Cape Lookout - October 13th

[flatlander]

At Woolly's request, here's a report Cape Lookout on October 13th.

My wife and I met Captain Brian Horsley at the Harker's Island Fishing Center early Saturday morning.  Beautiful sunrise, not a cloud in the sky and light winds...you could not have asked for better weather.  We headed out of Barden's Inlet and steamed east over the CL shoals.  Birds were everywhere and we were quickly in a melee of blues, spanish, and small albies.  Brian handed me a 6 weight and it was on (Albert on a 6 wt is a lot of fun).  About an hour or so into it, Brian got a call from Captain Jake Jordan saying we might want to head east and pay him a "visit".  He was on an incredible drum bite.  They were busting on top like albies...only the slashes were bigger.  They were on bunker and Brian rigged a 10 with a heavy sink tip and a 6" clouser.  There were about 5 boats on the drum and we really got into them.  I caught 3 in maybe an hour and a half.  They went 30, 40, and 42 pounds.

After the drum bite we got back to harrassing the spanish, blues and albies along the beach.  As we were heading back toward the CL light along the beach, Captain Sarah Gardner (Brian's wife) called and said to come out off the beach.  We motored out maybe 3 miles and they're were simply acres, miles really, of albies busting bait.  They were on micro bait and finicky, but they could be caught.  Our best success came with Paige Roger's Slim Jim, sort of a foam cylinder shaped popper if you're not familiar with it.  Long casts into the fray and rapid two-handed retrieves yielded the best results.

On the way in we stopped at the shoals and hammered the spanish and blues one more time.  No need to work birds...simply blind casting yielded a fish on most every cast. 

It was a grand day to be on the water.  If you've got time and are not totally committed to fishing for Albacore, I would strongly encourage you to head down to the coast and fish.  The first cold front that comes through will probably send the spanish (big spanish too, up to 6 pounds) packing.  They are catching Kings down there too.  It really looks like it could be a great year.

Here are few pictures Brian Horsley took:









One I snapped at the end of the day from the Beaufort Inn:

[Woolly Bugger]

Strong Work Malcolm! ;hb

[Beetle]

Sick...just sick

Awesome report and awesome trip.  Glad you caught the weather right.  Did Mrs. Flatlander catch a few?

[flatlander]

LOL John,
Mrs Flatlander slept through about half the trip.  The she did wake up long enough to acknowledge the drum bite.  She was a great sport and lasted the whole day though.  I owe her one.

[walt]

man malcolm..... you had a outrageous day!  0--0

walt

[launchone]

You need a new hat Malcolm

[flatlander]

Walt,
Outrageous indeed.  I would love to say it was the result of my prowess as an angler, but in reality, the skill required on my part lay somewhere between throwing dynamite over the side and shooting fish in a barrel.  I am convinced that Brian and Sarah have either sold their souls to the devil or are using voodoo to locate those drum.  They were amazing to watch as they located those fish. 

Paul,
I still keep a few Scotts in the bag. :)