Boat work season is finally here. The stripers are gone and old man winter has really set in here on the Outer Banks. Hanging up the towell until Spring. Thanks everyone for checking reports and booking your 2016 charter! In the mean time, head on over to the Store page and check out our new Tshirt selection. Thanks!
Just returned home from another epic trip to Florida with my brother. So lucky to share these experiences and the passion of fishing and adventure with him. We made the extremely long drive down and set up camp on Sunday night.
We were faced with some brutal conditions for the first two days. We knew it going down there, but the plan was to atleast get a feel for the area and try to dial in some locations so that we could be ready when conditions got better.
We still caught tons of fish in cold, windy conditions. Trout, Reds, Snook, and Juvenile Tarpon were among some of the target species. We fished hard sun up to sun down every day.
When the wind finally died and the sun came out it was game on. The water was extremely clear and provided some epic sight casting conditions for both fly and spinning tackle. We caught trout, reds, and snook all day long. I would say the highlight of the trip was the trout bite, most likely due to the extreme water temp drop in the sound. The snook were around but not in great numbers. The prefer a little warmer water. We did catch a ton of them, and some nice ones in the mix.
After a week of epic fishing we were both stoked and completely fished out…… for now.
Can’t wait to get back……..
I didn’t film or shoot nearly as much as I normally do, but I did grab a few pics here and there.
DCIM100GOPROG0026284.
DCIM100GOPROG0076745.
Had a couple half day trips today. We had a lot of action – but everything was on the small side. Alot of throwback trout and stripers. We did manage one striper that made it to the fish box. Thanks guys – very enjoyable day!
Wow, I can’t believe 2015 has come to an end. What an amazing year…..
Thank yous!
First off, I have to thank those of you who have fished with me this year and the years past. Thank you for spending your hard earned money, and giving me a chance to provide you with a great day on our beautiful waters of the Outer Banks. I also greatly appreciate those of you who have recommended me to friends and family. At the end of the day – Salt Minded Charters is a business. Thank you for making that possible!
Secondly, I want to thank all of the friends that I have gained in the business. I have thoroughly enjoyed the friendships I have made this year. The Outer Banks has a huge pool of talented Captains that are all damn good fisherman. I’m enjoying the ride as I slowly find my place in the business. Thank you guys who have helped me to get where I am. Most of what I’ve learned was not done on my own.
Upgrade!
Obviously, the biggest change this year was my new boat. I cannot believe the doors that this boat has opened for me. I honestly feel like this hull can carry me through the rest of my career. There is absolutely nothing I want to change about this boat. I’ve greatly appreciated all of the compliments I have received from my clients.
The fishing!
The fishing on the Outer Banks changes SO much. The first year we started charter fishing – we hardly ever fished for anything but speckled trout. That’s all I knew – and it’s really all I needed to know. The fishing was great!
Last year it was slot drum on the flats. I had about 4 different spots that we could go to on any given wind direction, tide, etc, and find drum. It’s all we did. Throw in a little bottom fishing and flounder fishing and that about sums it up. It was excellent fishing.
This year has been a wild ride. The new boat really opened up the ocean fishing for me. I was thrilled to start of the season targeting Cobia. In May, these fish had me trailering to Hatteras and fishing Capt Point. A challenging but very rewarding spot – some phenomenal days for the memory bank.
Once they made there way to Oregon Inlet, the bite wasn’t quite as good. We started mixing in Cobia trips with my normal summer time half day sound trips. Still had a few great cobia days all the way into mid-June. One of the major bonuses was the Mahi bite. Lots of days we were trolling Mahi baits while looking for (and catching) cobia. Where else does that happen?
Our half day June trips were consisted of bottom fishing, trout fishing, and puppy drum fishing. We also had some great catches of flounder in early June. We had a couple consistent (and not very secret) spots that produced a lot of over slot drum on cut bait. This was a great go-to for many inshore Captains.
July and August is a bit of a blur. 2 and 3 trips a day for days on end. We get a wide variety of skill levels during this time. I did get a lot of families this year, and the bottom fishing was decent – kept the kids busy and happy. We also did a lot of Amberjack fishing. These fish are big, strong, and mean. They actually taste pretty darn good too. Don’t knock it til ya try it! I always get a few shark fishing requests too – and we did a little of that as well. Throw in some occasional super trips with Cobia, Mahi, and Big Drum – and that about sums it up.
The September puppy drum bite was excellent. We started finding fish up on the flats and shoals – made for some excellent sight fishing opportunities away from the crowds. Again, these fish were over slot and needed to be released. We started seeing the Cobia again, and a few scattered Big Drum in the sound. We even had a couple great Spanish Mackeral bites in September .. September also had a great showing of Albies. One of my personal favorites on light tackle.
October offered up a little Speckled trout bite, and the beginning of an epic sound striper season. We also caught a ton of Monster Reds along the beach in October too. Watching my clients catch some of those monster reds was such a thrill. Everyone loves doing battle with a 40″ or 50″ red. World class fishing.
Once November arrived the striper fishing in the sound was full throttle. Excellent fishing and everyone knew it. Plenty of boats around, but there were enough stripers to go around. Alot of trips with coolers full of striper and happy clients!
December has continued with the striper fishing, but has actually become a little hit or miss. The unusually warm temps have really put a spin on things, and actually had me trout fishing on the last day of the year. We caught a bunch of throwback trout and stripers. A great way to close out an excellent year.
Happy New Year!
The single best thing about this business is all of the great people that I get to meet and the new friendships that are made. Thank you all again for choosing Salt Minded Charters. Here is to a fresh start and a prosperous new year!