Fishing

I guess I could say it has been a long winter, but honestly, it didn’t really start until February. But the last month has certainly been a cold, wet and miserable one.
For the last couple of years, I have looked forward to the month of February, when schools of giant bluefin tuna have been congregating and feeding off the Outer Banks. I am no stranger to fishing for giant bluefin tuna; my crew and I have been participating in the fishery for 15 years now, which peaked in our local area from 2006-2008.

King mackerel tournament fishing in our part of the world is an important cultural event. North Carolina is the birthplace of king mackerel tournament fishing and during the last 30-plus years the sport has provided an arena for fishermen who enjoy the challenge of not only targeting and catching big king mackerel but also competing with fellow anglers.

Editor’s note: This column was first published in The Beacon on Aug. 4, 2011.
I spent the most of last week doing nothing but fishing with the folks in Brunswick County, riding surf to pier and jumping from boat to boat with old friends and new. I barely slept but it was well worth it.
It is the height of tourist season now and while the fishing is not what I’d call spectacular the fishermen are, locals and visitors, and good times and colorful stories abound.

Editor’s note: The column was first published in The Beacon on June 11, 2009.

Do I have a fish story for you.
Last weekend I was flounder fishing on foot around the Sunset Beach Bridge. If you know the old bridge area, you know it’s beside the new bridge they are building, where a lot of old pilings are on their sides. I was on the island side, on the opposite shore from the new bridge construction.