Fishing with Capt. Gus! OBX 11-13-11

[Fishing Report]

Fishing with Capt. Gus!
OBX
11-13-11


Photo # 1 - John Alden, Jr. of Iron Station, NC holds a red drum caught on a recent trip to Cape Hatteras.
Photo #2 -Dick Megorden of Charlotte, NC shows a forty-three inch red drum caught on a recent Cape Hatteras fishing trip.

Photos courtesy of Capt. Gus



Each fall a group of fifty plus surf fishermen venture to North Carolina’s Outer Banks in search of red drum, bluefish, flounder and trout. In past years, the Blues Brothers, as they are called, chose to fish the week before Thanksgiving, but this year they changed the date to the last week in October. The change proved to be a good one, since the weather was warm and big red drum were blitzing the surf at the Point of Cape Hatteras.



John Alden of Stanley and his son John Alden, Jr. had the surf fishing trip of a lifetime the night of Sunday, October 23, 2011. The father and son duo could not contain themselves the next morning, as they related the events of the previous night’s fishing.



It seems the big reds had been running the beach for more than a week. Knowing that the best bite was at sunset, they arrived at the point in time to take their place next to dozens of other hopeful surfcasters. As expected, the drum began to hit as the sun started setting on the horizon. First, one angler hooked up, then another, and the blitz was on. The fish ranged in length from three to four feet, which is big enough to tax any angler’s skill in heavy surf.



The Alden’s used bait casting reels, mounted on long surf rods, capable of tossing a seven ounce frog tongue sinker with fresh mullet strips, hundreds of feet into the ocean. As night fell, the crowd dwindled, even though the red drum blitz was still in full swing. The Alden’s hooked fish after fish, losing a few to the unyielding surf, but catching so many that they were exhausted when the bite eventually subsided sometime after 11:00 p.m. In total, they caught and released eight red drum, four each, and lost another four or so. The largest measured over forty inches.



If you’ve ever fished the surf after dark, you know how challenging it is. Not only do red drum put up quite a battle, but the pounding surf wears down even the fittest of anglers. Not to mention, the aggravation of untangling lines and backlashes in the dark, while others around you are fighting fish!



Big and Little John Alden weren’t the only ones who landed large fish that week. Dick Megorden, an accomplished angler from Charlotte, NC caught a personal best, forty three inch red drum. Others big catches included Ed Goodwin, Wilmington, NC, Walter Scholtz, Charlotte, NC and Tim Davis, Huntersville, NC.



Upcoming Events:
A Free Fishing Seminar on “Electric Trolling Motor Maintenance” is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC. Bill Hassig, of Fishermen’s Friend in Kannapolis, NC will discuss ways to maximize the performance and improve the battery life of your motor. Everyone who owns, or is considering the purchase of an electric trolling motor, should plan to attend this informative session. For additional information, call 704 658 0822.



Tips from Gus:

Surf fishing after dark is difficult. So it is prudent to have a light mounted to your head and have at least one handheld flashlight. Equally important is to never fish the surf alone, regardless of the time of day or night!



Hot Spots of the Week:

Spotted bass fishing is excellent throughout the day using traditional methods. Best baits are soft plastics and buzz baits. White perch continue to hit minnows and jigs in water to thirty feet. As has been the case all year, Sabiki flies, rigged in tandem with a jigging spoon, allow the angler to catch more than one at a time. A few stripers are being caught on shad, herring and shiners in the river channel between Markers 19 and 23.



The lake level on Lake Norman is down about 4.6 feet from full pond and down 2.7' on Mountain Island Lake. The water surface temperature is in the sixties.



Captain Gus Gustafson, licensed by the US Coast Guard, is a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and a Professional Sport Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his Web site at www.FishingWithGus.com , e-mail him at Gus@lakenorman.com or call 704-617-6812.