Film is the most significant art form of the last century. I don’t think a lot of people would argue that point. There might be a couple people who might say that literature is still tops. But how many people have seen “The Lord of the Rings” movies versus how many have read the books? (many times each for me).

It stands to reason that we anglers have films that stand out to us as great expressions of our favorite activity. Now, we’re not talking about documentaries or short films, although there are many worth your time, but rather feature films that received major studio releases.

There are a couple that are warmly remembered, a couple that have won awards, and there are even some that stand out as innovative pieces of art in their own right — films that actually changed film itself. Fishing and angling have had that effect on us.

“Grumpy Old Men” is a 1993 film that is remembered fondly for many reasons. Burgess Meredith straight up stealing the whole movie with perfect comedic timing (the sequel was his last film), Ann Margret looking transcendent, 30 years after her starring role in “Bye Bye Birdie”, the great chemistry between the stars Walter Matthau and Tony Curtis that hadn’t changed since “The Odd Couple” in 1968.

But in the interplay between legends, we see what fishing can mean to us. The main characters fight over lucky ice fishing poles, fishing spots, and try to take each other out with frozen walleyes. This resonates because not only is it funny, it’s also true. These are the real reasons people bicker about fishing, both on the water and off. Hopefully, you won’t actually try to kill somebody with a frozen fish, but the joke makes the point. The little love story with Ann Margret is almost an afterthought.

“The Perfect Storm” is not precisely a fishing movie, but it’s close. On the surface, the 2000 film is about a storm that swept the East Coast — one in which I was stuck in a third-floor apartment while my neighbors jumped off the balcony into snow piles. But beyond that it’s a “Moby Dick”-style tale of compulsion and ego that takes the lives of our handsome protagonists, including Mark Wahlberg, George Clooney, and William Fichtner. What makes it worse was that the guys could have turned back in time but instead pushed on to the Flemish Cap to fish untouched waters.

That is something that most anglers can associate with.

Ernest Hemingway wrote “The Old Man and The Sea” during winter 1953 as a tribute to those who make their living from the sea. He chose to weave in religious references that solidify the connection between his main character, Santiago, to a saintly figure. While Hemingway himself had problems with the 1958 film starring Spencer Tracy – issues mainly stemming from Hemingway being unable to suffuse his ego and having arguments with Tracy himself, he was pleased with the film overall.

Tracy got an Oscar nomination for best actor and Dimitri Tiomkin won for best original score. The first time I saw this as a kid, I was amazed by the shots of Santiago fighting the marlin, then I felt his pain as the sharks tore it apart, thus showing the futility of struggling against … whatever … anything. The ending is unclear. I always assumed the Old Man passed in his sleep after returning home, but maybe not.

He loves the sea and he loves the fish, feelings that many of us anglers can relate to. He loves it so much that even though he knows he needs to kill it; it breaks his heart to do so and his spirit when the sharks come. Tracy is a literal master of the craft of acting and he was the perfect choice. In my mind, this film holds up even after so long.

A film that literally changed the way movies were produced and marketed, “Jaws” was the first summer blockbuster. When it came out June 20, 1975, it was the first movie released to hundreds of screens nationwide simultaneously, something we take for granted now. Steven Spielberg became known as the genius we know today. Young actors such as Richard Dreyfus and Roy Scheider would build huge careers. Robert Shaw figuratively put a crown on his head as the finest actor of his generation (we can fight about it if you want).

Oscars were awarded for best sound, best editing, and of course, best score to the legendary John Williams. I bet you are playing the “Jaws” theme in your head right now.

The big gamefishing scenes are the best ever put on film. The amazing monologue from Quint about the USS Indianapolis gives me chills every time, and I watch every year to celebrate Fourth of July (I’m serious). When Quint first sets the hook and Hooper argues with him about what he thinks they really have on, I feel the tension. Of course, when the line breaks, well, who here has not experienced that disappointment?

The idea that somewhere “out there” is a fish bigger than anything else and we can conquer it, this is what makes us dream.

In my mind, “A River Runs Through It,” both the 1976 book and the 1992 adaptation, creates the perfect bridge between film and literature as artforms. The soundtrack by Mark Isham, for which he was nominated for an Oscar, is beautiful. It’s masterfully shot, winning a best cinematography Oscar for auteur Philippe Rousselot. The acting is outstanding with Brad Pitt in the role that would make him a household name, as well as Tom Skerrit, Craig Sheffer and many others in vastly underrated performances.

Robert Redford produced and directed the film, for which he was a Golden Globe nominee, and provided the voice of the story in his narration. In many cases, Redford spoke the precise words of author Norman Maclean.

While actually a story of how we truly try to help those we love, it’s also about how all will ultimately choose whichever path we end up on. Author Norman Maclean’s father was a Presbyterian minister. In the film, the Rev. Maclean gives a sermon during a church service, which the audience is led to believe happens as he’s near the end of his days:

“Each one of us here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing to help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true, we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don’t know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so, it is those we live with and should know best who elude us. But we can still love them. We can love completely without complete understanding.”

This is the finest film about fishing ever. If you can sit through Redford’s final narration without getting emotional, I’m not sure we can be friends.

So, you’ve probably figured out I love movies. Good ones. Great ones. Sometimes even bad ones. I love a tornado full of sharks. But the closer they get to the things I live for, the more I can feel them.

A lovely spring weekend. The forecast looks perfect. Light south winds. Tides are perfect. Not too hot. Let’s go fishing.

Head out in the morning. Get to the spot. It’s perfect. Fish are there. They’re biting. Awesome. Fish all day and don’t even have to make up any stories, because this was a good one.

Get home that evening and you feel hot. Skin feels warm all over. Look in the mirror. How did you get so sunburned? It wasn’t hot out. It was a nice clear day, but the sun wasn’t blazing. What in the world?

The reality is that every day we spend outside all day in the open, as in fishing, we have the opportunity to get a sunburn. It doesn’t matter how strong the sun shines. Honestly, it can be cloudy. In fact, a low overcast day is sneaky because it won’t get hot at all.

Let’s talk about some common things we can do to prevent sun damage and still be able to have a great day on the water.

One of the things we need to know about is SPF. It stands for Sun Protection Factor and according to Dr. Dawn Davis of the Mayo Clinic, it is a way to determine how long we can stand out in the sun before getting redness on the skin.

Dr. Davis recommends an SPF of a minimum of 30, which means we can stay outside 30 times longer than we normally would without any coverage at all. The SPF is printed right on the box of the sun protection products we see and is ubiquitous.

Here is the problem. When we are fishing, we transfer smell to our baits and lures. I have personally witnessed fish actively rejecting live baits that were tainted with sunscreen lotion and seek out untouched baits. What are we to do? There are many options available.

As I said, the old-fashioned lotion that our mom used to lather us up is not a great option. Fish can smell it. First of all, I like the spray sunscreen. For years I’ve used the Neutrogena brand. It’s available anywhere, it’s not as expensive as some other brands, and it’s oxybenzene free (I don’t know what that is, but it sounds bad). I’ll spray it on my face and ears and avoid my hands. But that’s just the beginning.

You’ll want a variety of clothing options to keep you protected and comfortable on the hot days. When you’re out there all day and concentrating on fishing and little else, there are many helpful ways to keep your skin safe.

I always start with a long-brimmed baseball-style cap. Not only does it provide shade for your face, it also helps you see in the water. Nowadays, I’m seeing more anglers using bucket-style hats or even sombreros to keep the sun off the back of the neck too. I would say that’s a pretty good idea and I wish I had thought of it 30 years ago.

Next are quality polarized sunglasses. Squinting all day is tough for the eyes. Take care of your retinas and they will continue to work. Astigmatism is a real thing in your 50s.

A lightweight shirt with long sleeves is imperative. The “performance” tees made of the lightweight nylon material are the way to go here. They were first popularized by high performance sportswear manufacturers and now have been co-opted by the outdoor industry.

Above, I mentioned hats to protect your neck. Some folks are now making hoodies that are made from performance fabric for the same purpose. The neglected areas like the back of the neck and even the backs of the hands are where I see older anglers having spots removed. There are even lightweight “sun” gloves to protect the hands.

For the legs there are a couple things that you need to keep in mind. Most of the time, I usually wear shorts. The lower leg/calf area doesn’t seem to be an area of concern for most people. If you are very light-complected, you may want to wear lightweight nylon “fishing” pants. Another consideration might be if wade fishing in an area with small stinging creatures like micro jellyfish in the Bahamas (That was a surprise!) or greenhead flies right here at home. They’ll bite right through socks.

Surprisingly, an area of concern for me over the years was the tops of my feet. Flip-flops or other sandals left me with sunburned feet. Sunscreen down there leads to slippery situations. I opted for lightweight deck shoes. Avoid darker colored uppers because they will have a tendency to get unpleasantly hot on the sunniest days. Ask me how I know.

Now a little more spray-on sunscreen on the nose and ears, and we are good to roll out.

Next time you head out, you are covered. It’s a really sunny day. You’ve been out the whole time. At the end of your trip, because you covered up, you’re not burning. The fish bit your lures because they weren’t covered in sunscreen lotion. The tops of your feet feel good.

Now make sure you don’t walk through the parking lot with no shoes at the end of a summer day. Otherwise you have burned the bottom of your feet.

That’s a whole different story.

Spring is getting ready to jump out at us, and with it some pretty great fishing.

Shakespeare said the season puts, “A spirit of youth in everything.”

The inimitable Robin Williams said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying Let’s Party!”

So, it is then that we should be celebrating by getting out there for some of the best fishing in the Eastern U.S. For our purposes, we are going to be talking about March, April and May. February is a bit too early, even though it will sometimes fool us. June really starts to feel like true summer around here, and actually there have been some years when spring was over by mid-May.

It can be fleeting, so we must move fast. Sometimes that means dropping everything and getting to where the action is right away.

The first harbinger of spring is the riverine run of shad in our coastal rivers. Actually, the use of the word “harbinger” in this case is a common cliché. My editor tells me to avoid clichés like the plague, so I’m not going to do it, even though that’s what it is.

There are numerous river systems that host runs of both hickory and American shad. Both are a lot of fun. They put up a spirited fight with tarpon-like jumps. Americans are much bigger and stronger, and they have been called “The First Fish” by people who know about these things. These shad supported communities and got their health up just as things were getting bleak at the end of winter.

Popular shad fisheries exist in Contentnea Creek in Vanceboro, the Tar River in Greenville and upstream, and the Roanoke River, which hosts the largest numbers. Get some shad darts, which are just small jigs, and find a place to get to the water starting in the second week of March.

Probably the most popular spot in the whole state is the boat launch area in Weldon. It’s right at the falls and thousands of fish end up there. Bonus if you have a johnboat. Careful of the water levels. Small boats and big water don’t mix well.

Check out the water level gauges on the Dominion Power website.

Something I have covered before is the speckled trout action in downstream coastal creeks that are attached to larger rivers, such as ones connected to the Neuse, New, and Cape Fear. Trout will start to get active in these areas throughout March. In fact, they will have been in many creeks throughout winter. You just have to be able to deal with the cold. We’ve talked about that before too. But in March we’ll see more consistent action in these bodies of water. As the weather improves, they’ll be there more often.

The biggest fish will move in and out from the main rivers. Be there on the right day and you could get a look at speckled trout bigger than you’ve ever seen.

Along areas closer to the ocean, things will start to pick up in April. The southwest breeze during this period is the key. This flow leads to warm water. When coastal waters start to get above 62 degrees, bluefish will show up near shore. Mostly, these will be smaller fish, but at times really massive fish will make an appearance.

Don’t ask when it will happen. It’s just one of those times when, if you’re there, you’ll be the one telling me about it. 

River fishing for shad will reach a peak early in April and then slack off. This will be in prelude to striped bass taking over. The first captures will take place well downstream of rocks at the falls line. Toward the late to middle of the month, they’ll begin to be caught up by popular areas. Again, the most consistent fishing will be at Weldon. Loads of stripers will be caught on live shad.

Good speck action will continue through April. This is primetime for slow-falling hard plugs such as Mirrolures. Trout will consistently be in these creeks in April. It can be quite good for both numbers and size.

Coastal waters will see an explosion of activity in May. As well as the aforementioned blues, as the water warms through the 60s, be ready for Atlantic bonito to rampage through. The magic number is 65 degrees. Be ready to up and go. It doesn’t last long. We will normally get about three to four weeks. Sometimes more (And other times less, of course).

The appearance of Spanish mackerel usually heralds the end of bonito action. But if you’re out there on the day they come blasting into town, you might see some great stuff. I’ve seen the whole beach covered with diving birds from one inlet to the next. All the usual tactics are good when that happens. Casting with small spoons and jigs is my favorite.

The first two or three weeks of May are when the absolutely best action occurs on the Roanoke River. Striped bass will put on a show. Fish early and late with single-hook-rigged surface lures such as Zara Spooks and Pop-r-s. They will try to kill them. I mean literally. They smack them with their tails, use their dorsal spines, and of course try to eat them.

The striped bass spawn is approaching, which takes place in very fecund waters. In order to counter this abundance of life, striped bass kill the eggs of predator species like sunfish, catfish, and carp as fast as they can. So when you cast a topwater plug into the Roanoke during striper spawning season, they will hit it with the spines on their backs, anal spines, and tails, in order to kill the enemy. It can be amazing when you’re there in early May.

Again, this happens fast. If you’re there when it happens, it’s amazing. If you’re there when it’s done, you’ve missed it. You’ve got to be quick.

Big trout numbers can vary in May until it seems they’re gone. But they’re not. They will move to bigger bodies of water and be moving faster. By May, you have to cover a lot of water fast. Grass flats and humps in more open areas are good to cover with topwater jigs. True bonus will be the red drum that get mixed with them and stay around the rest of the summer.

Have I covered everything that spring offers? Definitely not. Don’t even get me started on purely freshwater stuff. That’s another whole book. But if there’s not enough here to keep you busy, there’s offshore opportunities, bottom fishing and just enough surprises to keep even an old hand guessing.

By the time you read this we will know the complete outcome of the aftermath of the cold event of late January/early February. Let’s take a look at why this occurred in the first place, the immediate effect, and what some old-timers think about possible consequences.

In the southern portion of the East Coast we have numerous species of gamefish that will use shallow creeks in winter. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries biologist Chris Batsavage says many of these species will be found in shallow creeks during winter.

“The mud bottom found in many shallow creeks, along with their shelter from the wind, can provide warmer water and forage during the winter,” Batsavage told Coastal Review.

Usually this provides a nice arrangement, and the fish are happy in sunny, hidey holes. However, through the years there have been situations where their natural tendency is detrimental to their survival. When there is an extreme cold snap that leads to creeks icing over for extended periods of time, fish using these waters may experience cold stun, or even be killed. The longer freezing conditions occur, the more severe the effect can be.

It would seem that the cold of those couple of weeks in January and February did the job. I talked to fishy friends all along the coast and their words were not encouraging.

“It seems there’s already been four major kills reported. I think it will be very significant,” reported Capt. Harry Meraklis of Kitty Hawk.

Capt. Dave Rohde of Kitty Hawk told me, “The sound was frozen solid yesterday. They are floating everywhere.”

Batsavage said quite a few reports were coming in from the public and division staff.

As is policy in these cases, the Division of Marine Fisheries shut down the speckled trout fishery for all users on Friday, Feb. 6. At this point the closure extends to June 30. However, an official opening date had not been announced at the time of this publication.

The reason is twofold: We have had significant cold events in consecutive years (first time in my memory although I am sure others go further back than me), and this 2026 cold kill was unprecedented in both breadth and length, in recent memory. The record amounts of snow and the length of time that temperatures were well below 32 degrees left creeks frozen for longer than I recall in my 30 years in the state. People were ice skating down the middle of Emerald Drive in Emerald Isle.

Fish kills have been reported as far south as Florida. I remember being down there in spring after a big cold spell killed lots of snook years ago. It was grim.

Experience tells us that this should work itself out. The fish themselves have evolved over millennia and will sort it for themselves. Capt. Seth Vernon of Wilmington holds this view.

“Nature seeks homeostasis,” Vernon said. “I would hope we keep the pressure off of them until after they have spawned, and they will make up for the deficit in the numbers of eggs produced and fertilized.”

Capt. Rick Patterson of Cape Carteret said that, in the cold kills that he had seen over the years, “there will still be trout this summer and fall. The numbers of big fish may be down, however.”

The hope is that recent conservation efforts will pay off in quickly rebuilding speckled trout populations.

“It seems like the stock rebounded quicker from the cold-kill events over the last 10 years or so, compared to those from further back in time,” said Batsavage.

Noted Carolina Sportsman columnist Capt. Jerry Dilsaver of Oak Island adds that, “I think it’s safe to believe the closures help the trout numbers rebound quicker.”

Dilsaver is quick to point out that the statewide closure is wise.

“For what it’s worth, I have heard some fishermen (at Ocean Isle Beach) saying, “Why did they close the season here? We didn’t have any significant kills.’”

Any different won’t work, he says.

“If an area is left open, it will be inundated with fishermen from other areas, and they will most likely harm the fish worse than the freeze,” said Dilsaver.

These are wise words from a wise man. Pay attention. There’ve been and will continue to be plenty of complaints about this in the months to come.

Batsavage agrees.

“It’s hard to measure the impact of closing the fishery after a cold-kill event, but reducing fishing mortality likely benefits the recovery,” he said.

In my personal experience (if that’s even worth considering), the closure helps the fish recover. I have caught 25-inch-long trout on topwater plugs in May while casting for redfish, and I personally have seen fish populations rebound after having been given a few months to recover from cold kills. It would be pretty obvious next fall when everybody had good action.

The only problem this time is the unprecedented nature of this year’s weather. Anyone who says they know precisely what is going to happen, well … no, they don’t.

Be patient. Give the system a chance to recover. The experts who I know know, regardless of what Uncle Ernie on the Internet says.

What if I told you that there was a class of fishing lures that not only imitate what a bait looks like, but also what it feels like?

That we have lures that not only smell like the real thing but also tastes like it? We have copied the movement, sound and exact colors of real baits. What if I told these were real and not some figment of my imagination? Would you ever use any other type of lure again?

Soft plastics have progressively gotten better — so good through the years that they are amazing imitations of life. Let’s talk a bit about where they have come from and where we are today.

The first plastic lures on the market were the Crème Scoundrel worms. They literally looked like earthworms. They were stiff and not at all lifelike. They caught fish.

The first saltwater shrimp imitation I ever used was the Boone Tout. It was a weird name, barely looked like a shrimp, and did nothing in the water. It, too, caught fish.

As the ’70s went on we saw the Tom Mann Jelly Worm add flavor to the mix and the Mister Twister added a curly tail and extra action to their baits. By this time, everyone knew how good plastics were.

I caught my first 5-pound largemouth bass on a 6-inch grape Manns Jelly Worm and about a million gray trout (weakfish) from the Delaware Bay.

So they work. No doubt about that. Let’s talk about some of soft plastic lures available today and how to use them to catch fish.

Let me start by saying that the most popular types of lures are changing quickly. It wasn’t too long ago that I used the Tsunami swim baits for almost everything. They have a weight built in and they have a great action that makes them look like an easy target. They’re expensive and bluefish ruin them. For a number of years, I always had one tied on. I caught every kind of fish that can be targeted around here. For some reason the retailers stopped carrying them in big numbers, and they have fallen out of favor. I still have a few bags here and there but it’s tough to get more.

The more popular brands now are Z-Man, Gulp, and DOA — and that’s just a start. The number of new products coming out is astounding. Let’s talk in more general terms.

First let’s consider the kind you would attach to a lead-head jig. Many of these are designed to imitate baitfish. The Z-Man Shadz, and DOA CAL, are two of the most popular brands sold around here. They are quite realistic in both their looks and movement. They are attached with lead heads designed specifically for those baits to ensure a smooth look. There are split tails, twist tails, paddle tails, and something that somebody is making in their garage right now.

My suggestion is to pick one or two styles and stock up on those. Choose different colors based on the local conditions, and go with that. They all work, and instead of fixating on whatever brand is most popular, instead choose what works for you and move forward.

Make a cast, hopefully toward where a fish is lurking. Work it back like any jig.

“Twitch, reel. Twitch, reel.”

Strikes will feel like a tap. Snap set the hook – you don’t have to rip their lips off. I’ve caught 8-pound speckled trout, 6-pound southern flounder, 12-pound striped bass and a whole assortment of every single kind of fish that swims in these waters using soft plastic with a jig head.

Another style I like are the soft plastic shrimp made by the same companies. They are quite realistic and in some situations they are more effective than the living versions. Mainly it’s because you can use the same bait to catch multiple fish whereas a live bait is one and done.

Cast a plastic shrimp into a current run that drops off into deeper water. It might be only a matter of inches. Reel quickly enough to keep your line tight and add a touch of movement. That familiar “tick” means a fish.  Reel down quickly and come tight.

This technique is very effective for red drum and trout in winter holes.

Another good use for them is as a dropper rig when fishing from a pier for speckled trout. Probably the most common way is under a popping cork around oyster bars and on grass flats. Rig the lure about 2 feet deep below the cork. Then pop and reel. A fish will announce itself by pulling the cork under. The plastic shrimp is versatile.

Unweighted soft plastic jerk baits first made their appearance in the mid-’90s with the Slug-Go. In hand it looks innocuous; fish shaped, split tail, nothing special. But rig a weedless hook on it, toss it into the water, and it becomes something.

First of all, it sounds like a living thing when it plops in. Then it moves like a minnow that’s having an extremely bad day and attracts attention from predators. My favorite was the 6-inch size. I could cast it easily with whatever rod I was using and they smoked it.

Now all the aforementioned manufacturers have similar designs. Put them to use in shallow weeds, around oysters, flats. You can even add rattles to them. See what happens when you cast to a school of trout on the edge of a flat during summer.

If imitation is flattering, soft plastic lures are the extreme. As Dustin Hoffman’s character was told in “The Graduate,” “There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it.”

Coastal Review will not publish Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Actively casting to visibly feeding fish is very exciting and often leads to days that will be become legendary. There are numerous ways to approach these situations that lead to ample opportunities for all the anglers who inevitably make an appearance.

Unfortunately, too many people either don’t know or don’t care about anything else but themselves and then proceed to mess it up for all concerned. Let’s figure this out so we don’t become one of “those” guys.

First, we have to recognize what a feeding school looks like. It can present many ways depending on location, depth, and species. If you don’t know what you’re seeing, you’re liable to roll right over them.

The most obvious species and one least likely to be spooked by boats and anglers is the bluefish. I’ve seen schools of bluefish spread out for acres with boats driving through them every which way, without much regard for … well … anything really. People were fishing and the fish were still biting all around.

A big school of bluefish up to around 5 pounds will remain pretty aggressive in almost any circumstance. When they get a little bit bigger, you have to be more careful about driving through them. Even then, they’ll probably not spook too badly, and if the bait is still around, they’ll feel compelled to strike.

Favored lures include almost any jig or spoon in a somewhat approximate size or color. They’ll probably take a whack. Make sure you have an appropriate bite leader or you wave goodbye.

False albacore and Spanish mackerel are less tolerant of sloppy driving. When approaching surface feeds of these, the angler must plan his approach to account for the direction of travel and the wind speed and direction. You must intercept in such a way as to not roll over them and still allow presentations to be made to the feeders.

You’ll see many mistakes being made by people who should know better, and often it can wreck the action for all. On a good day with all being cooperative and considerate, the good fishing can go for hours. Otherwise, it’s up and down with the ill-mannered butting in.

More realistic imitations must be used with albies and macks. Be aware of the size and color of the bait fish. Many times — not always — jigs that are too big or an inappropriate color will be ignored. A good starting point is an epoxy jig such as the Gun Slinger, approximately the size of a man’s ring finger, with an olive or other natural color. There are myriad other options. Try a soft plastic tail such as the Albie Snax with a jig head if things get tricky.

So far, we’ve talked about fish feeding in deep water near the surface. Everything changes in shallow waters. The shallower they go, the less tolerant they become of loud motors and erratic driving. The most extreme example of this is with schools of red drum feeding in water that may be better measured in inches rather than feet.

Most often these fish can be approached with an electric trolling motor. Even then, they can be put off if you get too close and they feel the vibration. Best to set it on low speed and go slowly. Even better is a push pole. This is the stealthiest option. When the water is less than a foot, this will be the only option.

Pay attention to the fish and where they are going and keep your boat a long cast away … did I mention the water is shallow? There’s plenty to get hung on. Through the years, when pursuing shallow redfish, I’ve had best success using D.O.A. plastic shrimp in any color that shows up in changing water clarity: bright colors in muddy water, muted colors in clearer water. Make as long a cast as possible and retrieve in a slow cadence with occasional twitches. They’ll get it, and it will be obvious.

The most difficult to approach are speckled trout. A lot of times, if you’re not aware of the potential of a school being nearby, people will drive right over them and never know what they missed. In certain places, during certain times of the year (I’ll leave it to you to figure out), speckled trout will gather in large schools. This provides great fishing for those who know.

Some places are well known to the point of fame – or infamy — while others remain more quiet. In either case, it’s a good idea to approach quietly and carefully. Again, long casts are best. Use small jigs, ¼ ounce usually. I’ve used the Zman Jerk Shadz for the past decade. Light tackle. Don’t be in too much of a hurry. Use the trolling motor on as slow a setting as you can move up current.

If you get bit, slip the anchor over the side. As long as you’re quiet the fish will hang around. At some point you may need to move up a bit and start over. Be light-footed and, for goodness sake, don’t drive through the spot someone is already on. The fish behind will still be there and will start biting again soon enough. The idea is to keep the action going for everyone for as long as possible. When folks work together it can happen.

That’s pretty much a good rule to use whenever we’re out there. Be polite to others we see. Be considerate of where others are fishing. Sometimes we have to go around.

Start early if you want to be first, and be fine with it if you’re not. I see too many people behaving poorly when big schools of fish are around. Take it easy and we’ll all have a more relaxed and productive day.

There are skills that are so ingrained and synonymous with the activity with which they are associated that we often don’t even notice them or think much about them, we just assume they are performed.

Dribbling a basketball. Breath-holding in swimming. Keeping the beat in music. Casting in fishing.

The best performers in these disciplines often do these skills so well, that they seem to occur without attention or any discernible effort whatsoever. But make no mistake, much practice had to be done to achieve that level of proficiency. We’re going to take a look at casting a spinning rod and then break down the skill to find out what separates the best from the rest.

I want to emphasize that I’m going to be talking about using a spinning rod, not revolving spool/baitcasting. The focus of most of our light-tackle fishing here is most appropriate for a spinning rod. Light rods and long casts are the order, most commonly. Even though bait-casters are popular in the Gulf Of Mexico for some reason, I just don’t feel they’re applicable with light lures or weekend anglers, and they create a lot of potential problems with tangles and backlashes.

Merriam-Webster defines casting (among other things) as the act of throwing out a fishing line. On the most basic level, this is what it is, and it seems simple. Most people can accomplish the basic skill after a couple of practical attempts. They feel the line on the finger and let it go. I’ve been showing kids how to do it my whole life, and that’s all it takes to get a bait in the water. However, if you want to do it well, which means delivering it distantly and accurately, you’ll need to do some work.

First let’s talk about stance. You should be balanced. You don’t have to be in a linebacker stance, but go for an even distribution of your weight. If casting with one hand, small rods and light weight, drive forward with your casting hand and follow through with your rod guides pointing forward. If it’s a rod with a longer handle, we’ll cast with two hands.

A common error I see is that people will release their rod with the top hand. Keep both hands on and drive forward with your top hand and then pull back with your bottom hand. This will allow maximum force to be applied.

There is a big difference between distance and accuracy in casting. Let’s start with getting longer and then move to becoming more accurate. Most people step up to the water’s edge and want to heave it way out there. There are techniques that enable us to get maximum distance.

Let’s start with a two-handed approach. This allows us to use all the force we can apply. Then we need to choose tackle that matches what we’re trying for. When making long casts with small lures we want to have a light, fast action rod with a flexible tip and use as light a line as you can get away with. With the newer braided lines, we can easily use line that is twice the breaking strength of the biggest fish we realistically hope to catch. This enables us to make longer casts because heavier line produces more friction which takes energy away from the lure.

Be careful about going too light or you’ll run the risk of applying too much energy, and a small timing error can snap the line and send it to the stratosphere without you. Let’s avoid that.

There is also heavy gear for long range. Now, we’re talking about thick rods, 10 to 12 feet long. Long popularized by the Hatteras Heaver style of rod design. Heavy weights. Big baits. Strong currents. Often the biggest versions will use revolving spool reels. This is big gear for big water.

Both styles will have a common denominator: Those who get the most distance will be the most proficient performers of the Pendulum Cast. It’s a method for using the full length of the rod to increase the linear velocity of the projectile.

Start with an even stance. Rock your weight back and forth over your shoulder on a lead almost as long as the rod. As you get better, more length on the pendulum will equal longer casts. Time the rocking up with a forward swing and step forward like throwing a football. This timing is what allows for long casts. With a little practice you’ll be zinging it out there.

Nick Meyer from Breakaway Tackle and nickaway.com shares a video on his YouTube channel that gives an excellent illustration of how to do it effectively. He also adds that, “The ability to long cast increases your effective fishable area. When bait fishing, trimming down your bait will make the rig aerodynamic and will increase your distance.”

For accurate casting, there are some adjustments to be made.

We’ll start again with a balanced stance. Keep the length of the overhang less than half the length of your rod or less. Just enough to keep the hooks from snagging. Whether using single- or double-handed technique, drive forward with the top hand and pull back with the lower. Keep your eyes focused on the target. A good way to practice is to pick targets like leaves or anything else floating around. That way when confronted with a tight situation, you’ll be prepared.

Remember, the more you practice in true-life situations, the better. My old biomechanics professor, Dr. William F. Straub, used to tell us, “You have to make practice game-like, if you want to win games.”

Now, picture this real-life scenario. We’re fishing a big, wide, open flat. The visibility isn’t great because it’s early in the morning and there’s no light. The fish could be anywhere in front of us. Being able to make long casts quickly is beneficial. Start out with using a long overhang and pendulum with a long casting lure such as a plug or a spoon (I always preferred topwater for this). Cover the water and be prepared for anything. Strikes can come at any time and be quite sudden. There’s nothing subtle about it.

Maybe after a while, and hopefully a few fish, you’ll spot a tailing fish back in the shallows. These will have their noses down and not be conducive to chasing anything. Most likely they are finding shrimp or crabs right in their face. Now we have to be accurate.

Hopefully you have a second rod rigged with an appropriate lure such as a soft plastic jerk bait or shrimp. You’re probably going to want it to be weedless. This is where the accurate cast is handy.

Shorten the overhang. Make sure you’re within range. Lock your eyes on a spot from 6 to 8 feet from the fish. Cast toward the end of the fish that actually does the eating. You won’t have many chances. If it all goes well, you’ll be watching one of the finest sights in angling as it snacks on your lure right in front of you.

Make no mistake, doing this well takes practice. “Drive for show, putt for dough,” is what the old golfers say. This is an 8-footer, downhill, for birdie, to win the tournament.

Coastal Review will not publish Jan. 1 in observance of New Year’s Day.

Most often, when we talk about fishing, it’s the physical aspects we are concerned with: how to catch, what to catch, etcetera? But what about the metaphysical? The Why.

The Why is at least as important and, in many aspects, quite a bit more. The Why is what gets us going when the 4 a.m. alarm rings, or weather decides to be uncooperative. If the Why is not strong, the What will not even be a concern.

There are as many reasons why people fish as there are fish. They are varied and interesting. Every person has a different reason, and all are valid, ranging from simple escapism to the most complex mindset. It’s important to so many. Let’s take a little journey to the hearts of some extraordinary individuals.

In communications with anglers across the country in a variety of disciplines we will find certain differences and similarities.

Escape

Tim Brooks of Syracuse, New York, was a hard-hitting college linebacker who is now a leading member in his community. He is an accomplished lake-run rainbow trout fisherman. Those fish, commonly known as Great Lakes steelhead, are a mystery to unlock that provides exciting times during drab winter seasons.

Tim says he mainly fishes, “so he won’t become homicidal.” Now that’s a joke, of course, but the kernel of truth here is the getaway from the events of the day. It’s similar to what Paul Gilbert of Wilmington says.

As well as being a state champion lacrosse coach, Gilbert teaches middle school social studies, and he says he loves to fish because, “There are no eighth graders there.”

He loves his students as they do him, but we all need the separation.

Another good category is where all the world’s cares melt away.

Steve Feinberg has been retired for a few years now from his career as a highly successful advertising executive in New York, and he and I used to fish together often. He talks about how, “Fishing takes him to beautiful places and the world contracts to whatever is on the end of his line.”

Focus

Rob Snowhite is well known podcaster who produces “The Fly Fishing Consultant” podcast.

“Fishing is the one thing I can do where it’s the only thing I’m thinking about,” says Snowhite.

Interestingly enough, Norman Maclean writes in “A River Runs Through It and Other Stories,” “That the best part about fly fishing is that soon the world contracts to thoughts of nothing but fly fishing.”

Understanding

There are those who take a more deeply philosophical angle. One is Capt. Joe Demalderis, who owns a fly shop, outfitting service, and is generally considered to be the guru of the fly fishing community of the Upper Delaware River on the New York-Pennsylvania border. He says that the fish understand him better than he understands himself.

“When I’m lost in my thoughts on the water it’s nice to know that something gets you,” says Demalderis.

Kesley Gallagher is one of the leading female voices in the world of fly fishing. She says she loves fishing because it feeds her soul.

“I love the way the fish reflect the beauty of the area,” says Gallagher. “Like a trout reflects the light of the mountains and a marlin encapsulates the sapphire depths of the ocean.”

These are the kind of rhapsodic experiences we need in our lives.

Chris Desosa is a freshman at North Carolina State University. He’s a leader amongst his peers in athletic and academic pursuits and sure to be an amazing teacher, coach and educational administrator someday when he graduates from being in the education fellow scholar program.

“I fish because it brings me closer to the outdoors with the creations and the beauty of life,” says Desosa. “Being on the waves in a boat, or standing in a creek surrounded by nature, is more calming than any pastime I know. There is nothing like it.”

The challenge

Another category we need to explore is that of the people who do it for the challenge. These are the ones who put a lot of effort into preparing tackle and pay attention to the fine detail. David Edens is a longtime fly-fishing guide on Georgia’s coast. He loves saltwater fly fishing because he loves the hunt and the challenge, “… and being able to do something well that most others cannot.”

Brian S. Leon (Scott to his friends), is an incredibly accomplished angler, former Navy SEAL, author, and former editor of Fly Fishing in Saltwaters magazine, as well as being about as handsome as a TV star and married to Kesley Gallagher. He likes, “the journey to find fish and the people he meets along the way and embraces the intellectual challenge it brings.”

‘Democracy of life’

It may seem that I’m dropping a few names here to show how many different cool people I know (OK, I am) but the real point is that we meet a lot of extraordinary folks on the water.

Regardless of what we think of him as a president, Herbert Hoover himself said, “Fishing is a constant reminder of the democracy of life.” He was absolutely correct. I’ve been fishing with some quite famous people and a whole lot more who aren’t, including people who had little in the way of material things but did not measure life or success in the same way.

I’d say that the only nonvalid reason to like fishing is to prove that you are better than someone else.

Personally, I take the thinking of fishing writer Robert Traver, a federal judge whose real name was Robert Voelker and has a fly fishing writers award named after him. He was of the opinion that the reason he liked fishing so much was, “Because all the rest of the cares of the world mean so little.”

Now, I am locked in a situation where I can’t participate in the best pastime due to medical issues. Hopefully I can continue to contribute in any small way going forward. If I were to let the rest of my cares weigh me down, it would be quite a challenge indeed.

Someone fishing in saltwater should understand tides. More importantly they should understand how tides affect the fish they are pursuing.

It’s a common story: A person heads down to the water and drives out to a spot somewhere that they were told about. They get there and fish are jumping all over and eating everything they throw at them.

Next weekend comes and they head right back to the same spot. Except this time the tide is so low they run aground three times before they arrive. When they finally get there, the water is all gone, the bottom is exposed, and there’s no fish anywhere. What changed? The tide.

Let’s take a look at a typical fall day by my home near the Newport River and Morehead City. First thing we notice is that I use a tide-predicting app from Hahn Software called Aye Tides. It’s a part of the very first tide software called X Tides. Since the product was developed in 1995, it’s become as close to the industry standard as there is. It was based on an early computer model originally developed in the 1930s.

Now take a look at the numbers and see what they mean. First you will see a time and number with a decimal and a unit of measurement. The time shows what time the tide will occur and the number represents the relative height. In our case, the first high tide will occur at 12:51 a.m. Since we are not going fishing until after dawn this is not that important to us now.

The first low tide is at 7:04 a.m. Our plan is to fish the channels in the Newport for speckled trout. The best is on the rising tide with the influx of clean water. Pete Allred, formerly the owner of Pete’s Tackle for many years, used to say that often the bite would shut off, “like a switch” when the tide turned.

We want to get out there early. This is tricky. If you’re experienced and know the channels, you can get back there early and be the first one there. This often leads to some fast action. Once the water gets high enough to allow more access, others may join you, including some who may not be very considerate.

I have a certain young man in mind who I’ve had numerous run-ins with over the years, who would run full-speed through where I was fishing — literally so close he would swamp my small skiff. We’ve had words and he knows who he is.

But if people are considerate, the action will continue through the incoming tide, and assuming that people know what they’re doing, there should be enough to go around.

The second high tide is at 1:25 p.m. Let’s also take a look at the height. This is the average depth of the water as measured at the time of high tide. Notice that the number is 4.01 feet. This is quite a high number for our area. If we look at the moon phases as indicated by the icons, we can see that there was a full moon last night. The full moon in October will have some of the highest tides of the year. Often called “king tides” by the Weather Channel people and some scientists, there will often be swamped roads in the really low elevation areas.

This extremely high water leads to a couple different things for us to look at as anglers. Red drum will be as far back in there as you can see water. The fishing is not easy and takes some skill, but is extremely rewarding (and will be the subject of an entire separate article). Another thing to be aware of is very fast current, which can create fast action on the rise, as we have already seen with the trout, and flounder will often be quite aggressive around bars and points. Very large fish will be caught.

This is the important thing to remember: The large amount of movement around the very high tides will get fish activity to peak. But if you are not aware of the timing, you can miss the whole thing.

This cycle of two high tides and two low tides per day is called semidiurnal. Two tides per day. It’s Latin or some other thing. Some places will only have one per day. These are called diurnal.

Another thing that can really affect your fishing is something called negative low tides. This will be indicated in your app by a minus sign next to the height of the tide at low tide. This happens often in winter. It can be a hazard to navigate because areas that are usually underwater could be dry.

Now let’s return to the day we started with. As the tide starts to go out, it is usually a good idea to head toward the inlet. As the water recedes, it will encourage fish to begin feeding on baitfish that get moved out of the marsh and we will often see nice activity on surface feeding bluefish, mackerel and false albacore, as well as sea mullet and gray trout, while bouncing bottom.

This is one of the best places to start fishing for any species in any place. If you don’t know anything else, fish inlets on outgoing tides. Sometimes the end of the ebb will see the fiercest action. Then it will kind of peter out.

As always, this was just an example of how to approach a specific situation. Remember that being aware of the tides gets you to the fish. “Time, (fish) and tide wait for no man.”

I’m now in my 60th year of life. I started fishing before I was even old enough to have a memory of it.

I’ve been fly fishing since I was 10 years old. The math is pretty easy. During that time I’ve lived in North Carolina for 30 of those years, again, easy math. However, it never fails that since I’ve been here, people will say to me, “Flyfishing? Where do you do that ’round these parts?”

Inevitably it leads to awkward conversation and ends up with me trying to explain something that is not easily explained.

First off, all I’ll say, and trying to not sound braggadocious here, but I have caught 71 different species of fish with a fly and fly rod. I’m talking about the smallest thing you can think of up to and including the biggest things a person can catch in sight of land.

In this age you can fish anywhere you dream of, with the only limit being your pockets. I once knew a man in Beaufort who only fished in Montana, and I’ve fished with guys from Raleigh who only fished saltwater. Having said that, let’s talk only about the fish that are readily available along our coastal waters and within 30 minutes of my home in Carteret County. It’s quite a lot as you’ll see.

We’ll start close in and work our way out. There is a book that gives in-depth attention to this very subject called “Fly Fishing the Southeast Coast: A Complete Guide to Fishing Fresh and Salt Water,” if you’re inclined. For the sake of this article, I am going to assume a level of casting competency.

A type of fishing that gets overlooked by fly anglers around here is freshwater bass fishing in ponds. I covered this topic previously, but it’s worth looking at again as a strictly fly opportunity.

The No. 1 concern is access. But if anyone you know has a residential, golf course, any kind of freshwater body, it will have bass in it. The best time is a nice sunset and the best fishing is with a small popper.

Walk the shoreline, cast in an arc and be sure to negotiate any little pockets. It’s a bunch of fun, and while most bass you catch around here will be smaller due to the acid content of the soil, big ones also lurk.

If there is one fish that is readily available to fly fishing regardless of skill and access, I would say it’s the bluefish. They are aggressive, and almost any place that has access to the water will see bluefish coming in and out.

What I’m going to do is lay out a very specific plan to catch a bluefish on a fly from shore. First off, put a 250-grain sink line on your spare fly reel (you have a spare, right?), an 8-weight rod.

Get a stripping basket. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time untangling your line than anything else. Tie a piece of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader material to the end of your fly leader. Attach a Clouser Minnow fly in size 2 tied in chartreuse over white.

Drive to Fort Macon State Park about two hours into the falling tide. Fish on the southwest corner. You won’t need waders until late October. Cast into the current, which should be flowing from your left to right. Retrieve with an erratic action.

I don’t believe that you haven’t caught one already. But seriously, if all is as it should be, they should be there as often as not, and this will get them. Not normally big, but be ready. As a bonus this is also the best way to get a Spanish mackerel from shore, as well. If glass minnows are present, be prepared for anything.

I have not found the open surf to very amenable to fly fishing here for a lot of reasons. Believe me, I’ve tried. That’s not to say it can never be done, but it’s just more work than it’s worth for me. But keep your eyes open for calm days and close fish.

Lights under docks are another great opportunity for the fly angler. As you cruise down the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, from time to time you will see lights off the ends of docks. If a light points into the water, it’s worth looking at for fishing opportunities. This is classic night fishing. I’m talking not even heading toward the water until 9 p.m.

The fish we are talking about will vary. Speckled trout are always the preferred targets, particularly some really big ones. In fact, if catching a trout over 5 pounds on fly is one of your goals, this would be the way to go. However, some other guests may be interested.

Toward the Neuse River there may be big striped bass, I’ve caught them up to 10 pounds. As you go south toward the Cape Fear, more ladyfish will be available. Red drum will always be around. If you hit on a school of bigger fish, be prepared to bust fly rods and lose fly lines. A school of 30-inchers cleaned us out a few years back.

The same small Clouser Minnow works wonders. Stick with the 8-weight and a 20-pound tippet helps get away from pilings. Position your boat with the anchor almost as far as your longest cast. If you get to close, you’ll mess it up.

Be quiet too. I’ve had homeowners turn off the lights. Uncool.

Cast a little upstream. Strikes will be quick and often show as big boils under the surface. If you can see the fish popping under the lights, that’s a good sign.

Enjoy the moon, and the view of the planets can be spectacular. The sounds that emanate from the water come vibrating through your hull. Often, dolphins will swim through. It’s a great way to fish, and while sometimes things just aren’t happening, it’s as good a way to spend an evening as I can imagine, and a surefire way to catch fish on fly around these parts.

I have not even mentioned the world-famous false albacore run in the fall or the extremely popular tailing redfish action around the full moons. There is plenty of literature about those, some of it written by yours truly, even in these very pages. There’s plenty to do.

If you travel sandy coast lines anywhere in this country you will see piers. They are popular places to visit the beach without getting sandy, to enjoy the sea, and, of course, to go fishing.

Unfortunately, too many people who try to fish at our piers won’t really have any success and will be disappointed. Here are a couple of tips to help you find some good action at any of our piers.

For starters, we need to determine what is meant by a pier. I’m talking about a structure built on pilings that is above the surface of a body of water. Specifically, we will be directly referring to those that are on ocean beaches.

Along the North Carolina coast, we have them almost everywhere, from Avalon in the north at Kill Devil Hills, as far south as Sunset Beach.

Each of them will have local technical expertise that will separate the rookies from what we used to call “The Sharpies,” however there are things that we’re here to talk about to get us all started.

On all piers, there are fish to possibly be caught from the front, to the very end. As Maria from “The Sound of Music” always says, “Let’s start at the beginning. A very good place to start.”

When you first venture across the sand, there will be fish right in the surf zone. From there on, pan-sized fish that are very popular to pursue, both for their willingness to get involved and the pleasure they bring when we get them home, will be present. There’s a very simple way to get them, but as with all things to do with fishing, it’s the details that make the day.

Use with a light rod. Something that can handle a 15-pound test braided line and a 1-ounce pyramid sinker without flexing all the way down, but with a responsive tip. There will be a myriad of options for bait fishing rigs for sale in the shops and at the pier itself. If you are able, forgo those choices and make your own.

Start with a monofilament line that is no more than 30-pound test. Do not, repeat NOT, use anything with wire. Tie in two dropper loops (diagrams available wherever diagrams are sold), attach a small orange bead and a size 1/0 circle hook to one, then a pink bead and the same kind of hook to the other.  If you don’t want to tie your own, purchase the one that is the closest to this description. This is THE main difference between people catching, and those watching.

There are lots of options for bait, depending on your industriousness and abilities. The top would be sand fleas that you just dug from the surf yourself. There are those who will par boil them quickly and freeze. Next choice would be pieces of fresh shrimp. (You’ll notice I don’t mention frozen shrimp). Regardless, most savvy anglers also use a very small piece of Fishbites brand in the shrimp flavor, which is a scent infused natural product that adds appeal. It’s available everywhere. 

Bites will come as fast taps. With the circle hooks you will not miss as many strikes as you will otherwise if you happen to leave your rod unattended.

A note about that: I once lost a rod while fishing a live minnow from the pier untended. Guy standing there said, “Shot out there about 10-, 15-foot.”

This method will work for pompano, sea mullet, or pretty much anything that frequents the surf zone. If spots are running, substitute with sea worms for bait and try a size 2 hook. That usually happens in fall. Let me add that being observant to successful people is a good idea and most are glad to help.

Most piers have a rule limiting anglers to two rods. Not everyone follows. But if you do, your other rod should be set up with a Gotcha/Jerk Jigger plug. This is a lure that when it’s retrieved with a twitch-pause retrieve, won’t pop out of the water while being high up in the air like on a pier.

Attach it to your line with a 30-pound monofilament leader. They are so effective that some people use them all the time wherever bluefish, Spanish mackerel, or false albacore are surface feeding. But on the deck of the pier is where they shine. Not just for blues, macs, and albies either.

If you look down at the base of the pilings you will see a depressed area around each. By simply yo-yoing your plug around each piling, there is a good chance of hooking a flounder.

With a simple variation you can have a productive lure to catch anything that swims. To the end of your line, tie a three-way swivel. Tie two lengths of 20-pound line. Leave the first piece 3 feet long and the second piece 2 feet long. To the longer length attach a Gotcha plug. Any color is good as long as it’s red and white. To the shorter length tie on a D.O.A. shrimp lure in literally any color.

If fish are visible feeding on the surface, retrieve as always. If not, use a lift fall retrieve as if you’re jig fishing. Strikes will come on the drop and will be on either lure, with some large speckled trout falling to the plastic shrimp.

I’m pretty confident that with those two rods rigged and ready you will have a good chance of having success on any pier anywhere. Having said that, make sure to have a few extra of everything. Also, a fish finder rig with a piece of mullet has a chance to do SOMETHING on a day when not much else seems to be happening. Of course be ready if someone is getting and you are not, and switch it up if necessary.

Finally, fishing is supposed to be relaxing. If you’re on the pier on a busy fall day when the spots are thick, be prepared to get tangled up with someone. Just part of the way it goes. You can make your day better, or worse, by the way you handle it.

 Preparing pompano for the table

Start by completely removing the head and all entrails (ew). Now hold what’s left by the tail and scrape your knife from the back to front to remove the small scales. When you get it all it will not sound so … scrapey(?) Clean your knife blade and run it along a steel to tighten up your blade edge. Cut through the skin just to the backbone several times on each side. This is called scoring. Dust very lightly with flour and season liberally with whatever spices you like. Old Bay goes nicely.

Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat with butter until it gets foamy.

Lay the fish in the pan and leave it alone. Don’t touch it, slide around, or otherwise touch it, if you mess with it, you will ruin it. After a few minutes the edges will change color slightly and will begin to come off the pan. When it’s done it will come loose and then you will see a beautiful crust has formed. Turn it over now.

Drop in a couple knots of butter and let it melt. Spoon the melted butter over the top. It won’t take long. Have a plate ready. Serve with fresh vegetables and some good bread. This is a solid date night recipe. Good luck.

There’s a type of lure that is popular worldwide, and in some places it’s the most common lure sold. If you’re casting for salmon on a river in the Northwest, looking for pike in Canada, or trolling for lake trout in the Great Lakes, you’re going to be using a spoon. But around here they are dramatically underutilized except in very specific fisheries.

Let’s examine those and also see where else we can put them to use.

According to Wikipedia, “A spoon lure is a fishing lure usually made of lustrous metal, with an oblong, usually concave shape like the bowl of a spoon.” Furthermore, they are “mainly used to attract predatory fish by specular reflection of light, as well as turbulences it creates when moving in water.”

Now that we know what, let’s talk about how.

If I were a betting man, and I’m not, I would wager that more Spanish mackerel and bluefish under 12 inches long are caught on size 00 Clark Spoons than anything else. Those anglers trolling along the beaches will drag them behind bead-chain trolling sinkers if they’re going slowly and fishing with lighter gear, or use heavier trolling rods attached to down-planers if they want to go faster and cover more area. It can be highly effective because the hooks are in the water all the time and it’s a good way to go when there are less-experienced people onboard. You’ll see this being done from the Outer Banks to Shallotte.

The next most popular way they are used is to target surface-feeding fish such as mackerel, bluefish, false albacore, or anything else. Small slender spoons that can be retrieved quickly without coming out of the water are preferred. Best are the Gunslingers made by Beach Bum Lures. They cast far and look great in the water. Even better, they are made with quality hooks that won’t break and a great finish that doesn’t get scratched off by toothy creatures.

Anyplace that fish are feeding near the surface (usually you will see them jumping clear or the splashing they make), it’s worth trying this style of spoon.

The classic Johnsons Silver Minnow spoon was first created by a retired Chicago foundry worker named Louis Johnson in 1923. The story goes, he got tired of weeds fouling his bass fishing lures. So he hammered out a spoon from the kitchen, soldered a weed guard on and attached a hook. Hence a classic was born.

Around our coast, we use gold-colored Johnson’s Spoons to blind-cast for red drum that are lurking in stained water. The flash and disturbance attract fish that come in for a closer look. You simply need to cast and retrieve. No fancy rod manipulation is necessary.

Be aware that since the tie-in point is directly in line with the hook bend, it can easily get hooked up to oyster bars. This is a scourge and there are many of my spoons out there.

The biggest reds ever caught in my boat were taken on Johnson’s spoons. I don’t remember the guy’s name, but he had been among the first Marines to arrive in Baghdad. His father purchased a day for him to fish with me back when I was doing that. As you might expect with three young guys barely out of their teens, there was a lot of “talking,” but very fun.

We saw a school of especially large reds, I got the boat into position and all three of them proceeded to cast in every direction but the one where the fish were.

To take the pressure off, I said, “I thought they DIDN’T use chemical weapons on you guys!” That made them all crack up hysterically and they all then proceeded to catch giant monsters.

Another great use for spoon lures is vertical jigging. In trying to remember the different species of fish I’ve using this technique, it’s almost bewildering. Suffice it to say that with the right-sized spoon,  and accounting for the depth and current, there is not a predatory fish that swims in fresh or saltwater that will refuse. I was going to list them all but it’s just too much. Instead, I’ll concentrate on a method that works for any fish that is congregating around bottom structures. That includes wrecks, reefs, and rocks.

Start by selecting the proper spoon. In this situation, I prefer plain silver or gold Stingsilvers. Select the short, fat, 3-ounce model. Switch the hook to a single 3/0 O’Shaugnessy. Nothing fancy or expensive. You’re going to leave some on the bottom. Rig your leader with 40-pound monofilament. Otherwise, you’ll also leave a lot in the mouths of fish you never see.

Identify a patch or reef you want to check out. Drop to the bottom as quickly as possible. You’ll have to adjust how much line you have depending on the depth. The faster you drift, the more line you will be letting out. Strikes will come on the fallback to the bottom. You’ll most likely feel a slight “tick” in your hand. Strike quickly, then be ready for anything.

I’ve hooked everything from pinfish to tarpon, with predictable results for each. If there are king mackerel you are going to want wire.

As many fish species that I have caught doing vertical jigging, I would recommend being prepared to use it anytime you are fishing in deep water, and fish are showing up on your depth finder screen. If something is dangling in their faces, they probably won’t be able to resist.

So basically, there are lots of ways to fish spoons. The guys on the Jersey Shore are catching huge striped bass offshore. If you travel to the Great Lakes tributaries and you don’t know what else to do, you do now. The biggest walleye I ever caught was a 12-pounder through the ice on a vertically jigged spoon.

Spoon feed ’em. They’ll eat!

Recently I was relaxing on the pier. It was a gorgeous day and many folks were enjoying it. The only sounds were waves washing on shore, gulls having their usual conversations, and occasionally one could hear voices and snippets of people chatting.

I was just zoning in and seeing some blues and Spanish mackerel feeding.

Peaceful.

It all changed when this “person” turned on a huge speaker and cranked the knob off. It was akin to the sound of ice breaking underfoot and about as welcome.

It’s a personal preference but I found, through extensive research (I asked a bunch of people I know), that there are definitely commonalities to be found.

Michael Howlett of Newport used to run big boat charters in Oahu. They would always have music playing when fishing offshore for mahi mahi, tuna, marlin. Sometimes it was a while between bites but usually it added to the fun of the day for the tourists who would come out for the day.

I used to fish quite a bit with a friend, Bryan Pahmeier of Titusville, Florida, who is gone now and who had a really nice sound system wired up in his flats boat. He’d use it when running to new spots but not early in the morning.

Justin Manners of Jacksonville says it depends which fish and at what depth. “Ocean, I say go for it. Deeper water bottom fishing for bull drum, catfish, etcetera, go for it. Fishing flats, I’m not going to take a chance.”

This seems to be the theme, as we continue to see.

Ryan Furtak, a fly-fishing guru from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who is the master of the Upper Delaware River system, has an interesting take: “Loud music is completely fine. Under these conditions: Smallmouth bass fishing. I never found they cared. Definitely not while trout fishing or saltwater flats fishing. Spook large trout 100% of the time. Spook flats fish and won’t be able to properly communicate with the guy poling the boat. Otherwise, as long as nobody is around to be disturbed, crank it up.”

Chris Medlin of Surf City offers a measured response, appropriate for the mayor’s son: “Hmmm, I’d say we should just tolerate it because I just don’t want rule after rule on our outdoor activities.”

Those are the people who have mixed feelings or are more open to loud music. I have a lot of friends who are adamant about their opposition, to say the least.

Tim Still of Havelock enters Focus Mode where music is unwelcome. “Well, I’m against it for the same reason I turn off my radio completely when I’m parallel parking. I don’t like the distraction, but I’m not sure if it affects the fish.”

I feel the same way about parallel parking, for sure.

If you talk to Capt. Harry from Kitty Hawk, he’ll tell you, “That’s a hard no while fishing except when traveling, but then it depends on what’s playing.”

Rob Snowhite of Washington, D.C., “despises” having to listen to others’ music on the water. “Never play mine while out for same reason. Maybe going from Point A to Point B”, but even then he says, be considerate.

Now we start to get into the real meat of the conversation. People who are passionate and experienced at fishing for the big ones in the shallows like Rick Patterson of Cape Carteret, “I personally wouldn’t. I believe having loud music playing would definitely spook reds in shallow water.” 

As we’ll see, the more technical the fish you are target, the more likely you will find that anglers don’t want any extra sound. Dave Bernstein of Morehead City gets right to the point, “Never have music on while fishing.”

David Edens of Hilton Head fly fishes 98% of the time. He says that redfish on the low tides are super spooky but, “It’s Ok when I am fishing bait in deep waters. Just not too loud.”

Rip Woodin of Rocky Mount, a confirmed fly fisherman who was taught to fish in the mountains, is unequivocal, “No.” (He may have added a colorful word for emphasis.)

Kristi Irvin, who now lives in Italy, came up with a response that matched her lovely personality, “Good Morning, my friend!  How are you?  Thanks for asking my opinion. First, I love music. It’s a huge part of my life. I never listen to music while fishing however.  I love the sounds of what’s going on around me.   When I first head out, the sounds of nature are exhilarating and relaxing at the same time. Then, most times, I’m so absorbed that even the most beautiful sounds fade away and I’m in my own world. The only time I’ve ever enjoyed playing music while fishing is when I’m on a charter boat at sea and we are making our run in or out.”

See what I mean? So nice.

Personally, I never have music on while on the water. I’m too into the sounds in my own head. As Norman Mclean tells us in “A River Runs Through It,” “The best part of fishing is that soon the whole world is full of thoughts of nothing but fishing.”

It would seem that the general consensus is that playing music while fishing is fine but in moderation. Not so loudly that it bothers the fish and definitely be considerate of others while out there. Just because it’s not illegal, doesn’t mean it’s always the right thing to do.

Recently, we’ve discussed recording memories by taking better photos. We’ve also seen what makes a great fishing companion as well as memorable individual fish. But what really makes a fishing trip one to remember?

Is it just about the catching? Is it just ripping fish out of the water as fast as possible like some kind of machine, or getting the very biggest fish anybody’s ever seen? Or maybe it’s just a combination of those things … or, as the Grinch found out, maybe it’s just a little bit more.

I was lucky enough to spend a week on the Nushagak River in Alaska. It was going to be a friend of mine and a couple of his old high school friends there. The first two days were slow as the fish were not in the river. I read two novels.

On the third morning, I saw a 35-pound king salmon jumping all across the river. This was when I figured out the purpose of this trip.

They had a gas-powered generator set up for the sole purpose of running a chest freezer they had flown in. Fish were slaughtered as quickly as they could be hauled in. To make matters worse, they could not speak a sentence without using the f-bomb as every part of speech — sometimes all in the same sentence.

It quickly becomes akin to being hit with a two-by-four. I was surrounded by shiny, silver, bright salmon and also subjected to the most ignorant people with whom I had ever been stuck. There’s no accounting for how many fish I caught. But it was unending torture — not a situation I would ever want to repeat. I don’t even have any photos.

Conversely, I’ve been on some trips in which I caught very few fish, or even none, but those indeed became memorable because they included one great catch. Such was the case in catching a wild 20-inch-long brown trout behind the home of an old friend.

Then there was the huge largemouth bass I got on a 7-foot-long fly rod made by my brother.

Or maybe it was the redfish that is still the biggest one I ever caught on a fly rod while I was guided by another friend who in this case is no longer with us. (Side note: What do we do with the contact information of those who have left us?) Were those trips made better by the company? Most people would not consider a trip with only one caught fish to very memorable.

John Geirach once said, “Maybe your stature as a fly fisherman isn’t determined by how big a trout you can catch, but by how small a trout you can catch without being disappointed.”

Of course, once you say something like this, some wise guy has to be all tough and tell you how wrong you are, and real anglers only catch “Big Uns.” You know what? That’s fine for that guy, we all progress differently.

For me, I’d say that the answer lies somewhere in between. There have been the days when actual hundreds of fish were caught. Of course, there have also been times when nothing happened. I have had great trips in both situations.

What was the difference? It really comes down to the company.

I’ve been stuck in remote places with the worst company. I’ve also been fireside with good dudes after a long day and been exhausted after dragging a raft around a waterfall, knowing that the next morning would bring a good time with good fishing. I’ve been awakened in the middle of the night by salmon splashes next to my tent, and then I woke up everyone else, and we all tied into monsters.

For every trip to places like Alaska or Hawaii (big bonefish) there are dozens more with people we know and places where we are more familiar.

My father, Don Churchill, who was a huge influence on everything in my life, used to fish with me all the time. About seven years ago we took a golf cart onto an old, closed-for-business, golf course. We had a great time catching bass on fly and plastic worms. It seemed that every spot we tried had a fish or two.

It was a great day made even more exciting by my father catching a giant fish. When it jumped, it seemed to clear the bankside brush by several feet and made a sound like a canoe paddle smacking the water when it came down. Now of course, a fish like that makes any trip memorable. With my father being the one who got it and him not being able to fish at all now, it makes it even more so.

So it seems like our most memorable and meaningful fishing trips are those where the fish we caught may have been a factor, but more important was to have the people who matter really make it.

As Isaak Walton used to tell us, “Good company in a journey maketh the way seem shorter.”

That’s pretty much it.

If you have been fishing for any length of time there are certain fish that stick in your mind.

This means different things to different people. I don’t know what it says about me that the most memorable fish in my memory are the ones I didn’t even land. Nothing good, I’m sure.

I used to flyfish the Delaware River along the New York-Pennsylvania border. It’s an area well known for producing large, wild trout that fight with abandon.

Indeed, I have caught numerous brown and rainbow trout of 20 inches or better. Including a 24-inch made more memorable not for just being the largest trout I had ever caught from a body of water not connected to the Great Lakes, which is full of huge fish by the way, but also because my brother Eamon, also caught a monster that day and we were accompanied by a great friend named Ryan.

So yes, it was a big fish. Was it made more memorable because of the company? Or even more by the memory of one I hooked years before and took off like it had been shot out of cannon never to be seen? Or, a bigger one than that, which jumped in my face and left me with a bent hook? If we go often enough, this happens to us all.

I literally can smell the water and hear sounds of splashing rapids in a little pool of a stream near my dad’s house, which I had fished literally a hundred times, as I caught numerous small trout. Then one cast later, I was connected to something else that left the premises quickly. I couldn’t tell you how many fish I caught that evening, but that one memory is sealed in.

My father happened to be sitting streamside enjoying the evening as well, and he said, “What just happened there?”

Did that add to the memories as well?

Tarpon have never been a common catch for me due to the distance between them and me. All the ones I have come across have been memorable.

The first one I ever caught was late at night under a bridge in the Florida Keys, as they all have been, mostly, with one notable exception. My buddy was coughing up a tornado in our hotel in the middle of the night and I had to get out. Some guy we knew had pointed a spot out to me as a good place for night fishing. I had a casting rod that was more suited for bass fishing, but I figured it wouldn’t matter anyway.

I was totally wrong. It was happening! Large shrimp were being washed by the outgoing current and the tarpon were on.

I didn’t know what lures to use and I wasn’t prepared in any way. I cast a Rapala swimming plug and twitched it on top. In three seconds, I was stuck to a leaping brute. It wasn’t huge for a tarpon, but for me it was astounding. It jumped clean out of the water what seemed like dozens of times. Miracle of miracles it then was laying at my feet.

What happened next was foggy but here I was with a 50-pound fish that had multiple treble hooks flying around, and I didn’t really know how sharp a tarpon’s gill plates were. Needless to say, I got hooked. I was to shake it out just before the barb pushed in and the fish then did me the favor of getting off and swimming away.

Obviously, I have pretty clear memories from that encounter. Even so, sometimes I think about that night and have questions about the whole process. However, as is often the case with me, one that I didn’t catch remains crystal clear in my memory.

The same is true of another night move with another old fishing buddy.

He had already caught a small tarpon and we were stoked. Small jacks and ladyfish were keeping us busy and it was a good time. Then I saw a VERY large fish swirl and take up a feeding station right in front of me.

I made a cast. It was a little short.

Again.

This next part plays out in my mind time and again: My little shrimp fly swam past Goliath. She turned to it, turned away, then came back all the way over and slurped it while going away. My rod doubled and she flew out of the water.

Next thing was my line dissolving off my reel. She jumped again an impossible distance away. My leader was frayed off and it seemed to take forever to reel my dead line back. Off to my right I heard, “Well that was something.”

Again, a perfect, clear memory of a failed catch.

Of course, the only tarpon I ever hooked in North Carolina left me similarly empty-handed but thrilled nonetheless. It might be a character defect that I remember these instances so much more vividly.

As you may be able to tell, I’ve been fortunate enough to fish a lot of amazing places with some special people. A few of them are no longer with us and I think of them often.

There have been many giant fish that others have only ever seen in magazines. I wrote some of those articles.

I’ve said this before, I’ve been from one end of this continent to the other and been blessed with many incredible fishing experiences, but the times I’ve spent fishing with my child really have been life-changing and those that stick with me years and years later.

As Mr. Thoreau once told me:

“Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them.”

It’s no accident.

Stand on the beach on a nice summer day. Look out at the ocean. It’s what we do most of the time anyway.

See those boats cruising slowly parallel to the beach, anywhere from a hundred yards to as far out as you can see? Check if they have trolling lines out. I bet you they are trying to catch Spanish mackerel.

Hours and hours of effort are spent each year from April to October — along the North Carolina coast — in pursuit of the tasty, gold-spotted speedsters. Let’s take a look at when they are around and the myriad ways they can be pursued.

There are a lot of ways to do it, depending on the season and your preferred methods of fishing.

Sometime around Mother’s Day is when I usually expect the first big run of Spanish to make their appearance. A week either side is when you’ll see big schools rushing baitfish along the beaches, wrecks and rocks.

These fish are very aggressive, hungry and can be caught in a variety of ways. My favorite way is to cast to visibly feeding fish. A light spinning rod with a 2500-series spinning reel loaded with 15-pound test braided line will suffice. Cast a metal jig like a Stingsilver or Beach Bum that matches the size of the forage fish and retrieve at a high rate of speed.

Attach the jig to your main line with a bite leader of around a foot of 40-pound test fluorocarbon line. This will help keep them from stealing your lures and the fluorocarbon disappears in the water. The strikes will come fast and hard and it will feel like you’re snagged in the middle of the ocean. This is a great time to break out the fly rod you’ve been thinking about trying in saltwater.

Use an 8-weight rod loaded with a floating fly line attached to a 9-foot saltwater style 10-pound test leader with a 40-pound test fluorocarbon bite tippet. Any small, flashy minnow imitating streamer fly will get a bite.

These fish are on the move and eating everything.

Another easy way to pursue these early season fish is to simply troll a deep-diving swimming plug like a Yozuri DD around the visible feeding activity. No extra hardware is needed beyond a wire leader of about 12 inches long to protect against that impressive Spanish dental work.

If you are trolling and there are casters around, please be considerate and don’t troll right through the school of breaking fish. Trolling around the edge of the schools will still get you bites, and the fish will continue feeding on top.

The first spring run is impressive but the fish will be moving fast. One day, they will be like stars in the night sky; the next day, it will be over. They won’t have disappeared entirely but the huge abundance will be gone. Then they settle into the summer pattern.

Summer is a little less exciting. There won’t be the mass panic of huge schools coming north, but the fish are still there. You may have to cover more ground to find them but you can catch them. You can still cast to actively feeding fish when you find them, but they won’t be as prevalent.

Light tackle trolling with deep-diving plugs will still work, but having to cover so much more water necessitates a higher trolling speed that isn’t practical with light gear. This is when heavier trolling rods and planer boards will come out.

Attach a planer to 30-pound test monofilament. To the end of that tie about 10 to 15 feet of 20-pound test line with a short wire leader. Put a trolling lure like the venerable Clark Spoon out there. Troll at around 5 knots. You’ll have to handline the fish the last bit of the way to the boat after the planer board is brought to the rod.

This is an easy way to fish and a good way to fill a cooler in the summer months.

Something I really look forward to is the fall run of “macks.” They will come to the beaches in good numbers most years and surfcasters can have a blast. I prefer a fast-action rod, 8 to 9 feet long, and a 300-series reel with 15-pound test braided line. Make sure you have a bite leader. I use the 1-ounce casting spoons from Stingsilver or Beach Bum and with this set up I can cast them to the moon. Retrieve at a moderate to fast pace. The strikes will be stiff. This will start to happen at the end of September and into October. The biggest Spanish mackerel of the year seem to be caught around shoals and inlets right until around Columbus Day.

Finally, a word about preparation of these tasty speedsters.

Cut the dark strip of meat out of the middle of the fillets. Don’t fry them. Use dry preparation methods. Best is to broil or grill them. Use a fish basket and cook fillets over direct heat. Finish with lemon butter.

If you have a smoker these will go nicely. Try a dry brine with 1 cup of kosher salt, ½ cup of brown sugar, add spices like garlic, onion, paprika, pepper or whatever you like. Put the fillets on a pan and cover with 1/2 the salt mixture. Put in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Flip the fish pieces and cover with the rest of the salt. Let it sit again. You can leave it longer than an hour. I’ve done it overnight. Take the fish out and give a quick rinse with cold water to get all the salt off the outside of the meat. There should not be any visible salt left but be quick.

Now it has to dry completely. You can leave it overnight in the fridge.

Set your smoker for 160 degrees. After an hour, brush a 50-50 mixture of soy sauce and maple syrup. Then do it again after every 30 minutes. Smoke for two hours minimum but two and half is probably better. This is as close to candy as you can make from fish.

This also works with small bluefish, which can be caught in the exact ways and times as detailed above.

Spanish mackerel provide fun almost all season long. The fishing isn’t too difficult, and they provide a nice treat on the table too.

It’s no secret what the glory fish are for targeting in coastal North Carolina. Ones like the speckled trout, red drum, flounder, king mackerel, and a bunch others are really the glamour fish for people to target. People get a lot of joy out of targeting them and some great memories and photos are made when the target species are acquired.

But I’m going to level with you here, there’s been more than one occasion when those fish have not made their appearance known in my boat. Sometimes “other” fish are the only things that show up that day.

We are going to discuss what those interlopers are, what they do, and what you may want to be aware of when dealing with them.

Aptly named pinfish

First, we are going to talk about the fish that “people say” is the most abundant species of finned fish in our waters, the pinfish, or Lagodon rhomboides. Of course, we all know what “people say” is not always accurate but I’ve talked to a few people who know what they’re talking about, and pinfish are everywhere.

If you have ever had a hook cleaned of whatever expensive bait you were using, chances are it was by a pinfish. The chances are higher when you’re using live shrimp and are targeting some large trophy trout or flounder. The only way you can avoid catching pinfish is by not fishing with bait at all. If you are using some type of cut or live bait, pinfish are going to get you.

When you catch a pinfish, first thing that you will notice is that they are aptly named. They have little spines like pins seemingly projecting from every corner. When you get them in, you should hold them in such a way that you can push down the spines from the top to the bottom to be sure your fingers are not getting stabbed. Think about petting a cat from the front to the back.

I have been told that in some places people eat pinfish, but in my experience around here, due their small size, any pinfish that you catch is probably not going to be worth the effort. They are a member of the porgy family, which in a larger species such as sheepshead, includes great table fare.

Skates, rays

Another common misdirection are the skates and the rays, or Batomorphi. One quick walk along any of our area piers or beaches will show you in a short period of time that most people, when they’re hooked into large fish that gives a really good kind of themselves, are usually hooked up to skates or rays.

The first time I recall hooking one was when I was fishing off of a beach near St. Petersburg, Florida, live-lining for the large snook that were known to be present. Well, that big ray ran out all my line — almost to the end of the spool — before it finally turned around at the last second. (Note: I ended up with a 20-pound snook later.)

Rays have an interesting defense mechanism that they use to protect themselves from their main predators — sharks. They swing their tails around and try to poke the sharks in the eyes with the sharp barbs on their tails. Unfortunately for us, they don’t know the difference between a shark or the angler that’s pulling them out of the water. I have a nice scar on my lower leg from not taking enough care while bringing a ray into a boat. It didn’t feel good, I used many words unfit for inclusion here, and that is all I will say about the episode.

I should point this out: Because of my bad experience with rays, take what I have to say with a grain of salt. But my No. 1 tip regarding these guys: Don’t mess around. With a big ray that you don’t feel comfortable with just cut the line. Don’t risk it.

No. 2 is a trick I see a lot on the piers. The angler will actually step on the tail of the ray to control the dangerous end and then work the hook out. After that, they carefully flap them back into water. Still, I see guys getting hit on the hand by that gnarly barb, so always refer to No. 1: Don’t mess around if you’re inexperienced.

Holy flounder? No, robin

Another “popular” species, is the sea robin, or Prionotinae. If you drop a bait to the bottom in order to catch flounder, chances are you will also get to meet the acquaintance of several sea robins.

Named for their so called “wings,” these appendages are actually feet the sea robins use to walk around on the bottom in areas of heavy current.

They are primarily known as bottom feeders but I have caught them on every kind of lure or fly you can imagine, including on a top-water fly during a false albacore bite. That was kind of a surprise.

They are relatively easy to deal with. They have a hard point on their gill covers, so be aware, and I usually flatten down the wings as well to keep them from getting hurt. Then I just flop them back in the water. No reason for anything else.

A pox on fish houses

If there were any single fish that I would consider to be a scourge, or to paraphrase ole’ Bill Shakespeare, a pox on all fishing houses, it would be the lizardfish, or Synodontidae.

When a lizardfish first bites, it feels like you have something good, for about 1 second. Then they pop around, and then it’s over. Any carefully prepared bait, soft plastic lure, hard lure, trolling lure, anything else you can think of, they will bite it and mess it up.

If you are trout fishing in a particular creek in the fall, and you catch a lizardfish, then it’s time to move.

I have had some massive strikes that I really thought were something good, and then it’s the same old thing – lizardfish. They are also known amongst many anglers by particular sobriquet that will remain unspoken for this purpose, due to the fact that lizardfish seem to be a fish without a purpose.

Other ‘others’

There are many other “other” fish, that we have not mentioned, the main one being sharks. Sharks are close relatives of skates and rays.

All I will say about sharks is, refer to aforementioned Tip No. 1: If you don’t know what you’re doing, then just leave them alone.

Some of the big ones can hurt you pretty badly, and they can bite their own tail, if that gives you any idea of hazards to watch out for. Anglers who know what they’re doing have a lot of fun pursuing big sharks, and if you don’t know how, find one of those guys and go with them. They will have all the equipment and all the know-how you need to stay safe — you and the fish.

We’ve talked a lot about how to catch certain fish and what it takes to be a good angler. There’s one thing that makes a big difference to everybody. Others may not even notice or pay attention to these things. The whole point is that paying attention to them makes the whole difference.

Good anglers are concerned with details.

I guarantee you that the person you see who just seems to randomly toss a bait out but catches fish all the time is paying attention to something you or I may not notice. The little details count and add up to big successes later on. If you don’t see these things chances are you’re not going catch fish in a lot of situations that other people will.

Of course, careful gear inspection should go without saying, but years ago, skilled angler Owen Mulvey learned that overlooked details such as an unnoticed ding or a scratch can have explosive results. Often when a rod blows apart like the one shown above, it’s from pulling too hard with too much drag, or pulling the rod too far back. But even a gentle bump against a rock that can happen while rigging the rod could inflict an easy-to-miss injury with similar effects. Graphite can get very brittle when it gets a chip — I’m talking little stuff.

But beyond gear, the real nuances to notice are in nature.

Let’s start out with an easy one, there’s a fairly popular place to catch speckled trout in September and October not too far from my house. If you go there and you cast to one side, you will catch nothing but lizardfish. You cast on the other side, you’ll catch speckled trout.

At first there is no difference between the two sides, in fact if you didn’t pay attention, you might never notice. But on the good side is the outside bend of the creek where the water flows a little deeper, faster, and has an undercut back. On the bad side, there’s not much current and all that’s there are the aforementioned lizardfish. If you and I go fishing there, if you don’t pay attention, I’ll catch every fish and you won’t get anything, and that’s the way it goes with detail-oriented anglers.

Let’s go to a very specific night of speckled trout fishing with a fly rod. We were casting to big trout under the lights. For some reason we just couldn’t get a bite. I finally noticed some very small minnows — I mean tiny. I changed to a fly that I had tied for the false albacore run in the early season, when the small bay anchovies are in. That did the trick. For the rest of the evening we were catching very large speckled trout and a couple of beautiful citation fish.

If I had not been paying attention to the small details, we would’ve gone home without anything. Instead, we had a very memorable night that we still talk about today.

One of the things that I was well known for was fishing for redfish in very shallow water with a flyrod. It involves details on top of details. First, we had to be able to see the fish. If you couldn’t see it at all, you were not even in the game.

Once you locate a fish, usually by its waving tail or some more subtle indication, such as a glimmer of a shiny back or something else that, if you don’t know what you’re looking at, you won’t see it, then you need to know how to approach the fish within casting distance without spooking it.

Once you determine how far the fish is from you, then you have to notice the direction it is facing.

If it sounds like a lot of things can go wrong, it can. If you haven’t practiced your casting, there’s a lot of chances to mess it up. Not leading your target appropriately will lead to a blown-out fish – spooked and gone in a watery cloud of silt.

The very grass that draws the fish in, becomes an obstruction because it becomes very difficult to cast sometimes and you have to wait for the fish to move into an open area. But these very things that make it difficult are the exact reasons that I enjoyed it so much. Noting the details and working out the problems will allow you to catch a fish that other people may not even know of — that to me is the true essence of fishing.

On the most basic level, paying attention to small details will help you become a better angler. You should always check your tackle before heading out. Know how your line is, reels are, if you rod is about to break or something else stupid. What are you going to do if you hook a big fish? Are you going to be prepared? These are the details. Because if you’re not ready beforehand when the time comes you will not have success. All the great anglers whom I talk to all say the same thing: Have a plan, know the details, know how the fish are going to react. All these things are what make good anglers into great anglers.

I realize that I have talked about this before and in many different ways, but I really believe it. A big-time football coach doesn’t go into game without knowing every detail of the game plan from each and every one of his assistant coaches. A big-shot businessman always makes sure everybody is on the same page before progressing. The president of the United States does not assign people to cabinet positions off the top of his head without knowing what every person is going to be doing. You just don’t do that. That’s dumb.

There’s a reason that the term “detail-oriented” is often used to describe the very best of the best people we admire. You should incorporate that into your fishing as well.

What do you think would happen if you took a young guy who grew up as a fishing nut in western New York State and transplanted him to eastern North Carolina?

If you said that he would turn into a crazy fishing adult, just in a different place, you would be correct.

Justin Manners grew up in a small town, west of Rochester, New York, and just south of Lake Ontario. This meant he had access to some of the finest trout and salmon in the East.

“I grew up fishing creek mouths at the lake for king salmon, steelhead, and brown trout. This was seasonal, but definitely what we looked forward to every fall,” Manners said recently.

It was a family experience with everybody pitching in to help each other learn the best way to go about things.

“I grew up fishing with my dad, brothers, uncles and cousins,” he said. “It would be difficult for me to single out one person that was my biggest influence.”

In case you didn’t know, there is a huge variety of fish to catch there.

“Growing up we would fish for anything that would bite. Depending on the season, we would fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, northern pike, carp, walleye, perch, trout, and salmon.”

Of all his family members, Manners said that the fishing bug bit him hardest.

“I am the middle child of five boys,” he explained. “All of my brothers fish occasionally, but I wouldn’t call it a passion for any of them like it is for me.”

Manners moved to Kitty Hawk in 2017 and immediately became enamored of the fishing surrounding his new home on the Outer Banks.

“My favorite fish to target are red drum and speckled trout. I am learning a lot and there are still plenty of other fish.”

Manners relocated to Richlands in 2022 to set up shop for an HVAC business.

“I worked my way up in the trade, from helper, installer and technician, and recently became the regional manager for Pro-Serv Food Equipment,” he said of the New Bern-based commercial kitchen service firm. This new relationship was formed through a mutual love of fishing with Jared Shepherd, the owner of the company, but it’s deeper than just fishing. Manners sees a future for himself in the industry.

“I truly enjoy my career in the HVAC field and greatly appreciate the opportunities that I have been given,” Manners said, adding that, since everybody around here needs air conditioning a big part of the year, “I think that’s probably good advice for a lot of young guys looking to get started.”

When he’s not helping people stay cool, you’ll find Manners out on the water somewhere.

“My favorite way to fish is to come up with a game plan for red drum or speckled trout and try to execute that,” he said.

That means he’ll go with a friend or by himself, and doesn’t mind either.

“One of the benefits of being solo is that I can really focus on specific spots and pick them apart,” said Manners.

Whether the fishing is hot or cold, there’s always something to take home from the day.

“I have found that I learn more on the slow days than when they bite anything. The key to consistently catching fish is to learn every time you’re on the water,” he said, noting that fish don’t come and go just for the fun of it — they’re always looking for water that provides them safety, food and comfort.

“More times than not when you find the fish there is a reason why they are where they are: bait, structure, depth changes, grass beds, moving water, etcetera” he explained.

As a proponent of making a plan before heading out, Manners often quotes the old adage often attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

He never wants to be out fishing without an idea of what he’s going to be doing beforehand.

“The most important thing to having a successful day is taking all outside factors into consideration and coming up with a plan,” he said.

For now, Manners said he is planning on staying in the HVAC business because he likes what he’s doing, but he also wants to continue learning and pass his love of fishing as well as his experience and knowledge, on to others. He recently got his Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels, or OUPV, license from the Coast Guard, permitting him to operate as a fishing charter captain with no more than six paying passengers.

“I took OUPV/Six Pack course last fall through Carteret Community College and got my Captains License,” he said. “Since fishing is a passion of mine, I would love to make a career out of it in some fashion in the future. I have not put a timetable on it yet, simply because I have a responsibility to give my best effort in my current position.”

In the meantime, look for Justin Manners on social media. He likes to live stream his fishing trips online as Salty Toad Fishing. It’s pretty entertaining.

“Salty Toad Fishing is to share my experiences on the water and help others learn from them, good or bad,” Manners said.

That includes this tip: “It is vitally important to understand why certain spots hold fish. That is the difference between catching fish on a slow day or going home with a cooler full of clean ice.”

When you head down to the beach and look out at the ocean, what do you see? Birds. Maybe a fish splashing here and there. Mainly though, it’s water spreading out forever in every direction.

There are many methods to approach catching a fish in all that area, but trolling is the one that allows an angler to have baits or lures in the water for the longest period of time.

Trolling is the method to use when you know fish are out there, not necessarily relating to any specific structure, and not necessarily schooled up, feeding in a bunch. Having hooks in the water and working for a long period of time allows us to search along a current seam, temperature break, or offshore weed line, when it’s not obvious exactly where they will be. It’s an especially effective way to cover lots of water.

Keeping it simple

The simplest way to troll, and the way most people do it much of the time, is to simply drop a lure behind a slowly moving boat. A highly effective lure to catch Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bonito, bluefish, or any other schooling fish spread out over a large area, is a deep-diving swimming plug like the Yozuri DD deep-diving plug.

Keep your boat speed about 3 knots (1 knot equals 1.1 mph) and drop the plug behind the boat about 100 feet or so. No need to be too specific. The lure will dive beneath the boat wake and wiggle like crazy. If it’s working properly, your rod tip will throb.

There’s no need to add a trolling weight, planer, or other hardware, but a wire leader might be a good idea if you are fishing for mackerel or if bluefish are around. I’ve even caught king mackerel this way. Use the nylon-coated braided wire called Tyger wire that can be tied like regular fishing line. Tie it to your lure and then attach to a swivel. Attach your main line to the swivel.

When a fish hits, it will be a satisfying bend back of the rod. A nice-sized fish will be attached to you straight up with no intervening gear. It’s a fun way to troll. I’ve also caught fish doing this from time to time with a small casting spoon, a lead-head jig, or a fly on a fly rod, while looking for surface feeders. Even a dedicated caster finds it fun. On a small boat without all the bells and whistles, this is the way to go.

Getting serious

As with all things to do with fishing, however, we can make it as complicated as we want to, and we do when we start to take things more seriously. Tournament king mackerel trolling will easily see six rods being fished at once. If not set up properly, this can result in tremendous tangles.

Most tournament anglers like to use matched tackle and line, so it all behaves the same way in the water. Heavier line may produce more drag than thinner line making it move differently in the water and possibly causing a snag. The rods, reels and lines will all be the same.

Capt. Matt Paylor of Sound N Sea Charters in Morehead City likes to use five lines “staggered at different lengths behind the boat.”

Put the first out at 100 feet, on the other side set it at 75 feet. Bigger boats may use outriggers to increase the spread. Next, they will have a downrigger with a bait set about two-thirds of the way to the bottom.

Some may recommend using two downriggers, but Paylor says, “I rarely do two downriggers, because the chance of getting tangled is too high when using live bait due them swimming around each other.”

Finally, there will be two lines down the center, one 30 feet back and the other 15 feet back.

This staggering of depths and distances helps prevent tangles and covers all the angles from which a fish could approach the trolled baits.

Normally, the bait used will be live menhaden. Troll at a speed that allows the bait to swim without being pulled off the hooks or getting beat up too badly.

“Troll around two miles per hour, but that can vary based on sea condition,” Paylor said, clarifying that rougher seas require slower speeds. “We like to have a few bluefish in the live well also.”

Dead bait options include cigar minnows and sardines, but the best is a ribbonfish.

When a king hits, line will scream off the reel. On hookup with a big fish, the crew will clear the other lines.

“We try to leave one out for a chance to double up. We fight the fish from the bow, so one line can keep fishing out of the stern,” Paylor said.

Trolling with this method can result in some surprising bycatch, such as sharks (too often) but also cobia, amberjack, citation-sized Spanish mackerel and the occasional wahoo.

Mahi-mahi along the weed line

Dolphinfish, or Coryphaena hippurus, aka mahi-mahi, is a species best pursued via trolling. When sargassum weed spreads out along a current edge, it can result in a weed line that stretches miles. Fish can be anywhere along this line.

Due to the prevalence of weeds in the water and the need to clear lines, it may be useful and more efficient to only have two or three lines out. Put one out 100 feet, the other around 75 feet and a third down the middle about 40 to 50 feet back. When a rod gets bogged down with weed it will usually be pretty obvious.

Fish a rigged ballyhoo or cigar minnow using copper wire to pin the nose of the bait to the hook. It’s a decades-old approach that is easily researched on a million webpages. If it’s really weedy, there is a method to rig the hook so the point is inside the bait, similar to a Texas rig for plastic baits.

It always seems that any problem you can encounter while fishing, somewhere, somebody smart has figured it out. Have another rod or two ready to toss a baited hook or jig when a hooked fish comes in, due to the mahi’s propensity for following hooked fish to the boat. You’ll see them darting behind the fish that’s hooked.

Sometimes leaving a hooked fish in the water will hold a school next to the boat for a remarkable length of time. In this case, trolling has not only allowed the angler to cover water in search of a bite but has also actually brought a school of aggressive fish right to the boat.

Be aware of how much fish you can actually use or save in your freezer, and don’t kill more than you need.

When he was young, newspaperman and avid fly fisher Rip Woodin didn’t fish at all.

Instead, he used his talents on the tennis courts of the North Carolina junior circuit, eventually finding himself on the B squad at the University of North Carolina. There he found out that the talent level seemed to stretch on without him.

“I was on the freshman team at Carolina but never got to play a match because I was on the bench picking up leftover balls,” Woodin said.

How does a young man, who is a decent tennis player but doesn’t fish at all, become a lifelong fly fisherman and ardent conservationist in his later years?

Woodin’s life has seen him move three-quarters of the way across the continental U.S. and eventually return to North Carolina. Now he’s fishing waters and doing the kind of work that he never dreamed of back when he was smacking tennis balls across the net.

After graduating from UNC in January 1969 with a double major in journalism and English, Woodin joined the Marine Corps where he enjoyed a pleasant six-week vacation at Parris Island, South Carolina. Later, he spent six years working in Greensboro while also serving in the Marine Corps Reserve.

That’s when, in a twist, Woodin received an offer to join the Air Force and go to flight school.

“(I) probably would have been sent to Vietnam and met John McCain,” Woodin theorized, but instead he stayed in Greensboro until 1976.

“I worked various reporting jobs for the Greensboro Daily News,” he said of the Guilford County paper.

Then in 1976, he moved to Jackson, Wyoming. He became editor of the Jackson Hole Guide and met his wife Jane.

“I was living in the basement apartment of a condo while three women lived upstairs. The other two moved out and Jane moved downstairs,” Woodin said.

Jackson was where they stayed until 1986 and where many of the events that would shape much of Woodin’s later life took place.

“We were married in 1979 and two of our three children were born there,” Woodin said of Jackson, which is also where he first learned to fly fish.

“Paul Bruun was my boss when I first moved out there, and he gave me a fly rod,” Woodin said.

Bruun would go on to be inducted into the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame in Roscoe, New York, in October 2021.

Bruun’s was an opportune gift because, “Jackson is all about fly fishing for cutthroat trout,” Woodin said.

Woodin, with an eye for newspaper design, quickly found that the thrill of fly fishing was the visual aspect.

“The thing that really appealed to me was seeing the fish come up and take the fly,” Woodin said. “When a nice cutthroat trout comes up to hit a hopper, he just rolls up on it slowly, opens his mouth and takes it back down. Then you lift the rod and you’ve got an 18-inch fish.”

There was also an opportune real estate purchase that would come to shape Woodin’s later years.

“We purchased a piece of property that we never developed and when the kids got older and we had moved away, we decided to sell it. Real estate values in Jackson had risen dramatically over 30 years, and after using the money to help pay for the kids’ colleges, we were able to buy a duplex in Atlantic Beach,” he said.

By that time, after having jobs at different newspapers in various states, the move back to North Carolina came with a new title, publisher at the Rocky Mount Telegram.

The Woodins quickly took to the coastal life and they decided if they were going to be spending a lot of time at the beach, they needed to have a boat.

“I went to Jerry at Fort Macon Marina and bought the boat I still have today,” he said.

He found that the variety of marine life and saltwater fishing was something he really liked, and he got into it quickly.

“I bought a saltwater fly rod and starting fishing around here pretty quickly,” he said.

As Woodin progressed with his fly fishing, he started traveling to some pretty far-flung places where he tangled with a lot of different fish.

“The most challenging is the permit because it’s the hardest to catch and the hardest to hook,” he said. “They fight hard and they’re rare. You don’t go out and get 10 shots on permit in a day, you’re usually lucky to get two or three.”

One of the most thrilling species, however, is the tarpon, Woodin said.

“Obviously, because they jump so much,” he explained.

Closer to home, Woodin loves to fish for false albacore.

“The hardest fighter is false albacore. They fight better than bonefish (and I’ve got some big bonefish). But fight wise, nothing compares to a false albacore,” he said.

In recent years, Woodin has blended his experience as a newspaperman and his love for the saltwater environment and fish and applied it to becoming actively involved in conservation with the Coastal Conservation Association, an organization of recreational anglers focused on protecting the marine environment.

“For a while we put out a newspaper, which I edited, and because of my background in writing I wrote press releases and stories,” Woodin said. “I still advise them on good PR strategy.”

He’s also on the board of CCA-NC and an active participant in the state chapter’s activities.

Woodin’s fishing advice?

“The key is practicing your casting and being able to hit your target, but more important is keeping your emotions under control so you are able to concentrate and don’t basically screw it up when staring at a big fish.”

In the end, Woodin said, “If you take care of the fish, the fishing will take care of itself.”

Saltwater fish are tough. They have to be.

Everything out there is trying to eat something else. In that regard, a lot of them are pretty serious about their dental work. Almost any saltwater fish has prominent teeth and the ones who don’t make up for it in some other way.

In order for us to catch these toothy denizens of the waves, we have to be aware of which ones they are, what we need to do to be prepared for them, and how to actually land one when it bites our offerings. If you don’t have the proper tackle rigged the right way, some of these fish will be gone before you even know you had them on. Sharks and bluefish come to mind right away, but there are lots more.

Sharks present a problem. If you don’t want to catch them, they will appear and mess up your day somehow. They will steal your fish off the line and mess up your tackle. If they eat your presentation and you are not prepared, you’ll lose the tackle you spent time and money preparing.

I’ve literally had to hook a shark on purpose with a beat-up old plastic lure that I knew would immediately be gone, just to get it away from a school of redfish I was pursuing. However, if you look at them as a target to be pursued themselves, they can present great sport on their own and a couple of the ones we have are awesome gamefish in their own right.

Blacktips will jump and run like tarpon and give a great accounting of themselves. The big bull sharks will try to tow you across the ocean and there are more big hammerheads swimming just off our beaches than the local chambers of commerce will ever want you to know about.

If you want to get one on the end of a line and actually land it, you need to have the right leader. All the fancy rods, reels, bait, and lines aren’t worth anything if you don’t have the simplest thing correct. Rig a leader for shark fishing with six feet of 14-guage stainless steel wire. Twist one end onto a circle hook of at least size 16/0 (circle hooks are required in North Carolina when fishing for sharks). The way to do it is a knot called a Haywire Twist.

On the other end attach a 300-pound test swivel. Then tie on a 3-foot section of very heavy monofilament and attach that to your main line.

When the fish is boatside, grab your heavy line section, not the leader, with a pair of gloves. Many people will simply cut the line close to the hook. If you are good at it, and you have an extra-long (and extra-strong) dehooking tool (the stainless steel kind that looks like a J hook at the end), remove the hook using that. Don’t mess around if you are not experienced.

Luckily for other toothy critters it’s not quite as complicated as all that.

The next big toothy fish that most anglers will encounter is the king mackerel. A rather specialized leader system is needed to slow troll with live baits the way most of the big tournament pros do it.

You’re going to want No. 4 or No. 7 wire. The clearer the water, the thinner the wire you’re going to want. Attach a size 2/0 hook first. Again, use the Haywire Twist. Now you are going to add a stinger hook. This is going to be a size 4 treble hook. Get the ones that say 4X strong on the package. Attach this to the eye of the first hook so it hangs back about 4 inches. The first hook goes into the nose of your bait, the second hook attaches in the back but some people let it hang free. This is usually the one that hooks the fish when it hits.

I’ve hooked kings on cast lures and jigged spoons when I didn’t have a wire leader. It’s over pretty fast.

This rig will work for you if you’ve never done it before. If you decide to get more serious, as with all other kinds of fishing, there are tricks the pros use that you can get into as you gain more proficiency. I won’t get into it here, but there’s a bunch.

Bluefish are often called “Yellow Eyed Devils” because of their propensity to show up when we aren’t prepared for them and steal the baits and lures we’re using for other species. Fortunately, the fix for them is proportionately easier than what we’ve shown already.

For our purposes, for the size blues we normally see around here, less than 5 pounds, all that’s usually needed will be a length of 40-pound test monofilament attached as a shock leader. Tie it to your lure using a No Name Loop knot. You can attach it to your main line using a Uni-to-Uni knot or simply by using a 50-pound test swivel. If you find that you’re still getting “snipped,” having some stainless steel leader wire that can be knotted on hand can save the day. It’s a product that you tie knots into just like mono and helps prevent bite offs. Get the 50-pound test version.

Spanish mackerel present a different set of problems. They have extremely sharp eyesight and the prey they pursue is often very small. This means that anything that is out of the ordinary or unnatural will be ignored. Or, even more maddening, they will swim along behind it and leave it alone.

This is when I will break out the fluorocarbon. A length of 30-pound test flouro will virtually disappear in the water, or at least the macks don’t seem to mind. Do NOT use a swivel. They will bite that and cut your line.

Cast a small jig or spoon into a melee of feeding fish and you should be okay. Sometimes one will manage to get you anyway. Check the leader for nicks and frays as you go along to stay ahead of them. Going to heavier leader may mean you don’t get any strikes.

Finally, let me add that I use at least 20-pound test leader when I am fishing with topwater plugs during the summer. This way I prevent cutoffs from oyster shells and any other various obstructions that might get in the way. Again, I do not use a swivel. I simply connect the leader to my braided line using a Uni-To-Uni Knot. Seems to me I get more strikes that way.

Having the right leader, no matter what your target is, will get you more strikes and help you land the ones that do.

Nobody wants to be a convict. However, the sheepshead is nicknamed the “Convict Fish,” and he is most wanted by anglers.

His black vertical stripes resemble the uniform worn by prisoners in old-time movies, and his ability to steal the bait off your hook — without you knowing it — makes us want to send him to jail.

The sheepshead is one of the best-eating fish we can catch within sight of land, or even standing on land. Their diet consists primarily of shellfish, like crabs, barnacles and shrimp. This translates directly to a fish that is as delicious on the plate as it is complicated to catch.

It takes specialized techniques and some extra knowledge of their habits and preferred habitat to catch them, so a lot of casual anglers may never catch one. Hopefully we can help you change that if you never have. Their pursuit is worthwhile because they are strong fighters, in addition to their table qualities, and it takes some doing to get them.

After the aforementioned stripes, the next thing most people will notice upon seeing one for the first time is the strange teeth that sheepshead possess. They have straight, up- and down-aligned teeth that resemble the mouth of a land-based herbivore — like a sheep, for example. These teeth are a perfect adaptation for the feeding technique they use.

Sheepshead will come up to a rock, piling or other hard structure, and use those straight teeth to crunch barnacles directly off the surface. If you look in further, you will also see hard knobby structure on the roof of the mouth. These are called crushers. Any crustacean that is unlucky enough to find its way in front of a sheepshead will find itself sucked back to them and be disposed of in a way that makes it easy to swallow.

Sheepies also have extremely long pectoral fins and a broad tail. This enables them to be strong swimmers and hold themselves in place as they patrol up and down on hard structure with a strong current running.

These adaptations inform our method of fishing for them. We need to be able to present a crustacean bait in such a manner as to get it in front of them as they swim up and down a piece of structure, and to feel the often-subtle bites.

Best baits are fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and, if you can get them, sea urchins. Fiddlers can be obtained on hard packed mud flats at low tide. All the little holes are made by fiddler crabs. Walk along a low tide and quickly pick them up. Don’t worry too much about the claws, they don’t really hurt.

Catch sand fleas at the beach with a sand flea rake pulled through the sand right in the zone where the waves come in and recede.

Sea urchins have to be purchased at a bait shop, if they have them.

There are two popular ways to rig. First is with a Carolina Rig and size 1 or 1/0 bait hook. Use a 30-pound test monofilament leader and keep it less than 18 inches long. The other way is with a bait on a jig head. There are a couple different brands of bait jigs, a popular one is called the Bait Sweeper. The idea is to get the bait to the bottom and have precise control of where it is. Use a rod that is light enough for you to be able to feel the slightest bite, but just heavy enough to keep your prize out of the rocks or pilings. I like to use a rod with 15- or 20-pound test braided line.

Drop the bait to the bottom as close to the structure as you can. Now slowly lift and drop down on a tight line. This movement will not only alert them to the presence of your bait, but also allow you to feel the lightest change in weight on your line. As soon as you feel anything different, set the hook quickly. Use the rod to lift the fish away from the bottom.

Most you catch will be under 3 pounds and will try hard but not be able to get back down. I have caught a few in my life over 7 pounds. The fight in those was as much like a grouper as anything else. You’ll know right away and they will stay down and try to get you wrapped up. They are formidable.

When you get them in, watch out for the spines they have on their dorsal, ventral and pectoral fins. I dropped one on my foot one time and the spine went right into my toe. That hurt a bit.

Keep a couple to provide some delicious meals. Don’t overdo it. Filet them and take the skin off. The bones are very strong so you will have to work around them. The best way to cook them is with a method called pan roasting. Get your skillet out and melt some butter over medium heat. When it is just barely sizzling, take a piece of meat that you have seasoned with salt and pepper and any other spice mix you like (the one named after a bay that’s not young is great here). Drop the filet in and leave it alone. Don’t move it around. Don’t flip it. Leave it on that side until you can see the opaque coloration on the side come up to just past two-thirds of the way up the side. At this point it will be ready to flip.

You will have a nice brown crust on the side that’s been down. No need to add flour or anything. Put a little more butter in the pan. When you can look at the side and see that the opacity covers the entire side of the filet, squeeze a lemon half into the pan. Baste the lemon butter over the top a few times. Take it out. Put a splash of white wine in the pan and let it sizzle. After a minute take it off the heat and pour the liquid that’s left over the top of the fish.

You just made a dish they’d charge $30 for in a nice restaurant.

Sheepshead should be available all through the season for us in the Carolinas. Use some specialized tactics and see what you can do.

We as anglers spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing about hooks, lines, leaders, baits, lures, rods, reels, and a whole host of different equipment and gear.

There’s one particular item or group of items that often gets forgotten about. It is unfortunate too, because this can often make or break a day on the water more than you might imagine.

Of course, I am talking about food.

Having good food or snacks available will allow anglers to stay on the water longer without getting tired and make everybody happy during slow periods that inevitably come along.

A quick Google search comes up with this result:

“A good fishing trip snack mix should include a combination of protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and be easy to eat on the go, typically consisting of items like: mixed nuts, dried fruit, seeds, beef jerky, pretzels, whole grain crackers, granola, protein bars, and even some dark chocolate chips.”

Back in my day when I was a full-time fly-fishing guide, a lady who fished with me a couple of times a year always used to bring some Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. They, along with those fancy soft drinks from Fresh Market, were always a welcome addition to a day on the water. Thank you, Ms. Janet.

I recently did a very complex scientific survey (I asked a bunch of people I know), about the kind of snacks people bring out with them for a day of fishing and also which things they explicitly avoid. I got some very interesting results.

One of the main things that you’ll find in talking about snacks on boats — and in going fishing — is the displeasure among people about bananas. Bananas are seen as some kind of voodoo and will bring bad luck to all aboard any kind of boat or engaged in fishing or otherwise. I checked a lot of different resources, there is no one source for this belief. Snopes.com literally says nobody knows, so take that as you will.

Another thing that I have found is a strong distaste for things like Vienna sausages and potted meat. Apparently, people were stuck eating these things on fishing trips as a kid, and don’t wish to recreate the situation in any way. I have to say, I agree with them. There is nothing more disgusting than Vienna sausages. Of course, if you like them, there will be no judgment here, but maybe some side-eye. If you offer them to me, I might throw you out of the boat.

Popular choices include things like cereal bars, protein bars and other portable snacks that can be stuffed in a pocket. Once in a while, there are people who will splurge on big-time takeout lunches like fried chicken. Leftover pizza is also a popular choice. But for the most part. you find that easily “hideable” items that are portable and that can be held over time are the most popular choices.

Like anything that we find from individuals, a lot of people have particular choices and even traditions that they follow when it comes to snack time. For instance, Hall of Fame lacrosse coach of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, Mike Curatola, has a tradition that he and his son Jonny get Swedish Fish candy. They are not allowed to eat any of them until after they actually catch a fish for real, and then they have to eat them head first. I mean, traditions are important.

Kesley Gallagher, from Los Angeles, tells me her husband always brings gummy bears on fishing trips, but when they go to the beach in Malibu for surf fishing, she gets the Hostess powdered mini-donuts. Again, tradition counts.

There can be very strong preferences when it comes to boat snacks. Joel Elliott from Durham says that he has become an “accidental connoisseur of mediocre food.” He even has rankings: First would be the chicken tenders from Publix; next, fried chicken from Harris Teeter, and third, wings from Food Lion. He adds that to avoid the sugar of sports drinks, but to replenish on a hot day, he has started bringing packets of powdered electrolytes and adding them to bottles of water on the go.

My good friend Kristi Irvin says that she always tries to have coffee, water, and protein bars. From personal experience in fishing with her, there’s a lot of coffee, and it’s very strong.

She always has sweet and salty snacks available — like a good mom — when you go fishing.

My friends who are fishing guides have interesting responses to this question. Ryan from Pennsylvania says his schedule is not very conducive to getting good food. It’s what you can get at the gas station or a snack bar, late at night or early in the morning.

Some of the younger guys I’m noticing have Red Bulls and Zyns as a big part of their “diet.”

Freshwater fishing guides, who work on rivers and streams, often have packed lunches and streamside or lakeside cookouts. Not often with saltwater guys will you see that!

Let me just say thank you to all those who participated in my “highly scientific” survey. Your effort and input are very much appreciated.

In the end, the choice of food items to bring on a fishing trip is as varied and complicated as each individual fishing person, so don’t read too much into it. However, I still say that Vienna sausages and potted meat are not on my table.

A wise man once told me, “If you get a boat that can do everything, you’ve got a boat that can’t do anything.”

What does that mean exactly? There is no true do-everything boat.

If you own a boat now, figure out what it’s best at and do that. You probably already do. If you don’t own a boat, maybe I can help you with a decision down the road. It is boat show season now after all.

The first consideration for most people is always going to be cost. The boat market, just like real estate, has gone through the roof the last couple years. Having said that, owning a boat is not a very good lesson in economics. For most of us it doesn’t produce any revenue and will continue to cost us money for as long as we own it. The word BOAT is an acronym for “Bust Out Another Thousand” after all. But we can find some decent deals on the used market if we aren’t in a hurry.

It’s important to know what we’re looking for.

I’d say that, day-in and day-out, most people who fish coastal waters within 10 miles of shore can get by with a single-engine, center-console boat that’s 18 to 24 feet long. This type of craft can get us to the inlet and out in the ocean in reasonable comfort, and if it’s too rough for you to be out in that boat, it’s not really going to be a very fun day anyway.

With a boat of this size, you can bottom-fish the inshore reefs, chase schooling fish along the beaches, jig the wrecks for flounder, and a whole lot of other things. But there are realistic limits.

First of all, you will have limited access in areas behind barrier islands and shallow-water situations due to draft constraints (draft is how much water your boat needs to operate). You also have to make difficult decisions if you think about going farther offshore. If you’re not sure about what the weather and waves will be for the ride home, don’t go. If you like going offshore, at some point a boat of this size might not be the best choice.

If you see yourself making a lot of trips beyond 10 miles offshore, such as fishing weed lines for mahi-mahi, tuna, or whatever else might be out there, then something over 25 feet will be a better choice, and you might want to think about two engines.

When you’re 20-plus miles offshore and there isn’t another boat in sight, having two engines is really nice insurance on getting back to the dock the same day. Can you go out there with one? Of course, you can. I’ve done it quite a few times myself. Would I have felt better about it with two? Definitely.

I haven’t mentioned true offshore cabin cruisers yet. The price of these has escalated to the point that I don’t even look at them, and at this point in my life I don’t know much about them. However, I’d say that if you only want to make one or two trips per year to fish for marlin or something that’s over 30 miles from port, you’d probably be better off leaving it to the pros and chartering.

A lot of people own johnboats. They use them for duck hunting, shallow-water fishing, small creeks, and any place you need a durable shallow-draft boat. They can get you almost anyplace. I used one for years. I caught a bunch of fish in it.

They have a couple real drawbacks. It’s tough to cross any open body of water when the wind starts blowing. They’ll bang you around and try to knock your teeth out. They also tend to be loud when you’re fishing shallow places where you’d rather not make any sound at all. A better choice can be the flat-bottom fiberglass skiff. They weigh a bit more, can’t go quite as shallow as a johnboat of the same size, but they can carry more and make crossing open water a little bit easier.

In the past 20 years we’ve seen the rise of the bay boat. It grew out of a need to use the flat-bottom skiffs in areas where larger bodies of water were needed to be crossed and where it was too shallow to use a traditional center-console with a deep-vee hull. Bay boats can often fish in water less than 18 inches deep and will be loaded with accessories that make them fishing machines in protected waters.

On calm days you can even take a bay boat outside the inlet to chase false albacore or something. If you like to bass fish and want to do that type of fishing in saltwater for red drum or speckled trout, this is the style of boat for you.

Finally, we have the flats-style boats with the poling platform on the stern. These will usually have a push-pole and will sometimes also have a trolling motor. This is an extremely specialized style. If you don’t see yourself poling a skiff in 6 inches and sight-fishing shallow water, this is not the one for you. It’s the exact opposite of the big offshore cruisers.

If you just want to do it once or twice a year, this is another situation where you’d be better to leave it to the pros and get a charter.

Hopefully I have helped clear the mud for you when it comes to boats.

Is this all? No way!

I haven’t talked about canoes, kayaks, pangas, cuddy cabins, and at least a dozen more, and don’t even start thinking about sailboats. That’s a whole ’nother thing. But what I’ve hopefully done is to cover most of the styles of boats you might see fishing our coastal waters and help you make a decision if you’re trying to see what you want for yourself.

Now go out and buy a boat, and give me a ride on it!

A wise man once said to me, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over a man who doesn’t know how to read at all.”

That was Mark Twain. (He didn’t actually say that to ME). So, it stands to reason then, that if you want to learn about cool stuff, then you should read about cool stuff. If you want to learn about fishing, it probably will be a good idea to read about fishing, hence I have had a fishing library for years that I refer to quite frequently.

First of all, let me say that just because a book is not about a true subject, does not mean you cannot learn lessons for life. I was once told by a person I respected that they did not read fiction because there was no reason to, because, “You can’t learn anything from it.” To this day I have no response to this person, because it’s such a dumb statement.

All the great things to learn are wrapped up in fiction. Are you not sure of how you should act when a huge opportunity comes to your door to save the world? Then read the “Lord of the Rings” and see how small people can save us all. If you’re not sure how to treat people below you on the social scale, then read “Huckleberry Finn” and notice how Jim is the only character in the whole story who has any honor.

Finally, some of the most serious lessons we have to learn in life are wrapped up in broad comedy. Remember the TV show “M*A*S*H?” Was it really just about bunch of people in the Korean War? 

Obviously, I have a copy of “The Compleat Angler” by Izaak Walton, but I don’t feel that it talks that much to me, and more recent things will do the job better.

First, let me mention the most-referenced book in my library. You might know me as a fly fisherman. The Lefty Kreh book, “Advanced Flycasting” was like a bible to me for many years. I was even lucky enough to walk into a flycasting demonstration with him one time and he worked with me on my casting extensively. I count this among some of the most important lessons of my fishing career. We lost Lefty a few years back and I still remember all the things he told me that day. Luckily, we have his books.

Something I was lucky enough up to pick up years ago was a book called “Fly Rodding the Coast.” Ed Mitchell wrote about a very basic approach to looking at the water if you don’t have a boat. It just so happens that everything he writes also applies to being in a boat. It has been an invaluable part of my library for years. I also have his follow-up called “Fly Fishing the Estuaries.”

Closer to home, Tom Earnhardt wrote a volume called “Fly Fishing the Tidewaters” that was very helpful to me years ago. Not only in learning how to fish the waters around here, but also as a guide to how to put together a useful book. The chapters on tide and how it affects fish and fishing I found especially helpful. I would stare at the full-color plates of beautifully hand-tied flies for hours to get ideas.

“Prospecting for Trout” by Tom Rosenbauer has been the book that I have recommended to people about learning to fish with a fly rod more than any other. It is a priceless resource and Rosenbauer is a treasure that keeps on giving in the form of his social media. He continues to help people learn to fish and get better at fishing.

I have more books written by John Gierach than any other. His insights and humorous view of the world around him helped many of us get into the right frame of mind when we would go fishing. He recently has also been lost to us, and I think I need to pick up all of the ones that I have and give them a reread.

Anything by Thomas McGuane, from “The Longest Silence” to “Ninety-two in the Shade” to about a million other great things, will enrich your brain and put your mind in the right place.

Probably the most popular fishing story ever written and the one most familiar to people, is “A River Runs Through It” by Norman McLean. More than likely you remember the film and I love it. I recommend everybody also read the book. The movie is adapted from McLean’s life. (It’s pretty complicated). The book focuses on his time as a young man in Montana and his relationship with his brother and his father and how they affected him and the man he became. The final paragraphs are some of the most moving words ever written by an American writer.

There are so many others; I haven’t even mentioned Lee Wulff, Robert Traver, Frank Daignault, AJ Mclane, et al., and specific guide books to fabulous fishing locations too numerous to mention that have been extremely helpful.

My hope here would not be to just give you a list of books to read, although I’m hoping that people will pick them up, but to let you know there is a world of fishing literature that is both helpful and entertaining. I would encourage anyone to collect their own works of fishing books to have as a reference and support authors of all kinds.

You might even already know, or maybe you don’t, but I myself have two books that I have written, for what that’s worth. And of course, never assume that a book that is a work of fiction does not have anything that you can learn.

One of the real pleasures of owning a high-quality fishing library is that you can always reach out to your favorite fishing authors on days when you would not be up to going. Snowing like crazy? Pick up McGuane. Sad or depressed about not getting to go fishing because of some health situation? Grab McLane. Just need a little pick-me-up and a chance to laugh about things? Check out Gierach. That’s what I do.

Throughout the course of our lives, we get thrown into situations with lots of different people of lots of different personality types.

Fishing is no different.

A lot of the time, people we end up fishing with become our best friends or lifelong companions. Other times, well let’s say, it’s just not as good.

For every person we meet on a fishing trip who counsels, guides or otherwise helps us, there are, hopefully not too often, one or two who, for some reason or another, don’t keep up their end of the deal. Just look closely for the gems.

True Mentors

The True Mentor is an exceedingly rare type of fishing companion. This is the type of person with whom you can share, and they will share with you, and we can all improve by being together. The arrangement is mutually beneficial.

It’s commonplace for most anglers to only have one, and maybe — but only if they’re extremely lucky — two True Mentors in their fishing lives. Anytime a person like this comes into our sphere of influence, we should consider ourselves blessed.

These are the types of people who determine what kind of an angler — among other things — that you will become. Their influence will have long-ranging effects on you and, in turn, probably somebody that you will mentor in the future.

Meet the Leeches

Conversely, a Leech is a guy who will suck you dry for any piece of information or knowledge that you can be persuaded to part with. This person will take anything you can offer and give nothing in return.

They will end up fishing in your spot while you’re not around, and then not tell you anything in return that could possibly help you in the future.

The worst kind of Leech is the one who doesn’t know anything at all, but they act like they do. Tossing salt into the wound, they then go and share your information as if they had acquired it on their own through years of experience and without the help of any other person.

The Know-it-All

Next, we have the Know-It-All. This person already has the answers to all the questions that ever need to be asked about fishing. The problem here is that this person doesn’t actually know anything and will give recommendations based on something that they heard about on a TV fishing show.

It gets worse, because Know-It-All always assumes that they are correct and whatever you say is wrong. And they continue to mess up all the ideas you have for the rest of the day.

Know-Nothing

In a similar vein, the Know-Nothing will tell you that he knows nothing about what is going on is and is just there to learn.

In reality, like Know-It-All, they think they do know everything and will complain incessantly when you make a decision that they don’t agree with. Then follow with, “Whatever you decide. I don’t know anything, anyways.”

Grumpy Old Man

Let’s talk about the Grumpy Old Man.

This is a person who is not necessarily old but is generally grumpy for some reason, and 99% of time they are indeed a man. 

This person will never be happy.

Go out on the boat and if the fishing is slow, they will complain about fishing being too slow. If the fishing is really good, they will complain that the fish are biting too easily. If he hooks the biggest fish he’s ever caught in his life, he will be complaining about how long it takes to get in. If he’s only catching little fish, well of course he’ll complain about that as well.

Don’t even bother trying to make a lunch for the Grumpy Old Man. You might make the most amazing gourmet lunch anybody has ever heard of or seen and he will complain that it’s too fancy. But woe be to the one who only comes with PBJs!

If the boat is a little older, he’ll complain that it’s too beat up, and if the boat is brand new he will complain that it’s too fancy and you should get something more his style.

The Grumpy Old Man will never be satisfied no matter what you try to do for him.

The Mentee

The Mentee is similar to the Leech in that he personally learns a lot from the Mentor but, unlike the Leech, is fully appreciative of all guidance from the Mentor.

He gives full credit. He loves the feedback. And he will often be the kind of person who becomes a lifelong friend.

A really good Mentee will offer others fishing trips, often taking the Mentor to other places, and even buy really nice meals for the Mentor and the Mentor family. These are the kind of things that come unbidden, and the Mentor-Mentee relationship is often fulfilling for both parties.

These are great opportunities to cultivate lifelong friendships.

Ideal Fishing Companion

Izaak Walton said, “Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.” He was talking about fishing companions, of course.

The Ideal Fishing Companion is a person to whom and with whom spending time isolated in a boat or another fishing spot is a pleasure.

You will be able to converse about the myriad of subjects that come up when you’re fishing. There can be disagreement, of course, but it will not be disagreeable. Most of the time, the worst thing to talk about is college football or something like that, and if a true political discussion comes up, you can resolve the issue without harsh words.

The style of fishing demonstrated by these kinds of companions is generally similar, and the amount of stamina each has is similar, as well. That’s important, too.

Needless to say, Ideal Fishing Companion is difficult to find. There will be many people who come around but who don’t fit the bill. That’s fine.

Because in the meantime, you have been fishing, anyways, and isn’t the whole goal of this, anyways, just to be fishing?

An old Assyrian proverb states, “The time spent fishing is not deducted from the total time man spends on this Earth.”

I would like to think that is 100% correct.

Not too long ago, we talked about descending devices, what they’re used for, why you need them, and a bunch of other things. But what use is a device to save released fish from deep water if you don’t know how to catch them?

So that’s what we’re going to talk about this time. Before you go out there, you need to have an idea of where you’re going, what do you do when you arrive, what baits you need, and probably a whole bunch more things I have not thought of yet.

To start with it, is probably a good idea to have an idea where to look. To help us with that, we asked a very accomplished weekend angler, Paul Gilbert, of Wilmington.

Gilbert fishes with his brother-in-law, Levi Wright, whom he calls “The Captain,” and they will go out trolling surface baits while looking for depth changes with hard structure on them in the form of rock piles and wrecks.

“We start somewhere in the 25- to 30-mile range and put out the ballyhoo spread for the early bite,” he explains.

They have a high-quality depth finder that will show structure changes, bait availability, and even the presence of fish.

“Some of the best ledges are very slight humps on the bottom,” according to Gilbert.

When all the pieces are present, they will go back and drop baits on those humps and see what is there.

“We do a quick drop on each ledge and if it produces, we stay longer.”

Drop a variety of baits on different rigs. Gilbert will rig things such as squid, cigar minnows, and even cut versions of bait stealers they catch, on the old standby Chicken Rig with enough weight to reach bottom 90 to 120 feet down.

There may be a surprise swimming by on the surface. “Keep a light line going if there’s life up top. Keep a pitch bait handy (one that can be deployed quickly on the surface) if a mahi or cobia swims up to join the party,” is Gilbert’s advice.

Another inside tip from Gilbert: “Last trip I brought out some nice palm-sized pinfish and got into the gag grouper pretty good. I caught them with a pinfish trap, and used a Fishfinder rig and 3-foot leader.”

Because the good spots are so difficult to find, Gilbert will stick on a spot until they decide that it is no longer producing. It is an old saying that you should not leave fish to find fish, which means don’t leave the spot until you know for sure that it is no good. There are clear signs that it’s time to go.

The fish that we are targeting will be aggressive and will bite quickly if they are present. If sharks become a problem it’s time to leave.

“When you catch the first shark, think about which ledge to hit next, when you catch the second shark, you go.”

As far as rods go, this is not the place for light tackle. Use a 4/0-size reel loaded up with 60-pound braided line. Too small of a spool will have you cranking for days. It takes a lot of weight to get down sometimes, so a rod with a soft tip is contra-indicated. More people are looking at electric reels when fishing over 200 feet. That’s a lot of reel turns.

Another way to target fish in deep water is by jigging. This allows you to target fish that are more active and higher in the water column. Along with snapper and grouper, you’ll also get hits from different species of jacks, king mackerel, and tuna.

Joel Elliott, secretary and board member of the Hillsborough Sportfishing Club, enjoys going out on the various big party boats around Atlantic Beach and Beaufort and targeting big fish with jigs in deep water.

This is a more involved method of targeting fish in terms of the skill involved to get strikes, keeping lures from snagging on the bottom, and of course being able to land fish on a busy party boat. It’s very rewarding and there are some things that you need to know before you get started.

First of all, you are going to need your own specific rods and reels for the technique that you will be employing. Big spinning rods and reels loaded up with 60- to 80-pound test braided line are a good place to start. Reels such as the 6000 series from Daiwa, Shimano or other manufacturers are recommended and Elliot likes a custom-built jigging rod. Look to spend $300 to $600 to get started.

To target snapper and grouper with jigs, the best way is with a 10-inch Z Man HeroZ tail and 6-ounce jig head. Joel Elliott recommends using jigs with a glow feature when the water is 100 feet or deeper. Let it drop to the bottom then lift and fall, lift and fall. It will feel like a grab in the deep. You will need braided line because without it, you will be missing strikes and losing fish.

Remember: When you’re fishing for snapper and grouper, always be aware of the seasons in terms of what is legal to keep and what is not.

Joel points out that, “A big challenge of jigging off a headboat, is that you want to be able to control the fish and keep them vertically under you as much as possible to avoid tangling up with others.”

Hopefully this will be enough to get you started with deep-water fishing for grouper and snapper. Just remember, always have your descender device and be prepared to release the fish that you cannot keep. Always be aware of the seasons and know what is going on. You don’t need to have a problem with the Coast Guard when you’re heading back in to shore.

Now get out there and load up the boat with some delicious snappers and groupers.

Have you ever seen a photo of a fish that was pulled out of deep water too quickly? Did you notice the poor creature’s bugged-out eyes and surprised expression?

This is a sign of a fish experiencing deep-water decompression, and it is a big problem for catch-and-release situations involving snapper and grouper fishing. Because of this, anglers in the deep-water fishery are required by federal law to have a descending device onboard their boat at all times.

Let’s talk about what the devices are, what they do, how we can get them, and how they are used.

First, let’s talk about barotrauma. When fish are brought up from deep water, they can often suffer severe difficulty after being released. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission defines barotrauma as, “The change in pressure in a gas-filled organ called a swim bladder that controls buoyancy and allows the fish to maintain a certain depth. Fish that are caught in deep water and then released can cause the gas in the swim bladder to expand and in some cases burst.”

This causes significant problems because there are very strict regulations on size limits and catch limits for fish like snapper, grouper, and seabass, among others.

Capt. Tom Roller of Waterdog Guide Service in Beaufort, a member of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission, states that, “Recreational discards (releases of undersized or unwanted fish) in the fishery are out of control and need to be reduced.”

In response to this stated need, devices have been invented to allow fish to be released at the proper depth so they can swim away alive, rather than be eaten by sharks or barracudas.

Descender devices, as they are known, are hooked to the jaw of a fish and allowed to be pulled down to whatever depth that the fish came from before detaching by jerking the weight away, allowing the fish to swim off. Surprisingly, this works well enough that they are required by federal law to be present on any boat that participates in a deep-water bottom fishery.

“It’s a unique way to release deep-water fish to reduce release mortality that is both efficient and required by law,” Capt. Tom says.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Marine Fisheries Special Assistant for Councils Chris Batsavage says that they are required gear for, “Any recreational or commercial fisherman fishing in deep water for fish that are susceptible to barotrauma. Examples of fish include groupers, snappers, black sea bass, and tilefish.”

Further, he adds, “Increased survival of released fish with barotrauma should result in less mortality, which can lead to sustainable populations.”

Of course, there are now lots of products that we can use to help release the fish safely that are used every day. There are literally too many to list.

A bunch of guys have homemade devices that we’re not going to waste time talking about, due to concerns of varying effectiveness.

The main ones that you are going to most readily find are called the Seaqualizer and the Fishsaver.

The Fishsaver is a device that clips onto the lower jaw of the fish using a kind of barbless fishing hook, and you drop it down to the desired depth using weights. A sharp jerk on the line releases the fish. Seems easy in practice, but there’s no good way to regulate how far down the weight goes on the release.

The Seaqualizer, on the other hand, uses a clip on the line that attaches and releases at a predetermined depth.

Obviously, the latter is a bit more expensive, but there’s more technology involved and it offers more control.

You just need to figure out which style you want to use. If you look on the Internet, there is quite a large number of other options to choose from as well, but usually they are adaptations of one style or the other — some more expensive than others. Just make sure you get one that works properly.

Capt. Tom said he has used lots of homemade ones over the years, but Seaqualizer, he added is, “Amazing.”

OK, so now you’re out fishing for snapper in 100 feet of water. What do you have to do to be ready to go?

First thing, it’s recommended to have a separate fishing rod rigged up with a fish-release device, and have that ready go before you even begin.

Then you drop a bait down to the bottom, reel it up a couple of turns, and it’s not too long before you have a bite. Very exciting! Get the fish about two-thirds of the way up, and it just becomes deadweight on the line. You reel in the rest of the way, and when you look at the fish, its eyes are bugged out of its head and the belly is distended from the swim bladder.

It’s a little too small to keep, and rather than mess around, you quickly attach your Seaqualizer to the fish, turn and drop it back to the depth that you just got it from. The device will release, and the fish will be back in its home at the proper depth. You can then continue to safely catch and release fish that are too small, and you don’t have to worry about dumping fish over the side to feed the sharks.

Have a good time catching snappers to bring home for a delicious meal. Just make sure you know the following things:

• Rules and regulations concerning the minimum size, how many fish you can catch, and keep, for all of the various species that you could encounter.
• The seasons, because regulations can change drastically through the course of the year.
• How to use a descending device, and always have one onboard.

First light.

Your buddy told you the dawn bite was amazing. You get up at 4 a.m. and drive to the boat ramp. Grab your stuff and march to the dock.

Everybody is glad to see each other. Fist bumps and high fives are exchanged. Your buddy is impatient and wants to get going. You head out into the beauty of a rising sun. After a bit of a run, during which you notice him taking some tortuous turns to stay in an unmarked channel to get back to what is, pretty obviously, if not a secret spot, then one that doesn’t get much traffic.

He shuts down the motor, grabs his rod and catches a fish almost immediately.

You are left sitting there because you have not prepped your gear, it’s still a little dark and you are having trouble because it’s difficult to see.

“Didn’t you rig up last night at home? I texted you with which lures to have rigged up and how to set them up,” your buddy grunts as he sets the hook into what appears to be another really nice fish. You still have not gotten your lures out of your tackle bag.

It takes you a solid 15 minutes to tie your knots, find your lures, set them up, and finally you notice that, in your haste, (He just caught another one.) you have mis-threaded the line on your rod and have to start all over.

If you recognize yourself here, I’m sorry.

Well, in this case, I would have little sympathy. I am meticulous about setting up the night before. I recently joked with a friend that I have probably spent half of my adult life rigging fishing tackle at the dining room table.

While that may be a slight exaggeration, it is an accurate portrayal of how I prepare. Let’s spend some time and get ready for an early morning fishing excursion.

On the night before, get all the gear you think you might need and get it spread out in a well-lit area. I joke about the kitchen table because that seems to be the biggest, brightest area in my house. But if you have a well-organized work area you usually use, then that is perfect.

Let me point out a potential hazard: ceiling fans. These are the single biggest killers of fishing rods in the home, with a close second being the screen door that swings closed automatically.

Once you have everything spread out, determine exactly what you are going to be doing first thing. If you are going to be running to artificial reefs to bottom fish, then get your favorite rod and the hooks you prefer and tie up those bottom rigs or jigs just the way you like them.

Let me add that if you need to get bait, you need to be procuring that well in advance.

If you are drifting live mullets on Carolina rigs, best bet is to get your cast net out the day before and have a way to keep them alive overnight. If your goal is to be casting lures for speckled trout in the hot creek, then determine your favorite and have that rigged and ready with freshly tied-on leader line.

I like to have two rods rigged and ready with contrasting styles of plugs to hit different situations that may occur. If I’m going to be fishing slow-sinking plugs for the majority of the time, I’ll pick my favorite color and put that on one rod and then I’ll have a topwater plug ready on my backup rod — or whatever I think I might want on that second rod ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Decades ago, I used to fish with a guy who would make a point of chanting, “Down Time!” when somebody would get a tangle or a mess up with their tackle. I still think about this all the time.

Let’s say we’re going to hit the beach on a cold November morning. It’s a nearby beach and we’re going to cast MirrOlures for speckled trout. Prep the gear the night before. Make sure that all is as it should be. No mess ups in the rod, reel or line. Hooks are sharp!

Quality time is spent with fishing companions. Let’s load all the gear, carefully arranging everything in the truck: rods, waders, gear bags, coolers, drinks — it’s quite a logistical operation.

Get up in the morning. Coffee pot was set up the night before after watching the football game, so it’s hot and ready as we walk out the door.

Since everything is loaded up, all we have to do is get dressed and hop in the truck, get to the parking spot, get waders on, grab rods and walk down the sand.

Nobody else has arrived at the spot, but this will change soon. The sun is just a hint on the horizon. Make a cast and hook up on the first shot. All three of us have fish in the first minute of being out there. Each of us lands two fish before any other anglers make an appearance.

Now let’s assume that we weren’t ready the night before.

That first light bite when surfcasting for trout often means everything. And sometimes when additional people start in around the spot where you were just catching them, it slows down.

Each minute that was lost tying a knot in the dark, or untangling lines, finding waders in the garage, or even just waiting for the coffee to brew, could mean the difference between getting those first bites — and often the biggest trout in a school will be the most aggressive — and getting leftovers from somebody else.

You’re out fishing on a beautiful day. You get a strike from the biggest fish that you’ve ever caught.

Get it aboard and you pull out your mobile device and take a photo with the camera that we all have in our pocket these days. You are so excited. You figure this is going to be the greatest photo.

You tell your friend, “I’m going to have this framed and hung up above my mantle.”

When you look at the photo, you realize it’s overexposed, it looks washed out, and the fish looks small and so far away. You decide to take another picture.

Now it’s dead from sitting in the cooler and looks terrible and sad. By missing the exact moment of the capture, you missed the great photo opportunity.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong with the cameras that we use to take snapshots today. It’s way better than it was when we all had Kodak Instamatics, but there’s still a lot of mistakes that can be made. How can we maximize that memory to get the perfect big fish picture?

Let’s be clear: We’re not talking about using the most-costly camera taking the fanciest pictures. Can you get a nice photo with expensive gear? Of course. Can you take terrible photos also? That’s an affirmative.

What we are talking about is using the same camera that everybody has in their pocket today, the mobile phone camera. If you can apply some of these lessons just using the regular camera built into your cellular device, you can get good results and even get frameable artwork that is worthy of being a family heirloom.

Move in tight

I want to start out by saying that driveway shots are right out. Dried-up shots of dead fish are not anything to be proud of. Instead, we’re going to concentrate on catching the moment with a live fish. These are the ones that last and bring back the memories.

First rule: Get close.

No seriously, I mean really close.

Get close enough that the picture of the fish and the person fills the frame and possibly spills over. The closer you can get, the more detail you can capture, then the more impactful the photo will be.

Resident Coastal Review photo expert Dylan Ray recommends to “Fill the frame with the fish. There’s no need to show the legs of the angler.”

A lot of the new cameras have a separate mode just to take portraits, coincidently enough called “Portrait Mode.” This is a setting on the phone that blurs the background of the photo while keeping the subject in sharp focus. This helps ensure a professional-looking photo that makes the subject “pop.” This also allows you as the photographer to get as close to the action as possible and produce a sharp image of the subject.

Make sure that your background is not full of clutter. By this I mean you don’t have extra people or lots of extra things happening. Unless of course you’re doing it on purpose. Sometimes a picture of a stream with the mountains in the background is very impactful.

Note conditions

Speaking of backgrounds, generally make sure that your light is coming from behind the photographer, otherwise the image will get washed out. Having harsh light in the foreground can ruin a photo quickly. Position your subject with the light coming from over the shoulder of the shooter.

Stay steady

Be still. Don’t move. Don’t shake. Even a little tiny bit of shaking will make your photo blurry.

Take many shots. If we are using digital, there’s no reason to not have many different images to use. Just a tiny bit of vibration from operating the camera can sometimes throw it off. Be aware of that. If the boat is moving or if something jostles you, it will also affect the photo. Take lots of exposures.

Editing

Now, let’s assume we have a clean photo with a nice frame-filling image. It’s not blurry and has a nice background with no washing out of exposure due to bad light. What do you do next?

That cell phone camera is an incredibly powerful image manipulator. The fact that it’s in your pocket all the time does not make it any less so. You can do amazing things with just a quick couple touches of some buttons. Let’s look at a couple of my favorites.

The easiest thing to do is to just tap on the button that says “Auto” and it will automatically adjust the light and color on photo. This is effective and simple, but probably not the very best way to do it.

First, I like to crop the image. Even if you had come in nice and close, there is some cropping that you can do to get out extraneous details. It’s also good to realize the size of the photo you want to end up with.

For Instagram images, you probably want it to be as square as possible. For something that you are going to frame, a portrait shot will be best. That is when the longer axis is top to bottom, as opposed to landscape style, which is when the longer axis is from left to right.

Next, let’s talk about color and light. Previously, I mentioned the “Auto” button and how this may not be your best option. Go into your edit settings and there should be a place to adjust the colors and the light. There will be sliders for each setting for things like shadow, light, and color saturation. By simply fooling around with the sliders and experimenting you can figure out what they all do.

If you don’t like the results simply hit the cancel button and start over. This is not film where we have to develop a sheet of expensive photo paper and every mistake equals money lost.

I will generally go down each slider in turn. Experimenting a few times until I get something that looks good to me. Let me add here, that a little goes a long way. You don’t have to make very big adjustments to each setting to make dramatic differences.  

“Using a headlamp will add some nice fill light,” advises Ray.

Get in there and mess around with the settings and see what you come up with. Remember you had to have something good to start out with, and it begins with proper framing, good light, and a smooth shutter control to have a clean start.

Good luck and let’s see what you come up with this year.

Some people will tell you that the best fishing on the East Coast is to be found in places like the Florida Keys, Chesapeake Bay or Cape Cod. I’ll tell you the best fishing that attracts the most high-profile anglers is right here off the coast of North Carolina for two months in the fall.

The awesome run of false albacore off of Cape Lookout is unequaled anywhere in the country from the middle of October to the end of November. Nowhere else can you reasonably expect to see a tuna species running bait in protected waters less than 30 feet deep (and often less than 10 feet deep) with the kind of consistency you can here. Top it all off with lovely clear water and you have a sight-fishing opportunity that is unparalleled for a fish of this type.

So, while I love Florida flats fishing and want to make a trip to Montauk someday, I am perfectly happy in the waters off Cape Lookout. I have caught false albacore, or fat alberts, near the jetty on Labor Day and along Shackleford Banks in December. It’s a long season.

When the bigger fish of over 15 pounds move inshore in early November, many anglers will report hookups well in the double digits. That is enough to tire you out.

You may be wondering at this point what is so great about them? Have you ever hooked a fish from 8 to 15 pounds (on average) that will take off and run more than 100 yards of line off your reel in just a few seconds? All this can happen while using medium-weight spinning tackle or flyrods. That is what false albacore fishing is all about.

Let me give you some background on this fish. This is not the true, deep-water albacore that can be found in a can at your local market. The official name for fat alberts is “little tunny.” You could also call it Euthynnus alliteratus, but only if you really need to impress your friends.

It is not a bonito. It is not a bluefish. These misidentifications lead to much confusion. You will hear many reports on the radio of bonito being caught. That is usually from those not wanting to catch them. Bonito are not good to eat and tend to tear up carefully prepared trolling rigs. The surest way to know if you have a fat albert is to look for the black spots around the pectoral fin and the squiggly markings on the back.

Now let me tell you a couple of things about how to get one of these baddies on the end of your line. I am a fly fisherman. I would rather catch one fish on a flyrod than 10 any other way. However, if you are a first-timer and not a fly angler, do not despair, because these things will hit small jigs as well as, if not better than, any fly ever invented.

The best lures are small split-tail plastic baits around the size of a man’s finger in any color that looks like a natural minnow and the epoxy-coated metal jigs made by different companies, including a local outfit called Beach Bum Lures out of Havelock. Both are available in just about any tackle shop on the coast of North Carolina. Use a 4000 series reel that is capable of holding a full spool of 20-pound test braided line, and a 7-foot to 7 ½-foot, medium-action rod.

Don’t go too light on these fish. If you take too long to bring one to the boat, they might die. No rolling over and giving up for the little tunny.

For fly fishing, I prefer a 10-weight rod. This is heavy enough to cast into strong winds that often blow out of the north at this time of year and to bring the fish up from the depths at boat side without breaking. Plus, it is light enough to cast all day without wearing yourself out.

Use an intermediate line and a leader about 8 to 10 feet long with a 20-pound fluorocarbon tippet. Use a nice baitfish fly tied on a size 1 or 2 hook. Don’t make it too thick. The glass minnows that are the predominant prey species are about the size and shape of a man’s middle finger. Add some flash material to catch the eye of a fast (40 mph) swimming albert.

Now that we are rigged up, let’s go after them.

In the fall, they can often be found outside inlets from Cape Lookout south to the South Carolina line. When you get out, there will often be albacore blasting at glass minnows right there. If that is the case there may be a bunch of boats chasing them.

In this situation the first thing you need to think about is courtesy. Don’t pay attention to the people who are racing back and forth chasing surfacing schools at warp speed. Figure out which way the fish are moving. It will often be very obvious. Get in their line of travel and drift into them from uptide or upwind. Another boat may get in your path. Try to keep cool. People tend to act funny when there are big fish visibly feeding in shallow water.

If you are spin fishing, keep casting around the boat. You will often hook up even if there are no fish showing on the surface. Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they are not there. When you finally get a chance to cast into breaking fish, get your fly or lure as far into the melee as possible.

Start a moderately paced retrieve. You don’t have to rip it in. Keep it in the strike zone. They may not see your first presentation. Get it in there again! There may be hundreds or thousands of fish in front of you right at this moment. When one sees it, you can bet that fly or jig will be inhaled.

Now is when the fun begins! Your hook is in the mouth of a fat albert. The fish will then take off. If you have never fished like this with casting or fly tackle before, you will be amazed at how fast a fish of this size can swim. This is the fastest fish you can regularly catch within sight of land around here.

The first run of a bigger fish will often take close to 150 yards of line. Be calm and let it go. If you are running out of line you may need to start the engine and keep up with your rapidly depleting spool. An albacore may then double back and swim right at you. Keep the line tight and your rod bent, retrieve line as fast as you can. Be prepared for another run at any time. Sometimes the big ones (16 pounds and up) will come all the way in and then do the whole thing all over again.

When it comes to landing a fat albert, no fish could be more accommodating. He has a built-in handle. The tail is very stiff and easy to grab. Get ahold of it and lift the fish into the boat. Work quickly at this point. Have your long-nose pliers available. Get the hook out as fast as you can. I have even switched over to barbless hooks.

If the fish is out of the water too long it will definitely die. They are a proud fish and fight to exhaustion. When the hook is out you can take a couple of quick photos. Then drop the fish headfirst into the water from about waist height. Don’t swish it back and forth. Simply dropping the fish in the water from waist height will allow it to get a fast burst of water and oxygen over its gills and allow it to swim off quickly.

One final note: Don’t let your fish run too far away from you on that initial run. I’ve had a couple taken off of my line by sharks. Needless to say, there are other creatures that also enjoy the pursuit of false albacore.

There are some old fishing maxims that people throw around a lot, and a lot of them are misunderstood.

One in particular that really confuses people is, “Just follow the birds.”

I’ve been riding in the boat with novice anglers as they point out every bird they see as if that will lead them to the Promised Land. While it is true that birds tell us a lot of what is going on out there, it’s important to understand what each type of bird is, how it fishes, and what it means to us as anglers.

Let’s go through the most popular ones that we’ll see on our coast on any given day.

Pelicans

We’ll start with perhaps our most unusual bird, the pelican. As noted by American poet and journalist Dixon Lanier Merritt, “Oh, a wondrous bird is the pelican! His beak holds more than his belican.”

As we see them skimming the wavetops or gliding across a causeway, they are always looking into the water. They can see schools of fish a foot or two under the water and unerringly dive on top of them and scoop them up into their balloon-like bills. I have often seen them diving without a gamefish of any kind for miles in any direction. However, they can be helpful.

I was with a friend fishing a shoreline in the New River near Sneads Ferry and not having much luck. I noticed pelicans diving on mullet schools well out away from the shore. I could see mullet skipping every which way as the pelicans would fly over. We casually cruised over to the area and started making casts with our topwater plugs. We both hooked up on solid speckled trout almost right away and continued to do so the rest of the day.

Another time that pelicans can help us is during the fall migrations. When large concentrations of glass minnows are running the beach, you might see pelicans diving on them. Look for the cloud of bait in the water. If you’re really lucky, you may see them doing what I call “rafting,” where a dozen or more will be sitting on the surface just dipping their beaks into a bait ball of glass minnows or bay anchovies. Either of these situations is often accompanied by schools of feeding false albacore, bluefish or Spanish mackerel, and it’s worth throwing a small jig or minnow imitating fly.

So, the moral here is, if you’re not doing very well, and trying to figure out where your next cast should be, at least let the pelicans tell you where the bait fish are, and hopefully something bigger will be just behind.

Shorebirds

Next is wading birds: herons, egrets and other shorebirds. While not necessarily a bird you’ll be searching for, if you are fishing in a creek or marsh and wondering if there’s any life there, a heron wading the shoreline will at least alert you to the presence of small baitfish. This can be just the sign you need to make a few casts.

I have even pulled into a canal with docks and lifts and was just about to turn around when I saw a heron. I stopped and made “One More Cast.” Boom! A redfish ate my soft plastic jerkbait and I stayed there and caught fish until the tide ran out two hours later. It doesn’t happen a whole lot. But it’s worth paying attention.

Arctic terns are present here most of the summer. They are helpful to a point. They will definitely alert you to the presence of baitfish. But since they can dive under and pick them off with no help from below, they are not always good indicators of gamefish activity below.

Having said that there will be times in the summer when you will see terns diving and Spanish mackerel breaking the surface sporadically. Trolling is a good option in these situations because the fish will be spread out. I still prefer casting a small spoon or fly.

Other seabirds

Another bird that dives deep on small fish is the gannet. These will show up in our waters in late fall as larger schools of menhaden begin to arrive. They will dive from pretty high, cross their wingtips behind them, and enter the water like an Olympic diver. Often, they can go down to depths exceeding 70 feet.

Gannets are a good indicator of menhaden. Northeast striped bass fishermen love them because it will lead them to striped bass and big bluefish. Sometimes large red drum will be under our menhaden schools and possibly king mackerel. But it’s not a guarantee.

I’ve caught more sharks on jigs bumped under these schools than anything else.

Gulls are the No. 1 bird that anglers should concern themselves with.

In the summer we will see a lot of the laughing gulls, they have black heads and make that distinctive “laughing” call. Later on in the summer and into fall, we will see the little gray gulls called ring-beaked gulls.

If you are driving your boat across the water and look up to see a flock of gulls walking along the avenue, it’s worth checking out. They are voracious feeders and are always on the lookout for an easy meal. That means that they don’t often dive into the water like gannets or terns, but when a school of gamefish has baitfish on the move, they will notice and be right there when the minnows push out of the water to escape the jaws below. It is the gulls who will be there to pick up the ones the fish miss out on. It’s pretty frantic.

I always tell people to look for gulls “dancing” on the surface. This is when it’s really on. The action below is so frantic that the gulls don’t even want to pick up and fly up but want to stay as close to the surface as they can. This is a sure sign of false albacore, bluefish, or Spanish mackerel and will often lead to a day full of memories, which is what it’s all about really.

The allure of the coast is not confined to people who grew up on it or near it; it crosses county and state lines and reaches out to people who live far away.

Some people live their whole lives in places like Kansas or Nebraska, and as soon as they see the ocean, they can never go home again. It’s even a theme in literature, for example, in “Lord of the Rings,” Galadriel tells Legolas “Beware of the Sea! If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore, Thy heart shall then rest in the forest no more.”

For most, it’s not quite as dramatic. They come to visit, feel the pull, but can’t leave home, so they visit as often as they can and get as much enjoyment out of it as possible for whatever period of time they are there. And so it is with Neill Pollock. He is from Charlotte.

While that may not seem too far away, it’s still an almost five-hour drive from his home to his favorite place in Atlantic Beach. With gas prices being what they are, it’s a financial commitment as well. There’s just something about the coast that brings him back to spend time with his family and to experience fishing that he can’t do otherwise.

Neill grew up loving to fish but not having many options available to him, “I grew up in Charlotte without a ton of fishing opportunities, so golf course ponds were where I cut my teeth until around 11 or 12 years old.”

It was around that time when he started to get a better fishing education.

“My grandfather, Warren Pollock, started taking me to fish the mountain streams around Linville and Banner Elk. He was always my biggest influence in outdoor activities.”

Neill and his grandfather spent a lot of time together until the elder’s passing in 2017.

“We hunted and fished together growing up, until his age prevented him from going anymore.”

In my columns, I’ve tried to illustrate time and again how the influence of a mentor can drive a young person to a fulfilling lifetime activity. It’s important for us to remember this and do what we can.

These days Neill lives with his family near Charlotte and runs a contracting business.

“Currently, I own and operate a remodeling company. I spent 16 years behind a desk as a graphic designer before venturing out on my own as a real estate agent. A slow market had me doing side remodeling jobs, which turned into the creation of Red Oak Contracting.”

His family likes the outdoors and fishing too, but in moderation.

“I have been married for 15 years to my wonderful wife Missy. We have one daughter, Mia, who is way more into dancing than she is the outdoors, but gets out with me from time to time. She really enjoys float trips on the tailwaters in Eastern Tennessee.”

Neill said he thinks that she’ll get more into outdoors adventures as she goes along. His wife enjoys boating and going to the beach, and they all take trips together to Atlantic Beach several times a year.

Neill has a long list of saltwater fishing accomplishments including an 8-pound speckled trout caught on a topwater plug.

“Fishing on an early summer morning, I hooked by far my largest trout. Would have been perfectly happy if that was the last fish we caught that morning.”

He has the perspective of a seasoned angler and knows that to catch a fish like that makes the entire day and nothing else is really needed. As has been stated in this column before, sometimes catching a fish isn’t the only thing that makes for a good day.

“I think people get too wrapped up in the ‘catching’ aspect of fishing. Sure, that’s what we are out there to do but enjoying the water and surroundings is what we should really strive for.”

In that vein, Neill has a specific type of fishing he enjoys the most, a way that is not known for always producing the most poundage, but concentrates on the method.

“Fly fishing is my passion! There is nothing more relaxing and exciting at the same time.”

Neill says that fishing with a fly rod helps him feel more connected to what he is doing.

“I get the feeling with fly-fishing that you are more connected to the environment and the fish. Due to the fact that to succeed you need to know exactly what the fish are doing, it’s just a more intimate experience with nature.”

Neill gives credit to his friends that help him out when he goes to the coast. He realizes how difficult it is to stay on top of the fish when you have to travel.

“I have to admit, living in the Piedmont, I rely heavily on my connections at the coast for intel.”

Among all the things that you need to know, he realizes that information may be the most valuable.

“Keep your mouth shut when you get info and it will go a long way.”

He adds that we should never be afraid to try something new when we’re out there. You just never know what it could pull up.

“Never be afraid to try something new. Look for new spots on different tides, you might be surprised what you can find.”

Most people probably know that the state fish of North Carolina is red drum, or also called redfish. The state keeps records of catches of recreational fishermen and apparently a whole lot of people who fish in saltwater in North Carolina don’t really catch very many red drum.

Why do you suppose that is?

I expect it is because people go fishing and just look to catch whatever swims by. If you want to catch Mr. Red, you have to target him. Let’s talk about finding them and maximizing the opportunities for you to catch one when you want to.   

Let’s start with everybody’s favorite time of the year, spring and early summer. At this time of year red drum are very active, eat lots of things and can be targeted in myriad ways. My favorite way has always been a fly rod.

I target fish feeding in visible areas on the edges of creeks and flats as they are looking for shrimp and baitfish. In the same places, casting a surface plug or a shallow running lure like a gold spoon in creeks and flats can produce fish as they cruise.

Capt. Rick Patterson of Cape Crusader Charters will target red drum on cut chunks of menhaden at the mouth of creeks on the outgoing tide. He will rig under a popping cork float to keep the hook from catching on the bottom, as there are often oyster shells and lots of other things to get snagged on.

At this time of year red drum will be in the places that you find them. By that I mean that they’re spread out and highly active. As they move from place to place, they will find locations they like better than others. When you find a good spot, they will often return to the same place over and over, so don’t overfish them. You can clean them out.

With that in mind, fishing bait chunks should only be done with circle hooks and the trebles on surface plugs should be replaced with single hooks. These simple changes will make it easier to release fish that you are going to let go. Don’t kill your limit.

One of the things I was well known for was targeting redfish during high tides on the spartina grass flats with my fly rod. I was among a few innovators of this specialized fishery in the 1990s, targeting specific fish, sight feeding in the super-shallow, clear water that is pretty unique to coastal North and South Carolina.

In late summer, an incredible event that happens in North Carolina waters will lead to huge red drum in shallow areas along the Neuse River. You have probably seen the pictures of people holding up redfish in the 50-inch range on their laps. I like to call this style of photos “lap dances.” This leads to huge fish being caught — if you know how to target them.

You’re probably going catch the biggest fish you’ve ever caught in pretty shallow water. It doesn’t even take that much effort if you have a little foreknowledge. Once again, we’ll ask Capt. Rick for a couple of ideas how to look for these monsters.

“You can’t go wrong with cut bait on a Carolina Rig. Shad, mullet, croakers — just about anything will work,” Patterson said. He has specific areas in which he looks for them. “I like to fish the shoals on the main river shore. Long points are good also.”

You can also catch them on artificial lures if you know what you’re looking for, he advises.

“Use popping corks with plastic baits: Gulp, Z-man, or whatever you have confidence in,” he said. “Top water and swim baits if you can find them schooling on bait.”

The latter actually happens more frequently than you would expect. When it does, it’s pretty exciting. Be prepared.

Let me point out that this is strictly a catch-and-release fishery because all the fish are above the upper slot limit and they are spawning. It’s critically important to the overall health of the fishery. Use heavy gear. Get them to the boat rapidly for a quick picture and let them go. The fish should not be inside the boat for more than 30 or 45 seconds.

As the water cools through the fall and into the winter, this is my favorite time to target red drum. It’s not uncommon to catch and release upwards of 30 to 40 or more in a day. The secret lies in finding them in the first place. When you find one you will have found them all. If you don’t find any, you won’t catch anything. It’s an all-or-nothing situation.

Look for deeper holes with marshy areas in channels wending back — the deepest spot you can find. It may only be a foot or so deeper than the rest, but when you find the spot, you’ll know. The fish will pile up inside it and you’ll get plenty of bites in a short period of time. But until you find them, it will seem like there’s nothing there at all.

My favorite type of lure to use is a soft plastic artificial shrimp such as the DOA or Zman. Colors can be anything from kind of bland to fluorescent green. The point is the fish are very hungry but there are not a lot of food options available and they will hit most anything that you can throw in there.

The best bite is usually on the outgoing tide, and be aware that the bottom is full of shells, so be prepared to deal with the shallow water. Don’t use bait in this situation because the fish are so aggressive anyway. It’s a waste of money and time.

Again, let me add to please be responsible for the fish that you’re catching. Release them quickly. You could be catching a lot. Treat them well and they’ll be there for you to catch again and again. A lot of pressure can really clean a school of fish out of an area quickly. A particular area where I used to do this type of fishing all time in the winter is now pretty much devoid of fish due to it being too popular and getting too much pressure. The fish have been cleaned out over the years.

If you can follow these instructions, you are going find that you can catch a few red drum this year. This is not by any means meant to be a comprehensive list of ways to catch red drum, but these are just some quick and dirty ways to target the fish that we love to catch.

Just make sure to take care of them, so we will always have them in the future.

What are your expectations when you’re out fishing? Do you just want to spend the time sitting by the water? Do you expect always to catch the most or biggest fish, or some other lofty type goal?

How we look at the day before we even go out has a lot to do with how the day ends up being in the long run. If we decide ahead of time to take the joy that the day sends us, we will all be a lot happier. Yes, of course we would like to catch a couple fish, or maybe a big fish, but that should not be the ultimate goal of the day out on the water.

Many times, you’re not going to catch anything. That’s the way fishing goes. Oftentimes, even the most experienced and skilled angler can spend the day on the water and not come home with anything but stories.

There were many years that I considered myself kind of a big-time fly-fishing guide. I traveled the around the continent and fished from Alaska to Florida to back home here in North Carolina. I saw a lot of things from a lot of people who showed a lot of themselves.

Among the more notable things that I did was to be among the innovators of the autumn false albacore fishery at Cape Lookout. It’s an amazing fishery if you’ve been around it, and you may know that people come here from all across the country.

These two dudes came down to fish with me from Arlington, Virginia. They talked about all the places they had been and the fishing that they had done. We got out there and almost immediately there was a huge blitz of feeding fish on the surface. Big fish. By the time it was over, four hours later, both anglers had boated multiple fish in the 20-pound class and had seen things that people only dream about: Huge fish blowing out of the water; walls of albacore feeding into the current; huge clouds of seagulls feeding on and chasing bait fish seemingly to the horizon; whales crashing out of the water. Amazing.

Then things changed. It got very windy and the guys couldn’t make any kind of casts in the conditions. It was very difficult and they did not land another fish in the second half of the day, even though they had many opportunities.

That’s the way it goes sometimes. It’s difficult.

When it was over, we were driving back to the dock. I looked to the guys and said, “That was pretty awesome, wasn’t it?” They both looked at me with sadness in their eyes. “What’s the problem?” I asked.

The one guy then replied, “I thought we would catch more fish.”

Baffled, I responded by stating, “Dude, that’s as good as it gets here. That was the show.”

They were not to be mollified.

A man from Durham came to fish with me years ago. The plan was to spend an evening fly fishing to redfish tailing on spartina grass flats, and the following morning casting surface plugs over sea grass meadows.

The evening tide came on and redfish were there just as we expected them to be. It was beautiful. Gorgeous sunset. Tails waving. Everything seemed to be in place. Unfortunately, he did not catch a fish. He had couple of chances and missed strikes. But it was not meant to be.

We consoled ourselves over steaks and potatoes I made for us. The next morning, we started dark and early and were casting over the grass flats as the sun was coming up. We caught speckled trout almost every cast for the first hour and proceeded to find singles and doubles of redfish over the flats the rest of the day. Nothing too big, but pretty steady action. Not outlandish. You wouldn’t say the fish were jumping over the top of each other to get in the boat by any means.

When we were done, he said to me, “That’s the best two days of fishing that I’ve ever had.”

I asked what he meant by that. He told me, “It was the company, the surroundings, and the total experience that made it for me.”

Jule McDowell was his name, and after years of us subsequently fishing together, he recently succumbed to cancer. I think about that day often.

Coach John Wooden, legendary basketball coach of the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins, was known for saying, “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

I have found this to be especially true when talking about fishing, in the sense that what we bring to the endeavor often flavors it and colors our perceptions. Those guys from Arlington had a once-in-a-lifetime experience that most people can only dream about, but because they had their expectations set so high, they could not enjoy themselves.

My friend Jule, on the other hand, just enjoyed being out there, and because of that he had a good time. And yes, he caught some fish, but to him it was about more than simply catching. He enjoyed the whole experience and everything about the day: the ecology, the weed beds, the wildlife – all of it. He took it all in and enjoyed it all for what it was, and he was a happier person because of it.

I miss him today.

Fish like grass. Not to eat. They’re not cows. But they do find things to eat around the grass.

All the types of creatures that predatory fish like to munch on will be found around grass. The key is to know what kind you are looking at, what kind of fish will be found around it, how they use it, what they are eating, and when they’ll be doing it.

Let’s start inshore and work our way out.

The first type of grass we’ll see in a day is spartina. Pronounce it “spart-eye-na.” It’s a species of cordgrass and it’s all around the inshore marshy areas. You’ll see it growing around marinas, along the roadside, and basically anywhere the water meets the land. Biologists know that it stabilizes shorelines from erosion and creates habitats for millions of small fish and crustaceans. This last part is what is important to us.

Find a creek that meanders back into the marsh. The bottom inside the creek channel will be very mushy. On both sides of that creek will be tall stands of grass that are usually green on top grading to brown or beige at the base. Behind the tall stands will be flats with shorter grass growing on them. All of that is spartina. At low tide, take a look at the areas of short grass growing behind the channel. There’ll be millions of fiddler crabs there. Look around you in the channel. Small fish will be flipping around almost everywhere. Most of these will be mullet. But there will also be the young of spots and other species. Then you add shrimp to this mixture, and you have a veritable living bouillabaisse.

Cold-weather months will see speckled trout in the spartina creeks as they move in from the open water. They will feast on anything they can find. Some days in December and January, large schools of trout or reds will be in the creek that you drive past every day. You can catch them on slow-moving lures such as suspending plugs and soft plastics on lightweight jigs. If the water is deeper or there is more current, use heavier-weighted lures.

As the water gets warmer, expect red drum to be in the same places you caught the trout when it was cold. Popping corks with a plastic shrimp suspended under them will get yanked under on a regular basis when fished with a pop-pause-pop-pause cadence.

As we move out of the marshes and into the sounds we find the seagrass flats. These areas, referred to as “meadows” by the people who study them, grow in areas of higher salinity, clearer water and lower turbulence. Once again you will find an entire variety of aquatic life in these vast ecosystems. Some of these flats extend for miles. Every inch is covered with some life form or another. Crabs and shrimp are present everywhere. Pinfish and small croaker as well. All varieties of small bait fish species from mullet to silversides and bay anchovies will use the grass flats.

When fishing some of my favorite seagrass flats in the summer, I have caught red drum, speckled trout, bluefish, ladyfish, blacktip sharks, pompano, houndfish, and I am pretty sure a bull shark stole my lure off my line one time.

I like to use lures like topwater plugs, unweighted soft plastic jerk baits, shallow-running plugs, and even gold spoons. Keep an eye out, wear polarized sunglasses and a long-bill cap. You never know what you will see because the water is quite a bit clearer than you find in the spartina marshes. You’ll need a shallow-draft skiff to even get to some of these spots.

Even then, if the tide drops while you’re out there, you might have trouble getting out when you want. You can wade, just make sure to shuffle your feet due to the preponderance of small stingrays, which, coincidentally, can attract very large sharks. Oftentimes, you can fish in the water that’s just a few feet deep off the edges. Look for broken bottom with mixed shells and small grass patches if you can’t get really close in. You never know what you’ll find!

The final type of grass we consider isn’t really grass at all, rather it’s a species of algae. Sargassum weed grows in the open ocean, totally unattached to the ground at all. It floats free in the currents. Sometimes it creates huge mats and often you will see it stretching for miles along a current edge.

Many open-water species will use the patches as temporary refuge but there are also many critters that call the sargassum patches their permanent home — odd little things like sargassum fish, porcupine fish, file fish and others. They are totally unique and there aren’t a lot of other things similar to them. Eels also spawn in the sargassum patches before they go back to freshwaters. Sea turtles feed amongst it, there are various shrimp and crabs.

What this means is that in the middle of the ocean, when you may not be seeing much life around, you find the floating weed patches and you have found plenty to look at and fish to catch.

The most popular species to target here is the mahi-mahi, or dolphinfish. Simply stick a frozen cigar minnow on a jig head using the rigs sold in almost all our coastal tackle shops. This simple setup will produce.

If you have a center-console boat of around 25 feet or so, you can get out there many days during the summer. Check the weather reports, but you’ll probably still get bumped around a bit on the ride home.

Mixed in the with the mahi-mahi, you might all of a sudden hook up with something that tries to eliminate all the line off your reel. That’ll be a wahoo or tuna. Hope you remembered to bring a gaff. The same trolling rigs you use for king mackerel will suffice for this fishing most of the time. If you run into a marlin, then I can’t help you. There are some big ones out there.

Take care of the grass. It will take care of you. It provides homes for millions of small and large marine creatures and shows us obvious spots to start fishing for whichever species we prefer. But it’s also a sign of the quality of our waterways. If they start to disappear, it’s time to start asking some hard questions.

When writer Thomas Mcguane noted, “If the trout are lost, smash the state,” he could easily have included seagrasses. North Carolina waters from Virginia to South Carolina are blessed with a large variety of these ecosystems. We need to take care of them.

How much do you really like fishing? What’s the longest you think could go without?

Do you think that if you quit fishing, you would just live your life like nothing happened? Is it really that important to you, or do you just do it for fun? If somebody told you that you could not go fishing anymore, what would you do?

Now for most of you this is conjecture, it is not a situation you have been faced with, and you possibly never will. But on Aug. 10, 2023, I suffered a stroke.

At this point, I can hardly move my right hand at all, and I have limited mobility of my right arm. My core muscles don’t work very well, so my balance is poor, and I have limited use of my right leg and foot.

The most frustrating thing is that I’m sitting here as one of my best friends has had the best fishing of his life catching exceptionally large speckled trout, and I have not been able to join him. I’ve written before about what it is I love about fishing, and I think now at this point, it might be time for me to revisit that due to my current situation.

I used to say that my favorite thing about fishing was the anticipation of going. Now I’d say my favorite thing might just be getting the opportunity to go. We give each other opportunities throughout our lives.

As a coach of high school sports, I have always told my athletes to make the most of every situation, to do the thing that you like to do, and get the most out of it. That is valid for young athletes because, by doing so, it gives them the best chance of success.

At this point in my life, I’ve found that just wanting to go fishing and getting the most out of it would be the thing I would like the most. It’s the thing that I miss the most in my life right now. I don’t know when I’m going to be able to be on a boat right now. It would be kind of dangerous and I would not want to put anyone in a difficult spot. There is some equipment out there that’s supposed to help with holding a rod, I’ve been talking about getting some, but right now it just is not working out.

I miss the time being with my friends on the boat, or in the stream, or just talking about fishing. That’s tough to get used to being without. Maybe you know, I’ve been doing this for a long time, and because of that, most of my friendships revolve around fishing, the act of fishing, or talking about fishing. And right now, we don’t have a lot to talk about. So unfortunately, I’ve kind of lost track of some my friends. I don’t blame them. They have things to do, as do we all, and I’m trying to stay in touch with them as they also are trying to stay in touch with me, but it’s difficult because it’s not the same.

As I’ve been writing this very column I’ve had to adjust my writing style from what used to be, sit down and hammer away and type a whole article in a very short period of time, to struggling with using a voice-to-text keyboard and editing with only one hand. You’ll have to be the judge of whether this is any good, this will be the first column I have submitted that I had not already written previously.

I would give anything to be able to be on the boat right now with the wind blowing through my hair (what there is of it), feel the sun on my face, going out with a friend and trying to pursue our favorite gamefish. But right now, all I can do is keep working on my physical therapy and trying to get better every day.

As I reflect on this past year, I have to thank all the people in my life who have helped me: therapists, doctors, friends, family members and the athletes and coaches I work with. They have stood by my side and have not allowed me to feel sorry for myself and get mad at the world. Yes, it’s difficult, but I’m trying every day.

I also want to thank the editorial staff of Coastal Review for allowing me to continue submitting my columns during all this. I really appreciate it.

I have received offers to go on boats everywhere between Cape Cod and Florida. Hopefully I can make the most of some of those offers before too long. As Thoreau told us, “Be true to your work, your word, and your friends.” Maybe soon I’ll figure out how to actually catch a fish with one hand and see what that looks like.

It appears that what I used to say that I enjoyed about fishing — the anticipation of going fishing — is still the same, because I’m still anticipating the opportunity to go again. Hopefully, that wait won’t be too long.

You’ll be seeing me out there again before too long. I’m not sure exactly when, but I’m doing my best.

Mid-summer, North Carolina coast, 95 degrees Fahrenheit at 11 a.m. Southwest wind blowing doesn’t cool things off. Instead, it’s so humid it just feels like a furnace blowing on you.

You’re out there fishing. Nothing is happening. Even the fish are too hot. You just got out and you feel like you want to keep fishing, you figure something will happen … eventually. Maybe just wait for the tide to turn. In the meantime, we’ll just slather on more sunscreen. 

Let me tell you something, that’s all wrong. There are better ways to do these things that are not only more comfortable but also more productive.

First things first, unless you are 30 miles offshore, by 11 a.m., you should be heading back to the dock. In summer, you should be launching your boat in the predawn hours and heading to your first spot just as the sun is peeking over the horizon. Usually that’s about 5 a.m. or so in the middle of summer.

It means you will be fishing in low-light levels and also during the coolest part of the day. This is when the fish you are seeking will be most likely to be patrolling their feeding zones anyways. Our inshore surface temps can approach levels of 80 degrees or above in summer, especially after the sun has been blasting down for a couple hours.

That same sun blast is also tough on their eyes. Predatory fish see better at lower light levels than their targets. This means they feel confident in approaching prey species without being seen. By fishing at these times, we are focusing on the periods when they feel most confident.

You should also try fishing at night. A good rule of thumb is that when it’s too hot to fish during the day, you should go at night.

If you like to surf fish, nighttime is when big species come to the surf during summer. Cast your favorite surf plug in black, into your favorite spot the middle of a summer night. There’s no telling what you might find.

Fishing around lighted piers and docks is a great way to spend a summer evening. Red drum, speckled trout, ladyfish, jacks, maybe even a tarpon might swim by. Check out the Pfizer pier in the Cape Fear River near Southport. At night it can be loaded with all kinds of active fish. You can catch them on small jigs and plastic shrimp imitations. Ladyfish in particular are known to frequent lights at night. The leaping battler are a delight and those over 20 inches long put up a battle on light tackle that will remind you of their bigger tarpon cousins.

Another good option is to fish just before dark, especially on a day where there’s been rain. I have found that shallows that heat up during the day often will be be devoid of fish in the early evening. However, if it has been raining and cloudy all day, those same places will often have feeding fish move in during the late parts of the day. This is a great time to fish shallow flats for red drum and trout.

Cast a topwater plug around points and drop offs. As it gets later, you may often see fish in places that had none an hour before.

At some point, you will be out there under the sun. You need to be sure to take care of yourself. We all know about sunscreen by now. Make sure you have it on any exposed areas. You definitely want to limit the amount you get on your hands, fish can smell the stuff and don’t like it.

I also wear long-sleeved fishing shirts. These are made out of lightweight material that protects you from the sun while not allowing you to be overheated. The high-end versions of these will have collars that will fold up to cover your neck, sleeves that can be rolled and buttoned up if you need to, big front pockets that either zip or have full closures made of Velcro and even small loops to hold your rod when you need your hands free.

Choose a quality pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes. The less expensive ones you find on the counter at the drugstore may seem okay now, but in the long run they will cause eyestrain and if they are not smooth, they have blurry sections that might hurt your eyes. I prefer to spend the money and get quality sunglasses from the top-end manufacturers. Take care of them and they will last a long time. Make sure you have a way to keep them from falling off your face by using one of the commercially available sunglass leashes or even a piece of 20-pound test monofilament fishing line.

A long-billed fishing cap is a must. It will serve a double purpose. By blocking the sun from your eyes, it allows you to see in the water better to possibly sight fish. Also, it keeps the sun off. If you are follicly challenged, you don’t want a sunburn on your head. This is a good reason not use a visor, you’ll get a tan line that is “interesting.”

One of the main places that old fishing guides get sun-related sarcomas is on the back of their hands. There are special fingerless gloves made specifically for fishing in hot weather.

Finally, the main spots I like to cover with sunscreen, those that often get neglected, are my cheeks below the sunglass lenses and my ears. Getting a sunburn on the ears is unpleasant at best. When they start to peel afterwards, you end up with little flakes in your breakfast. Not ideal.

Fish at night. Get an early start to the day. Protect your skin. Importantly, bring plenty to drink. Pay attention to these details and fishing in the summer can be productive.

And when you can’t beat the heat, sometimes the best option is to just find a nice spot to get out and go for a swim.

I’m sure, since you’re reading this, that you like fishing or the outdoors, possibly even both. If I’m correct, have you ever wondered what the fishing is going to be like in the future, 10, 15, 20 or more years from now?

If you have, have you ever done anything about it?

Seth Vernon is a Wilmington-area, light-tackle fishing guide and family man who not only thinks about fishing’s future, he has decided to do something about it. Having turned 45 in March, his love for his family and desire for the fishing he loves so much to be there for them in the future has led him down a path as not only an outdoorsman but also a respected conservationist filmmaker and speaker.

Growing up in suburban Houston, Texas, Vernon’s earliest fishing opportunities were in local ponds with his boyhood chums. However, his grandfather, James Elon Vernon, or “Red,” as he was known, would transport him to the blackwater rivers of the Atchafalaya River Basin.

“There we would fish with cane poles and live crickets, plugs and casting rods for a variety of sunfish, crappie and bass,” Seth Vernon said.

This would set the stage for a fishing obsession that would last a lifetime. Vernon felt transported in time in the cypress rivers and realized they had been there for a long time precisely because someone in the past had taken time to make sure they would continue to be there.

“Those trips were magical, like being teleported to another world full of wonder and timelessness,” Vernon said.

Learning the trade

Seth Vernon knew early on he wanted to work in the fishing industry. After graduating in 2001 from Appalachian State with a Bachelor of Science in communications, he stayed in the area and worked at Foscoe Fishing Co. on the Watauga River. Later, in 2001, he left to guide anglers in Alaska, but Vernon returned to Boone the next year and went back to Foscoe, working alongside guide Ollie Smith.

“I learned an immense amount of the trade of working in a fly shop and operating a guide service,” Vernon said.

Those years, 1997-2001, also nurtured his love for the abundant variety of species in North Carolina’s High Country. With Smith as his mentor, they fished North Carolina waters and Tennessee tailwaters.

“Our primary targets in the mountains were trout, smallmouth and muskellunge,” Vernon said, adding that, most importantly, he learned about a new way of fishing. “Living in Boone was when I got involved in fly fishing.”

The connections he made there have lasted him, too. “I fish with my friends there as often as I can,” Vernon said.

Going coastal

Experience and connections proved invaluable in his big move to the coast in 2004. In  Wilmington, Vernon partnered with Stuart Smith — unrelated to Ollie Smith — in running Intracoastal Angler, a saltwater outfitting and tackle business. It was during this time that he realized that there was more he’d rather be doing than sitting at the counter. He began working more exclusively as a guide and then walked away from the tackle business altogether.

“In 2006, I launched Double Haul Guide Service to focus full time on charter fishing,” he said, adding that the focus is on inshore species. “Most of the fishing has been light-tackle spin-fishing, but I’m always wanting to push the envelope of what is possible in the way of fly fishing in saltwater.”

He pointed out that one aspect of his favorite style is often overlooked by those not familiar. “In my opinion, the biggest attraction to fly fishing is the visual nature of the pursuit. In saltwater, we’re more often than not ‘sight fishing’ in shallow water to actively feeding redfish, rolling tarpon, or busting albacore.”

It’s more than just catching a fish and seeing how many you can get by the end of the day, he said.

“Seeing a target fish species pursue and grab your fly is exhilarating. It’s a feeling all fly anglers chase,” Vernon said.

In terms of advice for the new saltwater fly angler, Vernon said the real key to consistency is casting ability.

“Distance is king, but there are many situations involving wind and clouds where a close presentation is necessary,” said the guide, who added that an angler must be ready at all times. “Each wind change, target fish or angle of presentation is its own puzzle. Be fluid, learn and adapt to the situation at hand.”

A nugget that could be Vernon’s catch-phrase: “Consistency is a byproduct of being flexible.”

Practice is what is going to make the difference between catching a prize fish or going home disappointed. There is a skill in fly fishing that is important to casting when it’s windy.

“For the new to saltwater fly angler, the best piece of advice I can give is learn to double haul. This is a casting technique that unlocks the hidden potential of your fly rod for improved accuracy, distance and ultimately control.”

Vernon described it as a way to increase the flex in your rod by pulling down with your line hand. That will result in longer casts. Not knowing how makes things more difficult, he said, adding that it’s best to practice this skill before heading to the water.

“Seek instruction from a professional, and when you think you’re ready to apply these new skills to the water, practice some more,” he said.

The Vernon family likes to get out on the water with him whenever they can. Vernon’s wife and daughter are accomplished anglers in their own right.

“I’m blessed that my wife Francesca and 13-year-old daughter Olivia enjoy the water as much as I do. Olivia is getting pretty good walking the dog with a topwater for redfish these days.”

It’s part of teaching her to deeply appreciate the world that she already enjoys so much.

“Olivia has shown an interest in fishing and the ecology of our sounds and beaches. I continue to foster her appreciation for the natural world and its inhabitants,” Vernon said, adding that he hopes the state’s natural beauty will still be there for her in the future. “Our state and its agencies can do better, but the citizens of this state will have to hold them accountable in order to see a positive outcome for the next generation of anglers.”

If you were to be stuck on a strange body of water somewhere in the world and told to catch a fish and didn’t know anything about the area, and if I handed you a jig, there is a chance you’d have some success.

Four out of five experienced anglers I surveyed agreed that the jig, in one form or another, is the most popular lure in the world. Plastic tail, feather tail, no tail, metal, skirted, baited or just plain bucktail, these variations, and who knows how many more, are really all a variation on the same theme: a weight added to a hook with some kind of additional attractant added (or not as we shall see).

Regardless of the specifics, the general idea of the jig exists wherever fish swim.

In the waters of the Southeast, the variety of jig that probably gets used more than any other is the lead head with a plastic tail. When they were first introduced sometime in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with a variety of different lures manufactured by Creme and Tom Mann, soft plastic fishing baits began to really carve out a spot in every angler’s tackle selection. Beginning in 1975 with the invention of the Mister Twister, you could say a real revolution began.

Now the variety of plastic tails available for fishing seems to approach the infinite. From products made by huge tackle conglomerates all the way down to guys in their garages pouring their secret concoctions and color blends. With all this variety, how do you choose?

Grab what looks good to you and fish with it. If a friend has caught something with it, grab that. If the guy at the tackle shop recommends it, get that too.

At one time or another there isn’t something that’s made that won’t work. The biggest flounder that I catch every year come on a ¼-ounce jighead with a 5-inch Zman Shadz tail. When fished in marsh channels around oyster bars in early fall, it resembles the silversides minnows that are everywhere at that time.

Retrieve with a snap-snap-pause-retrieve. Use braided line. Keep your rod tip low.

You’ll catch lizard fish, baby grouper, tiny bluefish, big pinfish, then the flounder and yeah … I guess you can catch some speckled trout and redfish doing this, too. Trout will hit with a slight tap. Lizards will grab and go. Big flounder will just feel like you’re snagged.

Have a net handy.

The classic style of jig is the bucktail. It’s simply a jighead with a deer hair tail wrapped around the hook and attached with thread. It was the first lure I ever caught a saltwater fish on (a striped bass on the Jersey Shore) and there’s a chance that more fish have been caught using one over the centuries than any other artificial fish enticer.

You can add a bit of shrimp, a squid strip, a piece of pork rind (which is how I used to do it), or just fish it plain. It works.

Cast it out there and snap your rod tip to make it bounce. Be prepared for anything that doesn’t feel right as it drops. A pause, a tap, a grab, some slack, then set the hook quickly. You don’t have to fall backwards out of the boat like some guy on a bass fishing TV show.

Quick, snap the rod-tip up. If your hook is sharp, it will find a spot. If you miss. Let it drop. A lot of times they will come get it again.

The last cobia I caught was on a bucktail jig with a plastic tail trailer. I don’t get to go offshore very often and when given the chance to go with a friend I accepted the invitation with enthusiasm. It was a perfect June day with calm seas and clear skies. We ran out to a wreck in 70 feet of water and shut down. Our goal was to see if we could get some amberjacks to smack a topwater plug but there were none present.

After a bit I looked down and saw three dark shapes swimming about 20 feet down. “Cobia!” I yelled as I grabbed a pre-rigged jig rod. I flipped it out and watched it sink to their cruising level. One rushed out and grabbed it and there it was. After a battle that saw a bunch of line disappear off the reel, I was able to get it boat-side. A true trophy caught on a jig.

There is a hybrid style called a jigging spoon. It’s not really a jig in the truest sense of the word, but when worked off the bottom, that’s what it is. It’s a metal lure with enough weight and density to get to the bottom quickly. When bounced off the bottom in our waters, it can produce almost everything that swims around a reef or wreck. A trailer is not needed. Snap your rod-tip up and pay attention to the line as it drops. Sometimes it will simply stop falling. Other times you’ll feel a little tap.

I’ve caught king mackerel that take it on the full run and kept going. Once in a while you’ll hook “something” that you never see. It’s just a phantom that pulls and threatens to bring you in.

These jigging spoons are sold in a variety of brand names. On our coast, the Stingsilver is quite popular. I recommend changing out the treble hooks to O’Shaughnessy-style singles in size 1/0 or 2/0. Expect to catch gray trout in the spring (some big ones have been around again), sea bass almost anytime, and of course, bait stealers and bottom dwellers of every variety.

If all you had in your tackle selection were these three types of jigs in a variety of weights matched to the depth and current speed — lighter for shallower and less current; heavier for deeper and faster — you could catch any fish that swims anywhere in the world.

Second in a series

Previously we’ve talked about catching, keeping, and using live mullet. This time let’s discuss crustaceans.

Crabs and shrimp are a huge part of the diet of the fish we pursue. We’ll take some of the things we’ve already learned, put them to use on a different species, then learn some new tactics.

According to a very scientific poll I conducted (I asked some guys I know), shrimp is one of the top forage items for inshore game fish species (Usually. Depending on time of year, availability, location, etc.). The trouble for anglers is that they are expensive to buy at the bait shop.

Depending on location and time of year, you can expect to pay upward of $5 a dozen at peak availability and up to $10 per dozen when they get scarce. They can be caught by anglers.

You have to be prepared ahead of time, and you can’t really predict when they will be in places where we can catch them. The same cast net we used for mullet will work. Shrimp need to be in shallow water for cast-netting and it helps if you can see them.

If you are in a shallow creek and you spot them flipping and jumping, get the cast net out. My problem is that when I am in shallow water, my boat is too small to bring a cast net all the time. So, the Boy Scout motto is useful here. Throw the net on top of where you see them jumping. Quickly get them into a livewell with fresh recirculating water.

The best way to fish them in shallow creeks is under a popping cork. Use a size 1/0 single hook and place the hook under the horn. Do not pierce the dark spot that is the brain or it will die immediately. If trout, reds, or flounder are present, the cork will disappear quickly. Any that are left over can be frozen and used for a future bottom fishing trip. The biggest ones should be separated from the rest and brought home to be used for shrimp cocktail.

Flea treatment

Another crustacean that a lot of fish think is a delightful snack is the little beach-burrowers called mole crabs, or popularly known as sand fleas. They dig into the sand right in the wash where the waves lap the beach. Fish such as red drum and pompano will get very shallow and grab them if they are unlucky enough to get swept out.

They can be caught in a couple ways. You’ll see kids at the beach scooping them with their hands when they are building sand castles. This is a valid method for anglers, if we don’t need too many, or if they are abundant enough — then we can just grab them whenever we need them. But it can be hit or miss.

A more dependable method is a sand flea rake. They’re sold everywhere. They’ll last you forever with a little care. You can also make your own using plans you can find everywhere on the internet.

The idea is to scoop into the soft sand where the waves are running out and get the fleas burrowing there. Then you simply put them into a bucket. They’ll last you all day.

Some cultures eat them by deep-frying. I can’t get past the sand that inevitably gets left behind.

We can fish with them in a variety of ways. We can put one on each hook of an old standby two hook bottom rig and toss it out there. That might work. But let’s be more specific.

Let’s say we want to catch some fish in the surf. Pompano might be our top target. The best pompano fishermen use custom rigs tied with circle hooks in size 1 and 1/0 using two or even three at a time. Hook the flea through the tail and fish in the trough between two bars. It’s going to be a spot where the waves don’t break as much and is the spot where all the best beach fishing is going to take place.

Sheepshead will often be seen hanging around pier pilings and can be difficult to catch. Be prepared with sand fleas and fish them using the new style bottom-fishing jigs that are known as sheepshead jigs, or bottom sweepers. They will stay in place as the waves go in and out. Set the hook quickly and get them away from the pilings.

Fiddler on the hook

Our last crustacean of note is going to be the fiddler crab.

This is a popular bait to use for sheepshead around bridges and dock pilings all along the sounds and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. You will see them on mudflats waving their claws in the air at low tide.

It takes a little fore knowledge and some planning to find a hard bottom flat you can access and the time of the day it will be exposed. Then it’s simply a matter of rounding them up. It’s usually a two-person game, at least. You need to walk toward each other on the flat to get them in between.

I’ve read in old issues of Field and Stream about using a couple two-by-fours laid out on the ground to corral them and herd them. Simply pick them up. I know they’ve got that big claw that looks a little scary. It can’t really hurt. Maybe a little pinch some times. Nothing scary.

Now find a dock or a bridge where they are known to be found. Pull off the big claw and put the hook of a bottom sweeper jig through that hole. Drop it to the bottom. Little nibblers will poke at it. A sheepshead worth catching will grab it. A bonus catch will be black drum.

Those are some baits to use when the fish are feeling a bit crabby. Chances are, you won’t be after you get done fishing with them.

First of three parts.

There are probably as many ways to catch a fish with a hook and a line as there are different species.

I prefer to use a fly rod most of the time. Casting different lures like plugs, jigs and spoons is very popular. But there is no denying that if the ultimate goal of a day on the water is to bring as many fish to hand as possible, then the number one way to do it is by using living examples of the things the fish actually eat.

Live bait.

It doesn’t just look, smell and move like the real thing, it actually is the real thing.

A live bait on a hook even emits distress vibrations that attract predatory fish. That makes it irresistible and can often result in immediate hookups with the target fish.

Having said that, there are a myriad of bait options out there. As an angler you need to know what fish you are targeting and what types of things they like to eat.

You can usually buy almost any bait you need at a local bait shop. Part of the excitement however can be catching it before you head out. There are times when doing so can be completely out of the question.

If you want to catch a big trout from the pier in early December, you will need healthy, live shrimp that are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to obtain in our waters at that time. An early call to your local shrimp shop will be needed to reserve and you might need to have your credit card handy to pay the hefty fee. Otherwise, with different bait at different times of the season, you have options.

Except for the aforementioned shrimp, I would bet that a live mullet spends as much time being used for bait as any of the other options combined. They are readily available and seem to swim on the surface all the time so as to present an easy target for capture. Most everything will eat one, including the “glamour” inshore species of trout, flounder and red drum.

The pursuit of mullet means you will have to have a couple things ready and know how to use them. First is a cast net. If you have never seen one in use then you must be new here. They are ubiquitous in coastal waters worldwide and invaluable in the pursuit of small fish that school in shallow water.

The need to practice beforehand should be obvious the first time you see somebody use one who hasn’t. The preferred shape you want to see when the net spreads out on the water is a lovely circle commonly called a “pancake.” This pancake shape gets more and more difficult to achieve as the net diameter increases. Without practice, this shape will oftentimes more resemble a banana than a pancake.

I would suggest starting with a 6-foot diameter. Smaller is effective and bigger starts to get more difficult. Watch some videos. Practice in the yard. Then get out on the water and look for the fast-moving wakes a school of mullet make when streaking just under the surface. First time may not be so great. As you gain proficiency, it will be better.

The next thing you need is something to keep them in. A plain bucket of fresh saltwater will be okay for a quick place to hold them if you are walking a shoreline. But in order to stay alive all day, they will need oxygenation.

Most boats have livewells of some kind. Some work better than others and some don’t work at all. Make sure yours is in proper working order, the water recirculates as it should and the aerator sprays. This keeps the water fresh and your mullet lively.

When shore fishing, you will need to buy a bucket aerator. It’s a small device that is readily available. It consists of a small plastic box that holds the batteries and a small pump and usually has a metal clip that can be used to hang to the side of a bucket. Attached to this will be a couple feet of clear vinyl hose that goes into the water. At the end of the hose will be a small “oxygen stone” that supposedly promotes oxygen into the water but really acts as a weight that keeps the end of the hose where it’s needed instead of flopping all over.

Let me add that you need to have a lid on the bucket because mullet are very good at jumping all over the place.

What do we do with these mullet now that we have them? The short answer is, it depends. Things like target species, water depth, and bottom composition are contributing factors that will determine the methods used.

Deep holes at the mouths of creeks are a good spot to find almost anything. Often there will be a smooth bottom with relatively few obstructions. A Carolina Rig consisting of a hook attached to a heavy monofilament leader attached to a barrel swivel and then tied to your main line will catch whatever swims there and is also a great option for an inlet or along the edge of a drop-off in the surf.  A circle hook is often the best option to avoid deep-hooking any undersized fish, due to that style of hook lodging in the corner of the mouth and not getting deep-hooked.

An option to think of when using Carolina Rigs around heavy structure like a reef or wreck is to use a leader line that is lighter than the main line, so when it gets snagged on something, it can be broken off without losing the entire rig. In shallow marsh creeks, the bottom is often full of oyster shells that will steal your entire set up. For these areas it is best to use a popping cork. Attach your hook to a heavy leader and then tie that leader to the bottom of the cork. Once that’s done, tie your main line to the other end.

Cast this rig upstream of you in a creek and as it drifts with the current there is a good chance something will grab it. The bait being suspended off the bottom should prevent it from snagging most of the time.

When you become proficient at catching your own bait, you will then be able to use that information to become better at capturing your ultimate targets too.

If you do research on plug fishing, you’ll find all about old lures like the Heddon Lucky 13, Creek Chub Pikie Minnow and other classics of the genre.

Which came first is a matter of debate that goes on still. Basically, they started out as carved-wood replicas of baitfish and were created primarily for freshwater bass fishing.

There’s a famous story of James Heddon whittling on a piece of wood, tossing it in the water when he was done, and watching as a bass came up and swallowed it. This may or may not be actual fact, but the point remains that carved-wood fishing lures have caught a lot of fish over the years.

Today your plugs are more than likely made of molded plastic, tested in a tank at a research lab, and can do everything from dance on the surface to dive down more than 30 feet deep. Let’s take a look at popular plugs used for inshore fishing on our coast and how we fish them.

Let’s start on the top. Topwater plugs come in quite a few styles. For our purposes we will focus on two, poppers/chuggers and dog walkers.

Poppers and chuggers are pretty much the same thing. The main difference I’ve ever seen is what the manufacturer seems to want to call it. Maybe there is a difference in the noise they make. I can’t tell a difference.

I’ve used big bottle poppers made by Yozuri to catch amberjack on nearshore reefs. The bottle popper is so named due to the shape that resembles a Coke bottle. It has a big hollowed-out face and makes a lot of noise that can call in fish from quite a ways. It’s a good choice in deeper water when you know fish are staging off the bottom and looking around. The noise will bring them running.

When speckled trout are in the surf and the water is not too cold, they will come up for a popper as well. The distinctive sound will get their attention and the shape and movement as the plug is twitched across the surface will trigger a strike. The other type of topwater we like to use is the dogwalking style. I like the Rapala Skitterwalk, others prefer the Mirrolure She Dawg.

Work it by twitching your rod tip with a slight amount of slack line between twitches. The slack allows the lure to change direction and when done properly, it will dart across the surface in a zigzag manner. Darting along, making a slight splash — they have rattles inside to make noise that is great for attracting attention in shallow waters. I’ve seen red drum and trout move from 40 feet away to come and smash them.

Fish will target prey species that are having a difficult time and a dogwalking plug must really look like an easy target.

Next, we will consider swimming plugs. This style was really popularized with the Rapala Finnish swimmers introduced by the Normark Corp. in the 1970s. Now they are made by every tackle company.

Popular models include the Rapala X Rap, Shimano SP, and other similar. It’s basically a long, thin minnow-shaped plug with a plastic lip on the front. When pulled through the water, the lip will produce a wiggle and a vibration.

This style seems to be best in clear waters between 5 and 12 feet deep. You can catch fish simply by reeling the line in with no embellishments. I have found that adding a pause after a twitch will trigger strikes and any kind of hesitation will usually be when a fish bites.

I’ve caught speckled trout, red drum, striped bass, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, bonito and even flounder and, of course, lizardfish with them in saltwater. A good point to realize is that by varying the size of the lip, we can make the lure work at different depths. A smaller and thinner lip will work shallow, while a longer and thicker lip will dive deep.

Smaller diving plugs like the Yozuri DD series can be trolled with a light rod. The big, deep-diving plugs pull so hard that a pretty heavy rod will be needed just to fish them, whether trolled or casted. But they can get down to fish holding in deep water that might not be able to be accessed in other ways besides a deep jigging approach.

Finally, we will take a look at the lipless darter plug. These will be cigar- or teardrop-shaped and they usually sink at rest. The sink rates will vary with the brand and model. We usually will fish slower-sinking plugs as the water gets colder through the fall. After casting, a quick twitch of the rod tip makes it dart. Pause. Twitch again. Pause again. Twitch, twitch. Pause, etcetera. The strikes come on the pause.

Most speckled trout anglers fishing in creeks in late fall and winter will be using the teardrop-shaped darter plugs such as the Mirrolure MR 17. If you see anglers lined up and casting to a slough on the beach in October and November, they will primarily be using the cigar-shaped versions like the Mirrolure 52, even though some larger versions of the teardrop-shaped plug are starting to become popular as well.

If fishing in a creek with faster current, use the ones that are weighted a little more and sink a bit faster. I’ve caught fish on them right through January in fast-moving water. You can find the darter that matches your water conditions and fish moods by using the ones with more or less weight and slower or faster sink rates. Darters are some of the most popular styles of plugs used for speckled trout fishing all along our coast.

By being aware of these different types of plugs and knowing how to fish them and when, you can catch fish in almost any situation.

A final note on topwater too, many anglers look at them as some kind of stunt, or that it only works at low water or during low-light periods. When the water is hot and there is a lot of bait around, I consider topwater plugs the best way to fish. In an informal poll I took of experienced recreational and professional anglers, they were overwhelmingly listed as their most effective style of plugs. Keep that in mind when choosing how to proceed.

Manufacturers of plugs used by the author and those polled were the following:

• Mirrolure.
• Rapala.  
• Yozuri.

I hear all the time from people how they love winter: That first snowfall, Christmas decorations, sweater weather.

It’s something they love. Look, I get it.

After months and months of oppressive heat, winter is a welcome break. But I have to tell you something, by the end of college football in January, I’m done with it. I’m ready for warm breezes and wearing shorts and T-shirts. Going fishing in January can be exercise in frustration.

If you don’t have a boat with a cabin, it gets cold. I don’t love it. Piloting a small skiff across open water can be chilling — to the bone. If you must do it, here are some things to think about.

First of all, you want to make sure the wind can’t get to you. You have to have a warm shell of some kind. We used to call them “windbreakers” when I was a kid. It won’t matter how thick a sweater you have on, if the wind – “The Hawk,” as Chicagoans might say — gets you, you are in for an uncomfortable day.

How should you bundle up from bottom to top then? First, you need a lightweight layer, close to the skin. Long johns, we used to call them, and maybe folks still do. Now, the lightweight modern materials are better, warmer and keep moisture away from the skin.

All the big manufacturers of outdoor clothing make what is referred to in the business as “base layer” clothes. Get the kind that is made for coldest weather and not for jogging or skiing. They’ll be lightweight but offer more warmth than those old red flannels your grandfather had.

Next, a pair of pants made out of polar fleece and a fleece shirt. We’re talking about layers to trap the warm air in and keep cold out.

Then, for pants, you’ll want something more than just a pair of jeans. I have insulated winter pants. For your top half, a sweatshirt that will fit over everything. Then add your wind shell. Alternatively, if you can find it, a snowmobile suit like they wear to zip around frozen lakes in Minnesota can be especially useful if you do a lot of winter fishing.

In addition, get a pair of warm socks and some boots or shoes that are waterproof. The old-school white boots are good, just add a comfortable insole. They don’t have much cushion in the bottom.

Another handy item is a neck gaiter. The same companies that make the summer sun-protection sleeves for your face also make warm ones with fleece linings for winter. This can make the difference in a good day or a miserable one.

Make sure your jacket buttons, snaps or zips all way up to your face, and keep it zipped while driving.

Now why would I, a professed hater of winter, even want to venture outside during January? Believe it or not there is a decent speckled trout bite.

As far back as you can go in the same creeks where you caught them during October, they’ll most likely be there now. I mean all the way back. Back where the creek is so narrow two boats can’t pass at full speed without spraying each other with their wakes.

Fish a lot slower than you did in the fall. They’ll hit many of the same lures. I’ll often use a ¼-ounce jighead with a Zman Shadz plastic tail — experiment with colors. The water will be quite clear, so garish colors might be too bright and not attract strikes.

Except for the days that they will.

I also like the heavy-weighted Mirrolure Mirrodine plug. Pink seems to be a triggering color. Let the current swing them. With the Mirrodine you’ll have to cast it upstream or it just swings out too high in the water column. A jig you might be able to cast it in any direction you want to cover water. Depends on how swift the current is. On a strong tide you’ll have to cast upstream.

You want to think of the fish as just kind of sitting there and not really interested in chasing. They want it to come right near them as they hold in the current.

Strikes will not be very forceful. Sometimes it will be nothing more than an extra weight. Set the hook quickly. Don’t be too forceful, but be fast.

Every winter there is a monster trout or two caught around here. In February 2022, a new state record 12-pound, 8-ounce state record fish was caught in Pamlico County by Todd Spangler of Merritt, and in November 2022, Cathy Jones of Belhaven caught an 11-pound, 3-ounce fish not too far away from the other.

Imagine seeing a 33-inch trout roll up next to the boat and realizing your net might be too small. Even more reason for getting out there when things get colder.

Another thing that’s happening the past couple of winters has been a bluefin tuna bite. This is not in narrow creeks unfortunately. Those doing it are usually in the most seaworthy boats. I say usually because once in a while there is a story of someone going out and catching a monster in a smallish center-console all by himself.

A father-and-son team from Virginia were in a 22-foot Grady White when they got one estimated at more than 1,000 pounds out of Oregon Inlet. The fish was bigger than the piloting area in the boat.

Usually, however, you’re going to be pursuing them in bigger boats. The guys who are out there every day are normally in the bigger sportfishermen, with cabins and enclosed piloting areas — not just for comfort, but for safety. However, I know a few guys who do it a lot in 25-foot center-consoles and have caught a few worth talking about.

Any bluefin is worth talking about, actually.

Just like in any winter fishing, the key is to dress warmly, stay dry, be prepared for any situation.

I’d say the key to having a good time on the water in winter is to be smart and safe. That water is cold. Anything under 60 degrees Fahrenheit can suck the strength out of you really fast, and all those clothes and boots you wear will make it extremely difficult if you should fall over.

The official recommendation is to wear your personal flotation device 100% of the time when the water is below 65 degrees.

The fish are out there, if you know how to safely pursue them and have the correct gear, you’ll do fine.

Finally, let me add that this is the second anniversary of the Angler’s Angle. The editors of Coastal Review have been exceptional to work with and we are lucky to have such an excellent resource. It’s been a great relationship and I’m looking forward to continuing.

Fishing means a lot of different things to people. For some it’s a simple escape from the hectic world, for others a way to connect with family, still others have managed to use it as a way to earn a living in the world. For Dave Rohde of Kitty Hawk, it’s not hyperbole to say that fishing saved his life.

The fish-rich waters of the Northwest is where this story begins. Born in Pocatello, Idaho, and raised in Seattle, fishing was part of Rohde’s life from the very beginning. His father would shepherd him around to local fishing holes.

“I started fishing when I was 5 or 6 years old and my dad would take me to stocked farm ponds to fish for trout,” he recalled recently.

Ironically though, Rohde’s father didn’t fish much himself.

“My father was supposed to be a fisherman. In my 18 years in his house, I only saw him fish once, but our house was loaded with antique bamboo fly rods by famous makers such as Horrocks-Ibbotson and other famous rod builders.”

When confronted with the problem of catching fish, Rohde figured it out one way or the other.

“I was a completely self-taught angler and I would fish the streams around my house in Seattle with eggs and worms until I graduated to Mepps and Panther Martin spinners,” he explained.

Later, he found advice in the printed word and outside helpers: “I learned mostly from Boys Life and the Scouts.”

Like many in the armed services, Rohde’s family moved around a bit, first from Seattle to Puerto Rico and then to the Tidewater, Virginia, area. Rohde didn’t fish much in Puerto Rico but a new passion found him while there.

“From 19 to 24, surfing dominated my life, and when I was in Puerto Rico, surfing was my focus.”

Once the family moved to Virginia his passion turned again to fishing.

“As soon as I returned to the mainland I was back at it.”

Then in 1976 he met the woman who would become his first wife.

“When I was 24, I met my wife to be, Gretchen Majors.” This relationship would change his life in more ways than he could ever had imagined at that time. Rohde met a man who would teach him the fishing and outdoors skills he still uses.

“Her father was a gentleman named Ergo Majors III. He simply became my life mentor, taught me how to fly fish, tie my own flies, shoot clays and load my own shells,” Rohde said. “This man was as important to me as my own father. He was larger than life to say the least.”

And then Rohde’s star began to rise in the surfing community.

“By this time, I was a well-known West Coast surfboard builder and I split my passion between fishing and surfing.”

While out West, Rohde started to fish some legendary waters.

“I started going to Mammoth, California, fly fishing the Kern Valley rivers, and to Northern California to chase steelhead,” he said.

But then it all came apart.

When his marriage ended messily in 1980, it affected him deeply.

“When my marriage fell apart, I went on a mini self-destruct and ended up in my dad’s house in Norfolk, Virginia. I really didn’t fish much for three or four years,” Rohde said, adding that he found solace in drinking and drugs at that time. It took an outside force to bring him out of it.

“The company I was working for, Wave Riding Vehicles, moved their factory to the Outer Banks and it was game-on with fishing again,” Rohde said.

Among those in the sport, Rohde is a well-known name for his surfboard-shaping prowess, and a WRV board bearing the Rohde name is highly coveted.

“I started fly fishing the bass ponds in Currituck and chasing bluefish on the beach,” he said, and that is what brought him out of a very dangerous time. Rohde figures that if not for fishing he may not be here today.

“I got sober in 1994 and started fly fishing for stripers around Oregon Inlet. By 1996, I was doing wade trips around the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. I’ve been guiding on the Outer Banks ever since,” he said.

Then in 2000, Rohde met Joanne Lassiter, and he called her a great influence who made him a father with her son, Alex Lassiter.

“I had him since he was 10 and I raised him like he was my own. He and I would go surfing and fishing together all the time,” Rohde said.

But then a few years later, tragedy hit and again threatened to pull Rohde apart.

“Alex passed away from a very rare cancer in 2013, and I stepped away from guiding for six years,” Rohde said. But once again, his lifelong passion found him and brought him back. “After we lost our son, fishing and surfing saved me. Fishing brought me mentally back from the abyss of loss and depression.”

Rohde has been fly fishing for a long time and has a few words of wisdom for those getting into the sport: “The only way to get better at anything, and especially fly fishing, is practice and a good mentor.”

Having a good place to practice also makes all the difference, he added.

“My father-in-law introduced me to the San Diego fly fishers. We would go to Balboa Park on Sundays and there would be a ton of guys there that would work with me on my cast. There is no substitute for this. YouTube videos will not make you a good caster.”

Lacking a professional club of outstanding fly casters, just get out there on a pond or lawn or wherever there is enough room, he advised.

“I think the most important thing in saltwater fly fishing is presentation. The ability to cast the right fly that swims properly, to the right spot, is the key to success. And if you can’t cast over 30 or 40 feet, you’re going to be out of luck quite often.”

These days, Rohde keeps busy with a multitude of projects. He’s guiding still around the Oregon Inlet area, but there’s more.

“I supply all the local shops with flies. I still build a few surfboards. But I do it all part-time now,” he said.

And fishing remains a favorite pastime, but he’s also found new passions.

“My preferred method of fishing is fly, but I probably actually spin fish 70% of the time. Totally situational,” he said.

That other more recent driving force of late has been Rohde’s soft spot for animals. He is involved with animal rescue and specifically saving the feral and abandoned cats that proliferate all along the North Carolina coast.

“I’m quite an animal activist. I do trapping for the local animal rescue groups, and I’ve saved several cats myself,” he said.

And for those reading this who might feel they’re in a dark place like he once was, Rohde offers encouragement.

“I’m not shy about getting sober. If I can do it, anybody can,” he said.

As you walk across the dunes, the sun’s glow is just below the horizon. It’s a crisp November morning. The water temperature is in the lower 60s. In front of you is a perfect spot for speckled trout to congregate on their beachfront migration.

The surf is barely waist high. You step into the water and your waders wrap glove-like around your legs. The current is moving to the left. Make a cast, slightly to the right to accommodate for the current. There are breaking waves just close enough to reach with a long cast. Just to the left of them the water is smoother.

Cast again into the edge of the breaking waves. Twitch, twitch reel.

The top crescent of the sun is just now peering over. Thump! You set the hook onto a solid fish. It turns and tries to run into deeper water but your drag is set properly and your knots are well tied. The fish bulldogs into a wave, you wait until the next one comes in. Get the fish swimming towards you and surf it onto the sand. A sleek 3-pounder.

This scenario is common wherever speckled trout are present on the North Carolina coast. Many people pursue them every year. Many are successful. Many more are not. The reasons for both are myriad.

The tackle, lures, location and timing all come into play. Get one of them wrong and you are out of the action. I am going to try to help the angler up his odds of success.

If you are a novice surf angler, this will dramatically close your learning curve. If you do this once a year on vacation, you will know some of these things, but there is more. If you are an accomplished speckled trout angler but don’t surf fish for some reason, this will be a way to take what you know and apply it differently. If you are a veteran surf angler who lives near the beach and fishes the run every day, give me a call and tell me what I’ve gotten wrong!

There is not enough space to give a comprehensive breakdown here, just a quick summation. A person could write a whole book about this subject. (I did actually. It’s called “Speckled Trout from the Surf,” and it’s available wherever you might buy a book online).

Start with the conditions. Ideally you want light winds or winds from behind. This will keep the surf down and allow the water to be clear. Not crystal clear, it gets difficult to fool them when it’s too clear. I guess it’s easier for them to see what’s wrong. Lower waves also make it easier to wade out a little farther, which means we can get our casts out past that bar. Sometimes those first three cranks of the reel handle are when you’ll get strike after strike while others, who may not be able to get out as far, won’t.

In that regard, let’s talk about gear that maximizes distance. You want a rod about 8 feet long with a fast action that is rated for 10- to 20-pound test line. Rig this with a light spinning reel in the 2500 size range. Fill your reel with 15-pound test braided line. This set up will allow you to cast light lures a long way.

But which lures should we be using?

I prefer to use a plug most of the time when surf fishing. I — and a lot of others — still prefer using the old style Mirrolure 52 MR. But there are lots of new options. The size XL Mirrodine plug by Mirrolure has been a popular choice that I’ll probably give a slot in my tackle box this year. The Rapala Sub Walk is a good option as well. What you want is something about 4 to 5 inches long with a compact shape and a little weight to it so it casts well without tumbling.

As far as color, in the surf, anything with red in it seems to do the trick. There are probably scientific papers written about it somewhere, but all I know is that red gets bites. Next, if I had to choose another, it would be pink and there are plenty of fish caught around here on the old black and gold combination.

Finally, a few words about location and time. If you have a beach vehicle with four-wheel drive AND a beach driving permit from the town in which you’re fishing, driving the beach at low tide will give you a good look at beach shape.

Look for the places where the outer bar is broken and there is a slough in to the beach. These will be the prime feeding locations. Some spots are better at higher tides while others are better at lower. Some spots have almost no water on them at low tide, so you might have to find another. Piers, jetties, and rockpiles will block the water and create holes nearby so they are always worth checking out. In fact, if you don’t have a beach vehicle, you can catch fish merely by driving from pier to pier until you find something that’s worth checking out.

Often, regardless of tide, the best time to be fishing the beach for fall-run speckled trout is dawn. I prefer to be rigged and ready the night before, so the moment I step out of the truck all I have to do is put on waders and get going.

Your first casts should be hitting the water while it’s still dark. Hopefully you scoped it out the day before and you know where you’re casting. Pitch it out there as far as you can, start reeling slowly, twitch the rod tip. Twitch again. Continue a slow retrieve.

Twitch, reel, twitch, twitch. Thump!

Feeling that thump in the dark is a whole new world. No way of knowing just what you have until you set the hook. It could be a 6-pounder. It could be a 12-incher. Have to get out there and find out.

People are always saying things about how they are going to take the thing they love to do and turn it into their life’s work. Most of us never act on it. Tim Still of Havelock has, and by all accounts seems to be doing well at it.

Next time you’re in a tackle shop, look at the selection of casting spoons, chances are, Still’s Beach Bum Lures will be represented on that rack. Still has taken his avocation and turned it into an ongoing vocation. It’s not many of us who can make their love of fishing into a successful career. 

Originally from Salisbury, that’s where Still was introduced to fishing by his family.

“I grew up pond and river fishing with my family for crappie, bream, catfish and white bass,” he recently told Coastal Review.

It was his father’s best friend, Mr. J.C. Campbell, who taught him about doing more than just sitting and waiting.

“He only used artificial baits, which I found more interesting because he was constantly moving around the pond looking for fish rather than waiting.”

Mainly, Still enjoyed pond and river fishing for panfish as a kid, but the saltwater was always there, an annual event.

“Once a year we would go to Virginia to fish for spot and croaker,” he explained.

As he got older, Still developed into a good athlete, good enough to play three sports in high school and to play college baseball.

“In high school, I played football, baseball and indoor track; I played college baseball at Wingate University,” he said, referring to the private

He was also good enough to pursue a career as a baseball player for several years. But like most of us, he had to come back to Earth and get a job. For a while the sports world continued to keep him busy.

“After baseball ended, I was a sports writer at the Sun Journal in New Bern, then at the Daily Reflector in Greenville,” he recalled. Then a career change landed him in Charlotte, where he worked for Wachovia, now Wells Fargo.

But another change was in the works.

Still made untold numbers of trips to the coast from Charlotte and developed a real love for casting to schooling fish from the beach.

Spanish mackerel and false albacore will bite anything shiny when they are visibly feeding close to shore. The problem was, Still said, many of the products available to do the job were made with poor finishes that flaked off after a few fish strikes, along with cheap hooks and split rings that bent or rusted quickly.

Still decided to do something about it.

“I started Beach Bum Lures Fishing Co. in 2019, full time in 2021-present, designing lures for saltwater fishing,” said Still.

The way Still figured, even though quality finishes and hardware might cost a little more, he could still get into the market at a lower price point than some of the mass-produced casting spoons. He began to produce higher-quality lures with longer-lasting paint jobs, nicer sharp hooks, and split rings that don’t break. He does it all himself.

At first, Still’s output was just a way to pay fishing expenses, but he gradually shifted to a full-time operation.

“I manage sales, design, quality control and customer service. From start to the order being delivered, I handle pretty much every step in the process,” he said.

That vertical integration – cutting out the middle man — helps keep the lures competitively priced.

“The plan is to handle distribution, production, and anything else independently, rather than through a distributor,” he said.

Still shares his home in Havelock with Shirley, his wife of 24 years, a Vanceboro native, and his three younger kids.

“We have six kids, three are adults, three in school. The younger kids all enjoy fishing and really like being close to the beach,” Still said. “I will fish for just about anything if I’m able to use an artificial bait.”

But he has definite favorites: “Spanish mackerel and false albacore are at the top of the list.” And fishing from the surf or shore is what he enjoys most.

“I prefer being on the sand rather than a boat or pier. I like the challenge of coming up with a strategy,” he said, adding that surf fishing is definitely not a game of numbers most days. “The key to my and many others’ success is putting the time in and being OK with the fact that some days, you’re not going to catch them.”

That’s a pretty good outlook to remember no matter what kind of fishing you’re doing. A big key to success in surf fishing is being aware of the variable conditions that will affect fish location and their feeding mood.

“Understanding the wind direction, water temperature and clarity are vital for the type of fishing that I do and those three things are everything,” he said.

If you understand how these three things combined with tide affect the fish you seek, you greatly enhance your chances of success. The only way to know this is by being aware of what is going on through time on the water.

In terms of the future, Still sees himself continuing to grow his business, expanding beyond North Carolina. “

The market is wide open,” Still said, noting that he has a lot of new product in the pipeline. “I’ve only sold 10% of my designs this season. I will introduce them a few at a time, adding onto already-established patterns.”

Anglers who know are likely looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Fall is here. Days are getting shorter. Temperatures are dropping. Women — and men — are getting their favorite sweaters out of their closets. It’s happening. Fishing is going to start getting dramatic around here.

The decreasing photo period each day drives fish to start making decisions and preparations that will put them in obvious locations for us to target them. Let’s take a look at a typical fall day and see what we can do.

We check the forecast and it looks like there will be light north winds blowing for a couple days and continuing into the day we want to fish. Let’s take a look at the tides. We’re going to have a rising tide in the morning with full high around 11 a.m. Check the current and tide heights. Not going to be too high and the current will be moderate. That means if we get started around 7 a.m. the current will be moving nicely but not too strong and the tide’s not going to be so high that the fish can disappear on us at the peak.

Now, let’s make a plan.

Let’s assume we have a center-console boat from 18 to 22 feet long. We can cover a lot of ground in a boat that size. Not shallow-draft enough to fish way back on the flats. Not big enough to really fish offshore. Just medium enough to get around.

We’ll find a place where there are channels through marsh grass near a river mouth. Speckled trout will stage in these areas. It just so happens they bite quite nicely on a morning incoming tide. Let’s be there first thing and have a variety of jigs in different weights and plastic tails in various sizes and colors.

We’ll find a spot in a channel where the water is deeper on one side and quite shallow on the other. These neck-down type of zones are where they will congregate. We’ll anchor upcurrent of the deeper area and make long casts.

Try to be quiet with the anchor. If the fish are there, we should get bites right away.

We catch a couple and the bite slows down after 30 minutes. Quietly raise the anchor and slowly move down current a little ways to cover water we have not reached yet. Again, we quietly drop the anchor and repeat. We’ll do this all the way down the channel. As long as nobody blows through the middle with their big motor on full blast and scaring all the fish out and swamping us with their wake, it should be fine.

I don’t know anybody who would do that anyway (or maybe I do).

As the tide nears its apex the bite starts to slow. Time to do something else.

There’s a creek nearby with a nice hole at the mouth. Let’s cast-net some mullet. We’ll rig them on Carolina Rigs. (You do know what Carolina Rig is don’t you?) Fish the mullet in the hole. Anchor on the upcurrent side again and let the baits sweep down in the hole. Set the rods in the holders with circle hooks.

Oh, one is going down. Come tight. It’s a nice flounder. Is the season still open? It’s not. Let him slide back.

Now the other rod goes down. After a battle with a little more spunk, it’s a nice red drum. This is shaping up to be a good day.

The water is starting to get a little shallow for our boat. Time for another change of venue. Let’s head toward the inlet.

We’ll change out our rods for ones rigged with small metal jigs and 30-pound test fluorocarbon leaders. We changed the treble hooks to single hooks last night to make it easier on the fish and on us when unhooking the potential toothy critters we might encounter.

Spanish mackerel are jumping just outside the inlet. Pull up and cast our jigs in the school. Reel as fast as possible. Right away we’re both hooked up to nice sized macks. They are in the 18- to 20-inch range. Nice fish. They are spunky and fight hard. It feels like a snag when we hook up because they swim so fast.

A huge school of similarly sized bluefish suddenly starts blowing up all around us. Gulls are screeching and diving. Minnows are fleeing. It’s mayhem. The blues look to be around 25 inches or so. Maybe a little bigger. Five-pounders at least. When they bite, it’s a circus. They jump like crazy when hooked and try to take fingers with them. Use the pliers to get the hooks out. There’s fish blood and minnows all over the boat now.

Then we see a bigger set of splashes off to the side of the bluefish school. False albacore have moved in. It’s been about a year since we’ve seen these brutal battlers. Time to get our fishing line stretched out.

We move the boat in close and … the same guy who almost swamped us in the trout channel has cut in front of us. After mumbling a few choice words about him, we spot another group of albacore. We both launch casts and hook up at the same time. Both fish are now screaming line off our reels. After a 10-minute battle we are able to land our fish.

Look around. It’s over. The tide has bottomed out. It’s been a great day. We hang out for a while, hoping that something will start again as the tide stats to come in. But nothing’s really happening.

This is a typical day this time of year, repeated all along our coast. It pays to be prepared to do a variety of things over the course of the day. Because a variety of things is pretty much what we expect to see.

Make the plan. Execute the plan. Be prepared with options to the plan. That makes for success on the water during autumn.

The stereotypical image of the fly angler may be that of an older man with a faded-out vest and a well-worn, long-brimmed cap, stalking a trout stream somewhere in the hills.

In saltwater fly fishing, you might think of a leather-skinned gentleman, who squints all the time due to a lifetime spent in bright sunshine looking for fish.

Kristi Irvin of Kitty Hawk is here to break all your stereotypes.

She’s young, doesn’t have leathery skin, and rarely — if ever — squints.

In the past few years, she’s gotten into fly fishing in a big way and has cashed the receipts to prove it. Her fly fishing journey has taken her to some pretty special spots and aided her with some personal healing, as well.

Like so many who grew to be accomplished anglers, Irvin grew up in a family that fished together.

“I’m from central Pennsylvania, and I grew up in a large family of avid fishermen,” Irvin told Coastal Review.

It was her father, Scott Pecht, however, whom she credited with really getting her going.

“My father would take us on several trips a year to fish in Canada. I remember the excitement of being allowed to go out in the boat with my dad,” she said.

Back home in Pennsylvania, she was almost always in or near the water.

“I spent my entire childhood swimming, tubing and fishing in the Juniata River,” she explained, adding that her desire to be around the water directly contributed to her passion for fishing. “My love of fishing really is a byproduct of my love and need to be in the water. Looking back now, my life has always involved being near water.”

That included water-themed sports.

“I swam for years at the local swim club and was on the crew team,” she said.

Call it destiny? Her career path steered that way for a time.

“I even worked for a few years at a lake, running the bait and tackle shop,” she said of the lure.

Fly fishing was something she was interested in early in life, but she thought it seemed too difficult. Still, the allure of handmade flies was fascinating.

“My fly fishing interest started when I was a teenager. I was always very crafty, and I remember being fascinated with flies.”

But even with all the fishing they did, nobody in her family fly fished, so she was not able to really get started.

“I thought it would be too difficult to master the art of casting without any help. So, it was another 20 years before I picked up a fly rod,” she said. But she got there eventually.

Nowadays, Irvin fly fishes exclusively.

“I am the only one in my family that would call themselves a fly fisher. To my knowledge, I don’t think my father ever touched a fly rod,” she said, adding that once she got into it, fly fishing gave her focus through difficult times. “I have faced significant loss and some very hard days, and fly fishing has brought me back to life.”

The joy she gets from fly fishing is real.

“I literally feel giddy every time I go out,” she said, expressing what is true for many of us.

Irvin said she feels lucky to have met fine guides and instructors who have helped her.

“I credit every one of the guides that I’ve fished with for my growth and knowledge. Many have become friends and mentors, and I call on them often for advice and guidance,” Irvin said.

And Irvin said she respects the knowledge they have gained through their time on the water and their ability to pass some of that wisdom along to others.

“I respect their skill, knowledge and willingness to teach me. I love that I can learn from guys that have been fishing longer than I’ve been alive,” she said.

As we all know, the best way to get good at something is to get out there and do it.

“It’s a privilege to hear about their memories and watch them fish with a skill that is only earned through a lifetime of experience. It’s humbling,” Irvin said, noting that she prefers saltwater. “Although I learned to fly fish in freshwater for trout and smallmouth bass, I have become a saltwater gal.”

She likes being right in their element as the fish feed and hopefully grab her fly.

“I prefer wading in big water, hunting fish and experiencing the huge tug and run of a big saltwater gamefish,” Irvin said.

Fishing has led Irvin to destination around the world, as shown by her trips to Germany and Nicaragua just in the past year. “I love to travel. I love to fish. Life is short. I will travel and fish and make memories.”

Irvin’s family includes two grown kids who also enjoy getting out on the water, son Wyatt and daughter Brinley go out with her quite often.

“They prefer offshore fishing, and I have taken them on many trips,” she said, adding that these varied experiences helps them become better people themselves. “I want my children to know from my example that doing what makes you happy has a ripple effect on the entire world. I want them to see me actively pursuing an activity that requires effort, learning, humility, respect for the environment, and patience.”

Irvin said she tries to embody those traits by creating and learning to create more, including her love for tying flies, which she said goes along with knitting socks and hats that she wears on her winter fishing outings. It’s the same passion and challenge of learning that keeps her intrigued, she said.

“The end result of catching a fish is an indicator of how well you have prepared and educated yourself for that moment.”

It’s no secret that I love to go fishing. I don’t always keep fish, but when I do, I have a variety of preparations that are my go-to methods.  

Let me start off by stating that your fish should be fresh. Either eat it the same day you caught it, or if you can’t do that, freeze it as quickly as possible in well-wrapped packages using freezer zipper bags within another freezer zipper bag with all the air squeezed out of them.  

There are plenty of other methods but don’t forget about the fillets. Use within a month or so or else the quality will decline.  

If you buy fish, make sure of its freshness by checking that the eyes are clear and the gills are red. It should be firm and not smell. You shouldn’t smell anything. The so-called “fishy” smell? That’s spoilage happening. If you shop at a fish market or a supermarket that has a “fishy” smell, don’t buy from there and find a different place.  

Now that we have that taken care of let’s check the cooking methods.

Fried right 

Everybody loves fried fish. For good reason. It’s delicious. But if it’s not done right, it can be disappointing, oily, mushy, and not satisfying.  

Use an electric frying pan, Dutch oven, or a wok. Pour in enough canola oil to cover the bottom up to about an inch in depth. Set the thermostat to 375 degrees. If you don’t have an electric pan, monitor the heat with a cooking thermometer of some kind.  

While waiting for the oil temperature to come up, prepare the fillets. Have three bowls. In the first one put flour, in the second a beaten egg or two, in the third, breadcrumbs or cornmeal — I prefer panko breadcrumbs.  

Using a fork or tongs, dip the fish first into the flour, just enough to coat, then the egg and then finally the breadcrumbs. Set aside until you have four or five pieces. Don’t do more than that or else the temperature in the pan will decrease when you put them in.  

It’s going to sizzle … a lot. Don’t put a solid cover on the pan, the crust will get soggy. Cover it with one of those screen things from the kitchen supply section.  

Cook the fish on the first side until it’s a nice golden brown on the bottom. If the oil gets too hot it will burn, so watch it carefully and adjust the heat as necessary. It should take a few minutes. When it looks nice and brown on the down side, flip using a wire spatula. It won’t take as long to cook on the second side.  

When they’re done put them on a rack or paper towels to dry. Salt immediately. This is an important step and if you want to know why, ask the experts like Alton Brown or Kenji Lopez-Alt. Serve with whatever kind of sauce you want. I make tartar sauce using mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish and a dash of mustard. Serve fried fillets on a quality, toasted bun with a slice of cheese or on a plate with coleslaw on the side.  

Can’t go wrong.

Pan-roasting 

My second favorite is called pan roasting.  

Get a nice nonstick pan. Get it hot enough to melt butter and sizzle a little. Not rip-roaring hot, that’s too much. Once the butter is hot enough to sizzle, drop your fillets, preseasoned with whatever you like, into the pan and leave them alone.  

You want the fish to cook on one side until the fillets are opaque almost all the way through. As long as you keep the heat at a reasonable level, they won’t burn.  

Leave them.  

Don’t touch them.  

Don’t flip them.  

When the fish has turned white almost all the way, and maybe just a little bit of translucency left on the top, then quickly flip them using a plastic spatula.  

Add a quarter cup of white wine, some more butter, and the juice of a whole lemon. Use a plastic spoon to flip the lemon butter over the top of the fish for 30 seconds. Then quickly remove to a plate.  

Yeah, that’s good. It should have a nice brown crust on the side that was down first, and the lemon butter should permeate throughout. Pour whatever is left in the pan over the fish and watch it disappear. 

Fish cakes 

A good friend turned me onto some fish cakes that have become a favorite meal.  

Set your oven for 400. Place the fish on a baking sheet. Season the fillets anyway you like. I also put a half stick of butter on the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.  

When you pull the fish out, it’s going to smell amazing. Not time to eat yet though. The fish needs to cool for about 30 minutes.  

Place in a bowl or plate and into the refrigerator. When cooled, transfer everything that’s in the bowl to a big mixing bowl. Put in a half cup of mayo, a cup of breadcrumbs and a couple tablespoons of whatever seasoning you used before. Mix it all up using a silicone spatula. If it looks a little dry and it’s not holding together add a little bit more mayo, not too much.  

When it’s all holding together form 4-ounce patties. Yes, I use a scale! Put them on a plate and back into the refrigerator for another 30 minutes. Don’t worry it’s worth it.  

Now get your nonstick skillet. Set to medium heat. Put some butter in the pan. When it sizzles add the fish cakes. Cook slowly until golden brown.  

Try not to move them around too much. You only want to flip them once. Should take four minutes or so per side. Remove from the pan and put them on plates. Leave the pan on the heat. Add the juice of one lemon, a splash of white wine. A tablespoon of butter wouldn’t hurt either. Let it sizzle in there for a couple minutes.  

Any busted off pieces of fish cake, leave them. You could also add a few chopped shrimp. When the sauce is getting a thicker consistency, pour some out onto each fish cake, make sure everybody gets enough or they’ll get mad at you. 

If you have leftover fish cakes — it happens — there is one more thing to do: Melt some butter at the bottom of a saucepan. Put a crumbled fish cake in the melted butter and cook until the individual pieces are crunchy. Then pour a high-quality canned potato chowder over the crunchy fish cake pieces.  

The melted butter and crunchy fish pieces will fill the chowder and I’m pretty sure you might have a hard time finding a better soup at a lot of restaurants. 

There’s more, but that should get you started. Let me add that these are big favorites, and you need to make sure you have enough for everybody or there’s going to be trouble.

If you’ve ever wondered about who the people are who make the fishing regulations, what they are like, and if they actually like fishing, then you should know that Chris Batsavage has been working his way up the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ ladder for 25 years.

And he loves fishing.

“I started working for NCDMF in 1998 as a field technician in the Wanchese Field Office. I was also a fisheries biologist there and later in Morehead City where I moved in 2005,” Batsavage recently explained to Coastal Review.

Many who know him probably remember his work as the lead on the division’s flounder team, but that may not reflect the depth of his work and the breadth of his expertise.

“I served as the lead biologist for southern flounder and represented NCDMF on multistate technical committees for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and spiny dogfish,” he said.

He is currently the special assistant to councils with the division, working with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Batsavage has been fishing his whole life and has developed a passion for the marine environment that has become his life’s work.

Growing up inland in Virginia, his first fishing was freshwater-oriented.

“I grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, which is about 40 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Most of my fishing was in area farm ponds, creeks and the upper Potomac River, targeting bass, sunfish, crappie and catfish.”

Batsavage credits two childhood buddies with getting him going.

“My biggest influences in fishing were a couple of my friends that loved fishing. We fished as often as we could and learned a lot from each other, despite the relatively limited fishing options,” Batsavage recalled.

And as is the case for so many, the lure of saltwater fishing was difficult to resist.

“Our family would vacation at the Outer Banks and Chincoteague, Virginia, which is where I learned to fish in saltwater,” he said.

Later on, Batsavage’s career allowed him to get deeper into the saltier side of the sport. Eventually, his freshwater pursuits were supplanted.

“I moved to Greenville, North Carolina, to attend graduate school at East Carolina University, and then moved to coastal NC for work, so I’ve done much more saltwater fishing than freshwater fishing over the last 25 years,” said Batsavage, who is now 50.

Batsavage now lives in Morehead City with his wife Tina and son Sheldon, who is just a couple of months shy of 14.

“They both enjoy fishing and spending time on the water.”

Apparently, similar to his counterpart Dr. Cooper on the TV show, “Big Bang Theory,” young Sheldon demonstrates genius, but his genius relates mainly to catching big fish.

“Fishing is by far my son’s favorite hobby, and he’s an excellent angler. He’s already caught several southern flounder over 5 pounds and a 41-inch red drum. I learn as much from him as he learns from me,” Sheldon’s father remarked.

As for dad, he enjoys fishing the shallows.

“I mostly fish in the estuaries and nearshore ocean from boat and shore. I have a 21-foot skiff, which is pretty versatile for fishing these areas,” he said.

And Batsavage pursues any and all fish species that can be caught in coastal North Carolina waters.

“I target a variety of species including speckled trout, flounder, red drum, weakfish, sea mullet, Spanish mackerel, and sheepshead. Striped bass was one of my favorites when I lived on the Outer Banks during the late 1990s and early 2000s. I also try to go shad fishing in the coastal rivers in the late winter and spring,” he said.

And his preference is fishing with lures rather than bait.

“My favorite way to fish is casting — jigs, spoons, plugs, etcetera — to the variety of species found close to my home. The number of species to fish for was limited where I grew up, so I don’t take the variety of available species around here for granted.”

Most likely, as a consequence of his recordkeeping for the division, Batsavage has a specific method of tracking his fishing trips, a database of sorts. A trove of data that would probably help us all.

“I wish I was more consistent with my fishing success, but the key to helping me with fishing is keeping a logbook,” he said. “Recording the times of year, weather, tides, water conditions, fish caught, and gear used from past fishing trips has really helped me learn the patterns for different species over the years.”

His data spans decades.

“I started keeping logbooks in the late 1990s, so it’s also interesting to look back to see how things change annually and over time,” he said, noting there are also other advantages that give him an inside track on the fish. “Another thing that has helped me with fishing is what I’ve learned about fish as a fisheries biologist and manager. Knowing the life history and habitat preferences of fish has made me a better angler.”

It goes the other way too.

“Conversely, recreational fishing for most of my lifetime has helped me as a fisheries biologist and manager by gaining a better understanding of the recreational fishery,” he said.

Batsavage’s logbook helps in myriad ways, but most especially in preparation.

“Having a plan with fallback options before I go fishing has worked well for me, that’s where the logbook is a great asset,” he said.

But initial plans don’t always work out, though they often lead to educational opportunities.

“Time and weather windows are often narrow, so fishing options can be limited. You can’t fish for everything on a single trip,” he said. “Of course, the plans don’t always work out, but if I had fun and learned something, then it was a good trip.”

As for the long term, Batsavage sees himself fishing and having fun with his son Sheldon through the years.

“I hope to be retired and still fishing with my son 20 years from now and to have more time to travel.”

It happens all the time. An angler will be fishing some nice clear water, and a fish will swim to within 15 feet, the angler will never see the fish, and at the last second, the fish will bolt.

This will produce a big splash, a puff of mud, and a confused look on the face of the angler, who will likely say something like, “I never even saw that fish.”

Chances are at some point he looked right at it and never recognized it. Either he could not discern what he saw, didn’t realize it was something more than a log, or just as typically, he didn’t have the right gear to help him pick it out through all the obstacles that prevent fish from being seen in the first place.

Let’s talk about the gear, the obstacles, and how to put them together to help us see what’s right there. Remember that, as Henry David Thoreau told us, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

You hear people use the word “literally” quite a bit when they are speaking in figurative terms:

“He literally threw me under the bus.”

“I was literally over the moon about my new girlfriend.”

But believe this, I literally will not go fishing anywhere, at any time, for any kind of fish without a pair of polarized sunglasses. They not only keep the sun out of your eyes, but also hooks’ points, branches, bugs, and — most importantly of all — they help you see into the water.

I have stood on a fishing pier and watched as a school of speckled trout moved into the beach on a sunny day with a rising tide and pointed them out to people who could not see anything until I caught one. Then all they wanted to know was what I caught them on without even noticing that I was casting to a huge school of fish.

With the right sunglasses they would have seen them.

None of them possessed a pair, and none of them caught a trout either.

There is always a glare on the surface that prevents you from seeing what’s on the bottom. Fine if you are after flying fish, I guess, but most fish are on the bottom, or close to it, most of the time. Without a pair of polarized lenses in front of your eyes, you will never know what’s out there.

I have found that the sunglasses you buy at the beach store are not worth the $20. I prefer the higher-end brands that are sold at fishing pro shops. They’re a little pricy, but you’ll have them a long time and they do the job a lot better.

My favorite are the brownish-colored lenses for my fishing inshore and in freshwater. The gray lenses are supposed to be better for offshore work, but I feel like I’m seeing things as well as I need to.

The most common occurrence is to not see fish that are right there. Another is to see things that are not fish at all. Seaweed swaying in the current, logs, practically anything that you might find in the water has been mistaken for a fish.

The primary thing you will notice, almost 100% of the time, is that a fish will be moving and going somewhere. There are instances here and there where they will hold in a current, but even then, you will most likely see them sway back and forth as they check out food items or just ride the current looking for the best seam to sit in.

When you spot the fish, you then want to catch that fish. Right? I mean that’s what we’re here for.

First thing to remember is not to take your eyes off after spotting. It will simply go away. I don’t know how, but they just disappear. Lock on. Now, get ready to cast.

You should already have made sure your tackle was all in order. If spin fishing, have the bail open and the line resting on your finger ready to go. When fly fishing, make sure you’re not standing on the line, hold your fly in your non-casting hand, then flip it out before you start your back cast. Don’t make a lot of weird movements with your rod tip, that will cause it to get tangled.

Pick a spot in front of the fish. Don’t cast right at it. They don’t like it when stuff lands on top of them. Figure the average size of the fish you are targeting. Trout, red drum, bonefish, things like that, about 2 feet long or so. Tarpon, permit are probably going to be longer. Then double that distance from where you see the fish.

Different circumstances may have you extend the distance of your lead. Bonefish are notoriously spooky and may need a 10- to 12-foot lead.

I cast 10 feet in front of a giant speckled trout in Mosquito Lagoon that spooked while the line was in the air.

The situation should dictate your choices. Have your cast land beyond the line the fish is traveling and retrieve so it will coincide with the business end. If your target changes direction, don’t snatch back and recast, wait until it is clear then recast. Keep your cast low and be aware of wind direction.          

I was once standing on a flat in front of multi-million-dollar homes in Honolulu and watched as a beautiful 6-pound bonefish worked its way down the sand in front of me and gazed in awe as it came to my fly and sucked it down.

Later that same day a group of 10-pound-plus bonefish wended their way towards me. I made a perfect cast and watched as the biggest one peeled off and came right to my fly, only to break my heart as it turned up at the last second and peeled off.

Heartbreaking. I can still see it.

That’s the true treasure of being able to see the fish you’re pursuing — moments that make your heart race and stick in your vision forever. When you get to the point that you’re seeing everything you’re looking at, then you will find that the way becomes clear.

Remember when you were in high school and there was that young male coach who was always quick with a smile, a joke, and a kind word for everybody?

Josh Helms is that guy at Havelock High School.

In between his work as a P.E. teacher, coaching soccer and spending time with his wife Heidi and their dog Beacon, Helms will often be found someplace near the water with a fishing rod.

After spending most of his life bouncing around the country as his father, Dave Helms, was transferred from one Marine Corps duty station to the next, he’s settled down at Havelock, bought a house in New Bern and is fishing every conceivable spot between Beaufort and Johnson City, Tennessee.

Like so many of us, Helms got his start in fishing when his father would take him.

“I started fishing probably when I was about 7 years old. My father got me going and taught me the basics on how to fish for catfish, blue gill, and other typical pond fish.”

A little later on he had a revelation.

“Saltwater fishing didn’t surface for me until I was 11. My dad first took me to the beach fishing for red drum in the surf, and that’s where the addiction for saltwater fishing came from.”

He couldn’t get enough.

“After that, I would be asking him every weekend if we could go,” Helms said.

But day to day, after school and whenever he could, “Most of my fishing done as a kid was pond fishing.”

When Helms was younger, he did the typical odd jobs teenagers take.

“I worked as a busboy during high school summers. While attending college and playing soccer at Methodist University, I worked as a camp counselor for Morehead City Parks and Rec,” he said.

Helms sees his family as frequently as he can.

“My parents live in Maysville, and we get together often. I go fishing with them as much as I can but they’re pretty busy,” he said.

While his father continues to be his biggest influence, Helms had made some great friends along the way who help. That includes friends from college, among them a former colleague at Morehead City Parks and Recreation.

“Are you ever really done growing? Because as I’ve grown over the years, my buddy Kirk Peterson has really helped open the realm of saltwater fishing to me,” he said, referring to the department’s former program supervisor who now resides in Kinston.

Helms is learning to fly fish too with guidance from another longtime friend.

“Logan Klarzuk (of Boone) has recently gotten me into fly fishing. But we won’t talk about that because it’s still a work in progress … There’s just an art to it that I can’t explain,” Helms said.

Helms does a lot of traveling to satisfy this new artistic passion.

“Some weekends I’ll go see my buddy Logan up in Boone and go fly fishing around there, and in Tennessee or Virginia,” he said.

When you talk to old salts, they will tell you that there is no substitute for time on the water when it comes to achieving consistent results in fishing, and so it is with Helms. He said it’s the key to success, “Because It’s never going to be the same lure or the same perfect weather.”

He’s learned a few things, he said.

“You have to think about how fish will act in certain conditions or which lures to use or even spots to try out as the seasons change. Paying attention to fish patterns over the years and what they like or don’t like is very important.”

And you can’t be afraid to try new things.

“You have to be always evolving, thinking about different ways to even approach a fish. And just be open minded,” he advised.

However the real key to being successful with your time on the water is just having a good time, he said, because you’re not going to catch fish every time.

“Whether it’s with your buddies or by yourself, just enjoy the scenery and kind of get lost in it,” he said.

These days, Helms is delving more into fly fishing. He’s fishing some ponds near his house, really getting into it, and he’s looking forward to getting his fist saltwater fish on fly. He loves to spend time with his wife and dog in the home they recently purchased, and as for the future:

“I’ll keep doing what I’m doing as a health and physical education teacher and a coach for the men’s and women’s soccer teams, enjoy what I have and spend as much time as I can with my family, on the water,” Helms said

A 20-pound red drum swims silently through dark water. Up ahead she sees a flash. She speeds her pace and quickly catches up. There is a small creature struggling to make headway against the current.

With a sweep of her tail and a flare of her gills, she opens her mouth and it disappears. She quickly realizes something is wrong and tries to expel the object, it gets out of her mouth but is still stuck to the outside of her face.  She shakes her head violently in an attempt to dislodge it but to no avail.

Something is pulling her towards a dark object floating on the surface. She takes off swimming in the opposite direction. After a minute she gets a little tired and finds herself pulled back again. The large floating object is right above her now. She makes one last mighty struggle to get away from the force that is pulling her. Free. The object pulls away from her face and she takes off. She has no idea what just happened but she is going to get out of there as fast as she possibly can.

The angler in the boat is heartbroken. He was not expecting to see a fish that big. The biggest redfish he had caught in the past was around 6 pounds. He was using a 6½-foot, medium-action spinning rod with 15-pound test braided line and casting a gold weedless spoon. In the past there was a little bit of a struggle next to the boat but he was not prepared to deal with a fish that big.

Let’s talk about what he did and what, more importantly, he can do differently next time. Newtonian physics may come into play.

First thing first, let’s make sure all of our equipment is in good condition. Make sure your rod doesn’t have any nicks in the graphite. This can happen near the tip when it hits a hard surface or something else hits the rod itself. Eventually the rod will break clean right at that point.

The guides need to be smooth and clear. Many times, I have had to replace rod guides. There are inserts that make them smoother and protect the metal from grooves that can be caused by the line. Impacts will cause them to crack and pop out. This will create a surface that is quite abrasive and will break your line when it’s placed under a strain.

Check your line. It should not be frayed or have extraneous knots. These will break at the worst times. The knots you tie on purpose should be well tied. Practice tying knots until you can tie them without looking.

Finally make sure your reel is operating properly. The handle should turn smoothly. The drag should run out without chattering or catching. Everything should be clean.

Any of these things being out of shape will be a problem when a big fish comes along.

Your hooks should be sharp enough to catch when dragged across your thumbnail. Dull hooks will result in missed strikes. I regularly change out the hooks on plugs and other lures when they show discoloration. I have a pair of well-used split-ring pliers that aid in this operation. I usually replace hooks from the factory with high quality ones from Gamakatsu or Owner. 

In our above scenario, let’s assume that our angler had quality gear, that was well cared for with good line and sharp hooks. What else could have happened? Lots of things.

When you first set the hook into a nice-sized fish, you feel a nice pull and maybe a little headshake. When a big one gets on, the headshakes become heavy. Smaller fish will shake and it feels like a wiggle up the line. When a big fish shakes, it becomes widely spaced thumps. An experienced angler will feel this right away and know that things are different from usual and different strategies need to be used. Inexperienced anglers will just start cranking the reel handle like crazy.

If the drag is clicking, stop reeling. This is the No. 1 mistake. Don’t reel unless you are actually gaining line. If the fish wants to run, let it. Don’t turn the reel handle as it’s going. This introduces twist into the line, which weakens it. It also creates extra force at the hooks point of contact, which will cause it to pull out. This extra force is something to avoid.

After the fish is done with its initial run (the bigger the fish, the longer the run) lift your rod until the handle is pointing toward 11 o’clock. Do not allow any slack and reel in slightly faster than you drop your rod back toward the fish. This allows you to gain line without the drag moving. Keep gaining line using the lift/reel method. Slack is your enemy. Any slack line will allow the hook an opportunity to come out.

As your prize gets closer to the boat it will really get frantic. There are a number of tactics it may use. It may attempt to go under the boat. Counter this by holding your rod well out away from the gunnel. Don’t let the rod or the line contact anything. Rod might break. Line might snap. Another popular method for a big fish to gain its freedom is a last-ditch surge of energy. It doesn’t matter how tired it may seem, there will be energy for a burst. This is the primary time when big fish are lost. The angler will keep pulling or lifting the rod and be reeling the whole time.

This is probably what our angler in this story did. I know this because I’ve seen it too many times. One of the things I do is to slightly loosen my drag when a big fish is boatside. The forces imparted to the line are multiplied when the fish is close.

As professor Sir Isaac Newton said, “The actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal and always opposite in direction.” Just be prepared ahead of time. Never pull on your rod when the fish is running away. Drop your rod tip to the fish as it pulls away while keeping the line tight. Lifting up at this time will result in an unhappy outcome.

Finally, be ready with a good landing net. Make sure it’s big enough and has a long-enough handle. Have a friend who knows how to use it or be ready to do it yourself. A 30-inch redfish or 27-inch speckled trout is not easy to grab.

Here’s hoping you hook into the fish of your dreams this year. The next bite could be “The One.” When it comes, I hope you’re ready.

People have activities they pursue for a variety of reasons. The ones that tend to get the most enjoyment out of it are not the ones who do it to be better than somebody, or to always win — these people do it for the nature of the activity itself.

It may be no surprise that these people are often highly skilled at whatever the endeavor they have chosen and usually experience success. And so it goes with fishing. Approach it for the intrinsic values and don’t worry about “winning,” the success will follow.

Chris Ellis goes fishing for the pure joy of it, the opportunity to experience things he could not otherwise and share those experiences with his friends and family. It’s not an accident that he also happens to be quite good at it and is one of the people who will be catching fish when others might not. By focusing on the why and the how instead of how much, he gets more joy and hence more success. Fishing is a journey, not a destination. The fish will follow.

A native North Carolinian, Ellis  was born at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and he lived out his formative years in Carrboro. The lakes and ponds of central North Carolina proved to be his training ground.

“I’d do any kind of fishing I could — bass, bluegill, and crappie in local farm ponds, creeks, ditches, or lakes like University Lake or Jordan,” Ellis told Coastal Review.

Ellis credits his family members for getting him started.

“My father Wayne Ellis and grandfather Robert Ellis were my main influences and they took me everywhere. My whole family fished, from my grandparents to my mom.”

Even when he was young, Ellis knew the saltwater would be calling him.

“We’d take weekend trips to Atlantic Beach and Pine Knoll Shores to fish the piers and I loved it,” he said.

Catching spots and blues would have to suffice for a few years though. Like so many, he moved away from home as a young adult.

“After college, I headed to the Midwest, living in the Indianapolis and St. Louis areas for work,” he explained.

In 2000 Ellis started working for Auto Zone as regional loss-prevention manager for 100 auto parts stores in the St. Louis region. He said his philosophy then and now has been all about training and taking care of people.

“Coworkers need to understand the why behind the what of their jobs. If there is no understanding of the end result, it’s just another task,” he said.

That includes treating the people who work for him well, with the understanding that they will then do well. He said that family-style communication led him to becoming the loss-prevention manager for more than 1,000 stores and leading a whole division in the largest auto parts retailer in the nation.

For the past five years, Ellis and his wife Rachel, son Emerson, and daughter Lelaina have been surrounded by water in Sneads Ferry. Ellis takes his family with him to the beach that’s less than 10 minutes away, often to fish, but also many times just to eat ice cream and enjoy the view. Emerson loves to fish the ponds on the golf course where they live.

“My wife and kids enjoy being around the water and love to fish. My son is a lot like I was growing up and spends his free time fishing, if he’s not playing baseball or golf,” said Ellis.

He also has a brother who loves to fish, “Scott and his family enjoy fishing as well.  They mainly fish in Atlantic Beach area where they have a house,” He said. “My mom enjoys fishing when she can get away but not as often anymore.”

There really isn’t any kind of fishing Ellis won’t do but he has his preferences.

“Fly fishing for redfish has got to be my favorite, whether hunting for tailers and crawlers, or sight fishing in clear water,” he said.

And for Ellis, fishing is not just a loner’s endeavor. He said the aspect of time together with others has genuine appeal.

“It’s really a team effort with you getting your fellow angler in the right position to make the cast while poling the skiff,” he said.

The fall run is really where Ellis gets a lot of action, especially chasing false albacore and casting for speckled trout in the surf.  And although there is so much fishing possible nearly just outside his front door, he likes to travel, too.

“We take a few trips a year to West Virginia or the North Carolina mountains to trout fish,” Ellis said, adding that he’s caught some big rainbows out there. He is always attempting to fish beyond what he has already mastered, because he knows that is the only way to grow.

Ellis’ philosophy is reflected in his professional accomplishments. Auto Zone recently made him an offer of promotion, and he and his family are set to move to the company’s corporate offices in Memphis, Tennessee. But he said there is zero chance that he won’t find the best fishing near his new home.

“The key is being out on the water and fishing. Time on the water makes a better angler. Even when you aren’t catching fish you are still learning,” he said. “I think a successful day is being able to spend some quality time with friends or family. Regardless of if you catch fish or not.

“The true test to whether you enjoy someone’s company is if you are able to spend a whole day on the boat with them and want to do it again.”

We all like fishing. At least, if you’re reading this, that is my assumption. I’ll fish for anything that swims.

I’ve been happy catching pinfish and croakers and delighted to catch gorgeous, 6-inch-long brook trout. Most of the time these days, you will find me plying the coastal salt waters in pursuit of inshore fish of one kind or another. It takes a bit of planning and often a bit of effort to figure out where we want to go, assess the weather, get boats and gear prepared, and there is no guarantee that fish will actually be in the place we had planned on them being.

Too many variables exist in seasons, wind and waves to make any saltwater fishing excursion a sure thing. However, there is fishing that is available to most people less than 30 minutes away from most anywhere we might be on the coast: golf courses. It is my fervent belief that the best use of a golf course, and the most productive use of the acreage within, is fishing for the bass that live in the so-called “water hazards.”

As Thoreau would have said, “That golf course is best which is golfed least.”

The ponds aren’t hazards, rather they are treasure chests filled with bassy jewels. They’re always there, don’t have anywhere else to be, are usually hungry, and can get really big. Catching them isn’t especially difficult, but there are things to be considered.

The first consideration is access. The best, of course, would be a golf community where you actually live. If you reside in one of these neighborhoods and have never checked the local bass population, you should probably remedy that sooner rather than later. Also, if you have only ever caught a few small panfish or little bass on worms fished under a bobber, you are missing the very best part. But first, a little science.

Due to the acidity of the soil in most of eastern North Carolina, any ponds or lakes we have in “wild” places will be full of mostly small bass that have difficulty spawning due to the unfavorable pH of the soil and, hence, the water. However, golf courses have fairways and greens that are heavily fertilized, which changes the acid/base ratio to something that’s not always best for the environment but is more beneficial to bass. A bit more alkaline than acidic is best. A pH number between 6.5 and 8.5 is optimum. Under that is going to start trending towards too acid.

Now for the access part. Look for a golf course near you. If you don’t already live on one, try to figure out if somebody you know lives on one.

Another good option is farm ponds and for the same reasons. If there is an out-of-business golf course around you, that might be worth checking into as well. Regardless, if you aren’t sure if you are allowed access, assume you don’t and progress from there.

Now, let’s go with the assumption that you have access to one of these fertile bodies of water. You may want to know what I’m talking about when I say there are better ways to do it. There are plenty of options to fish these ponds but I’m going to pinpoint what I consider to be the best.

If you were to ask me what lure I would use if I had one cast to make into a bass pond, I’d tell you it’s a Senko plastic worm. Furthermore, I’d also say that I would rig it “Wacky Style.” You might be nodding your head now, or you might be wondering what the heck I’m talking about.

A Senko is a plastic worm made by the Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits Inc. It looks simple enough. Practically plain and without adornment. But it has a certain density that makes it sink at a certain rate — just slow enough that the fish can see it and get to it from a ways away. This is accompanied by a captivating wiggle that it has as it falls with a side-to-side motion that is not easily produced by imitators.

You can hook them with a standard weedless plastic worm hook in the Texas fashion, and that is good for heavy weed cover. But most of the time I use the Wacky Rig. You can use almost any kind of hook, but I prefer the ones made specifically for this kind of fishing and that you can find at any tackle shop that sells to bass fisherman or in online outlets.

Simply put the hook in the middle of the worm near the collar. That’s it. It seems too simple, but when you drop it in the water you’ll see that wiggle. It’s pretty cool.

Cast it over toward a log or some floating vegetation. Let it drop. Shake the rod tip a little. Lift and twitch. Let it drop. Lift. Drop. Twitch. Drop. The drop is the key.

You may feel a tick, the line may come tight, it may move to the side, or maybe there will just be a slight weight on the line. Set the hook sharply. You don’t need to haul back freight-train style like the knucklehead TV bass guys. Just snap it back quickly.

Be ready for anything. You could be catching a bunch of “nice” fish in the 2- to 3-pound range, and then … a 9-pounder shows up to the party. When she comes clean out of the water and hangs in the air, it’s a vision you won’t soon forget. When she hits the water again, it will sound like a canoe paddle being slapped down.

Plenty of other methods will work. My absolute favorite is a 6-weight fly rod and a small popper that I make out of craft foam. I carve them using scissors until I get the shape. My friends call them “Marshmallow Poppers.” Walk along the shoreline and cast in a 90-degree arc covering the water in front of you and along the shoreline. A simple waltz time makes a good popping time: Pop, 2,3. Pop, 2,3. They’ll hit it usually on 3.

When I start seeing the first frogs of the season, I like to be on the banks of a pond in the evening.

Finally, try to avoid using plugs with treble hooks. Chances are, you’ll see these fish again if you take care of them. Treble hooks take a bit of doing to get out for a quick release. Oh, and yes, this is going to be 100% catch-and-release fishing. Don’t take Big Momma Bass out of that pond. She’s got too much value to add by making more bass for future excursions.

Say “hello.” Admire her. Let her go. It’ll be cool to know she’s still in there when you drive past later.

Take a young man who is taught that the best things to do in life are in the outdoors, give him the smarts to excel at a major university such as Duke, a business acumen that would allow him to do well in any venture, and what do you end up with?

If you’re talking about Capt. Tom Roller, you get a highly successful fishing guide and award-winning conservationist.

Roller has been guiding anglers to catch everything that swims around the Carteret County area for 20 years. He has a unique outlook that has allowed him to follow his passion to protect and preserve our fisheries, and he has been involved with committees and meetings that have led him all the way to a seat on the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission.

First appointed to the commission by Gov. Roy Cooper in 2020, Roller, owner of WaterDog Guide Service of Beaufort, has been an avid fisher since he was little.

“My Dad says the best and worst thing he ever did was teach me to fish. I was absolutely obsessed since my very early childhood,” he told Coastal Review.

That obsession led him on countless quests to find the best fishing spots.

“When I was a kid, we moved around a lot. It drove me to fish every retention pond, creek, ditch and anywhere I could possibly get outside and explore,” he said.

The Roller family eventually settled in suburban Indianapolis, not exactly known as a fishing hot spot.

“I went to high school in Indiana and lived in the suburbs. When I was there, I bet I fished every single retention pond in a 20-mile radius,” said Roller.

Still, it was saltwater fishing that called to him during family vacations to the North Carolina coast, and it pulled him back.

“In the end, being away from the big water is what ultimately drove me to settle where I wanted to be, near the coast where I spent much of my childhood summers, so I could chase all those big fish I was always dreaming about,” he said. “I’ve lived here for more than 25 years, and I’ve been a full-time guide for 20.”

During that time, he’s developed a philosophy that drives him, and it’s based in sustainability.

“If I had a mission statement, it would simply be, ‘Healthy fisheries take care of their fishermen.’”

Most of Roller’s family share a similar outlook that’s reflected in how they choose to spend their free time.

“Most people in my life are outdoorsy, otherwise we’d never see each other!”

Roller also subscribes to Emerson’s notion of how to have a purposeful life in that he wants to be useful, honorable, compassionate, and to have made some difference. In that light, his passion for fish and fishing has led him to a second calling, that of being an activist and getting involved with preserving the very things that give him so much joy.

“I love our natural resources, and I love the North Carolina coast — and all outdoor places — so much that I have been hyperfocused on being involved in conservation and management, in an effort to hopefully conserve our fisheries and ecosystems for future generations,” Roller said.

That focus led Tom to serve on committees and get involved, where he’s not shy about his passion.

“I’ve served on federal advisory panels for bluefish, Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. In the state I’ve served on advisory committees for southern flounder and blue crab. Currently I am appointed to the main fisheries rule-making body in North Carolina, the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission,” Roller said.

He also serves on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. And he gets involved with nonprofit conservation groups and is a founding board member with the American Saltwater Guides Association.

His tireless work has not gone unnoticed. He was presented the North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s prestigious Governors Award for Marine Conservation in 2022.

“It was truly one of the great honors of my life,” he said.

With all the different types of fishing possible on the North Carolina coast, Roller said he can’t choose which one he likes best.

“My fishing is based on maximizing access to North Carolina’s super diverse inshore and nearshore fisheries,” he said, adding that there’s an amazing bag of different fish he can pursue on any given day. “I love fishing inshore for red drum, nearshore for false albacore and mackerel, and wreck and bottom fishing for flounder and grouper-snapper species.”

Roller has participated in tournaments from time to time as well.

“I have fished inshore tournaments for red drum but haven’t in a couple years. When I was fishing the local circuits, I did quite well, consistently placing pretty high and winning a couple,” he said.

And, as you might guess, he has a hard time pinning down where his favorite quarry is.

“If you had to ask me to pick something for late summer, I’d say flying to Alaska to fly fish for silver salmon and big rainbows or go offshore of North Carolina and deep drop for a swordfish,” he said, clarifying that it really just depends on the time of year. “If you ask me in the fall, I’ll probably tell you it’s fly fishing for false albacore off of Cape Lookout. In June, I’d tell you it was tossing topwaters for big trout.”

And with his characteristic sense of humor, he added, “Confused? Me too.”

There is lot that a longtime successful fishing captain can teach about having a good day on the water.

“It’s always important to note that the fish, unlike in a lake or river, are not always there. As they say in the Outer Banks, ‘Fish have tails and no homes.’”

How can we relate that to catching fish?

“Make sure your equipment is good, your knots and leaders are strong, your hooks are sharp and your boat and motor are in good working order,” he advised.

Finally, a thought for those who don’t get to fish as often as Roller: “If I was looking for a guide myself, I’d be looking for an older, more experienced professional or a young up-and-coming full-timer who is fishing their face off. Either one will likely give you a great experience,” he said. “Time and days spent, even in a smaller window of time, are invaluable to being a successful angler. In the long term, it’s experience. The accumulation of days simply makes you that much better.”

The speckled trout is among the most popular fish coastal North Carolina anglers pursue, and my favorite way to fish is with a fly rod.

I have not written much about fly fishing here, but this is a good time to address it because the trout are on the move and big fish are being caught. Just remember that fly fishing may not be the most efficient way to catch a lot of these fish, but we do it, as Thoreau said, because we wish to live deliberately with only the essential facts of life and get in touch with nature and ourselves in ways that other forms of fishing may not accomplish.

I am going to assume here a certain level of fly-fishing skill and address specific tactics that work for me.

During spring, there will be lots of trout that use creeks, which feed into larger bodies of water. The water in these areas warms up quickly on sunny spring days and provides lots of varying prey species such as mullet, shrimp and various invertebrates. I like creeks with slower tidal flows.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. 

-- Henry David Thoreau

It’s kind of like bass bugging. I’ll use the trolling motor on my skiff and set it to the slowest speed. Cast a Deceiver or similar baitfish pattern. Use an all-around type floating or intermediate (slow-sinking) line and cover water in a 45-degree pattern to the shoreline. They won’t necessarily be up in the shoreline cover like bass, but one or two might be. If you find the fish and they are active, the better way to target the bigger ones is with a topwater. My favorite is the Crease Fly. I’ve caught numerous over 4 pounds this way.

Pretty “speck-tacular” to see a 25-inch trout roll up on a popper.

I spend a lot of time during the summer poling or trolling motoring 2- to 5-feet-deep eel-grass flats. It’s really enjoyable to fish a dog-walking style plug and cover a lot of water, but what I’m really doing is looking for fly rod opportunities.

The waters around here aren’t as clear as you’ll find in Florida or along the Gulf Coast, so I find the fish first with plugs, then come back with a fly rod. If there is a concentration of trout, I will position my skiff favorably for presentation. You want to quietly move the boat so the wind is behind you and off your nondominant shoulder then quietly drop anchor astern, so you can cast from the bow and have more room to work.

A fly that makes a little noise will get their attention. There is so much food for them in summer that your fly has to stand out. Use a flashy streamer that wiggles a lot. I find that a fly with a trailer hook will get more solid hookups. I add trailer hooks to all the flies I plan on using for trout by using an offset shank hook as the trailer and attaching it with a snell knot. Make sure you tie it well. There are huge fish on these flats.

In places with extremely clear water — you may need to travel to Florida or Texas for this option but there are opportunities in North Carolina that I have been sworn to secrecy on — we can sight fish for big trout in the traditional manner. Pole the edge of grass flats in a super shallow draft, and super quiet skiff. The trick here is to be able to see the fish before they see you.

In some places you will see the biggest trout you’ve ever laid eyes on as it slowly swims away. You can try a shot at that one, it won’t spook, per se, but it probably won’t eat either. You’ll want a leader of at least 10 feet, a fly that doesn’t make much of a sound when it hits the water, a sharp-eyed friend on the poling tower, or a guide who specializes in this exact type of fishing. Be ready to cast accurately to a distance of at least 60 feet and drop your fly 8 to 10 (or more?) feet in front of her. You won’t get a lot of chances. It’s difficult, but in the right locations, there are gator trout swimming shallower than you’d imagine.

All along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, from Albemarle Sound to the Shallotte River, there are boat docks with lights on them. Search them out at dusk or early morning, and then go back late at night. This is the place to have a real chance at the very largest speckled trout you can ever get on a fly rod. You should be heading out to fish while other people are getting ready for bed.

Find a dock with access to deeper water and good current running along it with a bright white light shining into the depths or a green light shining from below. This will attract shrimp and small baitfish. You’ll know if it’s worth fishing before you even start casting. The sound of feeding trout is like a popping champagne cork.

The biggest trout I catch every year on fly come from fishing under dock lights. I have a couple different shrimp flies I like that I save for when I see big shrimp being chased around. Most of the time I’ll use a size 2 all-white baitfish imitation. If the current is running fast and the fish are feeding deeper, use an all-white Clouser Minnow.

You may be tempted to fish with a lighter rod, such as a 6 or 7-weight, but stick to the 8 and use a 20-pound tippet. The only 8-pound trout that I’ve ever seen personally was caught in my boat by a friend fishing with me at night. That’s a legitimate monster, and if you want to catch one like it on fly, you need to be prepared when she shows up.

In the fall, speckled trout will gather into big schools and move into deep channels. This is the only time some guys around here will ever catch a trout at all. The fish might be migrating to southern waters or just to wintering over creeks. This creates a situation where lots of trout will be in known spots. The water will be deep, often over 10 feet, and the current will be swift, I will use an eight-weight rod with a 350 grain Depth Charge (fast sinking fly line) combined with a Clouser Minnow in red over white, chartreuse over white or any other popular color combinations that people use with jigs.

Anchor your boat in the channel and swing your fly down to them similar to if you were fishing for salmon in a stream. The strikes will come on the swing. Sometimes they will annoy you by short striking. Remedy this by using the flies you already have with stinger hooks.

This is a great time to catch a lot of fish in a relatively short time. When you find them, you can get a strike on almost every cast. Don’t keep more than you need. Coolers fill quickly this way.

I’ve often been surprised by the people I’ve met when I’ve been fishing and didn’t realize who they were until we started talking afterwards. TV stars, millionaires, fly fishing gurus — the list is long and interesting.

Noted shark biologist, writer and scuba pioneer Eugenie Clark once said, “Sharing the fun of fishing turns strangers into friends in a few hours.” If you’ve been surf fishing in the Wrightsville Beach area there’s a chance a future Hall of Fame high school lacrosse coach was standing right there.

Paul Gilbert has been coaching lacrosse at Cape Fear Academy for 29 years. In that time, he has sent many young men along to play college lacrosse and his current team has a few who are being recruited to play at the highest levels. He has impacted their lives forever with his family based coaching philosophy, and along the way winning two North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Division 2 championships including, “… last season with a win over our arch-rival Forsyth Country Day School in Winston.”

Gilbert’s been teaching history at Cape Fear Academy the whole time. He, his wife, Rachel, and two daughters, Sarah, 28, and Molly, 21, live in Wilmington.

“I moved to Wilmington from Washington, D.C., in 1993 when my first daughter was on the way,” he said recently, adding that the lobbyist life wasn’t for him. He says he “escaped.”

Coach Gilbert loves to fish and has been fishing and involved with lacrosse his whole life. He credits his father and uncle with getting him started.

“I grew up in Armonk, New York. My first memory of fishing was walking through the woods with my father (Tom Gilbert), uncle (John Gilbert) and brother (Greg) to a lake they called Popes Pond in Wilton, Connecticut.”

It wasn’t any high-tech thing either, he explained. “We were using cane poles that they used to give away when you bought a rug.”

Vacations to North Carolina got him the saltwater fishing bug.

“We would go to the Outer Banks during spring vacation when I was little and throw squids (old-timey molded lead casting spoons) that my grandfather made,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert got serious about the sport of lacrosse soon after. He played at noted Long Island lacrosse powerhouse Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York, where they captured the Section 1 Class B championship his senior year in 1986.

Gilbert has his coaching scheduled around fishing.

“Fall in Wilmington is fishing season. I used to coach fall sports, now fall is reserved for fishing,” he said.

His fall favorite is surf fishing for sea mullet.

“We hit the surf for Virginia mullet after the tourists leave and the holes start to form at the south end of Wrightsville Beach.”

But it’s not just fall. Gilbert stays away from basketball season too.

“In the winter, I mostly fish from the surf for speckled trout with Mirrolures.”

The big surf red drum also get him on the water.

“I will collect oysters and clams in the winter and will walk the surf, chasing the big schools of reds that often congregate,” he said.

Lacrosse season gets going in February, which ends his fishing for a while and marks the beginning of the winter doldrums. But the timing is perfect as the season winds down.

“Lacrosse ends around the third week of May, when the water is starting to warm. The bonito bite is usually on fire and the first Spanish mackerel are starting to show up,” the coach explained.

Gilbert doesn’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. When I talked to him he was telling me about some big flounder he’d caught around somebody’s dock.

He also usually has a bass fishing tournament for his players one day near the end of lacrosse season. They will fish residential and golf course ponds for bass and send him mobile phone pictures. They’ve been doing it for six years. It’s called “Hoist The Harpoon,” and the winner gets to carry the harpoon that is the team symbol for the Cape Fear Academy Hurricanes.

The combination of fishing, family and lacrosse pulls it all together.

Summer will find him offshore.

“My brother-in-law, Steve Wright is my fishing partner. We go out to the 23-mile rock in the summer to do some trolling and bottom fishing.”

The duo does pretty well on deepwater bottom-dwellers.

“He’s the captain and puts us on the fish. I’m the mate and rig the baits,” Gilbert said.

Pier fishing is another bit of fun he indulges in, and he loves to throw Gotcha lures off Crystal Pier when the Spanish are around.

Gilbert also offers a pretty decent bit of coaching to all of us anglers: “Gotta fish where the fish are,” he advises.  “A full box is always good, but a nice day on the water with a friend or two is what it’s all about.”

That philosophy was formed through years of teaching and coaching, and Gilbert doesn’t see himself slowing down quite yet.

“I think I have a few more good years in the classroom and on the lacrosse field. Probably keep doing what I’m doing.”

It’s been a long week. Kids were sick. Boss was a jerk. Dog puked on the carpet.

And it’s only Monday.

But the countdown is already on for the weekend. You’re going fishing with your buddy.

As the week unfolds, it’s perfect every day. You look outside and the flags are laying down, the trees are still. Sun is shining. Everything looks so nice!

You wake up Saturday and everything changes. Flags are sticking straight out and flapping like crazy. Trees are shaking and leaves are falling off. Birds are struggling to make any kind of headway. Yes, it’s our old nemesis, the wind. More fishing plans have been ruined, changed or just plain canceled due to the wind than any other reason.

We have hurricanes, tornadoes, nor’easters, waterspouts and a host of other situations with big winds that mess up our days. Most of the time, however, it’s just day to day. What can we do about it besides just stay home? I’ve always joked that when it’s cold, get a sweater; when it’s rainy, get a jacket; and when it’s windy … get on the couch. But we can still get out there — if we are flexible and willing to change. Let’s look.

First of all, I am not advocating going out in dangerous conditions. You have to determine what kind of days are OK for you and your equipment, boat and even personal health. As we get older, some of us don’t feel comfortable in a boat that’s rocking too much, even though just a few years earlier, we did it with no problem. If you have a huge boat, you can get out on days that a lot of other people would not. I have a small skiff that I use to fish ultra-shallow, but the trade-off is that I have to make adjustments on days that may not bother others.

Kids on board?

Let’s say you have a nice-sized center-console boat that’s around 22 feet or so. You had planned to run offshore a little ways to fish for the spring bonito run at the artificial reefs in 50 to 70 feet of water. This necessitates a run of somewhere in the 5- to 20-mile range to reach fishing spots that are ranging from a mile to up to 10 miles offshore. The forecast had been calling for southwest winds less than 15 knots all week. You get to the dock and it’s blowing over 20.

If you were going by yourself, you’d probably give it a chance, but you’ve got small kids with you. Bonito trolling is a fun and easy way to get some kids a chance to tug on some fast swimmers. But you get to the inlet and it’s just too rough to bring them out there. What are you going to do?

Always make sure you have a backup plan in mind. Some light spinning rods rigged with bottom rigs and some kind of bait. Fresh shrimp is best but is expensive to just have on hand.

A good option is the Fish Bites bait. It comes in a zip-top bag, doesn’t have to be refrigerated, and as long as you don’t open the bag, it stays good for a long time.

Find a nice channel near the inlet. In the spring the bottom of some side channels can seemingly be paved with panfish. The kids will be glad to have some fish to catch and a much better time than getting bounced around in the waves all day.

Feet in the water?

Maybe you are a surf fisherman. You had planned to cast for trout in the calm surf on a cool November morning. You know that if it gets too rough the water gets dirty and it’s very difficult to wade deep in the big waves to make the long casts necessary. Being in the water and fishing right as the sun comes up is very important. It’s always when the trout seem to bite best.

If you get to the water in the morning and the surf is too rough and you have to make alternate plans, the best part of the day is already gone. When you check the forecast the night before, it shows that the wind will shift and be pushing waves into your face in the spot you were going. Our coast is varied. Some beaches face south. Others face straight east. There are others that are someplace in between. With a knowledge of the wind and background on different beach directions, you can alter your plans the night before to be at the spot with the most favorable conditions right at dawn.

Available tools

There are a bunch of ways to figure out the wind and weather for the day you’re planning on. Gone are the days of listening to the NOAA weather radio and waiting for the forecast to start over and the repeating voice to come back to what you want to hear. We can use the internet in a variety of ways.

I like a few apps on my smartphone. With the ones I’m using, I feel pretty confident in what conditions I’m going to see. Fish Weather is my current favorite. It’s uncannily accurate in predictions of temperatures, precipitation and wind. You can dial it in to a very specific place and see what the conditions are going to be at any time of the day. I even use it to figure out what time I need to be crossing a large body of water in my small skiff in order to get back to the ramp most comfortably, even to the point where I’ve crossed safely, put the boat on the trailer, look outside 30 minutes later and seen whitecaps on the surface I just calmly cruised across.

For more general marine weather forecasts I like one called Buoycast. You can pick the various marine forecast zones and see what the wind should look like that day. The best part though is the ability to check the offshore buoys in real time to see what the winds and wave heights are right now.

So, with a little knowledge and planning, and conditions somewhat less than a gale, we can save a fishing day and get out there and enjoy ourselves safely and maybe even still catch a couple fish.

You just never know what kind of work the people you meet on the coast are doing until you get to know them. Dave Bernstein is a highly regarded geospatial mapping specialist who uses high-tech tools to map underwater contours for updating nautical charts.

He also happens to live in Morehead City and is an outstanding angler.

“Through graduate school at NC State University, I had an opportunity to work at the coast in marine science with UNC and NC State,” he said recently, adding that it led to a life on the water. “Through working in the marine labs, I met Chris and Sloan Freeman, and a few years later Geodynamics was formed.”

They three have been working together a long time and it’s paid off. “20 years later, Geodynamics has grown to a leading name in the hydrographic research and mapping industry.”

The company does more than make seafloor maps.

“We also use advanced remote sensing techniques like LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and GNSS (global navigation satellite system) to map the coastal environment by ground, remote aerial platforms, airplanes and helicopters. These terrestrial surveys support coastal engineering, design and construction as well as coastal change and resiliency studies.”

It’s tremendous work and it’s happening right here. But there’s a lot more to Bernstein than his work. He loves his family, and his wife and daughter are extremely important to him.

“My wife of 20 years, Kathy, is a school counselor and career coordinator for Carteret County Schools. Our daughter, Josie, is into gymnastics, but will drop everything to go fishing.”

Josie has always loved fishing, said Bernstein. “I started her at around 4 years old and I think she was guided into it at the right pace.”

Bernstein also loves to get the whole crew out on the boat and enjoy the outdoors.

“We love getting on the water and learning together about our environment, fishing, boating and beaching. You can typically find us somewhere around Cape Lookout,” he said. 

Bernstein is known around here as a fine angler and has competed successfully in regional redfish tournaments.

“I got into fishing some tournaments and taking on some sponsors back in 2004. I never really thought of that as a professional adventure, but more of an extension of the competitive life of sports,” he said. “I did pretty good in tournaments with many top 10 finishes and even won some.”

He credits tournament fishing with making him a better angler all around.

“Redfish tournaments forced me to think more about how to catch fish and why fishing can be good or bad at times,” he said.

Nowadays, he doesn’t fish competitively too often, but he still gets out there from time to time.

“Josie and I enjoy doing benefit tournaments, like the Carteret Cancer Crew Fishing Tournament,” he said.

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Bernstein said his love of fishing began as a kid on trips to the beaches between Virginia Beach and the North Carolina state line. Fishing brought together the men of the family.

“When I was growing up, we visited Sandbridge Beach. These trips with family were where I learned to surf, fish and grow a passion for the ocean and coastal environments,” He said. “My dad, Dr. Allen Bernstein, and my uncles, Steve and Harold taught me surf and pier fishing. I vividly remember fishing for bluefish, spots, and croaker at the Sandbridge Pier.”

He moved to the North Carolina coast in 2001, saying the area “was a great fit.” And as soon as he could, he got serious about his fishing.

“Once I got my first boat, I quickly built a passion for redfishing. Sight fishing, casting lures, and anything else; I enjoy it all and it’s always different.”

However, he does have his favorite methods.

“I love working the marsh banks and shallows with topwater plugs for redfish. You can hear, and often see, the fish coming in and out of the fringe grass to feed. When they crush your lure, it’s exhilarating!”

He’s learned a lot about it over the years and said the key to consistently finding fish is not to get stuck in your ways.

“Go out and explore. When you learn more about the areas you already know, and find new areas, you build a more comprehensive understanding of the whole system.”

The last part of the puzzle is getting them to bite, figuring out what will make those fish want to feed. 

“Determine what they are eating, and the bites will follow,” he advised.

Recently, Bernstein has been heeding his own advice and expanding his own horizons.

“I’ve enjoyed fishing the inshore waters, but now I’ve been exploring outside the inlets and fishing nearshore waters for cobia, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, false albacore and Atlantic bonito. Wreck fishing is next, but I’ll need a bigger boat,” he said, adding that, “Sometimes my expectation is not to catch a lot of fish, but instead to try something new or just have quality time with my daughter. Then the fish are a bonus.”

Geodynamics, which has seen significant growth in the past decade, is becoming a much bigger operation. In 2021, Geodynamics was acquired and merged into NV5 Geospatial. The company announced in 2021 that the “combination brings together complementary, advanced technologies – Geodynamics’ full-ocean depth sonar-based hydrographic and geophysical surveying with NV5 Geospatial’s topographic and bathymetric capabilities – to deliver detailed insights for a variety of applications, including coastal management, flood monitoring, ecosystem protection, research and more.”

“We’re growing now with some great support from our NV5 team and our 20-person team has quickly jumped to 40.” Bernstein sees this continuing. “Our next 10 years is all about building the team, refining how we manage our work, maintaining the culture, and keeping innovation in the forefront of our work. We have a few new larger vessels coming online in 2023 that are designed to support offshore infrastructure development projects such as submarine cables, wind energy, and sediment resources.”

Bernstein’s family also looks forward to being together more.

“We want to travel, explore the Caribbean and the Mediterranean,” he said. “We’re hoping for more time on the boat and beach, and many family memories to be had.”

It’s getting to be the time of year when people start thinking about getting their boats out. I’m not talking about the diehards who fish all winter no matter what. I’m talking about normal people like you and me. People who may have used their boats sparingly since November, or not at all. We need to get our boats ready for the upcoming spring.

In order to make that a fun and exciting time, instead of getting towed back to the boat ramp and paying for big repair bills, let’s take some time and do some work now. Avoiding big repair bills is a major part of my life. The work we do now will hopefully help to avoid big expenses later. We are going to focus here on trailerable boats, because that has been my experience.

In my nearly 30 years of boat ownership, the number one thing that has been the most problematic has been trailers. Turns out that dipping a metal contraption with moving parts into saltwater time after time is not conducive to long life. Who knew? Fortunately, there are some things we can do to help.

The main thing on trailers that requires time is the bearings on the wheels.  If you don’t have Bearing Buddies or a similar product then you should get them. They are devices that attach to the outermost part of the hub and provide an easy way to get grease packed inside the bearings and the hub. Aside from that, they provide a small amount of outward pressure that helps to prevent water intrusion. Saltwater and metal moving parts are not a healthy combination.

Check your trailer leaf springs. All the little clips should be whole. When those clips start to go, the springs need to be replaced. It’s not that difficult to do. Make sure you have the correct length. Your local marine hardware place should have them. You’ll most likely need a grinder to get everything off. Replace all the hardware. I have also gone to a local tire shop and asked them if they would do the work for me if I bought the parts. Worked for me. Worth asking. The same shop has also replaced hubs for me. Good to know guys like that.

Check the axle. Shouldn’t be any holes or anything. An axle breaking while driving down the road is inconvenient.

Next check your winch. Make sure the teeth engage on the locking mechanism and the strap is sound. Straps usually break right around the hook. Don’t ask me how I know.

Let’s look at the hull. How does the bottom look? Does it need to be refinished? Is the gelcoat dull or even chipped? Getting the entire hull redone is a job best left to the pros. There are a bunch of people doing this work. If, by the time you read this, you determine you will need this done. It may already be too late. They’ll be backed up. You may want to make plans for next season. However, you can do touch up stuff. It’s possible to crawl under and apply a clearcoat to bad scratches. There are epoxy-based hull paints that work really well. I have flipped my small skiff over and redone the whole bottom with a paint called Gator Glide. I needed to remove the engine and poling tower and then it took three big guys to flip it. Anything larger I wouldn’t recommend doing it yourself.

Clean up all your vinyl. Make sure all cleats and eyes are sound. Should be good.

The engine is the last thing. There are certain items that need to be taken care of every spring.

First change the spark plugs. Do not skimp. If it says to get the expensive Japanese plugs then get them. Change the lower unit oil. If you don’t have one, get the kit from the boat supply place. It pumps the oil in under pressure and makes sure you have the right amount. You put that red Sta-Bil gas preservative stuff in the tank back in November, didn’t you? Of course, you did. If not, then put some in right now. I use the Star Tron fuel stabilizer additive every time I fill up too. There are plenty of brands out there. Pick one and stick to it.

I will usually take the time to clean the carburetor on my older engine. A fuel injector cleaner additive like Lucas is not a bad idea for newer motors. You are going to want to change out your fuel filters now too.

Check the water pump assembly. Hook the engine up to a hose and turn it on. Water should come out of the hole in a strong stream. If not, check the outlet with a piece of heavy strength monofilament fishing line. If that doesn’t do it, you might need to change the water pump. Worth getting done. You can do it yourself but if you don’t feel comfortable, now’s the time to get it done at your mechanic shop.

For your first shakedown cruise of the year, plan to stick close by and it’s good to have a friend in another boat nearby, particularly if you have not been out in a long time. But if you’ve done all the little jobs listed here it should be OK. If you don’t live near the coast, go to a lake, or someplace where you can take it out, do a few short runs at medium speed — out and then back again. If all goes well, let it loose. It’ll feel good to have the wind in your face again.

Finally, a primer on launching and recovering at a boat ramp. First, have all your preparations done well in advance of actually entering the launch area. Get all your lines set up. Make sure the plug is in. Put all the gear in where it needs to go. Do not block the ramp.

Now pull your vehicle as close to the ramp as you can then turn the wheel, so you are pulling straight away from there, or as nearly so as possible. Some ramps you might need to back down from quite a ways away.

Some folks can back a boat using their rearview mirrors. Others might find that challenging. Nevertheless, the point is the same. Put your hand at 6 o’clock on the steering wheel. Whatever way you move your hand from there, that is the way the rear of the trailer will go. Small movements are key and the right answer is always to go slower rather than faster. It’s good to become proficient at this before you even get to a boat ramp. Practice in the same place you learned how to drive as a teen, the high school parking lot. When you can back your boat in between two cones every time, then you are ready for the ramp. 

When recovering, after you get the boat on the trailer, hook up the safety chain before pulling forward. I’ve seen straps break and boats come off on the ramp. Pull forward until you are completely away from the ramp area. Do not block the ramp. This is the main thing that causes issues between people at busy times.

One last thing, if it is a low-light situation and your headlights come on automatically, turn them off when on the ramp. They’ll be shining right in the eyes of anybody who is waiting to go next.

The season is coming. Get your boat ready. Get your boat ramp skills up to par.

Have a great spring!

Next time you drive across the Oregon Inlet Bridge, take a look down and toward the sound. Is anybody kayak fishing with a fly rod? If so, chances are Capt. Harry Meraklis is nearby, directing them and showing them where and how to cast.

Meraklis is a 100% fly fisherman and has been guiding fellow fly anglers on the Outer Banks for 11 years.

He grew up in the Pittsburgh area. “I actually tied flies at about 12 years old in our basement in Pittsburgh, PA. My dad Sam would wake me up at 4 a.m. on weekends and we were off. Mostly we’d be fishing from his johnboat mounted on the top of his painting van.”

Mr. Sam has been gone for a long time, “… but if he knew — and I hope he does — that I was a fly-fishing guide at Oregon Inlet he would light up in a smile.”

Later on, Meraklis met another friend who influenced him quite a bit.

“My friend Don Beideman reignited my passion for fly fishing streams in central PA later in life, and I have not picked up a spinning rod in quite a while,” Meraklis said.

Even though he grew up in western Pennsylvania, saltwater fishing has been Meraklis’ passion for a very long time.

“My dad started bringing our family to the Outer Banks in 1960. We would wade fish Oregon inlet and surf fish,” said Meraklis.

He couldn’t stay away and later bought a home in Kitty Hawk, where he would eventually move full time.

“I’ve been a homeowner and frequent visitor of the Outer Banks for most of my life and have lived in Kitty Hawk for well over a decade,” said Meraklis, who added that he’d been guiding ever since. “I work for OBX On The Fly, a fly shop and outfitter located in Manteo, and am a fly guide and instructor. I primarily wade fish from kayaks.”

Meraklis will usually launch from the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center and uses motorized kayaks to hit a shopping list of spots that are within easy reach.

“Electric motors extend our range and get us from point to point swiftly,” he noted.

Meraklis’ target species are the usual suspects for inshore fishing in North Carolina: redfish, speckled trout, flounder, striped bass, sheepshead and bluefish.

“I love to hunt the flats with a fly rod,” he said.

Meraklis offered a couple of tips for those wishing to try fly fishing from a kayak.

“A stripping basket can be the ticket when drift fishing in a kayak. We frequently have stiff winds that can wreak havoc with your line management by blowing it out into the water and tangling it,” he said.

As anyone who has done it can tell you, having a knot in your fly line when you finally see your prize swimming in front of you can make you say things that would render your grandma very disappointed. He added that if you don’t have a stripping basket, “A wet towel draped over the floor of the kayak at your feet can also be quite effective in reducing tangles.”

The windy conditions on the Outer Banks can be a challenge for those used to fly fishing in small streams, but there are tricks to help a caster unused to the windy conditions.

“A water load cast is when you lay the fly line onto the water and use that tension to flex your rod. This keeps the wind from blowing your line all over and can be a quick and effective way to deliver your fly.”

Keeping your line tight to the fly is imperative in detecting strikes and setting the hook.

“It is really important to keep your rod tip down and point in the direction of the fly to increase your chances of a good hook set and catch more fish,” advised Meraklis.

Another tip from Meraklis for those who have never saltwater fly-fished before: “Practice your cast before you get out here! The longer you can cast, the more water you can cover, which means more time your fly is in the water.”

Meraklis has even devised his own fly. “I created the Dirty Harry about a decade ago and have not used anything but that fly since. It imitates any of the local bait merely by varying the color and how it’s fished,” he said. 

Crawl it along the bottom to imitate a crab, move it quickly through the water when minnows are on the menu, and when shrimp are around, a twitch-twitch-pause retrieve will do the job. These flies are sold at the fly shop in Manteo and Harry donates $1 from every sale to the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Adopt an Oyster program.

Meraklis offers one last tip for light tackle anglers in his exceptionally busy area.

“At Oregon Inlet, avoiding boat and kayak pressure is key. It does no good to find fish, only to have them shut down by inexperienced or inconsiderate anglers,” he advised.

And one bit of advice that can help to consider no matter where or how you fish: “Picking the right time on any particular day, in conjunction with a tide that has good current flow is key. As a wade fisherman, hunting the flats in a stealthy manner, and committing to a good flat can pay off in a big way.”

Sharing these nuggets of wisdom is a family tradition. As Meraklis’ father did, he has passed that love down to his sons and grandson. When you teach them right, they will get the love themselves.

“My grandson cannot wait for me to visit so he can go fishing with ‘PaPou,’” Meraklis said proudly of Sammy, who lives near Philadelphia. “The kid’s got mad skills for a 5-year-old. He has his own Trout Unlimited tackle bag full of goodies and loves to select his next lure or fly.”

One of the things we get told by old-timers (of which, I must confess, I appear to be now) is, “Find the bait, you’re doin’ great.”

Yes, if you find massive schools of baitfish and there are fish crashing into them in every direction, it’s seems to be a good adage to follow. But what about days when there are signs of feeding fish, but it is not so obvious what they’re feeding on, and then you’re not sure if you have the right lure type to match.

You can meet any inshore fishing situation with a small assortment of lures. I will go out on a limb and say you can catch any fish that swims inshore in any circumstance with three lures — and one extra sub-type that I just really enjoy. If you grab these lures, you will never be caught unprepared.

First, and most obvious I think, is a jig. I’d say that a plain white jighead with white bucktail has probably accounted for more fish caught in the history of angling than anything ever invented or yet to be. I’d go a little further and add a soft plastic wiggle tail instead of the bucktail, just to take advantage of some modern technology. 

Any of the brands you see will work. Let’s stick with white for now but choose any color that will show up in the water you are fishing: Light colors are for clear water, dark colors for stained water, bright colors for muddy.

If you suspect that minnows are being chased and fed upon, retrieve so it stays in the upper part of the water column. Add a little twitch so it appears to be having difficulty swimming. This is the key now. Predators go after prey items that are having a bad day. It might be due to an injury, sickness, or it just might be its time. Whatever. If a minnow is having a tough time, be sure that a predatory fish is going to target it. I’ve always figured that nothing ever dies of old age in the ocean.

A jig can be hopped along the bottom to simulate shrimp or other crustaceans that move sporadically along the bottom. Shrimp also swim pretty quickly, with a couple quick spurts of energy and then a drop. This movement can easily be simulated with a jig. Finally, if crabs are on the menu, a jig can literally be crawled along the bottom. Add a little hop now and then to attract attention. I caught my first bonefish in this manner many years ago.

Hard plastic swimming plugs account for a big percentage of the fish I catch every year.

Q: “There are literally thousands of them on the market, Capt. Gordon. How do you choose which one to use?”

A: That’s an excellent question. If I had to pick just one to fish every day, on the Southeast Atlantic coast, it would be the Mirrolure MR 27 with the pink and chartreuse. It has great action on the twitch, twitch, pause, retrieve. Anything will eat it. I’ve caught striped bass, speckled trout, red drum, croakers, lizardfish, ladyfish, jacks, pinfish, and probably at least one or two others that I can’t think of right now. When a fish sees it doing that weird duck-and-dive motion on the twitch, it is seeing an easy target: a baitfish of some kind, that is having a tough time getting anywhere. It represents calories to gain that will not amount to a large expenditure.

This is what fish do. They can’t actually do algebra or calculus, but they are always figuring how much a certain prey item will add to their caloric total for the day without subtracting too much. Combine this with how exposed they will be to predators. If they can get an easy meal without being too exposed, they will focus on that. The MR 27 presents an easy target and a meaty profile that fulfills all those requirements. 

The bonus option is a topwater plug. I prefer the ‘walk-the-dog” style. My favorite being the Rapala Skitterwalk version. Great for water under 5 feet deep with a grassy bottom or one that has a lot of snags like oyster shells and things. The side-to-side walking motion presents an illusion of an easy target, and the large profile looks like a big meal. Big fish eat these. Sometimes, it’s the only thing that works. It just gets their attention.

If you know for a fact that fish are targeting shrimp, and sometimes even if they are not, you cannot beat a plastic shrimp imitation. The most well-known and the original being the DOA shrimp. There are other brands. They’re all knockoffs of the original. I resisted using these for years. They look like what a kid’s toy shrimp would look like, if there was such a thing. These work. Inshore fish of all species and sizes will gulp them down. I really like the sand-colored ones with the green tails and the all pink. For sight fishing in clear water with a light spinning rod, there is simply nothing that works better. Cast into sloughs and channels and let the current sweep it along.

Most popularly, use under a popping cork in creeks, and on flats. The noise gets their attention, the shrimp get whapped. I’ve even seen guys use them on a Carolina Rig while surf fishing. Trout, redfish, striped bass, bluefish — basically, if there are shrimp in the water and there are gamefish around, the plastic shrimp imitation should be the No. 1 go-to. These things are even my best fish catchers when targeting fish in shallow creeks during cold water periods when a shrimp hasn’t been seen in months. They just like shrimp so much, they can’t resist.

With a selection of these three lure types — plus the bonus — I feel pretty confident in saying there isn’t an angling question that can’t be answered. Yes, there are about a million others. I didn’t mention spoons, spinnerbaits, metal jigs, and a bunch of others. But the ones I mentioned will match any hatch you see to get started. Add to your selection as time — and your wallet — permits.

Featured Image

Ice is shown Wednesday morning covering the surface of Hancock Creek in Havelock. After several days of lows in the teens and 20s, the air temperature was around 46 degrees Fahrenheit when the photo was taken. The National Weather Service Newport office predicts temperatures in the area to continue to warm with highs by Friday and Saturday approaching or exceeding 70 degrees. Photo: Capt. Gordon Churchill

When you ride the North Carolina state ferry system’s Minnesott Beach-Cherry Branch ferry, you may notice an especially tall fellow in uniform.

The new crewmember is H. Michael Kalanikau Howlett, a native Pacific Islander from Oahu and a recent transplant to Carteret County.

“Bo” to his friends and family, Howlett moved to live with his girlfriend Amy Martin on her family farm in Newport and has made quite a nice home for himself.

“I grew up on the island of Oahu in a small town called Laie (pronounced “la-ē-ā”) on the North Shore, about 15 minutes away from all the famous surf breaks like Sunset Beach and Pipeline,” Howlett told Coastal Review.

He spent much of his time there in and on the water.

“I would say the majority of the fishing that I did growing up would be free diving, spearfishing and offshore fishing for pelagic species. I used to go diving for octopus and fish used for traditional dishes that you would typically find at a traditional Hawaiian luau,” he said.

Never far from the ocean, he was obsessed with it as a kid.

“I went after every kind of fish I could. When I was a boy, I loved to dive and spearfish. I would run home after school then walk across the street to the beach and fish.” It was in his blood, “There wasn’t anywhere on Earth I would have rather been.”

Howlett loves offshore fishing, especially offshore trolling for large pelagic species. “Mainly because I love sashimi and poke, my favorite fish to catch are the big yellowfins that average between 100 and 200 pounds.”

He credits his father, Hank Howlett with showing him the ins and outs, starting at a young age.

 “My father had a 31-foot custom sampan, it’s a Japanese-style hull that rides well in rough water,” he said. “When the moon was right and the weather was favorable, my mom, Margo, would pick up me and my sister, Pohai, and meet my dad at the harbor before dark. We’d head out and down the coast a few miles and fish for mackerel with hand lines with six-hook rigs like Sabiki.”

He loved it even back then, fishing alongside his parents until he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

“They’d put me to bed alongside my sister and when I woke up we’d be back in the harbor in time to get ready for school.”

Hank Howlett, however, would keep fishing all day.

“My dad would head back out to the FADs (fish aggregating devices, or floating man-made objects used to attract ocean fish) and catch mahi and tuna with some of the live mackerel that we had saved from the night’s fishing. If I didn’t have school, or even sometimes if I did, I would stay with my dad and go with him to the FADs and I would work the deck.”

But of course, adult life would come along, accompanied by tough choices.

“I went to culinary school in Honolulu, and that was a great experience and I met wonderful people. I learned a lot and I was good at it, but the chef life wasn’t for me, so I got a part-time fishing job on a charter boat.”

From there, he worked his way up to becoming a captain of his own boat.

“I got my first captain’s job running a boat that was owned by a restaurant and bar on the water. I got to meet new people every day, and these people fished for the joy of it and hopefully provide them with the opportunity to catch the fish of a lifetime.”

Later, Howlett met a Carolina girl. That led to the change of venue.

“My boss at the time ran a perpetual job listing on Craigslist for a bikini fisher girl/boat washer/booth girl/photographer. Pretty much almost 100% of the time they never came back after the interview, but then there was Amy (Martin). She came back the next day at 5 a.m., ready to fish. And she kept coming back. She’s tough and she’s the reason why and how I ended up in Newport, North Carolina.”

Howlett moved to Carteret County in July 2021 and has been going strong ever since. He works the Martin family farm in Newport, and for a while you could find him at Rose Brothers Seafood in Beaufort a couple days a week.

Mostly, you’ll see him on the dock on the Minnesott-Cherry Branch ferry run, where he’s a crewmember.

He also took quickly to the local fishing — with success — and the way of life here.

“My first time fishing here, Amy’s dad, Kevin Martin, took me fishing for red drum. We caught our limit on Carolina rigs with finger mullet,” Howlett said.

Howlett was impressed by just how much water he saw around his new home.

“A thing that blew me away when I came here for the first time, was how nautical it is. I was not prepared for the amount of water and coastline in the Intracoastal Waterway, plus offshore and the sheer amount of boats,” he said, adding that things are a lot different in Oahu. “Hawaii has very little safe harbor and there aren’t many places where you can keep a boat in the water. The ones that do exist are full, so you have to be on a waiting list for years in order to get a slip. When your name comes up you have a month to put a boat in it or you go to the bottom of the list again.”

Avid North Carolina boaters would likely find that system painful.

For now, Howlett’s job on the ferry is guiding drivers on and off. He holds an Ordinary Seaman credential, very soon to be upgraded to Able Seaman, he said, and then he’ll be looking at the 200-ton Master.

When I say he’s tall, I’m not kidding, and if you’re on his boat you’ll definitely see him. His name tag says “Michael,” but just say, “Hi Bo.” And he should be around. He sees himself working for the Ferry Division for a long time.

“I hope someday to be at the helm of my own vessel,” he said.

Solitude is often a big reason people give for getting out on the water to do some fishing.

Unfortunately, many people can only go fishing on the same days that a whole bunch of others can. Weekends, and especially holiday weekends, will find waterways jammed with boats and anglers wrestling to get into the same prime locations — not conducive to solitude. 

The beauty of living and fishing in North Carolina is that there are great opportunities here in winter. You can find action on a variety of species without the crowds and often catch more than you would have at the more popular times. I have been in some amazing speckled trout bites in January and not seen any boats anywhere, in places that in October would be overflowing with other anglers.

In winter you need to be prepared for more than just catching fish. The weather is your biggest adversary. Things change quickly out there.

First thing is to get a marine weather forecasting app for your smartphone, or have the marine forecasts from the National Weather Service bookmarked. Watch it. It’ll change. Whatever it said about the weather for the days you want to fish, the closer that day becomes, the more the chance it’s going to change.

It’s not because they don’t know what they’re doing. Quite the contrary, they’re exceptional in my experience. It’s that fronts move around and form so quickly that things that they saw at the beginning of the week are not so by the end.

Remember that the same wind that creates waves that splash you with warm water in July and just get you wet, is now going to be moving cold water that can give you hypothermia in December and January. Dress appropriately. Start with a base layer, a long-sleeved shirt made of a moisture-wicking material. Then I will wear a fleece vest with a microfleece hooded sweatshirt over that. Finally, top it off with a waterproof windbreaking layer. You also want to have bib rain pants and waterproof footwear for venturing into the open ocean. This is not the time to be getting soaked by stray waves.

There is good action for anglers in winter with black sea bass. This is a feisty bottom-dweller that resembles a small grouper. Here, they are usually found quite far offshore but move closer during winter. As a bonus, they gather into pretty large schools, so there is a good chance that if you find one, you’ve found a bunch and can fill a fish box quite readily.

Capt. Tom Roller of Waterdog Charters in Beaufort tells me that, “The best places to look are reefs and wrecks in 55 to 80 feet of water from 10 to 20 miles offshore. The fewer people who are fishing there, the better the action will be.”

He’ll use double-bottom rigs with whatever weight you might need to reach bottom and circle hooks baited with squid or cut fish. The circle hooks are required in federal waters because there is a chance you will catch grouper, which must be released, or undersized sea bass which you must also let go, as well as any other fish you don’t wish to keep. With a circle hook it’s easy to get them off the hook safely.

Another piece of gear you will need is a “descending device.” This is a dedicated pole or line with a minimum 16-ounce weight, or a weighted container, with at least 60 feet of line that is capable of returning fish back to a depth of at least 50 feet. These devices allow for the safe return of fish that exhibit signs of barotrauma. This is commonly seen by the stomach protruding from the mouth, bulging eyes and distended intestines. The descending device that Roller uses is The Seaqualizer.

Regulations for sea bass in waters south of Cape Hatteras allow you to keep seven fish per day at 13 inches or better. North of there you can keep 15 fish per day at 13 inches long. Note that this is correct information at time of publication but the regulations seem to change every year, so make sure to check before you go.

Let me add that I am a pretty dedicated catch-and-release angler who will put a sea bass in the cooler without thinking twice.

Offshore bottom fishing in the summer around artificial reefs often needs a traffic cop and stoplights. In winter, you can often have the same place all to yourself. If you are prepared with the right equipment, are dressed properly and know what fish you are targeting, all the preparation can be worth it.

Holiday notes

A couple of holiday notes to end the year with: First let me say how much I’ve enjoyed writing The Anglers Angle this past year. I’ve gotten a lot out of it, and I hope you have too. Thank you to the editors of Coastal Review.

Next, Christmas is coming up and I wanted to hit on some gift ideas for anglers either to ask for or to be given. The number one on the list as far as I am concerned continues to be the Gerber multitool with the snap-out pliers and easy one-hand operation. I never go anywhere without mine and the few times I forget, I always wish I hadn’t.

I asked a few friends what they wanted but didn’t get last year. Here’s what they said:

• Kesley from Los Angeles said, “A record-breaking Lahontan Cutthroat Trout from Pyramid Lake in Nevada.”
• My buddy Bo from Newport wanted a 25-foot Contender but would have settled for a nice rain jacket.
• Capt. Rick specifically asked Santa for a new Ranger bay boat but he’s still waiting.
• Josh just wished for more time on the water.
• John asked for a nice custom-made fishing rod.
• Capt. Seth from Wilmington asked to take a fly-fishing trip to Cuba.
• Owen from Morehead City wanted a Daiwa Saltiga 10 for the really big ones, I guess he’ll have to settle for the little ones.
• Capt. Matt cleans so many fish these days that he wanted an electric filet knife to make things go a bit faster.
• Chris from Sneads Ferry wanted a season pass for the pier so he can go every day.
• Capt. Dave just wanted one more bonefish trip, and really, you can never have enough of those.
• Rip asked for an iBobber wireless sonar system for his smartphone. 
• Lastly, Capt. Tom asked for good health for himself and everybody else, which is really the correct answer after all.

Here’s hoping for a great Christmas and excellent winter fishing weather so we can get out for those sea bass, or maybe some trout, red drum, bluefin tuna …

In any field, there are people whose accomplishments make them iconic. Kareem Abdul Jabbar or Marlon Brando might come to mind in their respective professions. Or you might think of presidents or captains of industry. On the coast of North Carolina, longtime outdoor writer and Brunswick County native Capt. Jerry Dilsaver counts as one of these people.

Dilsaver is a freelance writer for newspapers and outdoor magazines, and there’s a chance you have seen his articles in Kayak Angler Magazine, Southern Kayak Angler Magazine, TIDE Magazine, Waterway Guide, Coast Magazine or This Week Magazine. In addition, he manages the outdoor page in the State Port Pilot newspaper in Southport.

Dilsaver’s involvement with fishing and the water is a multigenerational affair starting with both his grandfathers, continuing through his father and to the present day. His grandfathers, David Fulcher and John Dilsaver, both moved to southeast North Carolina at the end of the 19th century. They worked on, in and around the water as shrimpers and commercial fishermen. Jerry Dilsaver’s father, Floyd Dilsaver, learned about fishing and shrimping early on.

“I grew up in a fishing family. My Dad was a shrimper and later became the manager for the shrimping company located in Southport,” he told Coastal Review.

John Dilsaver stayed active until late in his life, working as a shrimper until his final few years. Jerry Dilsaver counts his father as the primary influence in learning all there was to know about the water.

“My father and I fished together all the time,” he said.

Dilsaver’s father passed away in 1987 after many years living in Southport, which the younger Dilsaver still considers to be his hometown, even though he currently resides in Oak Island.

Dilsaver’s interests were always diverse.

“As a young man I raced motocross professionally for several years, promoted concerts, built nuclear power plants, guided duck and goose hunts and more,” he said.

He didn’t find his lane – and his life’s work — until he graduated from East Carolina University at the age of 33.

“I was a late bloomer, and after graduating from East Carolina, I became an outdoor writer and photographer.”

Dilsaver’s journalism career started with a now-defunct North Carolina-based outdoor magazine.

“My first staff job was in 1986 with Carolina Adventure Magazine, and I stayed there until 2002,” he said, adding that his departure was to join a bigger operation. “I began working for the Sportsman Magazine Group. I was on staff at North Carolina and South Carolina Sportsman Magazines and did occasional work for Louisiana and Mississippi Sportsman Magazines.”

The skill that most likely gave rise to Dilsaver’s career, setting him apart from a sea of fine outdoor writers and sharers of fishing reports and stories, was his real-world success in fishing. His list of tournament wins and first-place finishes in season-long fishing tournament tours may be impressive enough, but when you add that he was named Angler of the Year by the U.S. Anglers Association in 1998 and then elected to the Southern Kingfish Association Hall of Fame in 2007, then his stature becomes clearer.

So, when Dilsaver offers fishing advice, pay attention.

“The key to consistently scoring with fish is to not get lazy. Some fishermen get complacent and take shortcuts and this will turn into spooked fish, strikes not happening, gear breaking and such,” he offered.

Dilsaver also recommends knowing your equipment, understanding how it works and how to best use it.

“The way a person gets better at fishing is like anything else: practice, practice, practice. You can learn new things from a book, TV or a seminar, but they won’t work consistently for you until you have practiced enough that they become second nature.,” he said.

A recurring theme is that there is no substitute for time spent on the water. But Dilsaver notes that success isn’t necessarily measured in pounds and ounces.

“I consider having a good time as the most important part of a day on the water. This means leaving prepared, giving it your best and not letting your occasional mistakes or things you can’t control bother you,” Dilsaver said.

Further he said that while it’s nice to release a bunch of fish or invite a few home to be the guests of honor at dinner, the number and/or species of fish you catch shouldn’t be how you judge a fishing trip. 

“I’ve had some great trips where we caught few or nothing.”

These days, Dilsaver has backed off from tournament fishing. He plans to participate in kayak tournaments close home, but the traveling tournament fishing lifestyle is something he’s not pursuing anymore.

“My fishing fleet has been downsized to a 16½-foot flats boat and several kayaks. I really enjoy kayak fishing and have even been known to take it into the nearshore ocean occasionally to fish for king mackerel,” he said.

Dilsaver has been taking the time to appreciate more subtle styles of fishing, including stalking tailing redfish with his wife, donna Mooneyhan.

“We are fortunate to live near some productive water and it’s easy to slip the boat in during the late afternoon while most are calling it a day and enjoy the serenity of an uncrowded marsh,” he said.

The Dilsavers enjoy the technical aspects of sight fishing.

“This isn’t just casting and retrieving, but involves spotting the fish and then moving to within casting range without spooking them.”

One bit of Dilsaver wisdom to remember every time we get near the water: “Fish will teach us new things almost daily.”

If you’re an angler, you have more than likely at some point in your life been approached by a person with a clipboard in the parking lot of a boat ramp, asking you about your fishing day. What were you fishing for? How long did you stay out? Did you catch anything?

This person is doing what is called a creel survey for the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. The data they collect on recreational fishing data includes effort, catch and participation. It’s important in determining how much pressure is being put on our fish populations by recreational anglers.

If you have been surveyed in Dare County, there is a good chance that you have been questioned by a good-looking young guy named John Petrigac. He has been living and working on the Outer Banks for five years now.

Along with his girlfriend, Candace Burns, Petrigac gets out on the water as much as he can. And as evidenced by the 30-inch speckled trout he caught this past summer, it appears he’s got some things figured out.

Petrigac grew up in Pittsburgh fishing with his grandfather, also named John. “My grandfather is the reason I started fishing. When I was about 5 years old, he started taking me to a local lake to fish for bass and panfish.”

Of course, this grew into bigger and longer excursions.

“As I got older we would take trips to our family camp in West Virginia where I spent all my time on a boat with him fishing for smallmouth bass,” Petrigac said.

Petrigac’s grandfather passed away a few years ago but he still impacts young John’s life every day. These idyllic settings would lead to even bigger adventures.

“I got my first taste of saltwater fishing when we took a family vacation to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, and hired an inshore charter that took us out to catch redfish and trout.” The memories of that trip became indelibly stamped into his brain, “I won’t ever forget the first redfish I hooked into,” Petrigac said.

That first red became a turning stone for Petrigac. As with many other people, the saltwater fishing bug got under his skin.

“After that, I made it my goal to move to the coast. It took me a few years, but I eventually moved to Myrtle Beach,” he said.

Petrigac attended Coastal Carolina University where he studied marine science and eventually got his master’s.

“While I was in school, whenever I wasn’t studying or working, I was fishing,” he said.

He worked at a tackle shop in Myrtle Beach and got all the information and knowledge he could.

“For a few summers, I soaked up as much from the locals as I could,” he said.

That knowledge all paid off when John first moved to the Outer Banks. He got his job with the division and decided, just like in college, if he wasn’t working, he was going to be fishing.

“Since I have moved to the Outer Banks, I have been hooked on kayak fishing in my Ascend 12t sit-on-top,” he said.

You will often find him plugging along in the backwaters where he continues to catch speckled trout and red drum.

“I like to spend early mornings on the grass flats chasing trout and drum but will occasionally switch it up and fish structure for sheepshead,” he said.

Like most of us he has preferences in the way he likes to fish but is prepared to switch up when necessary.

“I like to throw topwater as much as I can, but obviously that is not always what the fish want so I’m not afraid to throw a popping cork or weedless jig over grass beds to get bites,” he said. 

Petrigac also occasionally gets the opportunity to get out in the ocean. “When asked, I won’t hesitate to jump on a friend’s boat to go bottom fishing for sea bass or look for cobia,” he said, adding that autumn will see him surf fishing. “Come fall, I shift my focus to the surf, for trout and redfish.”

Because Petrigac fishes out of a small craft most of the time and is covering water with a variety of species, he has to be ready for anything.

“The most important thing to having a successful day on the water I think comes down to two things: having a game plan and knowing how and when to adjust your game plan when it doesn’t work out,” he said.

You just never know what each day will bring and not being able to go 30 mph to cover different areas forces an angler to lock down on presentation and finding out what is really going on.

“The key to consistently catching fish is paying attention to weather and environmental conditions and how that affects the fish, as well as having the knowledge about the fish you are targeting,” he said.

If you’re lucky, in a few years you might get a chance to fish with Petrigac. He figures he will end up being a charter captain.

“What good is all this fishing knowledge I am getting, If I don’t pass it on in some way?” he explained.

Petrigac said he will most likely be getting a bay boat so he can really get out and cover water and learn more about the entire Pamlico Sound. He’s looking forward to getting married and having kids in the future so he can pass along his love of fishing to them. Staying in North Carolina and the Outer Banks is pretty much where he sees himself.

“No reason to leave as far as I can see,” he said.

Keep an eye out for Petrigac if you see somebody doing creel surveys in Dare County. He’s a good man to get to know.

When a kid asks you, “Can we go fishing today?” There is only one correct answer.

You drop whatever else you have planned, and you go. So, you pack them into your bass boat and drive to the lake and spend the day pounding the water like you always do, the kid gets bored, falls asleep in the boat, whines about being hungry and tired, and you get annoyed at them for not having as much fun as you.

Has that happened to you? Probably has.

Let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s talk about bringing youngster out for a day fishing and having a good time while doing it.

Main rule: Be flexible. Have a variety of activities and options planned. Their idea of a day on the water may mean something different. They may not even have an idea of what it looks like. All they know is you like to do it, and now they want to do it too. If something is not working out, be prepared to do something else. It may not even be a specific fishing thing. It might be as simple as goofing off and looking for snails, shells, turtles or whatever. It should not be the same as what you, a grown adult who has a longer attention span, has in mind for a fishing trip. Honestly, it shouldn’t really be what you consider a “real” day.

I might consider a neighborhood pond as the best type of early fishing trip. If you have something like this where you live, or have access to ponds, this is where the ideal first fishing trips take place. You can pull your vehicle up to the water. Have coolers packed with snacks and drinks.

There are fish that are easy to catch and lots of other things. Set them up with a light rod. The push-button type reels seem to be the easiest for kids to master. Be prepared to deal with some issues inside the hood if the line breaks. Which it can. Spend a couple more bucks to get one that will operate more dependably and provide fewer maintenance headaches.

If the water is full of panfish, tie on a small hook, size 6 or 8, bait with a piece of worm. Attach a small float and teach them how to cast it out. Let them do it. Give one or two demonstrations, then sit by and let them figure it out.

The first bite won’t result in a hookup (most likely), they’ll be too involved with everything else. When they do hook up, it will be pretty unceremoniously cranked in. Make a big deal of it. Make sure they want to do it again.

Some kids will find that catching the one fish is enough for now. Others will be so entranced you can’t tear them away. Either way enjoy it. Inevitably they will tire of it. Now is the time for snacks, drinks, sandwiches. Frog hunts. Turtle watching. Maybe just walking around the pond. Golf carts make it fun too if you have one available to you.

Take a kid to a beach. Find a quiet sandy shoreline. it’s probably better if it’s not on the open surf — someplace with a gentle current and no waves. Get a light rod with small, hooked bottom rigs. Let them cast it out and slowly reel it along the bottom. The strikes will be sharp and feel like something bigger. There will be a variety of catches. Pinfish obviously. A good candidate for a kid to learn about how to safely handle a fish. Small sea bass provide a nice tussle. A ladyfish or two might show up and give a nice aerial show. Bluefish are ever-present, and also give a good chance to demonstrate how some fish have scary teeth.

When they get tired of fishing you are still on a beach. Time to look for sand dollars, shells, and who knows what else. I’ve seen sharks on these little beaches, most small, some not really all that small, and that provides a bunch of excitement. There are birds everywhere. Always something. And as always, lots of food, drinks, and if they start to get a little tired, call it a day and save some for next time. There’s plenty more out there.

It’s amazing how much fun you can have with a 10-year-old and a school of croakers. We had graduated to regular spinning rods by then. The panfish in the local pond were becoming boring. Had to branch out. We launched the skiff at a popular local boat ramp in Atlantic Beach. After a short run down the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, I pulled up in front of an oyster bar that grew alongside a channel leading into a marina.

We had 1/16^th-ounce jigs with nylon tails that are sold two to a pack. I added small pieces of shrimp to the hooks. After casting towards the oyster bar, we would retrieve slowly. The bites were not long in coming.

With the 5.5-foot, ultra-light spinning rods, the little silver wonders gave a good account of themselves. A couple of 12-inchers fought hard enough to pull a little line off the 1500 series reels rigged with 6-pound test braid. We caught fish for a solid hour. They were still biting when I heard, “Can we go get some ice cream?”

Of course. I pulled the anchor. Zipped back to the boat ramp. We were at Dairy Queen in 25 minutes. I’ve caught giant salmon and rainbow trout in Alaska, huge redfish on fly in Louisiana, wild brown trout in Montana, and yet I consider this the most wonderful day of fishing in my whole life.

The sun is just peeking over the horizon as another day begins, and you make your first cast.

Your surface plug lands in your favorite creek with a satisfying plop. You begin a twitching retrieve. The plug dances across the surface as the rattle inside makes a clicking sound. Bring it all the way in and cast it again. Twitch, twitch, twitch, click, click, click. Bloosh!

A trout rolls over on it and is hooked. It’s a big one. It makes a nice run and shakes its head back and forth as evidenced by the big bounces your rod tip makes. You turn your rod to the side to convince her to stay under because when the big girls shake their heads on the surface, hooks tend to pull. Using side pressure, you get her closer and closer until you get your net ready. Slide it under the fish and you’ve done it. A citation trout. Maybe one of the biggest, if not the biggest one you’ve ever caught.

The guy fishing next to you on the rocks congratulates you on a great catch. That’s right, you were not in a boat. You were fishing from the roadbed of a bridge that crosses over a creek.

Every fall, trout move into these waterways in schools, and some of the narrowest creeks can sometimes host thousands of speckled trout, including some truly big ones. Let’s figure out how to catch them.

Sometime in middle October is when I start doing this type of thing. I’ve spoken to guys who do it all year and talk about catching big trout from these places in the dead of night on full moons in summer. I’m not that motivated to sit out in the dark with snakes and who knows what else.

I prefer it when the weather gets a little more autumnal and slows those critters down. Having said that, fall is also the time when there is a chance that hundreds of fish at a time will move into these spots and can really give you a good time. However, we must understand that most of the time it will be a couple bites we’re looking for. But when the school comes, we’ll be ready.

Look for any place that a creek is crossed by a bridge of some kind. It could be as wide as a bridge over the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway or as narrow as a creek that winds through a golf course neighborhood. Often they can be hit over with a sand wedge.

Some of these places are obvious, others might need to be searched out. Look at the satellite photos in your area. Look at creeks that proceed away from larger bodies of water. Then look for spots where the road crosses them or comes close. Sometimes you’ll see a worn-down place on the photo. That means it gets used. It’s worth a look.

The best time to be there is, as always, first light. Often, trout will feed actively for the first hour and a half after the sun comes up. After a while though, it may slow down. You can be getting bites pretty regularly, then it stops and you realize you haven’t had a bite in 30 minutes. Get out there early. Get your gear ready the night before.

I use a 6.5-foot, medium-light, fast-action spinning rod with 15-pound braided line and a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader attached with a double Uni knot. Have your knots tied and your things assembled in the car. Bring a landing net. You’ll want it when you hook that big one.

Have two rods rigged with different lures so it’s easy to change.

If you’re going to keep fish, bring a cooler and keep it in the car. Have a rope stringer in your gear bag to use while you’re fishing. Use a backpack or sling pack to carry your lures. Have the lures in plastic trays and organized by type. This makes everything easy to deal with while on the shore of what can potentially be a very uneven creek bank. It’s usually rip rap and setting things down can lead to them getting lost, so I like to keep everything on me.

Have a flashlight if you get out there before the sun comes up. It’s no fun falling on your face with your hands full because you couldn’t see that rock. The walk down to the edge of the water can be a little challenging in some places too. If you have trouble with your balance this may not be something you want to do. When you get into position you want to get a comfortable standing location on the rocks or mud bank so you don’t have to move around too much, along with locating a spot in which you can net that big one.

Now it’s time to make that first cast. What are you going to use?

As stated earlier I like topwater plugs. My favorites are the dog-walking types. I prefer the Rapala Skitter Walk but the MirrOlure Top Dog is also good. A big benefit of them is you can make long casts, and long casts equal more water covered and longer time in the water with each cast.

If I’ve made a bunch of casts and have not gotten any strikes or maybe stopped getting strikes, and I’m pretty sure the fish are there, I will switch to a MirrOlure, MirrOdine or a Rapala Ripstop. There are slow-sinking plugs that have an erratic action that dart side to side on a twitching retrieve. These are the two types of lures I will use most often when fishing roadside.

A jig will work but I’ve found that too often there is some type of sunken structure along the bottom that steals them. A plug will fish above these things and not get hung up as often.

Other options include a plastic shrimp imitation like a DOA or Billy Bay. These are effective but you can’t cast them very far. I prefer to save them for the very narrowest creeks I fish or when I really know the fish are there but won’t hit anything else.

Give a spot 30 minutes or so. After you’ve run through all your lure options, if you’re not getting strikes, you can probably leave. What’s cool is having a run of spots to check. After you’ve been doing this for a while you will identify multiple roadside spots within a quick drive of each other. You can take a whole day going from one to the next. The beauty is that you can also find one close to your home or vacation spot and hit it at first light and be home in time for biscuits.

One last thing that must be addressed, roadside access to the water is disappearing. People who live nearby get frustrated with anglers leaving trash, making noise, drinking and generally being a nuisance. They complain to the local police and “No Parking” signs appear.

Be responsible. If you bring food, carry your trash out. For heaven’s sake don’t leave old fishing line on the ground. No drinking of beer or other alcohol. Be quiet and respectful of the houses around you. If you are there when it’s still dark, don’t slam your car doors. Maybe even bring a trash bag once in a while and clean up your favorite spot.

If you don’t do these things, don’t be surprised when it’s gone.

It can be hard to find native coastal people who have lived, worked and owned a business in the same location for multiple generations — not impossible, but difficult. That’s part of what makes Chris Medlin, owner of East Coast Sports in Surf City on Topsail Island, so unusual.

He’s been there so long that he can’t remember the exact time he caught his first fish, but he assumes it was a spot at the old Barnacle Bill’s Pier.

“I can’t remember my first time going fishing, but I’m sure it was beside my granddad, Charlie, who owned and/or operated the piers where I was raised,” he recently told Coastal Review.

Medlin’s grandfather Charlie Medlin had moved to Topsail Island in 1948.

“He had saved up enough money to put himself through business college and moved to Topsail to open an icehouse.” In those days that literally meant delivering blocks of ice to people’s homes for their nonelectric ice boxes.

Over the years the ice business evolved and became a beach grocery store. But then a different need was seen.

“It was turned into a serious tackle shop in the 1980s by my father, Doug, after granddad retired.”

There was a need for that kind of store on Topsail Island, he said. “I’ve tried to do like granddad,” Medlin said. “He always said, ‘Find a need and fill it.’”

East Coast Sports has been a successful venture ever since, he said.

“Our current model is very successful. We are continuing to grow every year,” Medlin said.

The inventory is vast and varied and covers two stories of a large building on Roland Avenue. Medlin said the shop’s online reviews are a reflection of the friendly and helpful staff. 

“We couldn’t do it without all of our employees to whom I feel indebted. We can only be successful if we can keep an upbeat crew.”

Medlin said the key is treating his employees fairly and respectfully. “My granddad and my father taught me to value people and their time. If you owe them, you pay them.”

And respect should be the rule for whatever you are doing in life, he said.

“You should pay the same respect to everyone you cross paths with — rich, poor, old or young. Everyone.”

But the history of the business has not been all sunshine and roses. The old Barnacle Bill’s Pier was wiped out by hurricanes in 1996.

“We lost Barnacle Bill’s because of it being knocked down and torn up during Bertha and then again during Fran. We had already rebuilt the pier. Lost it two times in the same year.”

It was an emotional period.

“First time I ever saw pop cry.  East Coast Sports was under 3 feet of mud.”

But they soldiered on and again rebuilt.

“We needed to find something while we rebuilt our lives. We did roofing — shingles, tar, standing seam. We also did some siding and remodeling.”

The work allowed them to keep the lights on while they rebuilt the shop, but the sideline was temporary.

“Once East Coast got back up and running we slowly got out of construction,” Medlin said.

He found that it was not a great way for him to go forward with raising his family due to the dangers involved. It also just didn’t appeal to him in the long run. “I didn’t love that job like I do running the store.”

But then they had to do it all again after Hurricane Florence in 2018.

“We got heavy damage from Florence and updated the shop since we had to repair anyway — made it into a more open concept,” he said.

As you might expect from someone who runs a generation-spanning small business, family is especially important to Medlin. And each year he sponsors a kids fishing derby and gives away about 300 rods, reels and bait.

“It’s many kids’ first fishing rod,” he said.

This past year was the 20th and participation has increased every year.

Medlin said his entire family loves to fish. His 13-year-old daughter Caiya and 16-year-old son Charlie have caught some big ones.

“Charlie once landed an amberjack that was probably 40 pounds and a shark of around 100 pounds.”

Medlin’s wife Chaundel likes to go too, but it had better be the right day. “My wife enjoys fishing in perfect conditions,” he said slyly.

The Medlins also like to travel and of course they do some fishing while away.

“My son and I usually do a charter wherever we travel,” Medlin said, noting that there’s nothing like getting out on the water in a new place to see what the local action is like. But not all their family trips include fishing. Chris and Charlie recently visited Peru where they didn’t do any fishing but they did see Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines and the city of Lima.

“No fishing on that trip but it was pretty amazing,” he said.

Topsail Island has changed a lot since Medlin was young, he said, but one thing that hasn’t changed is people’s desire to hit the water when they arrive.

“The fishing spirit is the same,” he said, adding that fishing industry advancements have made the pastime better for everybody. “The best innovation has to be braided line and graphite rods. Both have revolutionized the tackle business and made most people capable of landing a big fish.”

For many, walking into a tackle shop and looking at all the gear can be bewildering but modern gear has made getting into fishing more accessible.

“Gear has absolutely gotten better across the board. There are technical advances every day in bait, gear, lures, reels and rods,” he said.

There’s always that guy who catches fish. You talk to him at work or at the store or wherever and ask him about how the fishing has been and he’s always getting them.

You ever stop to wonder why?

Is it because he’s just so lucky? Maybe his grandfather taught him all the secrets? Is it because he’s been doing it for such a long time? Something else? All those things do contribute to making someone a good angler.

Ray Scott used to say, “There’s no substitute for time spent on the water.” That is definitely true. But there’s something else. I’ve met many people on fishing trips during my life. All with varying degrees of ability.

The one thing I’ve noticed over the years that the best have in common intuition, a natural talent, if you will, to understand what is happening around them, in the water, and what is happening on the end of their line. These people see, hear and feel things that others do not and, more importantly, are able to comprehend these signs and put them together in a way that allows them to catch fish when others may not be.

Our first sense is sight. It’s estimated that 80 to 85% of our sensory input is through vision. So, it’s important to always look around and actually see what is happening. Even more important is to understand what we’re looking at. If you go offshore and are looking for fish like bluefish, bonito, false albacore, Spanish mackerel, tuna, or whatever, there is not a lot going on out there sometimes. You always hear people saying, “Look for the birds.” What does that mean? Which birds? Doing what? 

Ay, there’s the rub. It depends a lot on what time of year you are out there and what species is your concern for that day.

Let’s assume you are trying to catch Spanish mackerel and you are not trolling. You would like to cast small jigs or flies to actively feeding fish. It’s a fun way to pursue them and can be productive as well. There will be a myriad of birds out there. You might see terns, gulls, pelicans, or who knows what else. If you are looking for birds and see all these guys out there, how do you know which ones to follow?

Some people just do what all the other boats are doing. They see a bunch of boats run over to a spot, then simply follow them over. This tactic can work. In fact, it does for many. If you are out there enough you’ll notice however that certain people always seem to be there before all the others. Is it due to magic, luck, both?

Those types of people observed what was going on out there and intuited the signs they were seeing and made a bet that the fish were going to be in a certain area where certain birds were doing certain things. They followed the signs, if you will. In so doing they found the fish.

We’re not going to go into what all the kinds of birds are and what they do. That would take a textbook. Let me just say that they are called “See” gulls for a reason.

Always be on the lookout for splashes of any sort. All kinds of things make splashes. It’s good to know what different kinds of splashes look like. Splashes, swirls and boils are all indications that things are happening around you. It’s good to know what feeding swirls and splashes are and what they look like. Then to determine what caused it and why. Again, a textbook would be required for me to spell it all out here. There are too many variables.

Smell is more important than most people understand. When gamefish are feeding in schools there is a certain smell. I’ve heard it described over the years as smelling like melons. Maybe. But it’s distinctive. If you smell something that you don’t normally, and it’s not coming from you, it may be worth slowing down and checking it out.

But more important than smell, and almost as important as vision, is hearing. All the various sounds we hear in a day on the water tell us something. A splash in the back of a creek could be a mullet or a feeding fish. A bird screeching as it wends its way along could lead us to something good. My very favorite fishing sound is a pop. It sounds like a champagne cork. It’s caused by a predatory fish flaring its gills and taking a baitfish or shrimp that was swimming right on or near the surface. I hear that sound and I am immediately on guard.

Now let’s put it all together.

We’re cruising down the ICW on a perfect day. Light winds. Clear skies. Hardly any other boats out there. As we head along towards our favorite spot some things happen. First thing we notice is a weird smell. It’s not an engine smell and it’s vaguely organic. Slow down. Start looking around. A gull has stopped its forward progress toward the beach and turns sharply. Follow along the path it looks like it’s taking. Along the shore there are some waves. They are moving parallel to the shoreline and in the opposite direction of the current. The gull is hovering above, looking down. Some small minnows burst from the water in a shower. You see a splash and hear a champagne pop. You just happen to have a topwater plug tied on. You make a cast but don’t hook up.

The fish are still there.

Cast again. Still no hookup. What else? Look at the water. Is there lots of floating weed? Your hooks may be picking up the weed and getting fouled. Is your lure too big? Sometimes fish get locked onto the size of the prey species they are attacking. Start putting the rest of the pieces together. When you do, you’ll have success.

Start to do this often enough, then you’ll be the guy who gets his pictures out to show off at the office every Monday.

You’re thinking of trying to catch a big flounder without leaving the inlet. You’ve got kids who can’t go in the ocean, but you still want a big one. For fishing guide Capt. Rick Patterson of Emerald Isle, fishing is all about family.

Patterson comes by his knowledge through a lifetime of angling. A Burlington native, he started out as a young man fishing for bass with his father, Richard Patterson who died in 2016. He credits his father for getting him into fishing.

“My dad bought a bass boat back in the early ’90s and we really got into it. We fished most of the lakes of central North Carolina,” he said.

This led Patterson to start fishing in bass tournaments across the state. Like many, he found that traipsing around from lake to lake for tournaments is not really viable for more than a select few. So, he adapted his love of fishing and his expertise learned from competitive bass fishing and directed it towards saltwater fishing.

“We had been coming down to the coast as long as I can remember, and I got the crazy idea of becoming an inshore fishing guide. After Tara and I got married we moved to Emerald Isle in 2001 and I started guiding in ’03,” Patterson said.

Patterson soon made an impact in the area. He immediately started making a name for himself by catching huge flounder, and his enthusiasm was contagious.

“I really enjoy guiding people. Always fun watching people catch a big saltwater fish for the first time,” he said.

Patterson said his true passion is his family, and his wife Tara and daughter Katie, 12, have been known to get out there and catch a big fish from time to time themselves. A few years back it was a common sight to see Patterson and his father plugging for red drum and trout in any of the Carteret County waterways. He truly enjoys seeing kids on the water.

“To get kids excited about fishing, you have to target something they can catch. It has to be fun.”

This means that plugging for trout no matter what may not bet the best thing and simply rigging up a light rod for croakers and pinfish might be a better option.

“Most kids, especially younger ones, have a short attention span. Many guys make the mistake of keeping them out too long and fishing for what they want, instead of something the kids can catch,” Patterson said, adding what could be a primer on parenting in any situation: “Patience and making it fun, are the two most important things.”

If you ever spend a day on the water with him, you will quickly see Patterson demonstrate his wealth of information and knowledge. He said that part of the reason people hire inshore guides is to learn and take things that the guide shows them and apply it for themselves the next time they go.

“The best advice I give is do research and spend as much time on the water as they can,” he said. “Most people have no idea of the days and days that other guides and I have spent on the water over the years figuring out what will work and when.”

Tiger Woods didn’t get to be a great golfer by winning the Masters Tournament, he won the Masters because he had already done the work to become a great golfer.

It’s no different for fishing, Patterson said. “You have to put your time in and learn about everything from the tides to fish movement, bait movement, and a million other things.”

Patterson is excited about fishing and generally helpful to anyone who seeking advice or tips. He’s given numerous talks at fishing gatherings, passing along his decades of experience. Among his words of advice, “In general, the most important thing to prepare for a good day of fishing is to make sure the boat and equipment are in good working order and to make sure the bait is good.”

He added that having the right bait is the most important thing to catching fish, whether natural baits or artificial lures. Matching those to the fish and the conditions makes a huge difference. Next is knowing your habitat and the conditions.

“You have to know what the tide is doing.”

In marshes and creeks where Patterson spends most of his time, “Some places hold fish at certain stages of the tide and then not at others.” If a place has good tide and bait and you don’t catch anything, “Come back and fish it again at a different tidal stage.” That just come from time on the water. New anglers in saltwater don’t always understand that. “Once you figure out the tides, you will catch fish.”

His favorite ways to fish involve artificial lures. He uses live bait much of the time when fishing with clients.

“Shrimp and mud minnows under popping corks, but if you can get live shrimp, that is the best. Shrimp will catch everything that swims in the marshes,” he advised.  But when it comes to catching fish for himself, he loves to fish a topwater plug for reds and trout. He also has a propensity to use the plastic jig tails that have the natural fish flavoring in them. “Jigs with Gulp will catch all three when fished in the right spots.”

Looking ahead, Patterson plans on staying right where he is.

“I hope to still be guiding and I don’t plan on letting up anytime soon,” he said. “As long as I’m healthy and able to get in and out of the boat, I’ll be chasing redfish, trout, and flounder.”

There’s a certain fish that most inshore anglers are thrilled to catch.

Is it a spectacular battler that excites with amazing acrobatics? No. Does it run in huge schools and provide a spectacle of nature? No. Does it grow to huge sizes and fight so hard it might pull you into the water? Not even close. Does it make people happy when you bring home a big bag of fillets? Yes, that’s the one.

Of course, we are thinking about flounder. This bottom dweller that is rarely seen, that makes no fuss and doesn’t provide any kind of memorable antics or theatrics when hooked, is a fish that nonetheless provides hours of angling enjoyment and gets loads of people on the water. Why? It’s simply the fact that people love to bring them home for a tasty fish dinner. They can be prepared in a myriad of ways, as simply or complicated as we can imagine, and always please.

With the upcoming season, it seemed like a good idea to take a look at some effective methods to target these tasty flatties, how to prepare them to bring home and of course good ways to bring them to the table. I talked to a couple of coastal North Carolina charter captains who specialize in bringing these tasty critters boatside to see what we could learn.

Capt. Rick Patterson of Cape Crusader Charters in Morehead City specializes in fishing the inshore waters. You’ll find him in the marshes, creeks and sounds pursuing trout, red drum and, of course, flounder. He does things a certain way because of this. He finds that fishing around hard structure gets bites. Docks and oyster bars seem to be pretty popular flounder hangouts.

Much of the time he will be using a Carolina Rig with a live finger mullet. Slide a sliding egg sinker onto your line, just heavy enough to reach the bottom in your depth and current. The real pros then put a sliding bead onto the line and then tie on a swivel. The bead protects the knot that you tie to the swivel from being abraded by the egg sinker. Next attach about 2 feet of leader line. I have always used 40-pound test to protect from bite-offs from bluefish and other toothy critters. Finally attach a hook.

Many people are still using the traditional style hooks such as O’Shaughnessy types, size 2/0 or 3/0. However, the better option for live bait fishing is a circle hook. These hooks end up in the corner of the mouth and allow for safe release of undersized fish. Let the fish run with the bait, then simply come tight. The hook will find its spot and you’ll have a fish on. Capt. Rick also adds that he catches a lot of flounder around his regular areas using a live shrimp under a popping cork. A popping cork is a float that you attach to your line ahead of your bait. It floats on the surface and when you pull your rod tip with a sharp snap, it makes a noise on the surface similar to what a shrimp sounds like when it’s jumping. This attracts all manner of inshore fish and works on flounder, too.

Capt. Rick also says, “Docks are definitely a place where you can really catch a big fish inshore. My biggest flounder have all come from docks.”

His favorite docks are ones that have been around for a while. These have more growth on them, attract more small creatures and in turn have more large creatures. He also prefers that they have a bigger boat on a lift, which means deeper water on the end. Some good current is a plus and the best time to fish them is at low tide. The fish will sit in that deeper spot off the end. He’ll keep his trolling motor on and make a few casts into the hole.

“Most of the time, if the fish are there, you are going to catch one in the first few casts,” he adds.

Big flounder can also be caught offshore around reefs and wrecks. I asked Capt. Will Gillikin of Local Knowledge Charter in Atlantic Beach how to do it. He likes to use a Carolina Rig, but he changes a little bit, he fishes a heavy main line and uses a 25-pound leader so when he gets snagged he can easily break off the hook without losing his rig, tie on a new one and be back in action.

“Flounder has been my favorite species ever since I was a kid growing up in Morehead City,” he says.

Gillikin used to spend his summer days drift fishing the waters between the Morehead City waterfront and the Atlantic Beach bridge. Now the artificial reefs and wrecks that are all along our coast are his preferred spots. Flounder like to hang around the edges of the structure and he will drift fish around these areas with a live finger mullet.

A little added method that I, and many others, like to use is to bottom bounce a 2- or 3-ounce bucktail jig tipped with a soft plastic tail of some kind. Flounder will hit these after you lift it up from the bottom and it sinks back down again. It’s pretty common to catch fish over 20 inches long doing this.

Back at the house …

Now for the reason we all go flounder fishing: what do we do with them when we get them home.

Fillet the fish in whatever manner you choose. If you’ve never done it before, check videos on the internet, there are like a million (or so it seems).

Get your fillets in a dish and prepare three bowls and another dish. In the first bowl put some flour, in the second bowl, lightly beaten eggs, in the third bowl, panko-style breadcrumbs. Roll in flour, dip in egg, then the breadcrumbs. Move to a clean dish.

I like to fry outside in a large, cast-iron Dutch oven over the flame of a turkey fryer. Get your oil up to 375 degrees. Use a thermometer. When you drop in the fish, the temperature will reduce but then begin to climb again. Maintain control of your heat source to keep it below 375.

Remove the fish when they are literally golden brown. They’ll be perfectly cooked through. Add kosher salt while still hot. Serve on a bun with homemade tartar sauce (mayonnaise, pickle relish, dash of mustard) and a slice of cheese.

Or just eat it while it’s still sizzling.

The king mackerel is one of the most popular fish species that anglers pursue along the North Carolina coast. With their aggressive nature, willingness to hit almost anything, and ability to make drag screaming runs when first hooked, they are just a bunch of fun.

Because of these qualities, there is a king mackerel tournament somewhere almost every weekend. Plenty of boats head out in pursuit of them from every port, and plenty of tackle dedicated to them is sold in our coastal shops.

Let’s see what a typical day spent in pursuit of these gamesters is like. I talked to one of our local captains to get an idea of how he does it. Really can’t get better advice than talking to the pros.

Let’s start with tackle. Capt. Matt Paylor of Sound-N-Sea Charters in Morehead City likes a 7-foot, live-bait trolling rod with a Shimano TLD reel filled to the brim with 20-pound line. Smaller, school-sized kings eagerly hit trolled spoons and frozen cigar minnows and you can catch a lot of them.

When 10- to 20-pounders are hanging out around a structure, such as artificial reefs, wrecks or ledges, I’ve had great days using spinning gear and casting to them with all kinds of swimming plugs and topwaters. I’ll even use a 10-weight fly rod rigged with a sinking line and a big streamer fly attached to a wire leader.

A 20-pound king mackerel can make a fly reel sing, Paylor said, however, if you want to get the big ones, you have to use live bait. His go-to is live menhaden but he also uses live bluefish in the 2- to 3-pound range.

“You will definitely catch bigger kings with live bait,” he said.

For live bait trolling, tie 15 feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon to the end of your main line, and to that attach a double hook live bait rig made with No. 5 single-strand wire and size 4 “quad strong” treble hooks.

Capt. Matt said that kings are very predictable.

“They are so consistent with their yearly patterns that if you caught them in a spot in previous years, they are probably going to be there again,” he said.

He recommends using a sea surface temperature chart and seeing where the water is hovering in the 70-degree range and starting your day at a reef or wreck in that zone. If you see bait working — and especially if you see kings feeding — give it a serious shot. If you have seen kings feeding in open water, you’ll never forget what it looks like: They skyrocket out of the water like a submarine-launched missile. Put out your lures and baits and keep an eye out for signs of fish. 

Paylor said a good rule of thumb is to troll your live baits at around 2 miles per hour. When you get a bite, it’s unmistakable. Normally the rod slams down and the reel starts screaming. Make sure your drag is not set too tightly or it’ll be over.

You’ll get a nice long run when the fish is first hooked. The smaller-sized fish of less than 20 pounds will run out of energy pretty soon. Bigger ones, over 30 pounds, 40 pounds and especially over 50 pounds, won’t tire as readily, and the real monsters may do it a few times before they tire. Keep your drag set light and let the fish do its thing, follow it with the boat if necessary. There’s not a lot for them to get tangled up with out there and most big fish that are lost are due to pulled hooks from a too-tight drag. Besides, hearing that drag sing is the best part of hooking into a trophy-sized fish.

Paylor’s biggest was over 50 pounds, and most people who fish for them often have captured specimens of a similar size. The big ones are out there so treat every bite the same.

Paylor added that if you are catching only sharks, then it’s time to go elsewhere.

A fish (besides sharks) that is the bane of king mackerel anglers is the amberjack. It’s the largest of the jack species that visit us in summer.

If you troll near any high spot, usually the top of a shipwreck, there may be a school of them there. Their detractors call them “reef donkeys” with disdain. That’s because when you are trolling with a carefully prepared trolling rig and putting in hours looking for trophy kings, one of these bad boys can mess you up. Broken lines. Straightened hooks. Tournament anglers especially dislike them. Because it’s an hour or more fighting a fish over 30 pounds that won’t win them any money. That’s a shame really.

If you are out trolling for kings and a school of amberjacks show up in your trolling spread, don’t get mad. Have fun! These fish are a blast and hit topwater plugs with abandon. Cast the soda-bottle-style poppers in the 5- to 6-inch-long range such as the Rapala Magnum Xplode or the Yozuri Bull Pop, retrieve them with a big pull and a pause to make a huge splash, and be prepared for an amazing display. Often a group of them will come up together and slash at it with reckless abandon until one finally gets hooked.

Be prepared with a heavy casting rod. Heavy spinning gear or plug casting gear is worth having rigged and ready. I’ve caught them on 12-weight flyrods with the biggest popper I could make. They can show up at any time over any wreck or reef. You just have to be ready. If you’re not fishing in a tournament, why not go have fun with them instead of cursing at them. They will come in fast, hit hard and then keep you occupied for about 20 minutes while they try to pull you out of the boat.

King mackerel are a delight when they are smoked. Brine them in water with an equal amount of sugar and salt for a few hours. Remove the fish from the brine and let them air dry for at least an hour. A slight skin should form. Leave that alone.

Put your smoker on at 170 degrees. You want a good amount of smoke. Use a nice flavorful wood like cherry or apple. Get it nice and smoky. It’s going to take at least three hours and as long as four and a half. It should get a nice dark color with a nice firm edge of even darker meat.

You can shred it up and mix it with cream cheese or mayonnaise or do what I do and eat it like candy. It tends to disappear like that.

It was going to be 98 degrees by 11 a.m., but just after dawn the fish had been biting.

I set the alarm to go off at 4:45, be at the boat ramp before 5:30, and at the fishing spot by 6. This is what you sign up for when you want to flats fish in high summer.

There was a certain grass flat that I had been dying to try. It’s just off the Intracoastal Waterway, southwest of Morehead City, some small islands here and there, and plenty of mullet and smaller baitfish. I set up just offshore of one of the islands. My friend was visiting, and I told him to cast his topwater plug as far as he could in the general direction of the island. As I was putting the trolling motor down, he got a pretty 19-inch trout.

Catching a fish on the first cast is often the kiss of death. I was wondering if we would be jinxed when I got an 18-inch redfish on my second cast. This is how it went for the next hour or so. A couple lower slot reds, then a nice trout. Good action. At one point we got off the downwind side of a point and there was a school of 22-inch reds, and we took turns catching them for 45 minutes.

When the action died down, I had to detour around a spot that was too shallow. Just when we got to a slightly deeper area, it happened. The water exploded under his plug. The fish went crazy at the boat, thrashing like a nightmare. I grabbed the net and scooped it up. The 27-inch trout was the biggest one he had ever caught. He couldn’t believe a fish that big would be in water just barely deep enough to run a trolling motor on a shallow draft skiff. The big girl was released to start a new generation of trout with good genes. We traded high fives as she swam away and headed in at 11 after five good hours.

It was now “officially” hot and an air-conditioned place to sit down and have a chilled drink was the perfect remedy.

This is summer fishing inshore. Get out early to beat the heat. Throw topwater lures. Hopefully get into a few nice fish. Back in before lunch so you don’t broil.

Many people think that trout go dormant in summer. They only think that because they can’t catch them. They’re not in the creeks they used in spring, and they are not schooled up the way they will be in fall. But they are super aggressive. When you find some, the slow twitch pause retrieve that works when it’s cold, will often be ignored.

The trout of summer are spread out. They will eat big meals and will not hesitate to chase them. In fact, it seems they prefer fast-moving items and ignore slower offerings that don’t create any disturbance. These circumstances lead to trout and red drum slamming big topwaters all summer.

Everybody loves the excitement of topwater strikes. It’s great to see the fish come up and smash a lure on top. In summer it’s simply the best way to fish.

My favorite, and I think the most effective style to use to cover a lot of area in many fishing situations, are the dog-walking-style plugs made famous by the original Zara Spook. My favorites are the Rapala Skitterwalks. It takes a little bit of practice to make them work the way they are meant to, but once you get it down, it becomes second nature and fish can’t resist the wiggle.

Pick a color you like that will show up nicely in the water you are fishing. If it’s clear, I like lighter colors. In stained water I’ll use something with a gold or copper finish. Cast it out there as far as you can, the longer it’s in the water, the more chance a fish will see it.

You’ll see your lure sitting on top at an angle to you. Twitch your rod tip downward. You will see your plug twitch and change direction. This is the action you want to repeat. Twitch it again. See what it does. It should change direction again. That side-to-side movement is what you want.

The key is to repeat it over and over in a cadence. We do this by leaving a slight bend in the line between twitches, this gives the plug room to change directions. If you try to do it with a tight line, it will just jump forward over and over. That will work for bluefish and jacks, but trout and reds won’t be impressed. Twitch, slack, twitch, etc. The whole time you should be reeling just fast enough to keep the line almost tight. Again, it’s the tiny bit of slack in the line that allows the lure to work.

The next key is hooking up. The strikes are incredibly exciting. Your first impulse will be to jerk the rod back in an attempt to set the hook. Usually, all you will accomplish is to take the lure right out of the mouth of your prize. Just keep reeling until the line comes tight. Sometimes they will strike at it and miss. If you jerk it away, they will lose track of it. If you just keep reeling, they can keep tracking it and possibly strike at it again.

When the line comes tight, then you reel faster to set the hook and then let the fish run. Don’t snap the rod tip up to set the hook, just turn the handle faster until the line comes tight. Otherwise, you risk getting smacked in the face with a treble-hooked missile.

Tidal creeks in areas off the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from Beaufort to the South Carolina border are good places to look for red drum in summer. Any creeks with nice oyster bars are good places to start. If there are shrimp jumping around in there, all the better.

Summer trout and reds will also be found around grass flats that exist along spoil islands in the sounds from the Outer Banks to Southport, around flats and drop-offs in the New River and sandbars along the shoreline in the mouth of the Neuse River – but don’t fish in the restricted zones or you might get a visit from a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter.

Bonus catches will include the biggest bluefish you might catch around here, crevalle jacks that will try to pull you out of the boat, and ladyfish over 24 inches that will jump like a tarpon.

Get an early start. Make long casts. Make that topwater wiggle. Be ready. There’s usually no warning when they hit. Sometimes you will see a wake come up behind or from the side, but mostly they’ll just all of a sudden be on it. You could just catch the biggest speckled trout you’ve ever caught or a red drum over 30 inches.

By this time of year, we are getting tired of the cold winds that blow us off the water for days at a time. Fleece pullovers and windbreakers are getting worn out and have stains on top of stains. Thoughts of summer and warm weather are creeping into subconscious, conscious and even unconscious thought. The cold bluster is just getting old.

May brings with it the promise of warm southwest breezes and pleasant days on the water. The ability to finally get in a small boat and go through an inlet, go into the ocean, and catch a fish close to shore is the true sign of approaching summer.

Check those water temperatures. When it gets above 60, there will be bluefish. Most of them will be on the small size but they will be eager. They’ll eat anything you throw at them. Drop a jig to the bottom. More than likely something will eat it. Pinfish. Spot tail pinfish. Seabass. All kinds of things.

We used to get a lot of big gray trout this way. I keep hearing they are getting more abundant in Long Island Sound. I’ve gotten a few reports here and there about more guys getting them in this area. Not big like we used to get. You can only keep one, so be aware. Let me know if you find any. Primarily, you’ll find small bluefish. Probably lots of them.

Secret’s out

When the water gets above 65, there’s an additional prize that shows up. The Atlantic bonito. This used to be a bit of a secret, but in recent years, on days when the conditions allow, which is a southwest breeze less than 15 knots, you might find a lot of people on your favorite reef or wreck. That’s because they are a lot of fun to catch. They hit hard, run fast, and are super aggressive. You can catch them by casting, vertical jigging, trolling and fly fishing.

When the word gets out, the boats will appear. A real bonus is the fact that these are a nice fish to bring home for the table. Broiled or grilled simply, with a lemon-butter sauce, maybe some capers, or a soy-ginger glaze. Delightful. It’s a rare treat made even more so by their somewhat fleeting appearances the past several years.

If you want to catch one, you need to be prepared ahead of time and then make a Special Forces-style mission and be there at first light. You need to be able to pick up and go.

My favorite method is fly fishing. I use an 8-weight rod and a sinking line with a baitfish imitating streamer fly tied on the end. Next is vertical jigging with a 2-ounce jigging spoon over high spots on a wreck or hard bottom. Set up a drift over the structure. Drop your jig until it touches bottom. Snap your rod up and let it flutter to the bottom. The strikes will come on the fall. Be on the lookout for any fish feeding on the surface and cast to any you see. Also watch your depth finder. If you see indications of fish off the bottom, try to work your lure at that depth.

Capt. Matt Paylor of Sound-N-Sea Charters in Morehead City will troll with deep-diving swimming plugs such as the Yozuri Crystal Minnow Deep Diver. Don’t add any hardware and keep your leader limited to 30-pound fluorocarbon. Set up a trolling pattern around the structure. The hits will be sudden and forceful. Most of the bonito we see around here are less than 8 pounds. Use light rods and have fun. You might see a whale or even a thresher shark!

Brush up on your Spanish

When we see temperatures pushing toward 70, the Spanish mackerel will appear. The first ones will be a blitz of fish that might consist of the biggest specimens we see for quite some time. If you are out there when this happens you might catch your biggest. It happens to somebody every spring. It might as well be you.

It will not be subtle when they first appear. They come in feasting. I’ve seen birds busting on Spanish mackerel in the spring surf as far down the beach as my eyes would go. It gets crazy at times.

Obviously when they are feasting like this, they aren’t too hard to find. Now you have to decide how you want to catch them.

I always prefer fly fishing. Use an 8- or 6-weight fly rod, and floating line when they’re feeding on top, sinking line if not. Small streamer flies tied to match the size of their prey. About 2 or 3 inches long. Cast it into the melee and hold on. If I’m not doing that I’ll use a very light spinning rod with 10-pound test line and a small jig or casting spoon. Attach it using 40-pound fluorocarbon leader.

If you forget the leader you will lose your lure to their needle-sharp teeth. No other hardware is needed and definitely don’t use a wire leader. They will see those things and recognize it as a fake. Cast to where the fish are feeding and reel as fast as you can. When the bigger ones hit, it feels like you’re snagged. They come on so fast and turn immediately in the other direction. They’ll run a little bit but they don’t have a lot of stamina. Then it will turn into a dogged back and forth kind of fight.

Casting small lures and flies to 3- and 4- (or more) pound Spanish when they are crashing on top is the best way to catch them. However more fish are caught trolling than any other way. Capt. Tom Roller of Waterdog Guide Service in Beaufort tells me he trolls planers and in-line trolling weights with Clark Spoons and finds that to be an easy and productive way to fish all day.

Prepare Spanish mackerel by filleting them properly. The fillets have a dark strip down the middle that many people find unappetizing. Carefully use your knife to remove this. Then cook them using a dry method such as broiling or grilling. I will cover with a spice mixture of some kind, whatever you like. I find that these fish are oilier than some others and butter or other dressing isn’t really needed, even though you might want to have some standing by if you prefer. Keep it simple. Don’t add too much.

That’s pretty much what Spanish mackerel fishing is really about from start to finish.

So, you’ve got your new rod, with a shiny, new reel spooled up with unblemished 10-pound braid and a gorgeous Mirrolure. Now what?

I’m assuming you have a boat. The great thing about speckled trout fishing is you don’t need an $80,000 boat with all the newest doo dads and bells and whistles. If you do have one of these Range Rovers of the water, that’s great too. Every little thing helps when finding fish, and the comfort of a nice boat makes a full day on the water more enjoyable. A small skiff with a trolling motor is enough to get started.

Launch the boat in a creek off a major river system, then head on down to a sheltered spot along the shore. In the spring we are looking for water that might be a little warmer than the surroundings. If there are trees, a high shoreline, some tall spartina grass, or even a marina, start there. Anything that will block the wind a little bit. These more sheltered areas are where trout will be in spring.

Related: March means the return of trout fishing in NC waters

Put your trolling motor down and set your speed so you are just barely making headway. This will allow you to cover all the area and also to move your plug effectively. If you have done any bass fishing this will be similar. What will be dissimilar however is that you aren’t casting to the bank all the time. Yes, make a cast to the bank just to make sure, but most of your casting will be parallel, or nearly so, to the shoreline.

Keep an eye out for any jumping minnows. When a trout grabs prey off the surface it makes a sound like a cork popping. Don’t be fooled by small mullet jumping for no apparent reason. They do it all the time. You will actually hear their tail splash as they go back down. It’s a pretty casual thing. But when being chased, they come out fast and scatter quickly. If the trout catches up, the pop sound will be how you know it was a successful pursuit. Quickly cast over to that spot.

It’s pretty wild really, but trout are super greedy. After they get a meal, they are quickly looking around for the next. If your lure happens to be the next thing they see, you will get a bite. You get your cast in front of that feeding trout and you start your retrieve, Twitch, twitch, pause, tap, set! You have to be right there on the tap.

A lot of new trout anglers are not aware of how soft this tap can be. When your lure pauses, they swim up to it, flare their gills, and it goes right in. Because there are not a lot of bigger predators in these creeks, they don’t have to immediately be moving to get away.

The big pull associated with pursuing a lot of other saltwater fish will not always be present. A lot of fish are missed due to guys not being ready. If you are, and you get that hook set, now you have to play the fish effectively. You can’t just haul them in like bass or redfish. The hooks will just pull out.

These fish shake their heads like crazy. You have to keep a tight line without treating it like a bull at a rodeo. I prefer to keep my rod bent to the side, especially on bigger fish. If they get their head out of the water and shake, well … you will most likely be sad afterwards as that 4-pounder slinks off.

When you finally get the big fish next to the boat, you are going to want to net it. Trying to hoist a trout bigger than 2 pounds over the gunwale is like watching a gymnast just barely land wrong on the balance beam and watching as she struggles to maintain balance but can’t quite get there. It’s not going to work.

Get a quality net, preferably the kind with the rubber mesh bag. That way your hooks don’t get all caught up and you can get the fish cleared out sooner, which becomes important if you are going to release the fish. My recommendation is to release trout over 20 inches long. If you get one of the big girls, get the hooks out, get your picture and lovingly set her free. The bigger fish make exponentially more eggs than smaller ones. If you get a 16- to 19-inch fish, let’s put it in the cooler for a fish fry. If your boat has a live well, then you can simply drop it in there and keep the fish alive all day and it will be the freshest it can be when you cook it that night. No live well? It’s best to have a good-sized cooler and have it full of ice, enough to submerge the fish in it completely.

Kill the fish quickly. Before you put it on ice, drive a knife blade quickly and firmly into the top of the head and into the brain. You know you’ve done it when the fish shakes quickly in your hand. Do this before putting the fish in the box. If keeping fish in a live well, do this before filleting. There is research out there that suggests that this keeps lactic acid from being produced and going into the muscle and makes for a fresher tasting meal. It is also more humane than letting fish thrash around in a box and suffocating.

Try something different

After working the shoreline for a while, you get a few bites, but you’re sure there are more fish there. Nothing wrong with going back and working the same stretch again. You most likely didn’t catch them all. Change color, retrieve speed, or lures. Here is where a switch to a light jig with a swim shad tail can get a few more bites.

Remember that the spring fish aren’t schooling up but multiple fish will use the same area. I prefer a hopping retrieve for these inshore creeks. The bottom can be soft and can foul the hook of a jig that’s dragging bottom. A quick lift will bounce it off the bottom and get their attention. They will hit it on the fall. Again, the tap is the thing. There will be no aggressive strike. Set the hook quickly on the slightest feeling of anything different.

Tides and Current

Tide will affect the fish and fishing differently. Some creeks will not have much tidal movement. In these waterways light lures and tactics are the way to go. The small Mirrodines don’t have much weight in them and hang in the water and look like an easy target. Light jigs can target fish in the whole water column. Fish will be distributed in a horizontal fashion, along a series of shorelines. The key is to find where in the creek they are concentrated on the day you are fishing.

In creeks with more tide, things will be different. The fish may congregate more specifically into holes to escape the current and provide a good ambush point as prey species who can’t swim as well against it are moved along. In these creeks, the small, lightly weighted plugs may not be very effective. They will get swept away too fast. There is a solution however. There is a weighted version called the Heavy Dine. These work well in stronger current situations.

Of course, a jig is a great option. This situation where fish are holding in a deeper spot in a current flow is what a jig excels at all over the world.

In creeks with lots of current, the places that are holding fish may also be more obvious. Bends will have deeper water on the outside. Long, straight stretches will be deeper on one side than the other. Often the water in these tidal creeks will be quite clear in the spring. In some you may be able to see the fish. The problem with that is that trout are very particular about being looked at. By the time you see them they have most likely seen you. Clear water demands long accurate casts.

If the water has strong current and is darker colored, a depth finder may be needed. Bay boats with depth finders and side finders really come into their own in this situation. The electronics help define where in the creek the deeper water is and may actually even help see a fish. However, remember that we are talking about water that is not very deep. Surveying the depths of the creek may be helpful for future, but it may spook the fish today. However, some of these small creeks with fast currents will also be good places later in the year. Put all you learn into your memory banks.

Some creeks will be better on an incoming tide. It’s often a good place to start. Trout normally like to feed when clean water is coming in with the tide. They feel more secure with a higher roof over their heads as well.

If you are fishing a creek with strong tidal flow for the first time, start with the incoming tide, and generally the last four hours of the rise may better.  Of course, to every rule there is an exception. Fishing is filled with contradictions. There are some spots that the trout simply bite better on the incoming and others on the outgoing.

Honestly, there is no way for me to determine in advance which it will be in your chosen location. This is one of those times you just have to get out there.

The text came in, “Dude, nice trout bite in the creek today.”

I was out the door in 10 minutes. Launched the boat and fishing in 30. I picked a calm shoreline and began casting with a light spinning rod into water that was about 4 feet deep. Twitch. Pause. Twitch, twitch. Pause. Tap. Set the hook! From retrieval of text message, to hooking my first fish was approximately 40 minutes.

By March, most people here haven’t caught a meaningful fish in three, maybe four, months. Thankfully, this is when trout start to get more active. It doesn’t take much sunshine to warm up the water in places we find spring trout. Many shallow creeks off the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway or off main river tributaries will have trout that over wintered in them. March is when we can start to legitimately target them again and have a real chance of having a good day.

If you look at charts you will see many North Carolina estuary systems. We have the Pamlico Sound, Pamlico River, Neuse River, Newport River, White Oak River, New River, and Cape Fear River (and that’s not all of them!). Feeding into these major systems are tributaries with shallow water. The trout are in these shallow areas. Many of them spend the whole winter there. This becomes brutally obvious when we have a stretch of cold weather where the air temperature drops below freezing long enough to drop the water temperatures enough that it actually becomes lethal to the fish. This is called a cold stun or cold kill. Dead trout will be seen floating in the water.

It was once tradition for folks to go around and scoop them up and enjoy themselves a little winter fish bonus meal. Now it has become a situation where the state fisheries department will be alerted and close the fishing down if dead trout are seen. Sometimes the closure will last for a few months after.

This is tough for all concerned. Tough for the fish, obviously, because they get killed. Tough for anglers because we can’t get out there. Tough for businesses that cater to anglers because the anglers stay home. Of course, in the end the closures are to help the population of fish as a whole, and in my experience, when there is a cold kill, and they shut it down, the closure is beneficial to the trout in the long run. However, it’s better, of course, when there is not a cold event. Because after a mild, or even an average winter, with the first run of sunny days in March, the trout that spent the winter in those shallow creeks will start to feed actively.

After a few years with no cold kill events, the trout population stabilizes and we can have really nice fishing.

Gear

The MirrOdine plugs by MirrOlure are what we use for this. They are best worked with a twitch-twitch-pause type of retrieve. Cast it out. Let it settle for a second or two. Reel in the slack. The hits come on the pause and often they are very faint taps. Speckled trout eating these plugs usually engulf the lure then hold in place for a second, so a big aggressive pull is not usually felt.

Counterintuitively, the biggest fish, usually make the softest taps. The little guys have to grab it and go before something sees them. Bigger girls (and ones over 5 pounds are generally female) are more confident and will not run off as fast after they grab a plug.

I prefer to use a light spinning rod between 6 and 7 feet long, usually going with the 7-footer. Other guys like shorter, others longer. For me, the shorter rod makes it easier to make the short, sharp rod movements needed to work the lures.

Keep the rod tip low. This keeps the plug in the strike zone longer. If you have your rod tip high, it can lift the lure up in the water column too high. Also, if there is a little wind, keeping your rod tip low keeps your line less affected by the breeze and it will be a straighter connection from the tip of the rod to the lure. This enables you to better feel what is happening. Too much slack and you won’t feel the light strikes.

I pair the light rods with an equally light reel. I prefer the 2500 series of reels that most manufacturers make. It has the small oblong handle and it’s rated for 10- to 15-pound test line. This keeps the overall weight of your gear down and won’t be fatiguing after a full day. The reel should be of decent quality with a smooth drag. This is because you will be using 10-pound test line and might actually catch a fish that tests your line to its full strength.

Your line should also be a quality braided line. If you are still using monofilament lines, now is the time to get rid of it. Switch to braid. It’s stronger with a thinner diameter so you can use smaller reels. Its smoother and limper so it casts further. But the number one reason is that braided line has no stretch. This means that when that 6-pound trout inhales your lure and sits there with it in her mouth for a millisecond before deciding what to do next, you will feel it and set the hook. With mono, that stretch means you may never have known when the biggest trout of your life came a’calling.

People who are using braid, and have been for a long time, may find it odd that I mention this. But I still see too many people using monofilament line in situations where braid is the superior choice.

You will need to learn a new knot now. Since braided line is so limp, if you tie it directly to a lure, it will foul almost every cast. The action of the lure and any pauses, allows the lure to catchup to the line and tangle. A length of monofilament needs to be added to the front of the braided line. I know! I know! I just said monofilament was not good because it’s too stretchy. Attaching a section of two to three feet will not add enough elasticity to affect your ability to feel bites.

In addition, if the water is ultra-clear, many experts will opt for fluorocarbon line. This style of line becomes practically invisible in water due to magical properties best explained by Sheldon Cooper types. The leader will allow your lure to do its dance and keep the line from fouling on the hooks. This keeps you in the action, so you don’t miss a chance.

The new knot I was talking about? Attach the monofilament to the braid with a Uni to Uni knot. This provides a nice smooth connection that has not failed me. There are others that are out there if you care to look them up. Learning knots from drawings in a book is difficult. I would suggest finding an animation or a how-to video on the internet. There are other knots good anglers are using now, I’m still using the Uni Knot that was popularized by Vic Dunaway of the Miami Herald in 1970.

Lures

Now for the business end, and the thing that people obsess over without first taking into account all the other things. “Whatyougetumon”

Walk into a coastal tackle shop and the options are myriad. Made all the more complicated because the guys who know what they are doing will all tell you something different.

For springtime fishing, in small, shallow creeks, you cannot go wrong if you start with a MirrOlure MR 17 MirrOdine with a pink back and pearl sides. (Attach this to your monofilament leader with a non-slip loop knot.) This is a great starting point that catches fish along our whole coast. If you see another color that catches your eye, get it. Did your friend tell you he was getting them on a different color? Get that one, too. Try them all. When you find the one that works best in the body of water you are in, get some more. They have a way of disappearing.

Another great option is a ¼-ounce jig head with a small tail like a Z-man MinnowZ. If the water is a bit deeper or there is enough current that your MR 17 is not able to get down into the strike zone, the jig will be the next thing I reach for. Having said that, 1/8-ounce jig heads with the swim tails are a great option in shallower water as well. If the plug is not getting bit, but you know the fish are there due to previous experience, switch it up. I’ve been using colors in differing variations of gray with highlights ranging from pearl to chartreuse. The brand I’ve been using the past couple of years has been Z-Man. They are made of a material that doesn’t tear as easily as some others, but also has great action in the water. The fish seem to like them quite a bit.

In part two, coming next month, we’ll explore what a day on the water looks like.

I’ve been asked, more than once, what it is about fishing that makes me love it so much?

I can be on a large boat on the open ocean pursuing tuna that will take 30 minutes or more to land, or I could be standing knee deep in a tiny stream, pursuing trout that wouldn’t be big enough to be used as bait. It doesn’t matter to me. I love it. The question remains. I have struggled to answer.

A lot of my reading over the years has attempted to put focus to these questions. I challenge you to read “A River Runs Through It” and not feel in your guts that Mclean loves fishing as much as he loves his family, and that it united them throughout their lives (and continues to unite his descendants).

Thomas Mcguane, an author of numerous books and screenplays, writes about fishing with a sense of longing. You can feel that as he is writing, he wishes he were out there right now. Roderick Haig-Brown famously said you can never step into the same river twice. Was he really talking about the river or saying something about himself? John Gierach has made a career of writing books filled with essays about fishing and it’s obvious he loves it. But still the question is the same. Why do we love it?

Maybe we should start with the “what?” What are the things we love so much about it? Maybe that will lead us to the “why?”

I love the anticipation of going. I love the making plans with friends and the back-and-forth texts that start a few days before, the planning out meeting places and times. The bigger the trip the more planning that has to go in.

If you’re going to your usual place, it might be nothing more than, “Meet you at the usual place at the usual time.” If you’re traveling, there’s even more. Plane tickets? Car rentals? Hotel rooms? Guides? New rods, reels, lures, whatever?

Even a short trip of an hour’s drive or so carries commitment that requires a certain level of preparedness that leads to anticipation. You hope that the weather is good that day and that the conditions are favorable for what you want to do. You would certainly hope that the fish will be where you expect them to be and that they will be doing the thing you hope that they will be doing. Is your tackle in order? I’ve spent many a night at the kitchen table tying knots, rigging tackle, fixing rods, and pretty much making sure everything is right before I even leave the house.

I prefer to have all my gear in order the moment I arrive. Nothing is worse, in my mind, than having to rig up at the boat ramp or standing on the beach, while the fish are snapping and we are wasting time.

Then we get to the spot, and the fish are there, and it all comes together. All the planning has paid off and all the equipment is right, and all the lures, baits, or flies are right. Then, if the anticipation and preparation come together, a perfect soufflé, right from the oven, isn’t as satisfying.

I love standing in the water. There’s a certain uneasiness that comes with entering an environment in which we are not suited. It creates uncertainty and therefore you’re not quite sure what the outcome will be.

I get in the water when I am in a situation where the fish are just too far to reach from the shore and a boat would only mess things up. In trout streams you need to be right at the same level as the fish. You need to see where the fish are going to be and what they are eating. Be close. Wading on bonefish flats actually offers the opportunity to get closer to the fish than you can in a boat. These fish are super wary, always on guard for unwelcome sounds, and being on foot is quieter.

If you go surf fishing you are exposed to elements that can actually hurt you. If that random wave catches you just right, you can find yourself underwater. Constant vigilance is required. I love these kinds of fishing more than most. Being in the same element as the fish puts you on a more even keel — you seem to lose some of the advantage we have otherwise — and I appreciate the challenge. It’s just a lot of fun too.

I love that instant where the fish makes the decision to bite what you are showing. It’s the culmination of all I’ve worked for up to that point. To cast a fly to a fish I can see, I first need to find it and then determine its direction of travel. It’s helpful to have foreknowledge of the types of things it likes to eat in that situation, in that case I will have also created an imitation. I have to make my cast and, in so doing, determine how the wind is blowing and how it might affect me. Then I have to land the fly in the spot that is closest enough to the fish so it will be seen but not so close as to cause it to spook. When the fish turns toward the fly, I have to fight with my emotions and not get overly excited and mess up by pulling the fly away too quickly or even falling out of the boat (Yes, I’ve seen it happen). In the exact moment the fish takes the fly, I have to set the hook in just the right manner so I don’t pull the fly out of its mouth before it had a chance to get the hook inside or break the line. There’s a lot that can go wrong here!

So, it appears that what I really love about fishing is the anticipation. The waiting. The hoping. Simply being in that place I need to be in. A moment. The feeling that you get when you are about to put it all together and have a great day with your friends in a nice place, far from the world and full of potential for memories.

The holiday season has passed and it’s a good bet that if you’re reading this you received some new piece of fishing gear.

I’m sure that you are looking forward to putting it to good use this year and it’s going to help you catch plenty of fish. But before we look at getting new gear ready to go, let’s talk a bit about reviving old gear and making sure it’s ready to use when you pull it out of the closet this spring.

We’re going to do some things to make our fishing tackle and other gear clean and safe to put away. That way, next time we go, our stuff will work as it should and there will be no unpleasant surprises.

Let’s start with the tools I like to use. First thing you will need is a small screwdriver. I got a set of precision screwdrivers from a store that sells freight in the harbor. It has multiple handles and dozens of screwdriver heads of different styles and sizes.

You will need reel oil. There are multiple products out there and they all work. The ones that are specifically for reels will have a small, blunt needle head at the top of the bottle. This allows it to be squirted into small openings. I recently have been using a kind manufactured by a brand well known for making lubricants for the racing world.

I like to have auxiliary lighting on my tabletop. If you wear reading glasses, have them handy. A magnifying lens would not be a terrible idea, nor would a long-handled magnet. You’re also going to want some high-quality, disposable towels that don’t shed fibers. The blue shop towels are perfect.

We’ll start with our reels. Since most of the fishing I do is with spinning reels, that is what I am going to talk about. They take a lot of abuse in saltwater, particularly so if you fish the surf. It’s a good idea to clean them up frequently. I also like to make sure the gears are cleaned and lubed so they operate smoothly. This has the added benefit of pushing sand and salt deposits away from the moving parts and keep them working. Rinse them clean and dry well.

Find the screwdriver head that works for your reel. We are looking to match up the head with the screws on the side wall of the reel. There should be at least three of them. Some newer reels also have a piece on the back of the reel that closes the gap between the two side plates and that needs to be removed first. Put the reel on a cleared off surface of a table in a well-lit environment. Carefully remove the screw holding on the rear protection piece. It will come out easily and want to jump up and fly away. Be careful. The plate will most likely not pull straight away, it may take some persuading. Wiggle it gently until it does. Place these aside.

You may notice at this point an extra hole in the rear of the reel body. Some reels have these and it offers access to the inside of the reel. You may want to see if you can put reel oil directly into this port. If one of these is not available on your reel you will need to loosen the side plate screws. Notice I said loosen. Do not remove. Time was, I could take a spinning reel apart and put it back together easily. The last couple times I did so, the reels did not want to be put back together. The tolerances in the modern reels are quite tight and there’s not a lot of room.

Now, I merely loosen the side plate screws, just enough so the needle of the reel oil bottle can squirt inside. Maybe three turns of the screw. Do not turn the reel handle while the side plate is loose. Squirt the oil in there and easily tighten the screws back into place. Slowly turn the handle. It may feel the same at first but the lube will work its way in and you will begin to feel a difference in how smooth it feels. Remove the spool by loosening the drag knob. Squirt some lube in the spaces between the shaft and the housing. Replace the spool. Squirt a little into the handle. Any squeaks will vanish. Squirt a little of the reel oil onto the outside and take a shop towel and wipe off the whole surface. Your reel should turn easily if it didn’t before and it will shine and the light coating of oil on the outside will act as a protectant.

Cleaning up your rods is a little simpler. Take a shop towel and get a little water on it and wipe the rod starting with the grips. Then do the blank and finally do the guides. Be on the lookout for nicks in the cork of the grips, loose windings on the guide wraps, and especially look for guides that have broken rings or loose feet. The new, super light rod guides have metal rings with silicon carbide inserts that are less inclined to be grooved by braided lines and add almost no weight to the rod.

A common problem is that the metal rings that hold the inserts in place will crack and the insert will fall out. If this happens to you there are a couple things you can do. First is to remove the entire guide and replace it. If you’ve never done this before, I will not attempt to describe it here. You may want to simply take it to a local rod repair shop. If you want to tackle it, there are bunches of videos on the internet describing how to do it.

Another thing you could try is a quick repair that I have done a couple times that so far has been holding up for me. Get some ultraviolet cure resin. I have the kind I use for fly tying. Use super glue to put the silicon carbide insert inside the ring. When that dries, put the UV resin over the cracked area and hit it with the light. Put a couple coats on there. I have done it with two different guides and the repairs have lasted a couple seasons. But who knows how much longer it will stay. The better option is to replace the guide entirely but this works in a pinch.

Check your line. If it’s monofilament and it’s starting to look a little gray and stays looped when you pull it off the spool. Replace the whole thing. With braided line, if the front of the line is looking thin and frayed, pull off a couple long casts worth. I will attach a new section of line using a double uni knot.

If you do these simple tasks now, your equipment will be ready to go when you get it out for your first trips of the spring. There’s nothing more disappointing than that first trip of the year and your reel is grinding or the handle won’t turn or the guide falls off. Never mind that you hook into that first big fish of the year and it breaks off because you’re still using old line!

Every October, I begin to get asked by members of my family, “What do you want for Christmas?”

The answer I give is always noncommittal, and they always respond with something along the lines of how they can’t get me anything if they don’t know what I want. I usually end up with gift cards to fishing and marine outfitters. This year I have decided to make a definitive list.

I’d like to catch a tarpon on a fly rod. Now some people might say that’s not really that big of a deal. Folks do it all the time. Just travel to Florida at the right time of year and hire a good guide. The fish are plentiful and the guys who know what they are doing will put you in front of them. I am even friends with a few. I have a kicker to this gift request however, I want to do it in North Carolina.

They do indeed travel to our waters in the summer. Some lucky people even get to catch them. This has not been the case for me. I am not one to sit in a boat on a hot summer day with bait lines out and wait for a big fish to swim by, which is indeed how most tarpon around here have traditionally been caught.

A few lucky anglers have gotten one by casting artificial lures — that is a short list. Even fewer have tied into them on fly rod. Needless to say, a lot of sweat and toil went into those captures. It’s not something that happens by accident. Time and effort need to be expended to be in the right place at the right time.

Most people who hook a tarpon by accident aren’t going to land it anyway because they are bigger and more powerful than any fish you’ll find inshore. If you don’t come prepared for them, they’ll bust you off, throw your hook or otherwise find a way to escape. Honestly, that is what happens many times to those who ARE prepared to catch one. I’m hoping to add my name to those short lists of those who have prevailed in North Carolina, if not by this summer, then hopefully before too long.

I’d like to catch a speckled trout over 10 pounds. Many anglers around here specialize in getting the big girls. A guy I met once swore up and down that there is a world record-sized trout in North Carolina — 17 pounds, 7 ounces. I have three over 6 pounds — one over 7 — and each one not far from my home in Carteret County. One was in a spot that you have probably driven past in your car many times. Each one was a special, and two of the three were released with care. The 10-pounder, however, would be like a myth come to life. It would go into the list with the birth of my child as a most significant day.

The only way to do it is to just keep trying. Get out there with fishing tackle rigged appropriately, with lures they will find appealing, and in spots they frequent.

I’d like to stumble across a school of fish so big that I can’t see the edges. To have them crashing lures and flies on every cast, that would be an amazing experience. Just knowing that there are that many fish swimming together and living on.

A situation such as this promises more than just an exciting day at that time, but the numbers of fish involved holds the promise of more good days to come. Because it is impossible to catch them all and there are more and more. The real gift of course would be to have a day like that and have my fishing companion and myself to be the only ones there and know that sometime in the future it might happen again.

I’d like to get inside the brain of a big fish. To know, definitively, what she is thinking at any given time. To see what she sees. To hear all the sounds that exist underwater in a way only she can.

To do this would give me a true understanding of how my offerings are perceived, how fish really experience their world. Then I will know the best places to fish, how to tell that certain spot, in the midst of all the other spots, that will be where the big fish feed and when. How it feels when a fish gets into that sweet spot in the current where it can track down food easily and not expend more energy than it takes in. What it sounds like when a lure or bait hits the water nearby, and does that sound seem attractive or threatening. I could learn the best time to feed, to rest, to hide, to run/swim away from predators.

We as anglers can read articles, books, and scientific data all we want, but that will only give us a cursory knowledge of that world. It’s better to be out there as close as we can get to their world. The more we can go fishing, the more fish we will catch. That works as a pure function of numbers of trips taken — a guy who fishes everyday will catch fish merely by the action of going — but also a function of the point that being out in that world helps us to understand it better. Only by experiencing something, can we really ever hope to comprehend.

Some people fish their whole lives and never begin to experience any sort of understanding of what is happening in the water around them. They don’t seem to “feel” what is happening. Some people are blessed and they just get it. Those are the ones who catch fish when others round them may not. This is “fishiness.” The only way to get it is to go.

So, I guess my real Christmas list topper is the gift of more fishing trips. Because only with more fishing, can we hope to get closer to the mindset of that fish we all pursue and long to know better.

By the way, an actual real Christmas gift suggestion for any fisherperson is a multi-tool with the pliers that can snap open with one hand and a holster that can be worn on a belt. I never go fishing without one and the rare times I forget it I feel woefully unprepared. Even somebody who already has one will not be disappointed with a new one.