Today we were joined by Bob Williams of Arlington, VA on an offshore bottom trip in search of good eating fish and maybe a Grouper. We did manage a Gag but measuring 22" he missed the keepable length by 2" and we had to release him. However, the "knot head" Black Sea Bass were plentiful and willing to bite. In short time we were limited out on Black Bass and Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks and went in search of something different.
The NE wind was starting to blow a little stronger and the shoals were beginning to get a bit sloppy and with the new regulations closing B-Liners, Capt. Butch and I feared that moving to deeper water would prove to be dissappointing in having to throw back everything landed. With all this considered we decided to move back in-shore a bit and see if the Grey Trout were willing to bite.
At first the action was slow, but the trick to Grey Trout is pin-pointing the school and getting anchored right on top of it. Capt. Butch is a master at this skill and soon we were jigging up Trout 3 at a time, most were 11-11 1/2" just shy of the 12" size limit, but in the end the crew was able to pull out several keeper sized Greys and some Croakers for the frying pan.
I heard of several Bluefin Tuna being hooked up today, and Capt. Walley Traya put the first one on the Southport docks this year, measuring in at 83". We are headed out tomorrow in search of a Bluefin, so we'll have a report again tomorrow evening covering that trip as well.
