Cape Hatteras Anglers Tourney report/ Bogue Inlet fishing report

[kip]

Last week, Thursday and Friday, we participated it the 50th anniversary Cape Hatteras Anglers Club surf fishing tournament. The fishing the day before had been fantastic with lots of puppy drum and nice sized bluefish being caught. Our first station was just off ramp 23 just south of Salvo and we scored 58 points on 2 puppy drum and the rest on bluefish. The second station took us down to the inlet at Hatteras Village where we were fortunate to have a consistent bite of bluefish garnering 149 points for a total of 207 for the first day and 12th place overall (out of 120, 6 person teams).

Friday's morning session found us along south beach just west of the "Point", and lots of false albacore jumping around, but unfortunately out of casting distance. We scored again on bluefish, but this time the bite was inconsistent and we scored only 30 points. The afternoon session was just south of ramp 38 in Avon and the bite was almost nonexistent, but we managed a few bluefish. The aptly named "baitwaster" team slide 14 places to end up in 26th place overall.

While we had hoped to do better, we managed to have a great time. I had planned to fish the rest of the weekend there, but the weather looked "iffy" and I decided to return home to what turned out to be some fantastic fishing.

The area around Bogue Inlet was jumping (literally) with fish as huge schools of puppy drum and bluefish were devouring the baitfish. Sunday morning I had 3 puppy drum that ranged from 25 to 31 inches and a host of 2 lb bluefish. I returned later that afternoon to land an addition 8 puppy drum and too many bluefish to count. I arrived home a very happy tired. The next morning I returned to find the bait fish had vanished and the schools that we had experienced the day before had become smaller and less frequent, but I still managed 6 nice puppy drum.

The wind had shifted that evening when I returned and there were no fish to be found, of any kind. Watched the setting sun and headed home when I found about a mile east of the inlet the water right at the beach to be churning with exploding baitfish and bluefish busting the surface. Even though I had changed out of my waders, I grabbed my rad and landed 2 nice blue fish on 2 casts and then called it quits having caught at least a couple of fish.....

[John M]

looks good. gettig into them down south, not a bad thing.

I saw you got in the wheels reels tounry. Ill be there the entire week leading up to the tourney.

[crashq]

Thanks for the report! It sounds like you had fun. Even after the slide, you guys still did pretty well (26th out of 120 teams). Congrats.

[FishLipz]

Great report. Thanks for sahring and congrats!