From: seapuppy
Date: 12/8/2010
Time: 9:21:11 PM
A Very Enjoyable Day...
12-25-05
December 25th 2005 North End of Ocracoke
Woke up about 730.It's about 50* outside and the wind is blowing about 20 knots SE.(I think,not used to the north end as I am to the south end),very cloudy and raining on and off.Turned over and slept till about 10 oclock.Decided to run the Jeep out to the ocean side.Out on the shoals the birds are divebombing,hundreds of them,probably the stripers and wouldn't you know it,it's too rough to go out today.Where were they yesterday? Pulled up to the dunes and fixed breakfast.It started rainin' BIGTIME!!.. and visibility was very low do to heavy-low-hanging fog (even with the high winds !! )...Glad I didnt go out this morning.
Got caught a few years ago by fog in early January..I was about three miles out off Cape Point Buxton in Seapuppy #1(nine foot inflatable)...The fog came outta' nowhere..couldn't see beyond 20 feet!! When you're so far out it's VERY SPOOKY..I rode the edges of the shoals all the way back to the beach.Once I found it,to say I was relieved is an UNDERSTATEMENT !!!...VERY SCARY !!..Turned out to the good as I caught at least 20 stripers(25-35") with the entire beach watchin'.Many times had two on at the same time.(trolling large shad bodies).Shifted over to only one bait as two on at a time and trolling through the high waves of the point just too exhausting.When I finally came in everyone came over..turned out that amongst 100-plus fishermen,only three stripers were caught..It was a wonder how just a few more feet out made so much difference..
After breakfast and writing up yesterdays events, got into my waders and raincoat.Decided to cast my two medium conventionals (6oz,I hate throwing 8oz,gettin' too old for that much weight) baited with bunker,set the drag real loose.Grabbed the trout rod and attached one of my 7/8 oz mirrolures so I could cast into the wind and began plugging for trout again.Both ideas didn't float,the conventionals went straight down the beach and the mirrolure barely reached beyond the breakers.The tide is so high and the wind has increased to about 35kts SE blowing straight in.It must've been 60*,the air very warm.huge waves are crashing and cover the entire beach.It's raining sideways and the current is ripping north with the incoming tide,the wind pushing it.
Decided to move closer to the inlet as there was an outgoing bar just before the island starts turning toward the inlet.Had to park the Jeep and Seapuppy way back in a gap between the dunes.Took one of my medium conventionals,walked out to the northern edge of the bar and cast out as far as I could into the deep water just north of the bar.Then quickly retreating off the bar, heading for the beach just north of the bar.By doing this my line was out pretty far and I was in front of the rig,slowly moving down the beach before the current could push the rig by in front of me.In strong current,if you can cast out and get in front of the drift it will slow the drift quite a bit,letting the pyramid sinker get a bite with one of it's four sides.I don't use any special sinkers,like three points as they are so hard to roll in and can get buried,holding so well that you cant get it out of the bottom..I surely don't use "sputniks:",(tourist garbage).Everyone thinks you must have the sinker "hold" bottom.It's really not that important if you can get in front of the drift of the rig.The sinker will dig in slowing the drift and you will cover a lot of ground and possibly coming up on a fish instead of waiting for the fish to find you.I call it "beach trolling".Sometimes if the current is flying by a controlled drift is very effective at finding fish.I kinda' like my baits moving,no crab can just sit there and eat your bait.Out on the bar(VeraCruz..Ocracoke Inlet) in Spring and Fall I purposely use lighter sinkers so when I cast it will "roll" into the cut in the bar or edge I want it to be in."Holding bottom" is way overrated.(and boring..lol)
By the time I roll the bait back in I was around the corner on the inlet side of island a good 1/4 mile from where I cast it out.Then walking all the way back to the outgoing bar,casting out,repeating the controlled drift.This area looks to be a very good area to troutfish when the tide goes out and the waves aren't crashing so far up the beach.Soon the outgoing tide current will counteract the wind and the bottom rig on the conventional will start holding without walking out to the bar,the bar itself blocking the wind driven current.Then I should be able to throw the mirrolure effectively.
Evan,(The Park Ranger) came by again,we talked awhile and wished each other Merry Christmas.I'm probably the only person on the beach on the entire island for him to talk to.He soon took off and headed south checking the beach at the southern end of the north orv and then headed off the ramp.He's the only other person I've seen today...ALWAYS be FRIENDS with the Ranger !!!..I'm sure everyone knows the drill... :<)
It felt very warm,it must be 60-65* .The wind has slowed up and shifted a bit to the SW at about 20kts.I checked the water temp and it was 58*,almost the same as the air temp.It has gone up 11 * since yesterdays 47* ! It's December 25th and I don't even to have to use gloves! As the tide turned,the current slowed and my conventional started to hold bottom.Spiked it and grabbed the trout rod with the 7/8 oz. mirrolure with the blue top,silver sides with zebra stripes and tan bottom.I could get some decent casts now that the waves have died down a bit.I threw the mirrolure for about an hour,steadily moving down the beach searchin' for the trout, finally catching one about 22" a 1/4 mile north of the conventional,still visible even as dusk was rolling in.It's so cloudy,the sun is not visible so sunset is really hard to pinpoint.I kept walking and casting north along the beach and around the corner of the island.. then walking all the way back to the conventional.
Something was on it,rolled it back in and there was a small dogfish hooked up.Warrior finally has a fish after all that hard work!!!!! She was prancing around with her catch in her mouth proudly carrying it around! Dropped it on the beach,dug holes around it and barking up a storm! I recast the bottom rig so she ran back over to me.About that time a hungry seagull (that had been shadowing us all day picking up the pieces of bunker I changed from the rig) tried to carry the dogfish away. Warrior ran back over there and ran the gull off.That gull wasn't goin' to get her catch! I crushed another green lifejacket light and attached it to the tall rodholder so I could keep an eye on it as it got dark.I crushed another and attached it to Warrior so I could keep an eye on her too,leaving the cover on,taping up most of the light so just a small bit of light showed through.That green light will kill your night vision.It's amazing how bright those lights are.
Started throwing the mirrolure again,slowly moving north.The hungry gull sneaked out of hiding and carried the dogfish away.Caught another spec about 20" a good ways from the Jeep.Haven't caught a lot of fish but today has been a blast.Warrior and I walked back to the Jeep for the final time and put the trout in the cooler.It's about 8 o'clock,it's still about 60* out here.Checked the bait on the conventional and recast.Decided to walk down the beach again casting the mirrolure one more time.The clouds have moved out,the sky is filled with stars,felt like an early October night.About 930 returned to the bottom rig and rolled it in for the night.Not a lot of fish today but a very enjoyable day!
It's Not a Fishin' Trip ! It's an Adventure !
Pup & Then Mighty MysticWarrior
will post a few pics if I can ever figure out how2 do it on photo bucket...the handle is 'seapup"
Many photos on myspace: PsychoMysticWarrior
Hope ya'll enjoy thr stories/photos ..will post a story every 3/4 days if thats OK..???
D@mn..it's cold!! Been working on a job on the oceanfront(Va Beach)..had a crane break down on tressles over the Ocean Breakers !! A 100yards off the BEACH !!!..TWO 12 HOUR DAYS.(and more to come}The WIND will slice u in HALF !!!!