Atlantic Beach NC Report

[Captmikestarrett]

Drive thru the night Thursday to arrive at Atlantic Beach at 5 am. First task is a fishing license and some info. Tackle store just past bridge opens at 6 am so we drive up the the island to Fort Macon.. Locked up.. so we drive south down past Emerald Isle and I begin to notice that there is no beach access for trucks....drive back to wait for tackle store to open.. Sign on store is wrong and fall asleep in parking lot and wake to sunrise and store open.. Get license and info on getting a beach ORV permit. Go to police station and no permits till Oct 1 DANG DANG DANG...We fish walkovers and first cast yields a 3 lb blue..and we catch 15 more till tide is wrong. Up to Fort Macon where winds are in the 30 mph range and fishing fruitless. Check in at Oceania hotel and pier and start drinking

Get a plan in place with Capt Dean Lamont of Crystal Coast Adventures for reds in the skinny water next day at 10 am.
But first back to hot spot for blues..

The wind was bad and tides extra high but sightings of tailing reds was good. Saw about 15 reds and every one refused my flys... Some days are like that.. Even jumped out of boat to pursue a triple tailing set..

But they would not have it..
Used some learned experience from LGMouth and figured out the pattern on a trout jig.

Odd ?? on the other side almost looks like two different fish..Maybe it is?

Buddy gets one smaller..

I am hot on them now..

Then I am cold..
That evening out on the pier we get a bunch of pompano's
Next morning Capt Dean takes us out to big water and we start with birds on the rip and we must have got 20 or so blues up to 4lbs on fly rod poppers and steel. Next we chase a bait ball down the beach while big sharks crash thru the ball. I cast my popper out in the carnage and a 6 foot shark goes after my popper fly. I rip it away in time and only snag his nose for a quick release. Whew that was close. Next we jig an artificial reef and hook up on small dusky and sand shark. And then the lizards.. time to move..
We run back up to the rips and deploy birds for Spanish mackerel. We fill a cooler in about an hour. And head up a wild life preserve with turquoise water and dolphin crashing bait in the surf. I really should have took some shots of this but the beach is 6 foot deep two feet out of the roll.. Naked people took the ferry out to enjoy the sun. I felt like we where intruding.
We headed north to a jetty to pursue some trout and found 7 lb blues on steel over the jetty.. Man what a ride those big blues give.
All of sudden a blitz occurs out about a 1/2 mile three acres wide.
We run out find fat Albert's and boy that was treat.
I hook up on a gummy minnow.

Finally I land my first fat Albert on fly and I am sorry about the cheesy rod in mouth pose..

Capt Dean jumps in to the pic..

Another on the fly

Capt Dean hams it up...

And the fun never ends

That night I have bruises on my chest from digging the fly rod in and all I have to say is:
"I asked a guy why he was hitting his head with a hammer?
He replied that when I stop it will feel so good"
So I fished that night on the pier and in the morning back at the surf..
Capt Mike