Swell Fishing

The Pelican and crew found more Billfish today and came close to having a really good one.  4 out of 5 White’s raised, were caught and then released, along with one of the two Sailfish. They also hooked up a Blue Marlin which pulled off. The swell from Leslie has mysteriously flattened out in spite of the forecast.

Not red hot but

good enough to make the run worth the while. The Pelican raised 3 Whites and caught two of them. Leslie’s swell is making the trip under the Oregon Inlet Bridge an adventure in itself.

Long run…..

5/10 on the Whites and a Blue one. Had to run a long way to find them.

Burning Fuel

Lots of fish to the north. Just a bit further than you can run in a day out of Oregon Inlet.  Regardless Arch burned some fuel trying.  Pretty water with a couple of Whites out of the four raised. Plenty of Dolphin if you wanted them. Some worry about Leslie and her swell by Tuesday.  Let’s hope that’s all for not.

John’s Luck

John Bailey is on a roll.  Not only did he go 4 for 4 on White Marlin he caught a Wahoo.  Better yet a Wahoo with an Hawaiian Eye in its gut. One less Arch will need to fetch for tomorrow.  Overall that was at or above the fleet average per boat as the bite seems to have leveled off.  Still a bunch of fish to the north.  Let’s hope they move down.

A lull or status quo?

Fleet wide the action as slackened a bit.  Hopefully the calm before the main pod arrives. Reports of good bill fishing off OC MD could be a sign of a bite yet to come.  Today the Pelican, Arch and Lee carried Todd Brown out to the fishing hole to try his luck.  They managed to catch 3 out of the 5 White Marlin in the same general vicinity, along with a misguided Sail. A bonus Wahoo made its way into the box, but not before, or after, two of its buddies made off with Arch’s teasers.  At 25 + bucks a pop I’m not sure why that makes me chuckle. Maybe it’s that look the Captain gets when he gets bit off followed by the ass kicking he took on the way back in.

Finally a beautiful day!

For the first time in over two weeks Arch kept the party dry.  He also managed to catch 6 out of the 8 Whites the Pelican’ spread was able to attract.  Bobby Witlow from VA was less impressed with the Sailfish count. They pulled off two.  The overall count was average for the fleet today. Some Dolphin also showed up.

South Carolina’s Contingent

Jeff Norton and his friends hail from South Carolina.  Our apology for yesterday’s geographical misrepresentation.  After today he may be more willing to forgive.  Arch managed to find the best bite for the Pelican and crew year to date. They caught 12 White Marlin and had 20 something bites.  You know it’s good when the Captain starts loosing count of the bites. Keep in mind he’s usually conservative on such matters. This kind of action makes you get up before the alarm goes off.

Finally! The Marlin bite turns on!

The Pelican and crew ran about 50 miles to start a day of Marlin fishing in the deep.  After releasing 1 White the word spread that it was happening inside.  Arch steered the appropriate course and joined a few other boats in shallow water.  After the day was done Jeff Norton and his friends from Wilmington NC,  raised 14 Whites and released 9.  Most all the fish teased up nicely and made for the world class Marlin fishing we are used to hearing about off the OBX. Many of the other boats in the fleet also did well.  It’s on!

We need a cold front!

Alan Huvan and his buddies from the Richmond area gathered dockside this morning bright and early.  The Pelican left close to first light with a boat full of anxious anglers.  Before Arch put them on any fish he made sure to find the “only rain shower on the East Coast” to cool them down.  After that is was a bit slower than usual as the Pelican went 2/3 on the White Marlin.  Maybe Issac will help the cold front finally push through.