Well I have to say as our winter season here along the Carolina Coast seems to be wrapping up, this year wasn’t bad at all. I still talked about hauling tail to Florida with every cold front and I still lamented my years gone by in sunny San Diego where the weather seems perfect 365 days each year. But this winter the fishing was great and over all the weather has been mild. Yes, I am aware we’ve seen some snow in March before. But the fiddler crabs are out of their burrows. Mullet are showing up in the marsh again. Even seeing a few buds pop up on the plants growing in my yard. No doubt about it we’re almost out of it! If you haven’t planted your potatoes now is the time!
We started out the year in epic fashion! Captain Joe Tunstall and I hit the pumpkin patch with a day we won’t soon forget. Trophy drum holding in the ocean are what dreams are made of in the winter season, and the good captain put us on an amazing day.
The very next week we were fishing the inside waters for red drum, finding them just about ever spot we explored including a few we haven’t seen in years. Really pushing out and exploring, which is easy to do when the the fishery is as good as it is right now. Rewards are plentiful and not too hard to find if you know their routine. Dark bottom holds the heat. Shallow flats warm up quick. Sometimes that incoming tide can increase a few degrees in shallow water. Often on a warm day that’s all it takes. Find the warmed water, find some bait…. You will find the gamefish!
After finding them on the inside I ventured back out to the beach as the season progressed. Over the past month I have experienced some awesome days fishing the east beaches with a lot of my friends. Always fun to be in a good beach bite when others understand how to manage the combat.
Literally thousand of fish in the slop with four sometimes five guys hooked up at the same time. Great comrade as you enjoy watching one another melt the stress away knee deep in the Atlantic. Can’t image Florida being much better.
With Spring on the horizon I can't help but start to anticipate the Bonito bite that occurs every year as the waters warm. Typically water in the mid 60's in the ocean is when we will start to see false albacore show up again for their spring fling and the bonito are generally right behind them.
Hopefully the chopper blues will show up again about the same time this year, although its been a couple years since they pushed inshore good here. All a pattern, a cycle. A primal call that plays out year to year with a little bit of variance based on those water temps, bait availability and the good Lords will. To say I look forward to seeing the ocean come back to life again is an understatement. Before you know it we will be talking Spanish and my cobia curse!
On the inside the reds start to break up as the trout start to stage. I am dreaming of early morning alarms and topwater strikes that you can hear from a mile away it seems on those calm mornings I love so much. The first moments of each day are so special. There is indeed something cathartic about standing knee deep in warming water as the first photons of light become apparent on the horizon, wavelengths warm the soul like a fire on a cold night. I live my life out on those flats four mornings in a row, every other week. When the tide and the wind coincide with the sun things are special. most will never know even if I gave them the key as its got to be in your soul to get up at 4am to catch a fish. Just a little bit crazy many people say.
Now I know I am looking ahead, dreaming. Winter isn’t even really over quite yet. I am also well aware that early spring can sometimes be a cruel mistress that robs us of hope. Something tells me that the way 2022 has started, this year will be one to remember.
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