Hatteras Fishing Report 5/23 - 5/28

Blue_Runner · #1 05-29-2012, 01:02 PM

Memorial Weekend Hatteras Report

Wednesday 5/23

Me and Hedrick brothers Cory and Garrett aka Sparky headed east out of central NC Wednesday afternoon around 3:30 pm for our annual Hatteras fishing trip. Burned through the 362 mile trip pretty fast, arriving at 10 pm-ish. The rest of our fishing buddies, Bob, Brumfield and Keith arrived one day earlier. The forecast was looking good at 2-4 ft and 10 - 15 knots for the next few days, so we were pretty excited....

Thursday 5/24

Out of bed around 5:30 am. Wind was blowing but the sea looked pretty good. Bob's boat was showing 18 volts coming off the battery so they stayed behind to figure out the issue - turned out to be the gauge - and we went ahead and pushed off. We ran out a little north of the rock pile. Saw a few signs of life. Boats were scattered. Worked the spread changing things up to find something that worked. Finally I put out a blue/white seawitch and locked horns with a big cow dolphin shortly after. Sparky fly swatted him the first time - hence the sliced dorsal fin but stuck him perfectly the next time.

Stayed in that spot for a few minutes and had a bite or two but nothing stuck. Started trolling north and finally decided to pick up and run. Ran about 6 - 7 miles towards a couple of boats that were working a nice weed line. Smart decision as we ended up putting 4 more in the boat there.

Back to the house and Bob's crew is already there and about to clean their fish - 3 nice dolphin, one was a 16 lb bull. Our big cow went almost 19 lbs. Burned just over 40 gallons of fuel.

Friday 5/25

Got a little tropical on us so we stayed inside. Had a little trouble out there that day. Got to the end of the drift and went to turn the key - nothing. Complete silence. Popped the cowl checked fuses, nothing. Went in the cuddy to inspect the key switch. A wire came loose. Crimped on a butt connector and good to go. The tide wasn't right so we decided to take the boat out to eat lunch. Got the boat back in, primed bulb and backed off the trailer. I was heading toward the dock when the motor just stopped. Barely got it cranked in time to minimize damage but still bounced off the dock pretty good. Squeezed ball and ball would not get tight? Cowl comes off again. Sparky primed the ball while I watched fuel GUSHING out under the bowl. Fuel line had popped off the fitting! Spent some time searching for a zip tie, took off the flame arrestor for better access, and got the fuel line fixed.

Off again.....We managed to catch a ton of flounder but only 4 made the 15" mark. My bait of choice was a strip of dolphin belly along with a strip of squid.

Saturday 5/26

Went after the flounder again. Again caught tons but only 5 kept up to 17".

Sunday 5/27

Another flounder day. Conditions were tough but we still managed to catch even more flounder than previous days - only problem was they were all short except one just under 17".

Monday 5/28

Left at 7:30 am. Home at 2:30 pm. Had a great time with my very good
fishing buddies - minus one of our main fishing buddies, Slick, who's wife is expecting VERY soon!

reh76 · #2 05-29-2012, 01:27 PM

Nice work Bro!! I hate I couldn't make it. In that last fish picture how the H is Garrett holding those two flounder, it looks like one is photoshopped in, Haha!

Blue_Runner · #3 05-29-2012, 01:40 PM

Well it wasn't the best fishing but it could've been worse! The conditions are so unpredictable there.....a wise man once said, "if you listen to the weatherman, you'll never fish Hatteras."

By the way - I caught 5 of the 10 keeper flounder. Had to throw that in there since I know Sparky will be along soon to see this!

phester · #4 05-29-2012, 06:09 PM

nice report Blue, as always

tartuffe · #5 05-29-2012, 07:27 PM

Very nice, it looks like you guys made the best out of some difficult weather patterns. I was down in Ocracoke all weekend and it was nasty. Sometimes pouring down rain with the sun shining. 23' Grady capsized in the inlet Friday night with 4 aboard. They all survived.

garagenc · #6 05-29-2012, 08:09 PM

Nice fish Blue, still eating on my tuna and dolphin

Blue_Runner · #7 05-30-2012, 07:56 AM

Thanks boys.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by tartuffe

Very nice, it looks like you guys made the best out of some difficult weather patterns. I was down in Ocracoke all weekend and it was nasty. Sometimes pouring down rain with the sun shining. 23' Grady capsized in the inlet Friday night with 4 aboard. They all survived.

OMG I did not hear about that! Just looking at that inlet Friday thru Sunday would make your toes curl. We actually stuck our nose out Friday morning.....turned around as quick as humanly possible. They were stacked the hell up! We tried flounder fishing a couple hours Friday morning but ended up coming in for lunch then heading back out to fish the tide. That is when I had the 2 issues with the boat. So glad the fuel line issue happened at the dock. Whew!

Wish we could've gotten out more but that is Hatteras. May do a full week next year so we can get more days in.

willy · #8 05-30-2012, 01:55 PM

Good job Shane, looks like a great time with good friends. Don't get no better than that.
You Dawg, I am jealous!

Blue_Runner · #9 05-30-2012, 03:53 PM

If'n ya lived closer Willy you'd been right there with us no doubt.

tartuffe · #10 05-30-2012, 04:16 PM

Looks like I got my lines tangled a bit:

By Lauren King
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 26, 2012 OCRACOKE ISLAND, N.C.
Four people spent several hours clinging to the side of a capsized boat before one man was able to swim to shore and call for help Friday.
About 6:30 p.m., Dare County emergency dispatchers called the Coast Guard with news of the man swimming in the rough seas. He had called Dare, not realizing he was on Ocracoke Island, which is part of Hyde County, said Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Rowe.
During the call, he reported that three others were still holding on to the capsized, 23-foot Grady-White boat, which was about 60 yards from shore.
They had been trying to enter Hatteras Inlet when it overturned.
The National Weather Service issued a small craft advisory late in the afternoon. The advisory said wind speeds of 25 to 33 knots and/or seas of 6 feet or greater were expected. A news release from Hyde said the ocean current had carried the capsized vessel two miles south to Ocracoke.
The Coast Guard issued an alert for the capsized boat and dispatched a helicopter from Elizabeth City and a boat from Hatteras to assist with the rescue. Dare County then called Hyde County EMS and the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department for help.
About 7 p.m., as the Coast Guard boat arrived, the capsized boat had drifted to the beach, and the survivors were able to get out of the water, Rowe said.
One who had been clinging to the boat was complaining of back pain and upper respiratory distress, Rowe said. He was flown to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. The others were treated at the scene for minor injuries.