05/14-20/17 Yak Report Oak Island Vacation
May 25, 2017 13:26:34 GMT -5
BentRod, tiltntrim, and 3 more like this
Post by ikMOON on May 25, 2017 13:26:34 GMT -5
My family and I just returned from vacationing on Oak Island. I thought I would report on my fishing for any of you who may be familiar with the area, or for those who just like looking at pictures of fish.
The water conditions had been rebounding from the massive rain runoff of the Cape Fear for about a week, and had been showing improvement. Nearshore the water was clearing and warming to 72 degrees or so, while inshore the clarity was dirty and the bite wasn't hitting on too much.
I got started early on mother's day, and headed offshore. Weather was nice, a north wind had laid everything out smooth, sunshine and a slight swell. My plan was to find and then shadow menhaden pods with live bait for kings, cobia, or even a big red. But I couldn't find ANY along the beach, which was unusual. I had heard on the radio that the kings were starting to add up out on the artificial reef, and that boats were giving up on the beach, so I decided to head in that direction--about 2 miles from my position. I spotted a tide line about halfway to the reef. The closer I got the better I could see LOADS of bait pilled up on the transition, and what appeared to be false albacore busting them up every hundred yards or so. I tied on a Hopkins Shorty and tried not to get too excited! I found quickly that I needed to lead the fish in casting to get it in front of their faces... pretty soon I hooked up!
vimeo.com/218944789/63692f3429
If you look close in the video you can see that at the side of the boat the fish gets off, but it sat there just long enough for me to grab its tail. I took a break from casting to put the snagged threadfin out under a ballon behind me. Within a few minutes I hooked another Albie and then doubled up on the threadfin with a 5.5lb Spanish Mackerel. Unfortunately the GoPro battery was dead.
I had dinner for mother's day and enough for everyone, so I headed home. I had always heard that False Albacore was no good to eat, but decided to test that idea and clean one anyway. My findings were that it is very bloody and has lots of dark, bloodline meat, but if you're careful, and have a decent knife, you can salvage about a third of the fish, that amounts to a lower grade tuna meat. It wasn't bad at all, just more work than some would want to fool with. We steaked and grilled the Spaniard and ate the Albie seared rare.
Tuesday was a little rough but likely last call for offshore fishing for the week so we headed out mid morning with one live pinfish and hopes for better luck at finding the menhaden. The wind picked up after peanut butter and jelly time, so after arranging for a park and ride landing 2.5 miles from our launch, I put out the lone pinfish under a ballon and started pulling. After long enough to be forgotten, my drag started singing! I picked up the rod, waited several seconds and moved the lever to strike, and then reeled down on it. I was hooked up and this fish had some size. While I was turned to talk to my buddy the fish jumped, and I missed most of it, but saw enough to know it wasn't a king--wasn't asking like one either. Maybe a cobia, made a blacktip. After the first run it slowed down and pulled me along for a nice sleigh ride. Finally, and after being certain he wasn't green any more we managed to get close enough for a picture.
Got the hooks out, gave him a good swim, and a safe release. He can tell his friends that he got his chin pierced at the beach.
We got blowed out offshore for the rest of the week so we spent the remainder of our time inshore.
No problem at all finding bait inshore. This one cast had a month's worth! I had to dump 90% just to get the net back into the boat. Really liking the Tim Wade 8'!!!
Oak Island has a cooling canal that runs under the ICW from the nuke plant in Southport. It's banks are wrapped with rock on both sides and makes for a great place to drift bait if the boat traffic is bearable. I wasn't having success with a popping cork in this area, so I tried putting some of the pogies on the bottom. It worked.
First catch 26.5", 8lb. I later hooked a huge bluefish, 30"+ I'm guessing, but he didn't like the taste of my boga and cut my leader pitching a fit.
Went back to the same place same tide the next day and got a few more.
Also managed a few trout along the way.
We had a great time over the week, on the water and with the family. With the exception of the two fish that were eaten all the others were released healthy.
See you folks in October!
The water conditions had been rebounding from the massive rain runoff of the Cape Fear for about a week, and had been showing improvement. Nearshore the water was clearing and warming to 72 degrees or so, while inshore the clarity was dirty and the bite wasn't hitting on too much.
I got started early on mother's day, and headed offshore. Weather was nice, a north wind had laid everything out smooth, sunshine and a slight swell. My plan was to find and then shadow menhaden pods with live bait for kings, cobia, or even a big red. But I couldn't find ANY along the beach, which was unusual. I had heard on the radio that the kings were starting to add up out on the artificial reef, and that boats were giving up on the beach, so I decided to head in that direction--about 2 miles from my position. I spotted a tide line about halfway to the reef. The closer I got the better I could see LOADS of bait pilled up on the transition, and what appeared to be false albacore busting them up every hundred yards or so. I tied on a Hopkins Shorty and tried not to get too excited! I found quickly that I needed to lead the fish in casting to get it in front of their faces... pretty soon I hooked up!
vimeo.com/218944789/63692f3429
If you look close in the video you can see that at the side of the boat the fish gets off, but it sat there just long enough for me to grab its tail. I took a break from casting to put the snagged threadfin out under a ballon behind me. Within a few minutes I hooked another Albie and then doubled up on the threadfin with a 5.5lb Spanish Mackerel. Unfortunately the GoPro battery was dead.
I had dinner for mother's day and enough for everyone, so I headed home. I had always heard that False Albacore was no good to eat, but decided to test that idea and clean one anyway. My findings were that it is very bloody and has lots of dark, bloodline meat, but if you're careful, and have a decent knife, you can salvage about a third of the fish, that amounts to a lower grade tuna meat. It wasn't bad at all, just more work than some would want to fool with. We steaked and grilled the Spaniard and ate the Albie seared rare.
Tuesday was a little rough but likely last call for offshore fishing for the week so we headed out mid morning with one live pinfish and hopes for better luck at finding the menhaden. The wind picked up after peanut butter and jelly time, so after arranging for a park and ride landing 2.5 miles from our launch, I put out the lone pinfish under a ballon and started pulling. After long enough to be forgotten, my drag started singing! I picked up the rod, waited several seconds and moved the lever to strike, and then reeled down on it. I was hooked up and this fish had some size. While I was turned to talk to my buddy the fish jumped, and I missed most of it, but saw enough to know it wasn't a king--wasn't asking like one either. Maybe a cobia, made a blacktip. After the first run it slowed down and pulled me along for a nice sleigh ride. Finally, and after being certain he wasn't green any more we managed to get close enough for a picture.
Got the hooks out, gave him a good swim, and a safe release. He can tell his friends that he got his chin pierced at the beach.
We got blowed out offshore for the rest of the week so we spent the remainder of our time inshore.
No problem at all finding bait inshore. This one cast had a month's worth! I had to dump 90% just to get the net back into the boat. Really liking the Tim Wade 8'!!!
Oak Island has a cooling canal that runs under the ICW from the nuke plant in Southport. It's banks are wrapped with rock on both sides and makes for a great place to drift bait if the boat traffic is bearable. I wasn't having success with a popping cork in this area, so I tried putting some of the pogies on the bottom. It worked.
First catch 26.5", 8lb. I later hooked a huge bluefish, 30"+ I'm guessing, but he didn't like the taste of my boga and cut my leader pitching a fit.
Went back to the same place same tide the next day and got a few more.
Also managed a few trout along the way.
We had a great time over the week, on the water and with the family. With the exception of the two fish that were eaten all the others were released healthy.
See you folks in October!
