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

[jmartin]

Nice. you ever fish the Chesapeak Bay? the Striper season is just around the corner. I am getting ready to head down in another couple weeks maybe get a few early ones schooling into the bay.

[dave]

Protecting the viewers from the big guy again I see.

Ask him where my clown pictures are.

[Fishnngolfn]

Slightly upset that there were no posted pics of the naked women on the ferry.

Nice fish there Capt.

[JB]

cap'n thats some good stuff WTG

heres the gals fishn

[harrisjl]

Nice pics.... I stay @ the Sheraton @ Atlantic Beach right down from Fort Macon when I'm down there....

[Captmikestarrett]

It seems like a great fishing destination but it is so built up. There is like three story condos all the way down the island..both sides too... very little beach access for the public too. Most of the walkovers do not have any parking.. No tackle shops except when first enter the island. Two little golf put-puts and I heard one is sold to a developer.

One pier on the entire island and no kingfish drum or shark fishing allowed on it.

Not real fisherman friendly..but great fishing..

Capt Mike

[harrisjl]

I haven't done any surf fishing on the coast but might give it a try next year if I hit the beach.... I have a couple of friends that hit the coast for mackeral and blues when they're running.... pretty sure they fish off the shore but I'm not sure about where they go.... I'll ask the next time I run into them....

[woody]

Thanks for that report there Capt. Salute!!!

[zooker]

yeah the ovr beach driving access has been slaughter to very lil to none in the last year..bunny huggin basstards

your right there is nearly no parking near the walk overs..i know of several places on the obx with parking but at emi i am not familier with that area.

the cinnamon and spice/dye gulp or new penny are my first choices for red drum..

were the reds caught in the buzzard??

a fat albert on a fly? sweet!!!....you guys have no idea how hard that is to do..

zooker