SENCFishing started out fishing pre all hallow's eve in the afternoon and finished on halloween.

After making bait we fished what would end up being a 24 hour grind so to speak.

Conditions were right and the drum turned on around 8pm during the rising tide until a few hours after. Around 3a. We sat down for what seemed to be a brief three hours only to wake to the wind still howling. Baits were back in the water by 8am as a few other hardy anglers walked out on the beach. About 10am the fish started chewing again. This time everyone on the beach was catching fish.

SENCFishing ended up with 21 drum total. I got 10, Justin got 11. I also managed a pup in the mix and lost another big one at my feet.

Nearest I could tell others on the beach landed five or so before we left...And we left them chewing.

The Story Continues...

We had a long week this week looking for drum. Everything seemed stacked against us. No bait (spots). However we did mange to catch mullet on Monday in a tidal pool.

No fish until Wednesday night. And they were all caught on the mullet from early Monday. The eyes on the mullet were already turning white. We had to cut them in half too as they were not very big.

At some point in the night, I broke off my rig while casting when a loop caught on the reel somehow and it snapped off. Lazy as I was, I decided that I would grip it and rip it without re spooling.

The tide had just turned and was beginning to rise. I could still wade out twenty yards to cast. I sat the rod in the spike and gave the reel a few turns. I figured O had enough line on the reel that I could stop most of the drum before the spool emptied. I had a 50/50 chance the fish would hit that rod anyhow.

About ten minutes after setting that rod, the clicker starts rumbling and the glow stick shoots out of the reel. I take off after it knowing I have to get to that reel before the line is gone.

I got there in good time to see the line peeling off and in about fifteen more seconds I'd be spooled. I thought this was a bigger fish as it ran strong. I moved into he water knee deep to try and slow the fish, or at least keep enough line on the reel so that he would stall and turn. After about five seconds though, the fish continued.

Steve walked up to me and I showed him the reel and moved towards the chest high shore break again. At this point I was about to write him off. However he stopped again and turned. I backed up trying to get the fish back into me enough to get some line back on the reel. It was a struggle but I managed to gain. After another five minutes the fish was working below the drop off formed by the shore break. It only took another minute or two for that big boy to come on in.

After delirium from fishing all night set in, we had to have some SENCFishing fun.

SENCFishing Fall Drumming

SENCFishing headed North to the Outer Banks for the first time this fall. After grinding out four days of hardly stop fishing. The SENCFishing crew pulled an all nighter and caught four big drum. Then we watched the sun come up before heading home.

The new bridge opened this week ahead of schedule opening highway 12 for access South to all of Cape Hatteras.

Post Irene Drum

Went back to the Nuese River the other day in howling South wind. After leaving one area due to the snottiness of the sound. I launched again upriver to a more protected area which always seemed to produce fish. After about 45 minutes we were rewarded with a couple of yearling class drum.

We went on to miss a couple of fish before moving inwards to ward the shallower water for a little night action. Fish stalled there for a little while until a couple of rods bowed up. One was fought to the boat and lost while the other never got hooked up. Dismal to say the least. But hey, we were fishing.

Drum Fishing this week

By all accounts it looks like the old drum haven't been affected by Irene. SENCFishing is planning to get back on the water to fish for them this week.

As many expected the fishing to get better offshore after the hurricane, most are now scratching their heads as to what happened. Seems that the reports coming in from offshore are about the same before the storm, Slow. Yesterday the water at the schoolhouse was a cool 76 degrees. It's still a little stirred up too.


Fishing has picked up in the surf. My friend Steve came into town yesterday and fished Fort Fisher. He ended that day on a very good note with some very nice sea mullet and pompano. He also missed a nice pup, reeling in one of the scales.
I have been hearing from a lot of people about the pups showing up in the suds now with the lower water temps. He also noted the amount of mullet in the wash as well. Thanks to him catching 15 pounds of fresh mullet, SENCFishing will have plenty of nice bait for the Old Drum this week.

Tuesday's Drum Report...Pre-Irene.

Well, I did it. I got in one session on the Nuese Tuesday for some drum action before Irene hits. Hopefully they will stick around after the storm so I can get my fish on.

got five total.

Fishing Monday, August, 22.

Hesitated to go out today with storms forecast.
Kyle and I headed out though roughly 11a. Pulled gear for spanish for about three hours with light wind from the South East. We lost the first one as he wasnt hooked good. boated the second, and the third...Well the third got eyed by something bigger right after he tripped the planer and came up. The spanish was a nice one, about five pounds. He made a quick dash toward the other side of the boat but was quickly eaten along with our rig before we got him in. Never saw what hit him but most likely a Cuda.
We did see one sail fish again today busting and chasing spanish. We just didnt have the gear for him.

We anchored on a ledge for the end of the trip and I got a few fish there too. A couple of nice sheepshead and a tog. Damn Sheepshead broke one of my tips off the paralyzer with his tough head though.

We should have gotten out earlier and caught some live bait for trolling, but ohwell.

Storms Stop fishing today.

Storms formed and moved over Carolina Beach this morning effectively shutting down fishing for the SENCFishing crew. Check out WECT's slide show for some of the pictures. I think it's funny how people are watching still on the beach as the water spouts moved over land.

Another good photo as it moves over Carolina Beach Lake too. The water that it is sucking up is cool.