Tidelines – March 27, 2014
So, I don’t want to talk or complain about the weather. That topic has already been more than covered by all of us over the last few months, as cold, rain, and wind continue to be constants. A warm weather day here and there will quickly bring us out of our hibernation and provide an instant shot of energy, but then yet another blast of wintry weather will just as quickly send us back inside.
I also don’t have any fishing trips to speak about since our March 6 issue. No stripers. No bluefins. No wahoo or black sea bass. Not even a catch and release trout.
I could write about all the home repairs that have dominated my late afternoons and weekends, but my instincts tell me that gutter replacement, exterior painting, stone walkways, and the prospect of a new roof will do little to hold your attention.
The Hurley boat is ready, though. It was recently serviced by Noel at SeaCoast Marine here in Wilmington. Noel has me ready to go for another season: load testing the batteries, checking the steering, looking into the Engine Control Module for codes, and performing an injector service. Still haven’t had the boat out for an adventure since the service, but at least it’s ready and waiting.
I could talk about fishing vicariously through the adventures of the Fisherman’s Post staff. Max was invited to join in on a hogfish trip that was successful and produced (for him) delicious fillets (still not sure how I was overlooked on that one, as the Fisherman’s Post credit card purchased drinks and snacks for that trip). They found their hogs (5-15 lbs.), and they also found triggerfish and large sea bass.
Or I could talk about Joshua’s land-based early spring fishing, where he is finding some small flounder and stout trout. I wouldn’t be able to say much of his trip, though, as he and Matt (Tex’s Tackle) want their “secret,” yet highly trafficked, spot to be kept on the quiet (even though most people fishing from shore in the Wrightsville Beach area already know about their “secret” spot).
My philosophy of late? Keep my head down, stay focused and maintain productivity, clean the desk of all the piles of papers, wait for the weather and water temperatures to improve just a little more, and be ready for a big break in my fishing stagnation. Yes, I am waiting for preparation to meet opportunity.
As for the Fisherman’s Post workload, the fishing schools are behind us, and we are focused on our new surf fishing event, the Topsail Island Surf Fishing Challenge. The anglers in our fall surf fishing tournament, the Pleasure Island Surf Fishing Challenge, have been asking for a spring event for the last several years, so this year we are finally in a position to deliver.
The event will be May 2-4, 2014, and will be based out of East Coast Sports, where we will have a big tent set up in the parking lot just before their building. This new spring event will be much like our fall tourney, with round-the-clock fishing starting at midnight on Friday and lasting 36 hours until noon on Sunday.
The three piers on Topsail Island will serve as the weigh stations, and the Medlin family is hosting a big Awards Dinner on Sunday for tournament anglers, where we will be giving away over 20 prize checks to top anglers in flounder, bluefish, black drum, sea mullet, and a voluntary red drum Calcutta.
For more information on this event, please visit our ad copy in the centerfold, go to the FishermansPost.com website and click on “Tournaments,” or call Max Gaspeny at (910) 409-8379.
We will have the Topsail Island Surf Fishing Challenge tournament booklet out with our next issue—the April 10 issue—and hope you decide to join us for the event. Start preparing now, and we’ll provide the opportunity in just over one month. Yes, I’m talking about success, your success.
