I must say that when I set out to build a charter business, I never thought I would build it to this point.
I spend quite a bit each year doing shows, seminars, and just general advertising and marketing my service.
Today I finally realized that all my marketing efforts have paid off, big time!!!
You will see what I mean here in this description: Today I was fishing with Lou Duke from St. James,NC and with him was Greg White, Garrett White, Tess White, Lauren Slivosky, and Elliott Woodword from MARS, yes, I said Mars!!!!
Well, maybe my efforts haven't been quite that good, but, they are from Mars,PA.
We were going offshore today for Grouper but about 4 miles out the NE winds and the fact that it wasn't 100% safe and I had some "first timers" on board, I decided to abort the trip.
We went from there for some King Mackeral at a better and calmer location like 15 mile rock.
Every boat today was talking about the non bite that had emerged today after a good bite just the day before at the 15, 18, and Shark Hole Areas.
It was like the "dead sea" out there today. Yesterday's bite was just a memory now.
Everyday on the ocean is a different and unique day with its own characteristics.
The seas and winds kept building and we had trolled for nearly 1 1/2 hours without the first bite so we decided to go back on the beach and do some shark fishing.
As I was heading in I ran up on birds working about a 1/2 mile to the west of Light House Rock #2. I thought finally, some signs of life, I can now redeem myself, finally I won't look like I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing, yessss!! and they were big spanish too!!!
Spanish Mackeral were jumping everywhere, 75 to 100+ birds were fighting over bait fish run to the surface by the ravageing spanish mackeral, they were diving into each other, Spanish Mackeral were jumping over one another, it was a beautiful sight to see in an otherwise dead sea.
I turned to my group and said look at all the Spanish Mackeral!!! They are everywhere!!!!
That's when the "BIG BLOW" came!!!!!
Todays crew didn't care for spanish mackeral fishing, so with tears in my eyes, and holding back a total break down, while at the same time hiding a severe case of the "shakes", I kept going, muttering to myself, "why me"??
With the NE winds, the beach at Southport was real calm.
We put the lines in and soon we had a hook up with an Atlantic Sharp Nose which was soon brought to boat side by Garrett White.
Since this was a legal fish to keep and good table fare, they decided to keep it for dinner.
Next Shark on was fought to the boat by Elliott Woodword.
This shark was a little bigger but not the right species or length to be legal so we took his picture and put him back.
We thought the shark bite was going to be on, two lines in and two sharks pretty fast.
Don't try to figure out the fishing, you'll go nuts!!!!
The winds shifted to the East and a already dead sea now looked like the "Burmuda Triangle" no signs of life anywhere, not even a bird!!
We did get 3 more runs from sharks, pulled the drags good but no hook ups, remember, it's fishing not catching!!!
The other boats were still reporting not a fish or bite in sight, so at that tme it was 12 noon so we called it a day knowing full well there will be better days in the future.
It wasnt the best catching trip but the kids weathered the rough water well so now they can be pretty sure that when the winds permit, they will be ready for an offshore trip.
The bait today was gone from the Southport beaches. The only bait found this morning (that I know of) was at Shallote Inlet on the west side.
Seems like here lately things start to get good then all of a sudden it goes to pot.
Surely it will get back to normal before long, if it doesn't soon, all us Charter Captains here in Southport are going to either be on Valium or in the nut house, or both!!!!
And to answer your question as to why I would choose to put a report like this on here is simple, We strive to be the best and bring you reports you can believe in!!!
You wouldn't know if I went fishing today if I didn't tell you.
If I told you we caught a pile of fish but forgot the camera, so I don't have any pictures, you wouldn't know that was a lie either!!
But I would know it was a lie!!!
And if I didn't tell you and tell you the truth then you would not know how the fishin' actually was right now.
And if I lied about the fishing and didn't tell you the way it really was, then that wouldn't say much about me as well, no, I'm wrong, that would say a lot about me, just not very good!!
You have come to expect the truth from my reports, and that's what you will always get here
"It is what it is" and I truly hope I have earned your respect and trust!!!!
Till next time, God Bless You All!!!!
Fish On!!!
Capt Butch
Yeah Right Charters - http://www.yeahrightcharters.com
