Monday, March 31, 2008

Getting ready for Altantic Bonito ( Sarda sarda )

Greetings from the Cape Fear Coast,

The Azaleas and Dogwood are blooming and bright yellow pollen covers everything in sight, well it must be Spring. The shad are at Locking Dam #1 and reports of bluefish at Johnny Mercers Pier. Someone even said Sunday,"the bonito are all ready at the Liberty Ship." No one else has confirmed that sighting so I thought I might give it a shot. The wind blew hard NE all weekend and rolled SE 15-20 today. The buoy at Frying Pan Shoals report eight foot seas every nine seconds at 08:00.

I had to go look at it myself. I had my trusty Scott Heli-ply 8wt. Teton reel loaded with my Cortland 555 Rocket and a hand full of my favorite flies.
I confirmed the ocean report as I passed through Masonboro Inlet at 10:00 and as swell broke over the bow and I had to turn around before I couldn't. The ride to the Liberty Ship was not going to happen today.

Time to go to Plan B and that was hitting crab pots and try to find some trout in Masonboro Sound. I hit twenty to thirty pots and found no bait or fish. As the rain bands passed through all day it was not greatest fishing and not even a good day to be outside but I had to get on the water and smell the salt.

The water temp has dropped back to the upper fifties. The birds were even laying low today. There is always tomorrow, well maybe not tomorrow. How about the next day? Where are those Bonito? It won't be as long as it has been.



Rip'em up and Let some go
Capt. Danny Wrenn
96 Charter Company
Wilmington, N.C.
910.619.2224

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