Bonecrusher Dominates Capt. Kyle's Annual Thanksgiving Trout Classic by Capt. Kyle Hughes

Another Thanksgiving Inshore Classic is now in the books, and it will certainly be one that will be remebered for many years to come. Conditions were forcasted to be tough, so only 9 teams mustered up the courage to brave the cold, wind, and dirty water. While it is safe to say that most of us had a tough day of it yesterday, Capts. Brandon Sauls and Clay Morphis had one of those days that doesn't come around very often, and that few trout fishermen will ever have. They slid into the scales aboard Brandon's brand new 24' Triton, the "El Diablo/Bonecrusher II" with a 3 - trout aggregate totaling 23.7lbs. Thats right 23.7lbs people. There fish weighed in a 9.0, 8.5, and 6.2, and the had another one over 6 as well. Throughout my trials and travels fishing trout tournament over the years, I only know of 1 other time in a 3 - fish tournament where the winning weight was over 20lbs. The only way I could describe the magnitude of this feat to those who don 't trout fish would to that it is the equivalent to Team OIFC's 74lb king in the National Champioship last year. In 2nd place was Robert Hughes and Brian Richard with an aggregate of 8.5lbs. 3rd place was claimed by Mike Fields and Jason Mc Dowell with an aggreate of 8.4lbs. So there you have it...I can't explain what happened or why no one else managed to find a good one, but I will go on record that I saw Brandon and Clay catch their fish, just for anyone sittling at home who might have doubts. Good job boys, I 'm not sure how you're gonna top that one.


Ready, Set..... Bluefin Tuna by Capt. Brant McMullan

Reports continue to abound regarding Bluefin Tuna sightings. Most recently, I have recieved reports from two different people with very similar stories. Both were fishing East of the Frying Pan Tower in 70 degree water, catching King Mackerel and Grouper, when Bluefin Tuna began crashing all around. Both reported seeing whales, birds, slicks and yes, they said they actually saw the Bluefin clear the water for a positive identification. Both fishermen were not at all prepared for the activity and both were left to simply watch and drool. There have also been reports of more than one boat hooking up to a Bluefin off of Morehead City, but to this point, I do not know of any that have officially made it to the dock. The weather is getting right ( it's blowing 20 knots from the north, freezing cold and spitting rain ) and I believe the next weather window we will see the first Bluefin brought to the dock. The OIFC is planning on hosting its annual Bluefin Blitz seminar and hands-on instruction for Bluefin fishing. A date has not been set, but it should be in the next couple of weeks, as it is dependent on the Bluefin activity. Stay tuned.
If you plan on fishing for these Giants, look no further than the OIFC for bait, tackle, rigs..... We have it all.
Offshore Fishing Report by Capt. Steele Parks

Well, what can I say. Fall Fishing has gone from slow to explosive- now we just need some continued support from Mother Nature. The Wahoo fishing has been the real story as it has been at world-class level, probably the best we've ever seen in this area. Anyone that has never had the opportunity to experience a wide open Wahoo bite is missing out. On Monday, good OIFC friend and customer Dan Ratley invited the OIFC staff for a day of Wahoo fishing aboad his boat Quick Draw. Capt. Brant, Amy, Anita, Jacob, and I joined the effort for an all OIFC crew. Who was working the shop? I couldn't believe it, but Brant actually hung a sign on the door "Sorry folks the park is closed.... gone fishin". I hope nobody showed up and found out Wally World was closed. We were greeted to less than great conditions offshore as a line of storms had formed directly over our fishing area, bringing wind, rain and choppy seas. We fought the conditions all morning with a couple of other boats, and all were reporting slow action. We toughed it out and by 1pm the skies cleard, the winds settled and the fish suddenly started biting. Like a switch, we started catching Blackfin Tuna off our Cedar Plugs we had deployed on the riggers. Soon after, a deep bait was bit and OIFC extraordinare Anita Moore worked on and boated a nice 62 pound Wahoo. We redeployed and the Blackfin kept coming. We caught a dozen in less than 2 hours, half were 10-15 pounds and the other half were perfect eating size at 3-5 pounds, Wahoo eating size that is. The Blackfin are the reason the Wahoo are there, and in particular the large Wahoo which feed primarily on Tunas. The deep line again sang off and this time it was OIFC inshore guru Jacob Frick who manned up. He was doing his best to outdo Anita, and it looked like he might have her, but the scales would later read 61 pounds, giving Anita the crown for the day. By this time it was 3pm and as much as we hated to leave the bite, running in the dark is not something I recommend or try to practice. And although we didn't get the all day, non-stop action that had been occuring in previous days, it was obvious the Wahoo are still there, they are big and they are hungry. We are all ready to go do it again.



Like I said, the fishing has been crazy, but since last mid week, we have not been able to get back offshore for rough seas. It looks like we may get another weather winds at the end of this coming week. Stay tuned and be ready. I see Bluefin Tuna and Wahoo in the near future. Call the shop or stop by if you need any info.
Inshore Fishing Report by Capt. Jacob Frick

We had an absolutely awesome week of inshore fishing this past week. A few flounder are still hanging around as we have been catching them while bouncing jigs for trout. Lots of redfish are heading shallow trying to stay warm and away from the dolphins. The big story is the trout bite! I fished a few days this past week with several double digit days. Most of the fish were 14 to 16 inches with a few 2 to 3 pounders in the mix. Just enough good ones caught for me to consider getting in the tournament. Conditions were great all week for fishing, but as usual a front passed the night before tournament day. Conditions didn't look the best for fishing, but several of us decided to give it a go anyway. Lots of good fish were caught, but the story was all Brandon Sauls and his partner Clay Morphis Sr. These two did something none of us may ever see again! They weighed three trout weighing 23.7lbs. (9.0, 8.5, 6.2) and still had a few more over 4lbs.! I don't care who you are, THAT IS WORLD CLASS right there! Congratulations! Well, there you have it. Our waters do have big trout! So get out there and get'em! Just remember these fish are what creates the next generation, so please handle with care and release if possible. Brandon and Clay weighed their tournament winner's alive and then released them to be caught another day. Where? Well, follow them in next years tournament to find out.
Capt. Club Sale Continues Thru Dec. 31st

The annual OIFC Capt. Club sale is on-going. This is a great opportunity to buy Christmas gifts for friends and family at 50% savings. The OIFC appreciates your business and as such, rewards you for your business throughout the year. Spend more money, get more points, save more money. Redeem your Capt. Club points thru Dec 31st to save 50% of clothing and gift items at the OIFC- Happy Holidays!