Fishing

There’s a common saying among tournament fishermen, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” If you are a fisherman you understand exactly what this means. So much of fishing is about circumstance. Right place, right time and then having the fish bite your line instead of someone’s beside you. Also the factors that lead up to catching a particular fish can be a tangled web of fortune and misfortune, but somehow you end up where you are and then the fish bites. As such, let me tell you the story of one of the most unbelievable days of fishing in my life.

We have settled into what I refer to as the early summer pattern, which typically runs from late June through July. This is, in my opinion, one of our peak times to fish from the area because of all the variety. The majority of the fishing I do during this time is in the 55- to 70-foot depth range, where you will find good numbers of king mackerel in the 15- to 20-pound range, with dolphin, sailfish and cobia mixed in.

The hot summer is not known as a time of great inshore fishing, but there is one fish you can go after no matter how hot it gets. Flounder are still active in our waters and some can even be caught in the hottest part of the day. You just have to remember a few simple suggestions about how to target these tasty flatfish, and your fishing season won’t melt away with the sun.

This past weekend the annual Jolly Mon King Classic took place from the Ocean Isle Fishing Center. This tournament has proved over the years to be one of the region’s favorite and most-attended events, due in part to its pick-your-fishing day format, fishing boundaries and family-oriented atmosphere and prizes. However, with gas prices approaching $5 a gallon and a general pessimistic fiscal attitude, I expected the event’s participation to be severely down.