Spring’s nearly here. Anybody ready?
With the days getting longer, I know I’m not alone among anglers who can’t wait for 2009’s fishing season to get revved up. I’ve had a few successes lately, but I’m absolutely longing for the days when a quick wading trip after work is a virtual guarantee of a flounder dinner.
While wind and work have been thwarting my efforts to get offshore lately, I’ve been able to have some fun in the backwaters catching reds, trout, and stripers while on trips with Capt. Ricky Kellum and Capt. Mike Hoffman lately. We saw water temperatures as high as 58 last week while casting for reds inshore at Wrightsville, so anglers hungry for spring fishing shouldn’t have too much longer to wait.
I’ve still yet to catch my first fish of the year from shore, but I have a feeling I’ll be able to report a trout or red over the next week or so. Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t report on where until I’ve caught at least one.
I went driving the beach at Fort Fisher today to look for my first land-based red. No fish to report, but it was still a good time cruising the sand with my black lab, Clyde, on a somewhat sunny afternoon. As I rode the beach, I watched one walkaround bobbing at anchor while fishing Sheepshead Rock. I don’t know what they found in the way of action, but it won’t be long until the Atlantic Bonito show up at Sheepshead and other nearshore live bottoms, and I’m sure there’s some bottom fish chewing out there already as well. Check out the bonito article in the spring issue of Fisherman’s Post for more on catching the speedy little tunas.
Turning around where four-wheel drive access ends a few miles shy of Bald Head Island and Cape Fear itself, I was reminded of the federal government’s recent sale of Frying Pan Tower. The Tower once served as a lighthouse marking the end of the dangerous shoals that project from the Cape, but it’s been abandoned for around 20 years.
As most now know, an auction for the Tower last month sparked a bidding war, which ended when a South Carolina diving and salvage company plunked down the decisive bid of over half a million dollars. The company’s owner says they plan to turn their new acquisition into a diving and sportfishing destination.
There’s been a lot of speculation about how this will affect local anglers with little reached in the way of a conclusion, but surely this is better than the old plan of tearing the structure down. I for one enjoy the sight of the Tower, whether running or fishing, and I know a lot of others will agree that the structure is somehow a comforting presence out there.
Look for an in-depth article about the sale of Frying Pan Tower in the next Post.
