Re: Wrightsville Bch Fishin this weekend

[phester]

thats a nice invite W.D., could you hang a BIG left turn and come up to Long Island and get me?

[Stinky_Hooker]

Wish I was closer!!!

[Franco]

HEY DAVE, COME ON DOWN TO SUNNY FLORIDA THIS WINTER AND WE'LL DO SOME SAILFISHIN' OUTTA FT PIERCE INLET!!! Y'ALL CAN STAY AT MY HOUSE!!!

[Wellcraft_Dave]

Hey Franco,

Just got back from Venice/Punta Gorda Fla. about a month and a half ago.. Spent 3 weeks down there. If it werent for the tropical storm :'(, we'd a had alot better fishin. Oh, and the red tide was pretty bad up in the bays and around the inlets from Blackburn point down to Lemon Bay. I think Nokomis was the worst... Large bloated goliath groupers and dead snook everywhere... was sad to see. :-/

Left from there and towed up to Apalachacola to fish out of Bay City fish camp with my bud's from Alabama in Apalachacola bay. We do an annual get together over in the panhandle. My bud Rick has a Wellcraft 330 Coastal and offers up tuna and marlin trips every time we go that way.... my friends Doc and Tum's just purchased a new Polar 2700cc and now have plenty of room for us to fish with them now so we dont have to tow the Wellcraft down there again. ;D

Give ya an idea,, we had over 500 lb.s of fish on the hook in two days and brought home just a nick over 200 lb's of fillets (receipt was $84 for fish cleanin) from the last 3 day trip (total) this last June. :o

Bay City Fish lodge in Apalachacola is a awsome place. They provide ramp, fuel dock, docks, mulit room cabins with shower/bath/kitchen etc.. they also have a restruant on site (that will cook your catch) and provide fish cleaning for a fee. At the end of the day, we just pull up in the boat, unload the fish into laundry baskets and put them in the ice house with a tag on them, get cleaned up and go to dinner and the fillet's are ready the next morning.... it's a excellent deal. 8)

A 4 bed (two room), one bath cabin with kitchen, living room is $70-75 a night and that includes leavin the boat in the water, ramp, fresh water for cleaning... not bad when the cost is split between 4 guys. This last trip, we stayed in a 15 bed 5 bath house with laundry and double carport deal for less than $56 a night per person!! of course the more folks, the cheaper it gets!!

So maybe I can try to put together a spring get together if anyones interested. Between the Polar and Rick's boat, I think we'd have enough room for 4-5 extra folks if they didnt want to tow a boat down. Plus I could always tow mine down too if we get enough folks together as I can fish 6 off mine.

And Franco, I just may take ya up on that sometime.. would love to get out in the stream down Fla way, or maybe even fish the outskirts of the Bahama's... Though that might have to happen next year. I got a little one due on the way here this Sept... so my fishin this season is quickly coming to a grinding halt until after December I'm sure.... :-/

Welp, if any of ya NC guys want to run out with us weekend after this one, we'd be happy to have ya come along... talk'd to boss man today and he's a "go", so we'll have room for 3... let me know if interested.


p.s. Phester, you pay for my fuel costs and I'll run up and getchya! ;)

[phester]

W.D., apprieciate that offer but it may be less expensive if I fly down via private jet...thank you all the same

[Franco]

Hey Dave, congrats on the pending crew member. I hope I speak for many of the other guys on here. Glad to have you on board. I'm cool for fishing next year, My boat could float tomorrow if I wasn't so intent on restoring/modifying it. I want to catch a sailfish out of my V20. It's a near shore trip out of fort pierce, maybe 12 to 15 miles out and then kite fishing while drifting. I was gonna sell mine and buy a buddies V20 center console, but after weighing it all out, I'm gonna keep mine, and when it's time to repower I'll pull the I/O, fill the hole and hang and outboard on a bracket.

[reelapeelin]

FRANCO!!!gonna KEEP the CUDDY afterall!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D...allright, that's the best news I've heard in a while of Sundays... 8) 8) 8)...those Ft Pierce sails don't stand a CHANCE!!! ;) ;D...

[Franco]

Hey Rap, I painted the doggone deck last weekend - looking too good and I got too many goodies to cut her loose. Dern thing is probably gonna get the topside painted the same offwhite and the hull is gonna be either fighting lady yellow or that florida torquoise
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Flafranco/P7190039.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Flafranco/P7190053.jpg

[reelapeelin]

Gawlee...Man that looks GREAT!!...That and everything else you've done to her...no doubt she's a KEEPER!!... ;D 8)...

[Stinky_Hooker]

Lookin SWEEEET Franco!! ;D

[Franco]

Thanks guys, Gonna mount the chart plotter this weekend - then I'm gonna take all the hardware off again so I can paint it - Any body ever roll and tip paint before?

[phester]

that deck looks factory new...excellent job, you gotta be happy w/that

[Wellcraft_Dave]

Franco, just might take ya up on the sail thing next season, Ft. Pierce is a good place, probably better than what we have up here for them.

Scatter'd reports, but sails are in off the NC coast Wrightsville/Topsail area from 10 to 35 miles out, just have to troll'm up and be in the right area.

Thanx for the lil Cap'n comment... yup,, he's gonna be #2. My 4 yr old just loves to fish now, once we did the over-nighter thing at Jordan lake this past month and the Fla vacation (his first offshore trip -- 15 miles) he's all into it now... He loves the mahi colors, thinks they're the neatest things... wont touch em once he found out they got teeth!! ha ha ha ha..... Tell ya what though, he's got the ticket on them hard-tails (blue runners), he sure filled up the livewell good with them... I'm just amazed how fast kids catch on and I guess I'm lucky in that he's alot of fun on the boat with me.

Sails... we'll keep in touch on a future date for that for sure!

Nice ride ya got there, bet it'd look real good bloodied up with some tuna or dorado on the deck!! ;) I'll apologize, but thru ya'all I'm bein educated on the V-20's, my bet is they're a great coastal fishin boat... has anyone put a hard/soft top (other than bimini) on one (would love to see pix)?? Just curious... I dig the deck cut outs for access to the tank and the deck appears to have ample fightin room.. bet it would make a good groupa boat and great to see the pride in ownership.

Question, if ya pull the I/O, will you bracket hang the OB or stand-off type? Wonder how Wellcraft put the transoms together. If it's like mine, should be able to handle alot. Either way, I'd think you'd easily be able to run 20 and fish the east side of the stream... very doable. Alot of guys in this neck of the woods do the I/O to OB conversions as well, they get into the older I/O boats and slap on the latest O/B tech type motors. Place out by Harker's Island does alot of conversions. My bud Todd was lookin to buy a old Bertram and put twin 300 HPDI's on it... I told him he was crazy and it wasnt designed for it, but after him "sellin" the fine points on it... I'm thinkin' maybe he aint all that crazy after all,,, especially the way boats are priced now days. I'd never have the balls to take on that kind of challenge or project.

Hey Phester, fly on down brother, we'll take ya fishin! ;)

[Franco]

Thanks Phester, Hey Dave, stay in touch and we'll hook up down here!!! One of the fellas posted 2 different V20's with hard tops. I'd love to stick one on mine one day. As fas as hanging the outboard, It would definitley be on a bracket. Ck out Macojoe's conversion, he did a great job. He added some additional supports. I'd put a live bait tank when the motor used to be and make a deck cover for the rest of the hole. I really like the full transom though. This group really inspires you to keep upgrading your boat. I probably could have bought a 65' buddy davis by the time I'm done with mine.

[reelapeelin]

Seems to me that a full transom w/a bracket and two 115 4-strokes, topped off w/a rigid aluminum-framed soft-top and curtains would make a helluva rig... 8)...now if I can just remember where I left those two motors... ::)...

[Blue_Runner]

Dave,

I fished out of Carolina Beach Inlet yesterday. I popped my King Mac cherry! (And so did my brother in law). We boated a 45 inch KING MACKEREL!! Pictures to come! This fish had to be over 25 lbs. Maybe over 30?? Anybody know how much a 45 inch king should weigh??

My brother-in-law lives right there near CBI and Masonboro. I'll have to give him a call and see if he'd be interested in an offshore run!!

Thanks for the invite and keep in touch!!.

P.S. Franco - the boat is looking REALLY good!! Glad to hear you are keeping it. One day out in the wind and rain on that CC and you'd wish you had your full windshield back! RAP - I'm with you on the twin 115's!

Later,
Blue

[Wellcraft_Dave]

Congrat's Blue Runner,

King's should be pretty thick out there right now.
I'd say a 45 in. King would be in the 23-27 lb range, so that'd be about right.

Would love to have ya ride with us if y'all want, cause I got the green light for a go out of Wrightsville this comin saturday,,, send me an email at [email protected] and I'll send ya my home ph, so if you want to set up a time to meet us and all we can do it.

We're definately goin for grouper and mahi for sure, if it's a great day weather wise, we'll jump out to the ledge past the Fryin Pan shoals out towards the Steeples area for yella fin and wahoo. Good reports of sails and kings up closer to shore around the 386 AR and 376 bouy's. Just east and a tad NE of the WR4 out to the WR2 area is supposed to be big king/sail/mahi as well.

The only commit I got so far is my boss, myself and my neighbor Mark, so two more wouldnt be a problem! ;)

We got in the freezer right now 2 packs of squid, 20 lbs of blue crabs, and som rig'd and un-rig'd ballyhoo's and some "assorted" chum chunkin stuff as well....

We'll be leavin here (Sanford) around 2 a.m. and headin right to the 74 bridge ramp right there on the left comin into Wrightsville on the ICW. We'll stop and pick up 160 lbs of ice at the ice shack in Tarheel and the only thing I can think of that we'd need is maybe just two more packs of squid from the Walmart there.

If all goes on schedule, we should be in the water about 5-5:30 a.m. and headin out the inlet to the groupah hole.

Let me know brother man! And congrat's on the king. Please post a pic fer sure to show off that fish!!!

Did y'all catch'm on a slow troll, troll or live baitin??
We usually pick them up on fast troll on our bonita lures (Yozuri type) or on bird rigs with silver clark spoons or metal fry jigs. Live pinfish over structure while driftin has also been a good producer for us as well. I know alot of folks like slow rollin finger mullets just in gear at about 2-3 mph over structure..

Congrat's again! maybe we'll see ya this Saturday

[Blue_Runner]

Dave,

We caught the king on slow troll with a live 10-inch bluefish right around the sea buoy outside CBI. Several other boats out there doin the same thing. We saw a couple landed before we hooked up.

Funny thing is, we only had 4 live baits - two bluefish, a pinfish, and a 12-inch jumpin mullet. All but the jumpin mullet we caught on crappy jigs at the dock! I netted the big jumpin mullet on the way out. We only got to fish for about two hours as an ominous cloud was hangin over the inshore waters when we left the dock in the morning. We had to turn back and mess around trying to catch a flounder before the cloud thinned (but it was still raining) and allowed us to go out through the inlet.

I've talked to my bro in law down there and he's all tied up with moving this coming weekend. I've got alot to do as well, but I still haven't ruled it out! I've got a call in to my other fishin partner and waiting for him to call back. Would absolutely love to jump on with ya'll for a days fishin. I'll let you know for sure by the end of the day. Sounds like its gonna be a hoot!

Thanks again for the invite.

[Wellcraft_Dave]

Roger that... Yeah Sabiki rig's work great around docks and seawalls for pinfish. I find it's actually easier to catch pinfish than net them... and they work great.. they dont stay on the bottom long when groupah fishin! ;) King's will nail the hell out of'm too.

Welp, we're definately a go.. weather's lookin real good.
So far I have two confirmed and myself and incase y'all dont go with us this trip, I have one on stand-by.. he's a possible and will let me know tonight as well.

Yeah,, this may be my last "offshore" deep run for a while or at least until spring. I got huntin season coming up, new baby due next month, house to get ready for little guy... so like most of y'all,, we busy too.
Hopin to load up on some mahi and groupah's and if weather permits, chase down some wahoo or yellow fin.

We'll be out past the Esso Nashville to start out then we'll run down to the Cabbage patch and between the Steeples area out from Fryin Pan Shoal.. so we'll be coverin alot of water saturday. Leave the ramp at 0500 and should be puttin back in at the ramp 'round 8 p.m. or so is my guess... depends on if we limit out.

Oh, one note, I have the HMS and FHMS tag/license and all that -- and it's for the boat.. so it covers anyone on the boat for tuna, shark, sail-bill fish, etc...

We'll start back offshore in late Jan to Feb for when them bluefin tuna roll back this way off Cape Lookout. We usually ride out Beaufort inlet and out to the knuckly bouy area and troll from there to bouy 13 area. Uncle's got a place there in Morehead... so a two day (l.e. long weekend) thing for tuna is a fun trip... maybe get one of ya guys out there for that too.

Le me know bro...

[Blue_Runner]

Hey Dave, I sent you an email. We're not going to be able to make it, I'm sorry to say.

Maybe next time.

Thanks,
Blue

[Wellcraft_Dave]

Thank ya sir, got it.. sent ya a reply 8)

We'll get up with ya and let ya know how we came out this weekend.. will definately report back.