SeaBiscuit fishing report August 7 & 8 '09

[SeaBiscuit]

A more appropriate tittle for this report might well be: "Lead poisoning downeast"

15 or so years ago my American waterman father Ed Jenkins, his son Jim and I started a tradition of spending some "boy time" downeast. A skiff, some tackle and cold beer is all there ever was to that tradition, but somehow it stuck. Jim's son Wes and my younger son "Lil' Biscuit Jason have been trying for the past few years to get an invite to join the shenanigans, however the rigors associated with this endeavor are quite intense and require a little "seasoning" for the young men.

Last year captain B was kind enough to host the two young men and their fathers on the extreme boat for two days of fine fishing and male bonding. Staying at a Morehead city hotel and fishing with one of the coast's best captains was not exactly doing it the hard way downeast, so this year it was time to step it up a bit.

After a quick provisioning stop at Wahoonbox's favorite Wal-Mart, during which the two young men were charged with guarding the fleet,

we made our way to downeast proper Calico Jack's hotel and marina at Harker's Island, otherwise known as "the Los Suenos of downeast"

Thursday afternoon we took a ride to the Cape checking out the bait situation and familiarizing the SeaBiscuit's prop with the ever shifting sands of the area. Mongolian all you can eat with Merry Marlin Jackie that evening was the last meal with any vegetable content for a while.

Friday morning rose beautiful but just a bit breezy with a north wind going to east. After a brilliant full moon overnight, we were not in a big hurry to get fishing hard, as it typically seems like the fish are quiet after their moonlit feeding session. We looked for flounders near shore only to have a reunion with an old friend, now a year older and better looking than ever before:

By mid morning we knew no flounders were going to play and having filled the well with pinfish and grass shad we decided to cross the shoals and see if the east side was doable in the NE breeze.
We tried the 1700 rocks with no luck other than some nasty sharks and Wes' first ever cobia. Cute little fella:

By early afternoon the crew was asked to decide "heroes or zeroes". Heroes was the unanimous answer so we took an hour long ride some 20 miles offshore to the promise land. Once on the mark things fired off quickly. Wes got started with a light line dolphin

Jim got the gags moving

I found a scamp

The gradually shifting wind made holding in pace impossible and since the young men wanted to feel their oats on some bigger fish we helped them play donkey kong








After a serious build up of lactic acid the boys were ready to bottom fish some more. Jason got the trips first red snapper a pretty 19" fish that did not make the limit and ended up being a meal for a very large and greedy barracuda. Wes followed up with the SeaBiscuit's first ever snowy grouper. A brilliantly patterned baby:


Between working the anchor, tying rigs and handling a steady stream of fish caught by my young crew, I got a chance to drop a few more times and got lucky with another nice scamp


In less than two hours we had a respectable catch making the long choppy ride offshore worth it. The ride home was easier on the following sea and by the time we reached the lighthouse the boys were content, tired and pleased with several new notches in their fishing belts.

[WAHOONBOX]

THAT'S ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT CAN GET THERE BISCOTO.........


AND THAT SNOWY'S PAINT SCHEME IS SUPERB TO SAY THE LEAST

[Squidnation]

Awesome report Nick and Crew. Congrats. Beautiful snowy. Is that the same snowy the offshore guys up here catch while deep dropping for golden tiles?

[SeaBiscuit]

After Friday's incredible work out for the SeaBiscuit's aging captain, it was time to bring in reinforcements. Jackie joined us for another day of bottom bouncing on the east side. The goals for the day were simple. Triggerfish and a keeper snapper. The sea conditions were outstanding and although we could run anywhere we wanted the morning was, again, painfully slow. Fishing tried and true numbers we got very little action. We decided to explore way offshore looking for some rumored commercial snapper banks with out ever finding anything worth dropping on. The continental shelf between Cape lookout and Hatteras is remarkably unremarkable when it comes to hard or live bottoms and ledges. Wrecks rule here. So off we went for an afternoon session of wreck fishing. During two failed attempts to set exactly where I wanted a fat beeliner and this beauty came while drifting through

I needed no further convincing that I had to get the anchoring just right on that mark and when I did it was on hard! The boys were giggling silly while slinging jumbo beeliners at an incredible rate.





All I could do was count and ice fish and assist with terminal tackle needs while a world class vermillion snapper bite was on. As luck would have it the limits for these fish were just lowered 10 days ago from 10 per head to 5 per. Our 25 came in less than 30 minutes and it was time to to leave these fish. Full moon beeliner bites are legendary and we were lucky enough to experience one for our selves. Now it was time for gag fishing! Gag fish we did catching a few and getting our clocks cleaned by more yet. During the next couple of hours we donated to the cause enough lead to ballast a clipper ship and more hooks than can be found in all of Harker's island (Fishing with hooks is an insult to the island's proud inhabitants. The island holds the world's highest per capita fishing net length and the resident high tiders know how to use them)

Between gag bites we got our lone triggerfish for the day (mission accomplished, kind of) and played with the toothy critters


On the way home, we decided to once again try one of the spot that during the morning seemed deserted. It had now come alive with bait marks looking like church steeples off the bottom and gags eager to clobber any bait we sent down. Many small fish (Wes caught four 22" inch ones in a row) and at least one momma there



I am grateful that Jackie was on the boat with us yesterday for many reasons. He caught like the pro that he is. He gave me much needed relief in both running the boat and mating for a very busy crew. He served as a fine role model for the two boys in manners, work ethic and passion for the sport. Last, but not least, he gave me the red snapper that the Biscuit household enjoyed for our Sunday dinner




Life is good.
SeaBiscuit

[reelreturn]

Another epic fishing trip, thanks for staying up late and getting the pictures and report posted.

[gottaflylee]

Holy Moly...5 AM and I want REd Snapper for breakfast... Well done guys, very well done. Gotta love that place that I call my second home, November will be here soon and I will be there...

[Ponce]

SeaBiscuit

I love reading your reports and again what an awsome report. Better yet you had two very quality days on the water with some good looking young men. They will take away much more than the fishing from days like this spent with you.

Awesome job.

[bobdu11]

sweet report...as Mick from Rocky would say.."you're a wrecking machine"

[Double D]

Nick - I think you could catch fish in a mud puddle. Great report

[Shortfin]

What an outstanding read and trips ,one question for yu all

When you say Down East that means MAINE ? doesn't it