Tidelines – August 21, 2014
Capt. Robert Schoonmaker, of Carolina Explorer Charters, helps Owen Hurley (center) hold his Atlantic sharpnose that hit a live finger mullet in about 40′ of water off of Carolina Beach.
I could say that my two oldest boys went shark fishing this past week in honor of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, but really it was just coincidence.
One of my more favorite traditions over the past few years has been where I take my boys fishing on or near my birthday with Capt. Robert Schoonmaker of Carolina Explorer Charters out of Carolina Beach. Our first date of August 3 was rained out, but luckily enough Robert had an afternoon opening this past Saturday, so Owen (age 9), James (age 7), and I (age 30+) made the quick drive to the Carolina Beach municipal docks where we met Robert to head out into the ocean to go sharking.
Robert had given me and the boys several options—we could have targeted flounder inshore or nearshore, or we could have found some red drum and/or trout in the Cape Fear River—but the boys were single minded. They wanted, by their definition, the glamour and excitement of shark fishing.
Though Robert would have been happy targeting just about anything, I’m sure he was content with sharks. He wouldn’t have to run far or fish hard (kids can more easily handle dropping bait to the ocean bottom than working artificials or even being patient enough for a live bait flounder bite), and he has a shark hole that’s very reliable, much more reliable than finding speckled trout following our torrential rains.
We headed south out of Carolina Beach Inlet to a small-ish scratch of live bottom. Once anchored, he had the boys drop down live mullet minnows on slightly modified Carolina rigs. The action started immediately, and constant action is often the key to keeping kids interested in fishing.
First on our hooks were under-sized sea bass. The boys had fun with the regular and predictable action of putting bait on the hook, dropping the line down, getting nibbles as soon as the bait is on the bottom, and then feeling the bite happen as the nibble turns into something more substantial.
Capt. Robert Schoonmaker, of Carolina Explorer Charters, and James Hurley with another Atlantic sharpnose. Robert’s estimate is that the shark is the same size as Owen’s, but James thinks it measures a little longer than Owen’s.
The sharks must have moved into the neighborhood to see what was happening, as the sea bass action quickly slowed. During the lull, a couple of our lines were bit through (Robert likes using mono leaders with kids as opposed to wire), but soon enough Owen’s rod was bent over double with the strong pull of an Atlantic sharpnose.
For Owen, this was the strongest fish he had ever fought. The shark pulled drag several times, and gave a heavy enough resistance that he asked several times for someone to help him hold the rod.
Robert and I stood by, of course, but we refused to give any more help than offering calm reassurances to Owen that if he took his time he would win the fight. And he did win the fight.
Once the shark was beside the boat, Robert had Owen swing it to the left where he was waiting with the net. The shark protested being out of the water by thrashing about, but Robert brought it under control and the boys were then posing for the camera.
Both Owen and James hesitated at first at touching the shark, but curiosity won out. Robert had them hold the tail for photos, and then showed them how different the shark skin felt when you rubbed it from head to tail and then from tail to head.
The boys each caught a handful of sharks that afternoon, closely keeping count of how many sharks were caught, how many were missed, who caught the largest sea bass, who caught the largest shark, and anything else they could quantify in the spirit of competition. They’re brothers separated by 18 months in age. For them everything is a competition.
You can make any week a Shark Week or a Red Drum Week or a Flounder Week….
And that’s why this Tidelines article is accompanied by two photos. If I had only run a photo of one of them with a shark they caught, the fallout would be severe. I don’t give in to temper tantrums, but I’ll gladly run two fish photos to help keep peace and quiet in the household.
If you have kids that would love a fishing adventure (or if the kid in you would love one), then give Capt. Robert Schoonmaker a call at (910) 264-1807 or visit www.carolinaexplorer.com to learn about all the different trips he offers.
