Back to reality

Back to work and reality has set it in that it will be another year before I get to visit the OBX shores. This year was different from ones in the past that fishing was not good for me at all.  I started every day on the water just as pictured above but ending each morning and evening with no luck or nothing to brag about. So as I sit here and reflect on the past week fishing funk…  Not every trip I take will be cooler talk but does that have to be a bad thing?

The weather was outstanding for vacation terms if you were there to get a suntan or enjoy time with the family. I had a great time and it was nice to get away and enjoy the weekend with Suzy and her family.

So what happened?

I heard rumors there was pound nets south of nags head that could have been causing not ideal fishing conditions. Mother nature also had the seas turned up a few days but I think the big issue was beach traffic. We stayed in Nagshead which was much north of the OBX where I’ve had my luck in the past. Beach traffic from swimmers, long boarders and surfers was thick each day in my fishing spots which prevented schools of bait fish coming down the beach. Every time I would run down to the beach to cast to the on coming schools I had to navigate around swimmers and surfers who would often break up the schools of fish that would come in.

In the mornings ane evenings I don’t have an excuse other than no fish. I would set up my surf rods and cast them out having 3 to 4 rods out deep and working my little rods in close. I caught more pompano that I knew what to do with but nothing else. I had all sorts of options in Bait but nothing would work.

I did pay close attention to others fishing around me and they also had zero luck. I watched their techniques and most seem to cast deep which I think they were over casting the sand bar for  Drum. I worked the shores in closer but still had zero luck. I heard drum and blues were hitting down south which Mickey and the SSC clubs had the best trip they ever had.

So whas was the issue? Better conditions down south? Poud nets stopping fish from coming down the beach?

I don’t know and I may not find out but a weeks vacation at the beach was better than week at my desk.

I hooked up on a big skate one morning that I found for 20 minutes. It ran and ran and ran away from me as it almost spooled my reel. When I finally turned it around it seemed to barry itself in the second sand bar and I couldn’t move him eventually breaking my line and almost my nose. The line snapped sending the rod back into my face really hard. It was funny but disappointing at the same time that I wanted to land that pain in the ass fish.

Here’s a pic of me fighting the beast.

Till next year – back to freshwater smallies!

suzy and ryan looking for spanish.