BBNWR & Dam Neck 9-29-07

[Dixie719]

Woke up in the morning and headed to BBNWR with Bucket and Parko03 to conduct a beach clean up for Public Land's Day.

After cleaning the beach, we fished for about 2 hours south of the second walkover in a stiff NE wind pushing 25mph. No distance to speak of for the most part, but I managed a blue and that was it.

Back to the Refuge Center where Bucket, Parko03, RACN and myself gave a classroom discussion on general surffishing at the refuge for an hour, then we took the participants down tot he beach for some fishing. Not much happening, but we did get one female participant on a pompano and sea mullet. Made her happy as her hubby got nothing!

RACN thanks for bringing all that fresh caught bait!

From there we packed up regrouped and headed to Dam Neck. Got set up to the incoming tide and I immediately picked up a decent taylor blue and put him in the cooler for bait.

Bucket gets a screaming run, but just a 3 ft Sandbar thinkin he's tougher than he is.



Bucket manged to get a few more of those on spot heads, so he puts on a piece of spot on his new AFAW 13' Beach from Fishsticks4u. Tosses it out in the 15mph NE winds and sets it down. A little bit of time goes by and then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, there it goes.

Bucket jumps and grabs the AFAW rod and sets the hook and for once we think we have the drum skunk off. Over and under the lines we go trying no to get caught up in the lines, but right when we think we have it cleared, I see his sinker hanging up high on another line. Not good with the fish not too far behind!!

I walk out getting battered by a few waves, but I am able to cut the line and the fish did not make any runs, so we are safe for now.

Finally after putting much time into fishing the past week or more for drum, we land Bucket's first of 2007.

She went a healthy 43" and was released just fine!



We fished for three hours after that and could not give bait away. Did notice that right after we caught this fish, the wind turned from 15mph out of the NE to 20+ striaght out of the East. We went from throwing 8oz to 10oz in a split second.

Hopefully we can get a few more sometime before the run is over!

[alleycat]

way to go Mark!

[noncaster]

Good job guys.
Seems to happen when I'm laid up or have other things to attend to.
Monday I'm off and if the ear infection is gone I'll be out there trying for some drum.
Today is the wifes birth day so I'll be home.

[Cohomojo]

Way to go!!! Congrats on the nice fish. Wish I could have attended the beach clean-up and the class but I had other obligations that I had to attend. I did join VCAN after reading your post yesterday morning when you mentioned the clean-up.
I'll be fishing hard this week. Hope to see you out there!

[DS422]

Nice job fellas!!!!! I plan on getting out to sandbridge/back bay sometime this week.

[Bucket]

Was beginning to wonder if I'd catch another big red drum again or at least in this lifetime As I haven't been able to buy a bite of late. Then I blind squirrel this one with some fresh RACN35 bait and a big assist from Dixie ~ I'll get wet and bite a wrapped line Walker Thanks again yall!

And, yes the AFAW 13' Beach rod from http://www.fishsticks4u.com/ is awesome as it can cast its butt off and whip a fish while still having a sensitive side especially at the tip. I felt that big red shake her head several times

My "UK surf special", matches the Any Fish Any Where (AFAW) rod to a Penn 535 UK mag so "God Save the Queen !

Extra details: VB Oceanfront, 9/29/07, 815pm and an incoming tide, NE @15k, cut spot, 17lb Cajun Red cast (running line) to 40lb Ande Envy (shocker) to traditional fishfinder rig with 8oz pyramid sinker & 9 ought Owner circle hook.

And now my drum fever is only `bout 102.7F

`bucket

[RACN35]

YOU ARE YOU ARE YOUR ARE THE :::




You can have my bait anyday !! Awesome man, whatsherface has to work until 10 everynite this week except Tuesday.....you can expect to see me on the same piece of real estate several times this week AS THE SUN GOES DOWN !!

[ns4d757]

reel purty werk, Markus.


Why do make it so hard on us tackle-holics?

BTW - re-model is in full swing..demo'ed the past 2 wekends...gonna hafta take advantage of that Dixie invite. I have scoped a few holes N. of the Refuge...so I can have my late nite early morn'in, red drum SOCOM excursions.

[devomd63]

Nice Fish Mark,

The Gods were smiling on you for all the NFP work you're doing.

Devo

[Fishman]

Perty werk my friend

[RACN35]

Oh come on Rick !! That sounds just like something you know who would say.

[Sam]

Beautiful fish, Mark!

[Bucket]

One Dam Neck fish and not much since?! Was thinking we'd need to go south to OBX for big red. And Avalon Pier has been having some good days of late. However, I just got word that a drum was caught off the LIP and a few from the fence at the Refuge so there are still some fish around so if I can't go NC south

`bucket