inches,
you CAN NOT keep it or sell it. However, I, and the the boat is licensed and have all the permits necessary to retain this
fish, this would put us fishing in the GENERAL CATAGORY, and your trip would be FREE!!!!. You would still have bragging
rights to doing something that so few people ever do, going one on one and landing one of the biggest, meanest animals
in the ocean, and it didn't cost you a dime!!! I tried this before and was bombarded with emails and calls wanting
to know why they couldn't sell the fish, Here is why you can't sell the fish: NOAA fisheries only allows you to sell
a fish and participate in such only if you own the proper permits and your vessel is licensed in the proper catagory.
This special only valid while season open!!!!
WEDNESDAY12-6-06
Well, the Bluefin Tuna saga continues!!!
A 400 pounder was caught today at the Horseshoe by the crew on the "BUCKWILD" out of Wrightsville Beach. There were a few
more reported to have been hooked up and lost.
I am going to eventually get my displays done
for the up coming shows, but, I can't put it off any longer. The first show is just a few weeks away now. But, as soon as
I get them done, I am going to go see if I can get hooked up with one of these "animals" they call a Bluefin Tuna.
The weather is supposed to blow the next couple
days, hopefully, the weekend will be salvaged!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
TUESDAY12-6-06
We are into the winter fishing pattern
now. You have to pick your days between the cold fronts now, but, the fish still bite even in the winter time. On the inside,
you can still pick up a stray flounder once in a while along with some speckled trout. The inshore reefs are producing some
big red drum and grey trout and you can get some black bass also in these areas. Offshore, bottom fishing is good as
is king mackeral in the usual holding areas for this time of year. I'd start my search in the Horseshoe areas to the Tower.
But, the big news right now is the Bluefin Tuna that are here. The hot spots lately have been in the knuckle buoy and the
fairway buoy areas. Watch for the bait and birds and for the Tuna's themselves actually breaking the water as they feed on
the bait. This is a new fishery to this area and if not properly prepared, these fish can be and are a dangerous adversary,
don't cut any corners or take any chances with these fish, go "by the book" as they are EXTREMELY POWERFUL!!!! Go have some
fun and be safe!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie' the fish dog says HI!!!.
SUNDAY12-3-06
We went out yesterday to see if we could get
some black bass and trout along with maybe big red fish. The small craft advisories and the rough conditions posted were enough
for me to stay inshore. With the full moon conditions upon us, I have never seen so much "dirty" water and at the "WOFES"
a 16 ounce weight would not hold your bait on the bottom. Also, I use 60 feet of 5/16 chain and a 22 pound plow anchor, and
this would not anchor my boat. Needless to say, the fishing conditions were the worst I have ever experienced, so at
around 9:00AM we gave it up for a better day. The fishing was so bad, all the birds in the area came to our boat in hopes
that if we caught something we would share it with them.When a pelican can't catch anything to eat, conditions are "BAD"!!! Well,
it was obvious that we didn't need the bait we had today, so, we broke open the bait cooler and turned our trip into a bird
feeding trip. We left the area knowing that because we were there today, a lot of brown pelicans can go to roost that
night and not be hungry. It's not always about the fish you catch, It was a unique experience!!!! Till next time,(and
better fishing conditions) FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, I always bark at the birds, yesterday,
I looked over the side of the boat, I thought I was a goner for sure!!!
THURSDAY11-30-06
The Bluefin Tuna excitement continues!!! The
majority of the hook up's have been around the areas of the knuckle buoy and the fairway buoy. It's a game of being at
the right spot at the right time. That sure sounds like fishing, doesn't it? But you can definitely improve your chances by
fishing around the bait, this is where the Bluefins will be!! There was another reported fish landed today by Capt Jeff
McDonald and crew on the "UNDERTAKER". It was a giant at 85"- Fantastic job and congratulations are in order for those
guys.
I,myself, am waiting for a little calmer
conditions. I can remember 30 years ago, I would have been there every day the season was open, but, I need a little calmer
conditions if I am going to try to fish for these brutes commercially. As for the charter part, I can handle that, I run the
boat while the younger guys fight the fish. So, my advice to you is, do it now while you are young and still can, "Father
Time" will put a stop to it one day, and it will be sooner than you think!!!
However, "Private Bodie" and I
have not been wasting the beautiful weather we have been having inside. We have been working on mastering this inside
fishing with artificial bait. I have spent nearly all my saltwater years fishing offshore, so this fishing "inside" is
a new challenge for me. I have fished "inside" from time to time with limited results, so I decided it was time I learned
how to be proficient at this fishing inside with artificial baits. Today was a start, I figured out a couple of
tricks that put a few fish in the boat. Now I have some confidence in what I am doing and confidence is the key to catching
fish, so, for me a new fishery was born today that I will soon master!!!
Back on the offshore scene, the other
news is the King Mackeral bite is back at the Horseshoe areas and at the Tower. The grey trout and big red drum are still
on the inshore reefs and ledges along with some black bass.
The weather doesn't look to good for
tomorrow. This Saturday may be fishable, but only time will tell for sure. With a N wind predicted for Saturday, you should
be able to get out a little ways and possibly find some trout or red fish at the very worst. And if you can't get offshore,
remember, the speckled trout and flounder are biting on the inside!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie"
the fish dog says, there's nothing like fresh trout scales to wake a dog up in the morning!!!
P.S. Check out in the picture how "Private Bodie" stays cool in the boat when
it's hot, he's no dumb dog!!!
BLUEFIN TUNA'S ARE HERE!!!
If you
have been waiting for the word, well, here it is. If you ever wanted to hook up with a real beast and go one on one, now is
the time. We are booking through January 20th only, then it's over for this year!!! Don't wait, do it now while we have a
few dates still open!!!!
KING MACKERAL UP-DATE
There are
some King Mackeral back in the Horseshoe areas
TUESDAY11-28-06
The fishing here in Southport is always good in the
winter months. Depending on the severity and longevity of the passing cold fronts is the common denominator as to how good
it is and how long it last!! We have been experiencing a lot of wind and rain lately, but things are getting back to normal,
finally. The speckled trout have been biting well on the inside creeks and marshes as are some red drum being caught. The
grey trout are still on the inshore reefs along with some big red drum. The Black Bass are in their normal winter stages closer
to the beach now, and there have been some big ones caught!! A good place to start looking for the trout and Black Bass would
be the Light House Rock 1 and 2 area. If you are looking for the speckled trout, try areas like Dutchman Creek, Elizabeth
River, the various creeks around Bald Head Island, any of your creeks or backwaters are potential holding areas now for these
trout.
The king mackeral bite that was here a few
weeks ago was shut off by the fronts that moved through with high winds and torrential rains. The kings are still biting,
but, they have moved on to the NE to the normal winter grounds. Start your search now for these fish around the
Tower and work to the East and North.
The Bluefin Tuna fishery that was discovered
and verified off our beach last year looks good again this year. The bait and Gannett birds are here and there have already
been some sitings of these fish in the Horseshoe area, and some unsuspecting king mackeral fisherman have reported having
their baits attacked by what they would describe as a "freight train" that can only mean BLUEFIN TUNA'S!!! And Bluefin Tuna
they are, as I was writing this report, I got a call from the "Fishing Hot Line" and there were some Bluefin Tunas caught
today and put in the boat in the 300 to 400 lb. range. So, fishermen, "start your boat engines", THE BLUEFIN TUNA'S ARE HERE!!! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
The winter fishing is a resource that few fishermen
are aware of!! I would say it can be some of the best fishing of the year. You have to dress for the occasion, it can be cold
one minute and hot the next, but, always dress for the worse and you can remove layers as needed. Dress too light, and
you might spend a miserable day on the seas. Go prepared, and you can experience some great fishing and be comfortable at
the same time!!
Our bottom fishing is real good inshore and offshore
in the winter!! Find a day with light winds and go out and anchor up on a grouper hole and a lot of times you will give out
before the fish do!! It is not uncommon this time of year to catch bottom dwellers two at a time almost as fast as you can
drop down, plus, get some groupers to go with them. The biggest problem with winter fishing is the winds. The air in the winter
is cold, that makes it heavy, so, a 10 knott wind in the summer that is warm and light can have little effect on the seas,
but, put that same wind on the seas that is cold and heavy, and you can be faced with some rough conditions!!
Providing that the weather doesn't get so bad
you can't get offshore, the fishing for the months of December, January, and February will be as years past, GREAT!!! If you
have not tried the winter fishery here off the coast of the Cape Fear River, you really should give it a try, you won't believe
what you have been missing! If you do try it, you will never again sit around all winter and hope that spring fishing season
would get here. You will learn what so few already know, our fishing season runs December 31st to January 1st, every year!!!
SUNDAY 11-26-06
Went speckled trout fishing on Friday.
I must confess, this is not where my talents lie, I admire all the inside Captains, I don't have the patience to fish
inside!!! I caught one trout that was 1/8 inch too short and Capt Chris caught one Flounder that was 1/8 inch too short.
However, we did see several trout that had been caught and talking to other fishermen it was evident that the fshing was not
on fire, but, some were doing much better than we were and some were not doing as good as we were. Seems like this brings
back to mind, it's called fishing and not catching.
Talked to Keith Swicegood and his wife Libby
( they are from my hometown, almost neighbors) and they had gone out to a ledge on some numbers I gave them several
years ago and they did well on some big grey trout and Keith said he even caught a nice "knot head". A "knot head" is a big
black bass. I stayed inside Friday because the way the wind was blowing I figured it would be rough in the ocean, well, I
was wrong, Keith said it laid out slick. You can't figure this ocean out!!!!
Got a report that the king mackeral are on
the east side of the tower. I had figured they were there, they go there every year, and it is getting time for them to be
there!! There have been some Bluefin Tunas sighted at the horseshoe and talked to a fisherman Saturday that had a (quote)
"refrigerator fall on one of his baits, but, didn't get hooked up, but, when he reeled it in, it had been crushed," sounds
like a Bluefin Bite too me!!!! As a testiment to the power of these fish, Capt Chris and I had one to hit a downrigger ball
last year and snapped 300 lb. test downrigger line like "sewing thread"!!!
We are in the winter fishing pattern now, and
those who know, know this is some of the best fishing of the year. If you want to try to hook up with a Bluefin Tuna this
year, call soon, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the only days of the week you can charter for those, Monday thru Thursday
are reserved for commercial fishing, and commercial and charter can't be done on the same days.
What we are doing is this. Due to the unpredictable
weather in the winter, when you book, (and you can do it), we will block off all three days for you, that way you will
have a better chance of getting a good day to go. Yeah, I could make more money booking the days individually, but money
is not the subject here, it is my desire to give you a chance to hook up with the "Biggest, Baddest, Beast you will ever have
on the end of a fishing line, PERIOD"!!!!! This can also offer you the chance to fish more than one day if desired!!
We are filling up fast, so, call soon, or you will have to wait again until next year!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch
and "Private Bodie" the fish dog, says HI!!!
WEDNESDAY11-22-06
WHAT A BLOW WE'VE HAD!!! As you would
expect, there has not been any fishing happening for the past few days with all the rain and winds upwards and into tropical
force. The only thing seperating this blow from a tropical depression has been the temperatures.
However, there is a good side to all this!!! This
kind of weather should "blow" the Bluefin Tuna into our area. There have already been a few seen, but, look for them to be
here in numbers in a week or so!! A couple of boats last saturday thought they had hooked up with some Bluefins!! They were
in a school of bait, the birds were working it and a report came that one had a hook up and the fish was peeling
line off the INTERNATIONAL PENN 130. But, when it was brought along boat side, the report came it was the biggest Red Drum
he had ever seen, close to 100 lbs., he said. There were several more caught, so that school of fish was a school of big redfish
in the bait.
The weather for the weekend, at this time, is not
the best. When I say weather, I am relating to the winds, that is our biggest concern to be able to get offshore, especially
in the winter months. However, if you fish here much, you know how it can change. How does the saying go; " If you don't
like the weather here now, just wait 10 minutes, you may like it then".
Last weekend, I and several other fishermen searched
from the Horseshoe to several miles past the Tower for the King Mackeral. The blow and rain we had last week had moved
them out of these areas. I heard one of the guys that had been commercial fishing earlier last week and had over 4,000 lbs.
of Kings in a couple of days say saturday evening that he had caught nothing that day. I figure they have moved
up to the east side where they go every winter. If we find them, we will post it here along with pic's as we always do.
All the rain and flooding we are having are sure to
slow the fishing for a few days, but, it won't be long before the bite will be back to normal. I happens like this almost every
year, mabey not quite this bad, but it will settle pretty fast. If nothing else this weekend, we may be able to get out
to the Lighthouse Rocks areas and catch some Black Bass. And, if you do go do that, remember that the limit now is 11 inches
total length and the creel limit was dropped to 15 per person!! There should be some grey trout out on the reefs and rocks
now too!! Hopefully, this mess will get on out of here and we can go fishing this weekend!!!!
While the fishing is slow, this is a good time to remind you of the up coming
Fishing and boat shows. The first one is in Greensboro,NC starting on January 5th and running thru the 7th. The second is
in Raleigh,NC starting on January 12th thru the 14th. I will be doing seminars all six days at both shows. You can
check out the times and subject at www.ncboatshows.com Also, be sure to get your tickets to the SALTWATER SEMINAR SERIES coming to Wilnington,NC on Feburary 3rd to the Odell
Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College. I will be covering subjects at this school also!! Check them out at
www.nationalseminarseries.com We will be having another fishing school at the COASTLINE Convention Center later in the year. I will give you that date
as soon as it is finalized. We hope you can attend all the shows and we would love to meet you and if we can't go fishing,
we can talk about it!!!
A BIG THANK YOU goes
out to every one and all our sponsors that helped to make this year our best ever. We certainly hope we exceeded your
every expectation, and we will continue to strive to be the very best charter service, PERIOD!!!!!
I and "Private Bodie" wish all of you a very happy
and thankful Thanksgiving and GODBLESS YOU ALL!!. Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie"the fish dog says, be sure
to save me a bite of turkey!!
SUNDAY11-19-06
The Gannett birds are here, the bait is showing
up, the BLUEFIN TUNA'S should be here any day now, and most likely are already here!!! We are booking our Bluefin trips now!!
If you are interested in trying to catch a real brute of an animal, we have some dates still open, mostly in December,
PRIME TIME!!!! Charter fishing is to be done on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. Monday thru Thursday is reserved for the
commercial fishing!!! Check out more info. on the "CHARTER RATES" page on this web site. Give it a try, you just might hook
the biggest, baddest, beast of a lifetime!!!!!! You can't even imagine the raw power these fish have until you have
one on a rod and reel!! One fish was fought for over eleven hours last year before it finally broke the 100+ lb. test leader!!!!
SATURDAY11-18-06
Todays fishing trip
was an extra special one for me. Today I had on board the "YEAH RIGHT" Rudy Jenkins, Brian Robbins, Darrell Kennedy, Ronnie
Hussey, and Steve Blanchard. Now, what made this one so special. Well, back more years than I want to admit, I used to Striper
fish on Badin Lake, one of the lakes on the Yadkin River Chain of lakes. Rudy, had a house on that lake and we fished mostly
in the winter time when the stripers were schooled up chasing the small shad from the past years hatch.
We would pull "Green Things" this was the name
that was tagged onto a bait configuration that I do believe that Rudy was the one that was the originator of this bait that
worked wonders on the stripers, especially in the winter months. It was not uncommon to have two stripers on at one time (on
the same rod).
Well, it was cold out on the water this
time of year and we would meet at Rudy's house around lunch time to get a bite to eat and warm up before the evening fishing
started. It was a great time in my life, and as fishing does so many times, it provides you with some great friends, great
memories, and makes you realize just how short life on this earth really is so you should make the best of the time you have
here, and those years spent fishing on Badin Lake was definately some of the most quality time I have ever spent with friends
and my son Capt Chris!!!
Now, as for the fishing. A lot of you
fishermen and women have met Rudy. He fishes a lot of the King Mackeral Tournaments here out of Southport and is the owner
of R&D AUTOMOTIVE in Asheboro,NC. Seems ironic that two friends that loved to striper fish on Badin went our
seperate ways only to wind up back fishing together on the high seas, with a love for a different type of fishing that we
both can share again. The only thing missing today was Capt Chris. Had he been able to have made it today, the circle
would have been complete. We all missed you Capt Chris, and had you been with us, I bet we would have had more Grouper in
the boat. Grouper have a hard time outwitting Capt Chris!!!!
Today we were after bottom fish and grouper,
please, no king mackeral!! I went to some of my grouper rocks that I haven't fished in a long time,(you can't fish them too
often, or you'll burn them out). The first stop, SW of the Tower showed a good concentration of fish on the rock. We anchored
up, baited up, dropped down and it wasn't long until a rod doubled over and the fight was on!!! A nice 14-15 lb.GAG Grouper
came aboard. Now, you got to remember, I had King Mackeral Fishermen on board. These guys were not aware of the vicious bite
and battle that the grouper can lay upon you with no advance warning!!
The next bite nearly resulted in a lost rod
and reel. The comment came the starboard side of the boat, THAT FISH NEARLY TOOK THE ROD OUT OF MY HAND!!!!! Well, if you
grouper fish, you know what that means, yep, he was in the rocks, GAME OVER!!!! No more than that happened, the same came
from the Port side, well, if you grouper fish, you also know what two fish broke off in the same rock means, GAME OVER!!!
It shuts the bite off nearly ever time, this was no exception!!!
We left there because the bite shut off
after two break off's. The next rock we anchored up on provided two more grouper bites, but, they were too fast and powerful
to get them up out of the rocks, so again, GAME OVER!!!
The tide turned on us and made for a whole
different set of circumstances. This time the current was "screaming"!!! The schools of fish I was marking was gone and the
few I marked, would not bite. I guess they were holding on to something to keep from being washed to England.
OK, enough Grouper fishing, let's get some
bottom fish in the boat for the freezer. Well. with the current running like it was, I decided to make a run towards to shoals
and get on the down side of the shoals in shallower water. Here, the current would have a break, and should not be as strong
in the shallower water allowing the fish an opportunity to feed.
I love it when a plan comes together, I found
a good break, marking a good concentration of fish on the high side (a good position to indicate they are feeding). We anchored
up and when we dropped down, this time, FOR THE FISH, it was GAME OVER!!!! With a 20 fish per person limit on "reef
complex species" these guys were limited out in less than an hour!! The bite was as fast as you could drop, mostly two at
a time!!
Our creel for the day consisted of Black
Bass, Vermillion Snapper, Triggerfish, Grouper, Grey Snapper, and a few Silver Snapper. With all the fish on board and the
winds building the seas up,we decided to head back since we had a "head sea" of around four feet and building. I put
the curtains up I designed last winter to use in these kind of conditions, got out the bean bags, got the "YEAH RIGHT"
set and trimmed to a good ride at around 23 knotts, (even in a 4 ft head sea) Man, MAKO makes a fine boat, I looked back after
about five miles to see how everyone was doing, but, I couldn't get many answers, those on the bean bags were asleep, so,
I figured they were doing OK!!!
Some more great memories made with some GREAT
friends, and we even caught some fish too!! Rudy, be sure to tell Deb and Tracy and all the guys in Asheboro,NC I
said hello, and I will cherish this trip for years to come, just as I will always remember the striper trips!! Till next time, FISH
ON!!! Capt Butch and "Private Bodie" the fish dog says, there was so many fish coming in the boat at one time, I thought
we were under attack, so I went and hid behind a bean bag!!!
TUESDAY11-14-06
I was not going to go fishing today.
When I woke up this morning, that was the last thing on my mind. I sat down here at this computer to answer the many questions
I have received by e-mail and on the GUESTBOOK on the web site, mostly in the private sector. But before I did that I checked
the water at the Tower Data Bouy. It said 1.3 feet every 11 seconds. Now, for those of you that do not know what that means,
it was Flat as a pancake!!!
Private Bodie" was on his bean bag
bed and was stretched out doing some serious sleeping. Knowing that it was getting late in the day I figured I would ask him
if he wanted to go and if he didn't then I would not go. Now, unknowing to me, he must have some kind of launch system in
that bean bag bed of his that takes a secret sentence to activate it. And todays secret sentence was, Would you like to go
fishing?
Now, you should have seen it, he came up like
he was on fire and nothing was going to calm him down now except to go fishing!!!! So, we set out to the Tower to jig up some
live bait. It was late in the day when we left the dock and after we got to the Tower and got our bait and then ran back to
where we were going to fish, we had about an hour and a half of good day light to fish, but, "Private Bodie" was as happy
as he could be now, and to tell you the truth it was nice to get out and spend some time with him. He was all excited going
out today, but, coming home he was tired and I held him most of the way back and he was in my arms doing some serious
sleeping again, happy and content he got to go fishing for a little bit this afternoon, and I was happy that I could
take him!!!
I will try my best to answer all of your
questions tomorrow, I have gotten a little behind lately!!
The King Mackeral bite in the 20 to 30
mile range is great at this time. The bottom fishing is real good when you find them. Inshore, the water is still dirty from
all the strong SW winds we have had lately and this has slowed the bite inshore down. I don't know what the Gulfstream is
doing, I had a trip there this weekend but it was blown out. Did hear one captain say he went last Friday and didn't
do anything, and another went and saw some Yellowfin Tunas and caught a couple of Blackfin Tunas. But the King Mackeral bite,
well, if you ever wanted to catch a King Mackeral, now's the time!!!
SATURDAY11-12-06
I mentioned something yesterday about
the King Mackeral bite being "cooled off" well, undoubtedly I did not know what I was talking about!!! The King Mackeral
bite is HOT right now.
We were fishing today with Tim Spears, Jim
Spears, Eunice Spears, Scott Cooper, Bruce Cole, and David Cole. Now, that's six people and we limited out on Kings, and,
we were not King Mackeral fishing, we were bottom fishing. And to top that off, we probably lost as many or more Kings than
we caught. And, believe it or not, there are still a few Mahi-Mahi around at the tower!!!
Oh yeah, the bottom fishing is still good,
although we were met today with less than ideal conditions like we had yesterday, we still managed to hit the sharks, Grey
Snapper, Triggerfish, Black Bass, Silver Snapper, Vermillion Snapper, and even got a big red grouper and a nice scamp grouper
today.
The 3 foot seas every 11 seconds that
was on the weather bouy web site was more like 3 foot every 3 seconds, but, we set the auto pilot for a course to the SW side
of the Tower, locked the throttles on a crusing speed of 21 knots and before we woke up real good, someone yelled, BODIE,
FISH ON!!! and the "FISH DOG" came "unwound"!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch Foster and "Private Bodie"
the fish dog says, "this is my kind of weather and my kind of fishin'"........
FRIDAY 11-10-06
The Fish Are BITING!!!! The King Mackeral bite that was hot at the Horseshoe
has cooled down, but they are scattered. Find a school and get a few quick then you got to look some more!! All in all, I
would say the bite is fair for the Kings. There were plenty of Hound fish at the tower today as are a lot of Bonito
starting to show up. We picked up a few kings on a lite line, although we never actually fished for any.
But, I will have to say that the bottom fishing is GREAT!!! We were fishing today with
some regulars on the "Yeah Right", they were David Thornton, Perry Carter, Richard Chilton, Craig Blevins, and Steve Marler.
We never anchored today, we had a "straight up" tide all day. The drift was perfect all day. This is very rare, but, it made
bottom fishing a lot eaiser on me!!!
We limited out on "Reef Complex Species" which included Grey Snapper, Triggerfish,
Joltheads Porgys, had a limit and a half of good sea bass, several nice Vermillion Snappers, a Yellowtail Snapper, Pinkies,
five King Mackerals, five Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks, a Grouper that we had to release and ended the day with both fish boxes
in the boat packed to the "gills" and everyone complaining of sore arms!!!
Another good day of fishing with some GREAT friends that the fishing business
has allowed me to meet. I thank GOD and the Veterans and the men and women of our Military everyday, for without these, we
would not be able to do what we want to do the way we want to do it here in the USA!!!! Till next time FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch Foster and "Private Bodie" the fish dog has done "crashed and burned" for the night!!!!
Name:
JASON
Date:
Comments:
WHERE IS THE NEW BOAT.
HAVENT SEEN ANY REPORTS ON IT IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS
Jason, it is
in the third slip on the right past the big fish cleaning station, at SOUTH HARBOUR MARINA, DOCK A The name of it
is "DREAM CATCHER".
In the "GUESTBOOK" Cary
asked these questions. I will try to answer them here!!
Capt. Butch, I have a few
questions I hope you can help me with if time allows. 1. How to get loran numbers converted to gps numbers. 2 What type of
jig is needed for boston mackeral,is that sabaki as well. 3. What are the limits for blackfin tuna. Size,catch #, permits?
I see no indication for blackfins on ncdmf quide,only yellowfin,bluefin,bigeye. Thanks for all your help.
Cary
1-The LORAN to GPS conversion
is a subject that I have not been able to find an accurate solution for. My LORAN will convert to GPS, but I have found it
not to be accurate. I have been told that there are some units on the market now that can do this accurately, but, I have
no idea which ones it would be.
2- Yes, a sibiki rig will
jig up the Boston Mackeral. You can catch them on the same one you use for cigar minnows. I personally like a size 12 in green.
3- As for the Black Fin
Tunas: There is no size limit or creel limit to my knowledge, but I would check with the NMFS to be sure. They could
have very well changed it this year. I looked on their web site and did not see anything. You can access their web site by
going to the last link on my site (on the LINKS PAGE) and click on "TUNA PERMITS" Also, you do NOT need a permit
for Blackfin Tuna, but, you do for many others. To be on the safe side, I would get one anyway before you hook up with a big
Yellowfin out there. You don't want to get caught with one of those without a permit!!! If I am wrong on any of this, I stand
corrected!!!
FISH ON!!!
Capt Butch
TUESDAY11-7-06
Let's hope all this rain doesn't mess
up the fishing because they are "chewing" real good. And I mean REAL GOOD. The king mackeral bite has been hot at the horseshoe
with some mixed in Blackfin Tunas. The bait of preference has been live cigar minnows with the second best being frozen cigar
minnows working best early. If the bite stops on the frozen, go jig up some live ones, also, if you can jig up some live Boston
Mackeral, count how many you have and most likely, that's how many hits you will have on those also!!!
Have not heard from the Gulfstream, but, if
the weather allows, I will be going there this Sunday. I can't hardly wait, I am real excited about putting out one of these
new baits from BONEYARD BAIT CO. out there. I know it will be something that they have never seen before, and it should
tear their nerves all to pieces!!!!
On the inside, The Speckled Trout are biting
about as good as you could ever expect them too!!! Reports are that the spots are still on today off tomorrow. The best bait
for the spots has been the "FISHBITES BLOODWORMS". If you have trouble finding them DUTCHMAN CREEK BAIT & TACKLE (910)
457-1221 has them, they are located beside the BRUNSWICK CTY. AIRPORT, just before the bridge that goes on to OAK ISLAND.
Be sure to tell them that Capt Butch sent you there, I'd appreciate it!! Whitings, Flounder, and Bluefish are biting
as well.
Grey Trout should be on the inshore reefs along
with some big Red Fish. Try cut bait, squid, mullet minnows, or jigging spoons such as the "Stingsilvers", or "Diamond Jigs".
The offshore bottom bite, well unless something
drastic has happened to the ocean out there, it should be good as it always is. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder
from time to time to find them, but, they are there somewhere and will usually bite!!! It looks now as though we may have
a decent weekend to fish, keep your fingers crossed!!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch & "Private Bodie" the fish
dog.
SUNDAY11-5-06
OK, I'm back. Where have I been? Well, again
we had a "bug" hit our computer, this time we had to call the "Computer Doctor". And yes, I lost all my e-mails that I was
fixin' to answer and everything else, AGAIN!!!!!
So, if you will, please just shoot me
another email if I didn't get yours answered and I will get back to you ASAP!!!!
On the fishing scene, the King Mackeral bite
is hot in the 15 to 25 mile areas. Even been some Blackfin Tuna's mixed in and caught too, sure glad to see those around.
Went over to the piers yesterday and the fishing
was slow, but, that was yesterday and today it could be hot. Give them a call, they will tell you what's happening. Be sure
to tell them where you got their phone number. YAUPON PIER (910)278-9400 and OCEAN CREST PIER (910)278-6674.
We have another new sponsor now. They are BONE
YARD BAITS from Homer, Alaska. I have some lures that I will be debuting at the Saltwater Shows in Greensboro and Raleigh.
There has never been anything like these to my knowledge ever used on this side of the USA. They should prove to be real good
for Gulfstream Fishing. I expect them to also be really good for the Bluefin Tuna Fishing. And, they should be a hot item
for deep jigging for "BIG" Grouper. I don't plan(at this time) on selling these, I was asked to be the East Coast Distributor,
but, I really don't have time for that(at this time), but, I will use and promote these lures for BONE YARD BAITS and
hopefully they will be available in local tackle shops before long. Stop by our booth at the shows and let me know what you
think of them!!! Your input and feed back is very important to us!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!!! Capt Butch.
THURSDAY11-2-06
I guess you are wandering why no fishing reports.
Well, I owe you an explanation. I origanally had planed to take this week off and go on a little vacation, but, as things
so often happen, our plans fell through the floor. So, instead, I thought this would be a good week to re-do the non skid
surface on the boats floor. So, that is what is going on. So, when you really look at it, in the charter business, you really
don't have many days off, you just have days you don't go fishing and when you aren't fishing there is always something
on a boat to consume your time off. The good news is that I have got the new gel coat sprayed on and this morning I will be
able to put the coat of non skid down and she will be ready to go real soon!!!
But, I have been in touch with people
that are fishing, and the word is the fishing is good. The King Mackeral are just about anywhere from 10 miles out, and
believe it or not, there is still a stray Mahi-Mahi hanging around!!! The bottom fishing is always good here out
of Southport and the Gulfstream is a little slow right now, but, find the Wahoo's and have a blast!!! The piers are having
off and on runs of spots, biggest problem seems to be that the water has gotten real clear but the flounder are biting.
The weather for the weekend right now is anybodys
guess, but, barring a hurricane, I don't see it being as bad as last weekend!!!! Check the weather link at the top of this
report for the most current prediction!!! Till next time, FISH ON!!! Capt Butch.
