Tidelines – September 2023
Taking kids on a successful fishing trip can be a big challenge, as I believe just about any parent can attest to, and as a man that believes he knows his own limitations pretty well, I’m very grateful for the relationship I’ve had since the early days of Fisherman’s Post with Capt. Jennings Rose, of North State Guide Service out of Oriental.
A successful kids fishing trip can be defined in many different ways, but my guess is that most definitions include some version of have fun, spend time together, catch a fish or two, make memories, and have the kids get off the boat wanting to go again.
Ethan, my youngest at age 11, had one of those successful fishing trips last year with Jennings when we went out of Oriental in early August to try and find Ethan his first citation red drum. We found his first (and his second and his third, including a 54-inch fish), so it wasn’t a surprise that Ethan said he wanted to go on a big red drum trip with Jennings again this year.
What was a little bit of a pleasant surprise, and led to one of those proud dad moments, was that Ethan also said he wanted to bring his buddy and soccer teammate Owen along so that Owen could hopefully catch one, too.
Cameron Pearson, from Wilmington, with his first over-slot red drum. He was soaking fresh mullet in less than two-feet of water with his son Owen (pictured) and Capt. Jennings Rose of North State Guide Service.
I told Jennings about the guest list—Ethan and I joined by Owen and his dad Cameron, with Owen having never caught any red drum and Cameron, though having plenty of fishing experience, having never caught an over-slot red drum—and we came up with a game plan tailored to the kids.
First, Jennings and I decided not to do a morning trip. While the kids will get up at 4:30 am to leave Wilmington by 5:00 if they’re told that’s what’s happening, waking up that early isn’t what all kids would choose or enjoy, so we decided on an afternoon trip starting at 3:00.
Second, having a big red drum crush your soft plastic under popping cork is a thrill that anyone would enjoy; however, not all kids, and more so the younger kids, have the strength and the patience to cast and cast and cast again while hoping for that one bite. Jennings told me that the boat would be loaded with fresh mullet, and soaking bait had been the preferred method so far in early August as the mass of fish hadn’t really moved in yet, making the popping cork technique even more challenging.
Third, I would just stay out of the way and let Jennings do what Jennings does when he has kids on the boat—make them comfortable, explain what we’re doing and why, give enough instruction without being over bearing, give a little support if a little support is needed, and in general follow the rule that for kids it’s about having fun more than anything else.
Big red drum fishing with Jennings begins in the classic Oriental tradition of getting picked up at the public docks across from The Bean coffee shop. We pulled into the Nesue and headed in the direction of the sound, deciding on a shallow shoal off a point, with the shoal being shallower than normal thanks to the consistent southwest wind that had been pushing water out for days.
The decision to go shallow and target this particular shoal came in part thanks to a phone call with his guide friend Blake, who had started an afternoon trip earlier than 3:00 and had already had a citation release. Blake was further up the bank, so we entered in the distance under trolling motor to an area about 300 yards down from him and put out 4-5 lines.
The afternoon felt “drummy”—the water was choppy, the sky had a gray cloud cover thanks to a front moving through, and bait pods of varying sizes were all around and moving past the boat. These Neuse big red drum are exceptional in so many ways, and when the largest school of menhaden we had seen in the short time that we had set anchor passed us by, we were quickly reminded of two of those ways: (1) the left bow rod completely doubled over and reel’s drag screamed as our first fish went on a big initial run, and (2) that drum, that would end up measuring out at 48-inches, had been right by the boat in less than two-feet of water without pushing any water or making any signal of its presence.
Ethan had insisted that Owen get the first fish (another proud dad moment), and once we confirmed that it was a big red and not a skate, Ethan told Owen he hoped this fish was bigger than the one he caught last year (yet another proud dad moment).
Owen, who had never caught a red drum of any size, now found himself battling a lifetime fish, and our captain was right by his side. Jennings gave Owen instructions, such as pausing the retrieve when the fish was making a run, and he gave him encouragement, such as pointing out that the fish was getting closer and the runs were getting smaller, and he gave him support, such as helping hold the rod so that Owen could get rid of a hand cramp and catch his breath.
Owen Pearson (age 11), from Wilmington, with his second citation red drum of the afternoon. He was fishing a shallow flat in the Neuse with his soccer buddy Ethan (left) and Capt. Jennings Rose (right), of North State Guide Service out of Oriental.
Videos were taken of the fish by the boat and the fish coming over the gunnel and into the boat. Photos were taken of Owen and his fish, of Owen and his dad and his fish, and of Owen and the captain and his fish.
Jennings took a quick measurement, he made sure our first big red drum swam off healthy into the clean but stained water, and then he quickly went about the business of changing out baits and getting all the lines back out.
If you like the idea of a fishing trip with or without kids where everyone has fun, spends some quality time together, catches a fish or two (all four in our party caught a big red drum that day), makes some memories, and everyone gets off the boat and wants to go again (back at Oriental, Ethan asked Jennings if we could do the trip again next year, and I plan to hold Jennings to that “yes” answer), then it makes sense to look up Jennings at www.NorthStateGuide.com, or call him direct at (919) 231-7741.
And if you still need one more reason, on the drive home, the kids were fast asleep way before Jacksonville.
