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Re:Chopper blues


From: Tiderunner
Date: 4/23/2017
Time: 11:15:11 AM

Comments

Yes, same fish, As I've said before on here, take any fish and drive him up or down the coast and his name will change.
I started surf fishing on Hatteras in the 70's and never heard of a Sea Mullet till I came to CALO, they were Whiting or Virginia Mullet or hard heads. ( not to be confused with Lanier)

Same big blues, in the spring they are skinning from long distance traveled in the fall when their food sources are more abundant they are fat...... I hated seeing those pictures from Bogue inlet pier where obviously the people were keeping them because those that size in the spring, IMO are not worth killing for food. In the fall a big one baked can be a good meal and the Cheek meat is very good.
Back in the 70's and early 80's the fall Big Blue Blitz at Cape Point Buxton was classic. Every Thanksgiving they would show up and eat the tackle and anything else that was thrown in the water like giant Paranoia . Fishermen would stack them up on the beach like cord wood till the blitz moved on and then wonder what there were going to do with 200 pounds of Blue ????
The big blues rarely come to CALO, I've never seen them in the fall once they round cape point Buxton they stay offshore and by pass us on their way to Florida. This is why we have better trout fishing IMO than Hatteras.

Once in the Spring on Hattera I saw the big Blues come in just north of Cape Point Buxton and run grey trout up on the beach. The ocean was red with blood from the start of the trout migration to a mile offshore. If you wanted a trout you could just pick one up off the beech, if you wanted a blue you could throw anything out to the far edge of the blood river and catch a big blue. I meet one group of guys who just drove along the beach, one guy driving slowly while another picked up fish off the beach and tossed them in the bed of their empty truck while another guy wading in shallow water with a hand gaff and gaffed the trout and blues and tossed them up on the beach. when the truck was full they took it to the local fish market and sold their load for $2,100 and that was in 1976 ! Back then you din't have to have a commercial permit the fish markets would buy any fish from anyone !

Anyway, if you are at CALO this time of year watch for the schools of the big monster tailing on the surface on their way north. They may not take cut bait but if you see them and throw a top water plug in to them they can't resist !
Great fight, but you might as well release them IMO as I don't think they taste good, just too mushy for me.
Now little ones 1-3 Pounds, nothing better.
I'll see if I can find some old pictures to post tomorrow.