Outer Banks...last week

[smythley]

Spent last week down in Salvo, NC and did a variety of fishing.

Sunday the 28th- Put the boat in at Oregon inlet. Ran north and fished some islands up towards Wanchese. Caught roughly 10 puppy drum and about the same number of trout. All on gulp soft baits-mostly chartreuse curly tails. Some on a popping cork. No keepers though. Tried the bridge for sheepshead for awhile but just broke a few off. Drifted the inlet and caught maybe a dozen flounder, but only 1 that could go in the box. Got into a flock of birds that was working, and caught 10" bluefiah till we got tired of it.
Had fun and was glad I pulled the boat down there.

Had a couple mishaps though. Got caught in the worst lightning storm I've ever been through. It popped up right between us and the ramp, and it was brutal. Managed to motor right beside one of the spoil islands, anchor up, and swim to the island and lie down in the grass. Not a fun experience... but we made it through it.
Also, while catching bait I managed to flip out of the front of my boat and beat my leg to pieces on the gunwale. 9 days later and I still can't fit my foot into any of my shoes.

[smythley]

Mon and Tues (29-30). Fished off the beach at ramp 27. 23 was closed but 27 and 30 were open for beach driving. O fish off the beach the whole time. Fished a lot of sand fleas, squid, shrimp, and cut mullet, but couldn't do anything. We tried right in the break and out further. Fishing report said people were catching mullet and a few pompano but I couldn't seem to.

[smythley]

Several nights that week- fished some of the drive-on sound side accesses from dusk until 11or12. There was a good red drum bite going on. We would cast a chunk of cut fresh mullet out on a fish finder rig with about 2 oz of lead. Caught a bunch using this method and end up with one legal size fish. Also caught a few blues, a skate, and an eel or two.
If you try this, pay close attention to the regs. Only certain size hooks allowed or they have to have the barb bent down. Any of the local tackle shops can help you get set up.

[smythley]

Friday Aug 2. Back to OR inlet, and managed to stay away from lightning and not fall out of the boat. About the same action as earlier in the week, but caught redfish on spinnerbaits as well as gulps. Tried fishing a few live baits out between the ocean and the bridge, and had a few great strikes but no hookups.

If any of you guys have any questions or are heading down soon, I will try and answer any questions you may have.

[Deleted]

Aug 7, 2013 13:31:49 GMT -5 smythley said:

I managed to flip out of the front of my boat.

Good report, and glad you are ok.... not that it's funny, but I couldn't help but smile when I read you fell out of your boat. I have never told anyone but I did the same thing....once....and that was more than enough. Wonder who all else has....surely some of the other goofballs besides you and I have.

[CorneliaGale]

Great report, heading down to Holdren Beach Saturday to try and find some fish, been reading the reports and looking at the weather. Taking a 17 skiff with us, staying on the canal down there. So if the weather is decent we will have fun.

[smythley]

I actually just got home from the second doctor's visit from my impromptu trip overboard...hopefully it gets better so I can striper fish this weekend.

[Deleted]

Sorry to hear that smythley, I wasn't making light of your fall. Hope you're ok. I'm just glad there's not a video of my fall, right comical.

[smythley]

Nah, man. Never thought you were. No problem. Somehow my whole leg from my calf to my toes has doubled in size. No broken bones. Two trips to the doc, two shots in the hindparts, large bottle of antibiotics and it still looks kinda rough...

I had gotten a bunch of those nonstinging jellyfish on the bow throwing the cast net, and let me tell you, those things are slicker than an eel. Went to pull the trolling motor and next thing i know I'm upside down.

[CorneliaGale]

Ouch,glad nothing was broken, hope you get to fish this weekend

[Dorange]

We were at Oregon inlet last Sunday also just checking out the big boats coming in. Hoping the girls could see some big fish. We things were slow but did see one big yellowfin tuna. Watched the mate fillet it and when he finished he cut small slices off the sides and was handing out sushi. I tried a piece it was pretty good. Would have been better with some soy sauce and wasabi. Rode around to the ramps and wardens were checking every boat, just wandering if you got checked? Glad you caught some fish.

[mytoyzfishing]

Nice report and glad your ok. I used to go to the OBX all the time but ever since they tightened up the beach driving I haven't really bothered. The south side of oregon inlet bridge where the channel is is awesome during outgoing tide. Water really moves in that channel and the fish love to come in there to eat.

[2 oars & a trash can]

My grandparents used to rent the same cabin every summer on a lake about an hour from where they lived in Oshkosh. Their dock was on a shallow channel that got choked with weeds. When the 9.8 hp Evinrude on their 16' alumicraft got too strangled, the remedy was to manually tilt it about half way, and gun the throttle a little.

When they were in their late 60's, they had my grandmother's parents up for a fishing trip. On the way home the engine was struggling, so grandma lifted it to clear it, but the weight pulled her over it and threw her into the channel behind the boat. Her husband didn't fish and her parents were a little too hard of hearing to have noticed anything. So grandma waded, covered in weeds to the front of the boat, where her 80-plus year old mother looked down at her and said, "Why Ruby, whatever are you doing in there?"

[smythley]

Reel deal,
We talked to the DMF guy at the ramp, but he didn't check us.