Do I get tired of fishing?
I was asked this question this weekend and for the first time, I hesitated. Usually, there is no hesitation, NO, I do not get tired of fishing. The biggest reason is that the fishing always changes. About the time that I'm "tired" of something, the season changes and there is something new to chase. But with a livewell full of baby menhaden in search of flounder and 20 inch pups, I hesitated. Flounder and pups were not what I had on my mind.
Do I get tired of fishing? With the big drum, after two months of pounding on them, I'm ready for the fall fishing on the coast, albies, kings, big speks, pups on the beach.
Even in Costa Rica, after three months of billfish, I'm ready for some "agua dulce". With the stripers on the Roanoke, by the end of April, I'm tired of fileting stripers and looking forward to catch and release topwater action. After a couple of weeks of watching stripers eat zara spooks, I'm ready for the cobia.
The cobia....I almost thought that I had missed it this year, there were big reports of great cobia action by the first of May, when I still had two weeks left on the Roanoke. I got to the coast just in time for a hard nor'easter which put the cobia fishing on hold for another week. When the water warmed, the cobia fishing turned back on and it hasn't turned off. Am I tired of cobia fishing? NO, NO, NO. Even though an 80 pounder aggrivated me for over an hour today and I drove away from that fish totally defeated, I'm not tired of them, just more determined.
The only thing that is more frustrating, challenging and rewarding are the tarpon, which is what I had on my mind while riding that livewell full of menhaden to Raccoon Island this weekend.
After seeing a huge school of tarpon in the ocean the day before, I felt like there were already some fish in the Pamlico Sound and maybe even the river. Yeah, we got the flounder and pups OK, but it was heartbreaking to run accross three big bunches of tarpon on the way home from the sound.....without a big stick on the boat.
Over the last 4 days I've fished in the Neuse two days and in the ocean 2 days, I've seen a lot of tarpon in both places. Last year was the best year of tarpon fishing in 5 years and things are getting set up for a fantastic year this year as well.
Do I get tired of fishing? Sometimes. But now is not one of them. I pulled the tower boat out of the water today. Anna has a "honey-do" list about a page and a half long. I need at least two days in the "office" to catch up. We've got to pack for an upcoming trip of a lifetime (we've been invited on a photo safari to South Africa).
Do I get tired of fishing? No, no, no, not now. The boat is on the trailer, but it isn't even dry and I want it back on the water. I'm landlocked and frustrated. I want to watch the sunrise over my chumslick. I want to harrass that big cobia until she bites. I want to be looking for those cobia caught on the shoals today. I want to spend a little time figuring out those tarpon that I keep seeing in the ocean.
It's going to be a long three weeks before I get back out there. Most of the cobia will be gone and I will have missed the beginning of the tarpon bite.....yeah, I know, no sympathy from you.
Anyway, unless I get few things checked off the honey-do list and an invite to go fishing this week.... I'll be fishing vicariously through all of you. I appreciate the reports, even though there probably won't be internet service while on safari.
Anna and I will be here for a few more days, but while we're gone, give Capt. Ray a call at 252-670-9767. He'll be fielding some calls and will rig you up with one of the "Down East Guides".
Do I get tired of fishing? With the big drum, after two months of pounding on them, I'm ready for the fall fishing on the coast, albies, kings, big speks, pups on the beach.
Even in Costa Rica, after three months of billfish, I'm ready for some "agua dulce". With the stripers on the Roanoke, by the end of April, I'm tired of fileting stripers and looking forward to catch and release topwater action. After a couple of weeks of watching stripers eat zara spooks, I'm ready for the cobia.
The cobia....I almost thought that I had missed it this year, there were big reports of great cobia action by the first of May, when I still had two weeks left on the Roanoke. I got to the coast just in time for a hard nor'easter which put the cobia fishing on hold for another week. When the water warmed, the cobia fishing turned back on and it hasn't turned off. Am I tired of cobia fishing? NO, NO, NO. Even though an 80 pounder aggrivated me for over an hour today and I drove away from that fish totally defeated, I'm not tired of them, just more determined.
The only thing that is more frustrating, challenging and rewarding are the tarpon, which is what I had on my mind while riding that livewell full of menhaden to Raccoon Island this weekend.
After seeing a huge school of tarpon in the ocean the day before, I felt like there were already some fish in the Pamlico Sound and maybe even the river. Yeah, we got the flounder and pups OK, but it was heartbreaking to run accross three big bunches of tarpon on the way home from the sound.....without a big stick on the boat.
Over the last 4 days I've fished in the Neuse two days and in the ocean 2 days, I've seen a lot of tarpon in both places. Last year was the best year of tarpon fishing in 5 years and things are getting set up for a fantastic year this year as well.
Do I get tired of fishing? Sometimes. But now is not one of them. I pulled the tower boat out of the water today. Anna has a "honey-do" list about a page and a half long. I need at least two days in the "office" to catch up. We've got to pack for an upcoming trip of a lifetime (we've been invited on a photo safari to South Africa).
Do I get tired of fishing? No, no, no, not now. The boat is on the trailer, but it isn't even dry and I want it back on the water. I'm landlocked and frustrated. I want to watch the sunrise over my chumslick. I want to harrass that big cobia until she bites. I want to be looking for those cobia caught on the shoals today. I want to spend a little time figuring out those tarpon that I keep seeing in the ocean.
It's going to be a long three weeks before I get back out there. Most of the cobia will be gone and I will have missed the beginning of the tarpon bite.....yeah, I know, no sympathy from you.
Anyway, unless I get few things checked off the honey-do list and an invite to go fishing this week.... I'll be fishing vicariously through all of you. I appreciate the reports, even though there probably won't be internet service while on safari.
Anna and I will be here for a few more days, but while we're gone, give Capt. Ray a call at 252-670-9767. He'll be fielding some calls and will rig you up with one of the "Down East Guides".
posted by Capt. George Beckwith at
9:05 PM
