Grouper Killing Weekend Report---Wilmington, NC

[Squid]

I'm getting this report up quite a bit late due to a funky internet connection where I was the first half of the week (Tennessee) and I was also waiting on the pictures.

This weekend I was supposed to join some friends in Ocean Isle for some wahoo slinging however that was delayed a bit due to some motor troubles on the boat. DAMN VERADO'S!!! After I found this out, I went to plan B---went and picked up the Finatic (a 23' Sea Hunt) and came up with gameplan. Since I didn't have any wahoo rigs tied for the weekend, the plan was to head offshore and do some grouper whackin'.

Saturday morning it was myself and two buddies---found bait very scattered but managed to catch enough to get us started. Talked to Seabiscuit on my way out the inlet and he said it was a bit snotty on the beach. Hmmmm....now it's Plan C----king fishing at Carolina Beach Inlet. Cleared the cans and saw the pelicans having a hayday on the north side. Messed around with trying to catch a few more baits until I decided to quit wasting time and just put the few that we had out. Trolled for about 5 minutes and the flat line goes off. A few minutes later a small 14 lb. king was laying on the ice. Trolled for about another hour only to find out it was an early bite. Did manage to miss a couple more fish before the wind finally died out around 10:30 or so. We stayed with the mackerels for a little while longer before I couldn't take it anymore and had to get offshore. So off we go around 11:30 with no bait left and only a half day ahead of us.

First stop yielded enough bait to get us through the day so off we went further offshore. Dropped down on a spot that I had fished a few weeks earlier and found a few reds along with several scamps. Caught a few fish there before we moved on.

Found another really good mark in 105 feet and decided to drop on it. It was so calm on Saturday that anchoring was not necessary nor was it even possible. Putting the boat in neutral kept us on the fish very nicely. When we get set, all 3 of us drop down and immediately all 3 are slammed with nice reds. Doesn't take long (30 minutes in fact) to fill the remaining slots in our 15 fish limit and take the slick calm ride home wide open (so we could get home before dark). Not a bad way to start the weekend.

On Sunday one of the guys from Saturday got back on board along with 2 of my other friends from back home. We decided to not even fool with trying to catch pogies and go straight offshore and "get our jig on".

One quick stop produced a livewell SLAM FULL of PRIMO liveys so it was back offshore we went. I knew it may have been the wrong move to press my luck two days in a row in the same area but the bite was just too good not to. So off we go and pull up on some nice marks. Drop down 3 lines and up comes a nice red again. Ok, maybe this isn't the wrong move. Again it was too calm to anchor so I set up shop right on top of them. For the next 15 minutes we couldn't buy another bite off the marks, so it was on to find another hole.

For the rest of the morning, every stop produced exactly 1 keeper.....no more, no less. What was weird though, was the suprisingly large number of throwbacks----especially scamps. They were choking down are big live baits, which in some cases were a bit bigger than their mouth. Still haven't figured out that whole deal, but all shorties were released unharmed.

Long story short, ended the day with 13 keepers---reds and scamps, a few fish short of another limit but not a bad day overall. Caught well over 50 groupers total in the two days of fishing.

Below are some pics from Sunday's trip----I managed to forget my camera both days, but Katie came through and remembered hers. Back at it this weekend, depending on the weather.

[SeaBiscuit]

Nicely done captain Squid! How do you always manage to have pretty girls on board who are not afraid to fish?
Some folks complained that the bottom fishing was awful slow over the weekend, but you did not seem to have any trouble finding them.
SeaBiscuit

[clt_capt]

Nice work. Nice way to adapt

[Squid]

Nick,
Sunday was by far slower than Saturday. Best bite I've seen in quite a while on Saturday. Just a really slow pick on Sunday. Did mess around and find a new gag hole on the way home on Sunday. Didn't have any big baits left but we jigged up some small ones and they were eaten mighty quick (fish were on the small side too due to the baits).

As far as getting women on the boat.....my name isn't "Squid" for nothing! Ha ha! Actually this one was the girlfriend of Jason who is in the first picture. One look at his arms and you'll know why I consider him one of my really close friends! Ha ha! It was great to get the two of them on the bottom critters----Katie stuck with it all day and even caught several of them by herself. Mighty impressive from a rookie!

May try the inshore gag scene out of Ocean Isle this coming weekend if the weather shapes up.

[SeaBiscuit]

Slow pick today as well brother Squid. This east wind doesn't let'em do their thing. Had a very good catch (report to follow when Slip has a moment) but had to work double hard for it.
I don't think it's gag time yet. They are there all right, but they are still smart and mean as hell. The water needs to cool a bit, then the lady gags can put on their mating colors and the big dumb guy gags will go nuts and grow careless. Then it's revenge time for every rock up, bent hook, busted leader and stolen primo bait! Thanksgiving is the time!
SeaBiscuit

[WAHOONBOX]

SQUID IS MY HERO....................

[gottaflylee]

The way the Wrightsvill Beach gang goes out for the constant bloodbath on the Groupers...its wonder there is any left... You guys are a peice of work...great job...

[thejack]

Wow 2 days fishing back to back...that is awesome. Great report.

What kind of rig were you using?