Overnight trip

https://vimeo.com/123505839

Check out this video from a recent trip that we organized to the seamounts for some customers. 

This season is just now starting.  We have a few openings on the Dragin Fly in May and June which are prime times. 

Capt. Mitch report

Getting them 2 at a time and yes it's snowing.--=- Mitch 

Looks like Mitch was just around the corner from Greg....

There are no leaves on those trees.....what am I doing?   Packing bags......

Capt. Greg report

"OK, thanks! It snowed for about 4 hours this morning while we were hammering the shad. We caught close to 200 with 3 people fishing. The guys fly fishing we're getting them just as good.
Thanks again," Greg

Snow?   I think that I'm coming home too soon.  Be back for a brief visit this week.  

Snowing in Weldon

Wow.

We caught 3 quadruple headers and busted off a blue marlin today.   That didn't make the scoreboard.

Ended up in about 16th....but we did learn a lot, instead of being as lost as an arrow in a wheat field, we are now as lost as a ball in high weeds.

At least we're consistent

14 yesterday, 13 today, right in the middle of the pack.  Pretty good charter fishing, but this don't cut it with this competition.  

Check out my new dinner jacket

www.decamosportjackets.com

Yes even you can.......

.....learn how to catch fish like Capt. Dan Roberts.   I know that he had something to do with this catch, even if he is holding the two smaller ones, you can see how much he's smiling. 

Fishing with a legend

I had the pleasure to ride along with a legend the other day, intending to stay up on the bridge of the Tijereta, hanging out with Capt. Bubba Carter and  taking pictures for most of the morning.   But when the second quadruple header was hooked up and I looked down and saw both of his mates, each with a bent rod in their hand, I had to get into the action.   I thought that Capt. Bubba was kidding when he said,  "Screw it, we're going to be late for dinner, rig some more bait, we're fishing til dark!"

EPIC

 

Are those shorts that I see?

Spring has sprung.  Fishing with Capt. Greg:

Thanks for the pics Trevor!

Shad are running the Neuse, come get some.  Lower Roanoke bite has also fired off.

MB

Not almost......NOW

For those who live on the "riva", it's something special to see the changes that she undergoes

through the year and there is something extra special about that first pulse of life that brings in the spring.    In this modern day of electricity and travel by air, we have lost the value of those fish that signified survival of a long winter and the beginning of times with full bellies.
My "Nanar" cooked the roe wrapped in bacon and packaged up in wax paper, fried in a cast iron skillet.  When the paper was brown, the roe was firm and the bacon was done.

No ash on the beach

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know where I'm a gonna go when the volcano blows.......

For some reason that song is stuck in my head.   All good here and airport is open today despite a volcano in the northern part of the country blowing some ash and delaying flights.   All good.

croc pics

Good Grades

 "Capt. George,

A father son outing celebrating excellent grades in school resulted in this kids first Striper experience.  I think the experience certainly recharged his batteries and increased his motivation to earn another trip.  I hope they return to see what we have to offer on top water but then again, catching a limit on a singe cast has the bar set mighty high!"

-----Mitchell

Roanoke Report

"Told you to give it about a week and they would be knocking the hair off the jigs....  Raccoon Perch have the creeks smelling like watermelon, so they're spawning hard.   Crappie are jamming, Rock are rocking, we released 22 this am and busted them the day before the cold front...... Shad are blowing the screen up......should be awesome from the looks of what we've already got in the lower Roanoke" ------

  

Mitchell

From Crocodile Ray

10 4 on that skippa. I read your blog. YOU WON'T EVER GET MY XXX TO WALK ACROSS that creek again.   That joker is NASCAR FAST!!!  Hope all is well. I'm at island with Hugh doing some work on house and boats ect.   Take Care    --- Ray

George,

 After reading this mornings post it brought to mind a quote relative to your attempt to retrieve hung net. -----Joe

 "Civilization ends at the waterline.  Beyond that, we enter the food chain, and not always right at the top."  Hunter Thompson

    

New Cast Net

I did not go snook fishing and instead ground through a productive day in the office.   I got a new cast net today, big one, 10 footer, hope I don't drown myself throwing that thing from the beach.....if I can open it up, or even worse, get taken out while crossing the croc river.   At least the water is a little clearer and only waste deep at low tide.  I can see my feet which makes me feel better when wading across.  I figure if he comes up to take a bite I might be able to choke him with all that webbing and get away with minimal limb loss .

My last cast net was smaller, I could open it up even in waste deep water, but I got it caught on a log the other day while casting on some mullets about 200 yards up the creek from where Ray hooked his croc.   I'd seen their heads popping up around in the open water, slipping in and out of the mangroves  and a big one sunning on the bank not far from where my cast net was now hung on a log.

I stood there on the bank, looking down at the taunt line on my wrist going down to the water.  It was solid, I could feel the twang of torn webbing when I gave it a good pull.  I kept looking down in the water, thinking of what I would have to do:  follow the main line down to the ring with my hand.  It would probably be about neck deep, probably over my head at the far edge of the net.  I'd probably have to briefly go completely under water to get the ring.    Sometimes it'll come off the log by pulling the ring, but it felt pretty solid, and.......I'd have to duck my head down below the surface of that milky stained water of the estuary.   The water is clean enough, I don't have a problem or fear of some tropical jungle infection and I don't have any problem getting wet, but the thought of ducking my head under and coming face to face with that croc really freaked me out.

Even if I dunked in real quick and got the ring, chances are the only way to get it off that log was for a more lengthy immersion.   I'd have to go down head first with both hands, feel my way around and free the lead line off the far end of the log, then clear away any snagged webbing.

Head first.  Feeling my way around.  Completely under water.  I wonder if the activity of sloshing around fighting with this net has awaken any reptilian "attention"?   I look around.  Don't see any crocs.  I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  OK, here we go.  Head first, nice and slow, then just take a deep breath and pull your way down to the bottom.   Face to face.

Screw the damn net.  It came out in pieces.

I really want to.............

.........shut the computer down and go snook fishing

Hey George and Anna, 

This is Bill from Danville VA, I was with Rob and Steve last week. Just wanted to follow up with you and tell you we had a great trip. The Dragin Fly was a great experience, the crew is awesome. That was my first real time fishing like that it was nice to get to "catch" ........ I really really wanted to catch Rooster fish so to me the trip we did with Roy and his brother Jeffery was pretty wild. We (Steve and I) caught "double digit" which was cool. I look forward to getting to do that trip again. ..... it was a great trip, i hope to come see you all again next year...... 

----Bill 

something to think about.....

 

check this out

www.fishermanspost.com/fishing-school/greenville

Either come see me down here or check out some of the Down East Guides who will be instructors at the Fisherman's Post Fishing School.

You might even win a trip to Costa Rica or Argentina by signing up.

Proof of Life

Anna is in the US saving the fish and I'm babysitting her dog.  Every day I have to send a proof of life photo, usually with a copy of the daily newspaper to prevent any forgery or photo shop.

Having 4 snook in the cooler is a very rare event, we thought that this pic would suffice in proving Riley's well being.    Doesn't he look happy?

What we felt like in the tourney......getting left behind

Tourney recap

Day 1, we did excellent on our hook up ratio, but we just didn't get the bites.

Day 2 and 3, we actually got enough bites to be competitive, but as an angling team, we sucked, connecting with less than half of our opportunities.  It was a very humbling experience.  We have analyzed the tapes and video, consulted with the captain and other professionals and from this experience I really do believe that we have learned a lot.  

Instead of being "as lost as an arrow in a wheat field"  we are slowly becoming "as lost as a ball in high weeds".

Congrats to our friend Tony on Team Galati who won this leg of the Los Suenos Triple Crown with 80 sailfish releases in 3 days.   Second and third place were determined by 3 minutes, each boat with 69 sailfish and 2 marlin.   Both boats have teams of Carolina boys and girls.  The Trophy Box finished in 3rd place, behind the Tranquilo and the Cofers.

On a side note, the Tranquilo is now a licensed charter boat in Quepos and we look forward to working with them in their new home.

4th place was also some Carolina boys with Capt. John Bayliss on the Tarheel with 69 sails and 1 marlin.

The Tarheel leads the Trophy Box by only 1 sailfish for the 3 tournament series that comes to a head in Leg 3 of the Los Suenos Triple Crown at the end of March.

Maybe we can improve our hook up ratio and be competitive in the last of the series.