Hatteras Yellowfin and Gaffers

[Boneshaker25]

Hello SFC members,

Just wanted to share an offshore experience from last Friday June 11th. My neighbor down the street purchased a 22' Nauticstar from Chatlee last year, and as he has very little offshore experience I have been helping him learn the fine art of trolling for Pelagics. Can there be a better classroom than the offshore waters of Cape Hatteras?

Anyway, we left Teach's Lair marina near day break with the rest of the fleet heading out the inlet at 160 degrees. Ran into fog that was like pea soup but kept on getting it, at our course for fear of getting run down by a sportfisher. Finally cleared the mist and some 30 odd miles out hit the 77 degree water and dropped em back into the wash.

No knock downs or short strikes or anything for the first hour or so. eventually saw a weedline that was getting worked over pretty good by a group of boats that appeared to be bailing dolphin. worked down the weedline for a bit without success before deciding to reel everything in and run up the beach a ways. Ran several miles before seeing a few boats that appeared to be hooked up. Put the mess back into the water and started poking around before seeing a large school of tuna busting. circled around without a sniff and proceeded NE when there was a huge splash on the short rigger. Judging by the size of the splash I was seriously thinking marlin. In addition to the starboard short rigger screaming the shotgun rod on the T top was dumping line at an alarming rate. Slowed the boat and begin cranking on the two fish that were dogging deep (thinking tuna) and sure enough 20 minutes into it we get color on the first of two really nice yellowfins. Stopped long enough to take a few pictures and regroup before setting out and continuing NE into a freshening wind. Hooked a 12lb gaffer and put him on ice while we worked towards a couple of stick boats that were fishing above us. As we approached the two boats, flyers were showering up and it looked fishy. As I turned to tell my newby buddy that it looked like a good spot, the starboard short rigger pops out like a 22. Game on and soon after we had our third big yellowfin in the boat. Pausing to take pictures we realized that the designers of Nautistars probably had bluefish and spanish mackeral in mind when they built the fish boxes and not 60 lb yellowfins. As we trolled back toward the weedline I noticed that one of the lines seemed to be tangled. Slowing down to clear the mess a really nice gaffer swam into the spread and inhaled a sea witch/ ballyhoo still being trolled from the starboard flat. After that it was a couple of slingers and a nice skippie that we picked up off of some marks before we decided that was enough headed home. I was thinking seafood bisque at the Sandbar. Good times and good fishing. Another blessed day on the ocean. Want to send out a prayer for this mess in the gulf to be stopped soon and hopefully cleaned up.. Tight lines and thanks for reading.

One side note, we did forget to put the antenna down before leaving the marina. big mistake!

[fishinmagician_IV]

Nice catchin report guys! Looks like the new boat has the Tuners dialed in. Been there, done that, on the antenna and even the two GPS antennas leaving the garage one morning. Thanks again for the report and reel nice tuners!! Oh, and nice looking boat also.

[WAHOONBOX]

NICE & EXCELLENT SMALL BOAT HATTERAS REPORT! THANKS FOR SHARING!

[Doin'It]

Great report and photo'. What's the deal with needing to put the antenna down?

[merry marlin]

Way to get that small boat in a mood to go out again & again... Having done most of my fishing damage out of a 22Ft boat your post makes me quite nostalgic!
Very Nice report
MM

[puttputt]

take a look at the antenny it's broke. i have broken one, pulled up the ramp and got to close to a tree limb. what a great job on the water guys, lil boat fishing gettin it done. congrats.

[Boneshaker25]

Whatever we hit broke the antenna in three places.
thanks for the responses.

[jkelly]

Great report. We had an antenna break on a tree limb before, happens to a lot of people.

[offshore]

Got to love Hatteras and OI!! Great report. We were up at the 270-290 Friday...Mark

[relentlesspursuit]

I would buy a new antenna for a day like that anytime. Nice work, and thanks for the report!