NC Red Drum fishing...5 for to many...

[gottaflylee]

Ok you all, if it is fish pictures you want, scroll on down till you find them...for those that want to come along for the ride, read on...

The day started like most, good breakfast and coffee at the Causeway Café and leaving from there for a day of craziness on and off the water with friends...
Now be ready guys and gals as this is a picture heavy thread. some of you know that I like to take pictures and since the first of the year, I have been taking 100 to 200 pictures a day, I mean what the heck, its only a gigabyte here and there...
Well now in this thread you will see what I saw through the day. Some, well a bunch are not of fish, but every picture was taken while we were on the boat. Sometimes inshore fishing has more to offer than offshore, especially while the wind blows it's a$$ off as it did yesterday. Where we were is not as important as what we did to make the most out of the day. Life is short, we gotta make the most out of it, right!

Leaving the boat ramp, we headed to the creek where we were going to hide fron the 20, gusting to 30 knot wind, ya right. Running to the back of the creek to where it chokes down, I take the boat off plane and we settle in 6" of water and I hop on the pole and scoot us into the main creek channel where it drops off to 2' of water. Marshal hooks into a nice, what I think was a Flounder, but pulls the hook at the boat, not how I wanted us to start the day, but... What we are looking for is the deep holes from 7 to 18' that are in the back of the this creek. Speckle Trout had been hanging in these holes all winter and with the water warming, I wanted to give it a shot, my best shot.
As we worked to the back of the creek, tons of Mullet, both large and small were jumping as we rounded each bend. For those not familiar with a Maritime forest, it has to be one of the coolest things Mother Nature ever conceived of. Imagine if you will, trees that nature Bonsai, very cool to say the least... This picture will give you an idea of what I mean...



Even though the fishing was slower than slow, Mother Nature and the good company of Marshal, we were having a great time, seeing Bald Eagles as well as Osprey, hearing Geese honking, Wood Ducks jumping out of the side creeks and Marshal and I remembering all the good, as well as bad hunts we had together. As the creek divided for the first time, I made the call to work up the smaller of the 2 and we were rewarded with seeing wild Azaleas on the hill side, what a treat...





Love the Bee in this one...







Something that I don't find very often here on the coast it the "Goat's Beard" Lichen. Here it is along with regular Lichen. This was at one of the spots we stopped to fish...



Leaving there, we pushed back some more in search of fish and found this beautiful Red Tail hawk that was not to sure about us but allowed us to get kinda close...







As we pushed on the back of the creek, the lack Mullet turned into what looked to be Large Mouth Bass scooting out from under the logs that were just under the water as we road over them. Marshal and I agreed that we have had a great morning and the friendship we shared was alone, was worth the trip even if Mother Nature had not come out to play. As best we either could remember, this was the first time that we had been skunked , not bad for hunting and fishing for over 30+ years together...

Marshal and I got back to town about 1:30. I dropped him off at his car and I headed home to drop off the boat and get ready for the afternoon's trip fishing with my friend Barron (btglenn on the board). He and I had not fished together in a couple of years and we had been following each others adventures through our posts as well as his dad whom I see often at "Fish House Grill", I was looking forward to the afternoon with him
I showed up at Barron's office at 3:15 pm as we had set on, got out my gear and put it into his truck and boat and we were off for another "big adventure" we hoped, little bib we know... The conversation as always centered around fishing, from Flounder to Red Drum to Trout, from the Cape Fear River to New River, we both cover most of that water. The conversation flowed, so much so that we went right by the gas station and had to make a detour to get some before we could fish... After that chore was done, the boat was splashed and we headed to the fishing spot that Barron had in mind, which happened to be a spot that I fish also. We both got a laugh out of that... On the way there, there is a cool tree that I wanted to photograph so I snapped a couple of pictures...



As we zipped around the Island, and into the skinny water, the school Mullet were jumping and schooling on the flat, thousands of them, this was a very good sign as was the Osprey over head...



With the trolling motor down, large swirls and busts were seen and heard from the Red Drum, our expectations were high. The water was the color of chocolate milk from the high days of wind and the thousands of Mullet on the flat, sight fishing for them was out of the question here. Barron chose a gold spoon and I went with my twitch soft plastic bait. with all the activity, it was not long before Barron was hooked up with a nice small pup, that some how escaped without getting his picture taken...1 for the gold spoon. Soon I get bit, comes tight and goes slack, what the... then the same happens to Barron. Whoa now, what are we doing wrong, we switch baits...

After working the flat and creek mouth with no other bites, we move a short distance down the bank to the next area. on a very long cast, Barron is on again, this one is a pig and is ripping off line like it there is no tomorrow. ErrrrrrrrrErrrrrrerrrrrrr the braid sings through the guides, then silence, "broke me off" Barron said, "pulled the hook?", nope, broke him off, must have had a nick in the line" snorted Barron. "I bet ya he cut you off on an Oyster" I fired back. Another one lost. Barron and I fish there hooking and loosing fish one after another. Finely, I hooked a nice slot fish, these were mean fish and dogged me all the way to the boat but in the end, we made him famous. I made Barron hold this one so I could take pictures...







After missing a couple more in that area, we shove on down the bank to the next area, stopping to work all the flat very carefully. Suddenly I hear the sound of a domestic dispute and we stop to be a witness in case were needed in court...not sure what she was so mad at, glad it was not me...



Can you feel his pain...



Yep she really got in his face...



and would not let up, man did she have a mouth...



to say the least, he was a little taken back...



rut ro...he should have not talked back to her...



Yep, that made her mad...



Oops, they heard up laughing at them...



duck Barron, here he comes...



Oh no, here she comes...



I think were in trouble...





BOO!!! we yelled...

[gottaflylee]

that was close, glad they flared. Geese, you stop to help and they get pi$$ted...







didn't know you guys were going to get goosed while reading a fishing report did ya...



As we slide down the bank some more, Barron hooks another nice slot fish that takes off and the braid is again singing through the guides and soon Barron has another nice fish...

This one is a 2 spotter...



love this shot...



this one had a little parasite on its tail...



A quick shake of the tail and another is made famous and in the books...



We talk about the next area and how we find a large body of fish here most of the time but no as big of fish, as compared to where we have been catching them. With the light fading, we pick upped a little speed in working the area and it turned out to be a big mistake as we crossed over the creek mouth, we busted the school with about 20 to 40 fish in it. As we looked at each other, we said "we need to slow down". Well we sure blew that one. As we crossed the cove, I was working on out when I came tight with nice fish that was pushing the outer slot size, this one was really dogging me as I finely got it to the boat, Barron lifted her out of the water for me...

With the light fading, the pictures get better...



Thanks baby...





Love the low light on this set...



We work our way out of the cove so we can hit another spot before dark and the shore birds were looking for the last meal of the day and coming to roost for the night...



We scoot to the next spot with the sun fading and start down the bank, Barron has moved to top water. In the distance, we see movement that does not look like Mullet, and as soon as we get near, Barron hooks up with the last fish on the day, it was hot seeing it come up on top water, pictures speak for the "rest of the story"...









I love this one...









After this, I suggest we head to the hill as the sun is setting and we need to be at the ramp before dark, little did I know that Mother Nature had 1 more thing in store for me for the day...

Never saw the GBH till I got home and processed the pictures...



Marshal and Barron, thanks for sharing the day with me, hope all of you enjoyed some of what we did...thanks for reading...

[Jesse Lockowitz]

loved it lee. im gonna go poke my head around in some creeks this weekend in the yak and try and find some blue tails





Jesse

[hunt4fish]

Damn great report and pics Capt.Lee. 5 star all the way..

[scattered_grass]

awesome pics..beautiful fish. by far my favorite inshore fish.

[ice cream man]

Capt. Lee ........well worth the wait - thanks......ICM

[PLAN 9]

Pretty work Lee, made me feel like I was there. Keep the reports flowing!

[clt_capt]

All right - this takes the cake. Great read and incredible pictures. The narrative along the way is awesome - I can hear the female goose honking.

Thank you.

[btglenn]

Enjoyed it Lee . The pics turned out great.
Look forward to next time when we explore some less familiar territory for both of us.

[Custom Canvas]

Great report Lee AMAZING PHOTOS, I look foward to spending more time on the water with you.....

Zack