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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! - Surf Fishing at the Outer Banks
December 3, 2006
The Blues Brothers are a group of approximately fifty anglers who gather in November at North Carolina's Outer Banks to surf fish for a week. This year marked their 33rd pilgrimage.
They caravan to the coast in 4X4's loaded with over five hundred rods, tons of sinkers and jigs, and enough food to feed a school of Piranhas. Dick Megorden of Charlotte, NC has been the fishmaster and leader since the group's inception in 1973. Fishing is Dick's passion. He says that watching others enjoy the sport is well worth the time he spends organizing the annual event.
Each morning the group of anglers roamed the dunes in search of stripers, red drum, trout, flounder and bluefish. They cast curly tail jigs and colorful spoons for trout and bluefish. Fresh cut menhaden and mullet were baits for bottom feeding drum. Everyone caught fish - lots of fish! One thing for sure is that the biggest fish always got away!
One evening, the Blues Brothers gathered at Cape Point to fish the evening bite. The point is a slender piece of sand where Atlantic Ocean currents collide to produce the best surf fishing in the world. Conditions were perfect with a fast moving cold front approaching. The sun was sinking in the western sky and the tide was almost full. Seabirds were screeching and diving within casting distance of the beach. Surf rods began to bend when fish worked a hapless school of bait. The Blues Brothers were in the right place at the right time.
Bluefish were everywhere. The spit of sand became quickly crowded with everyone wanting a piece of the action. Fishermen stood shoulder-to-shoulder and cast into the fray. As soon as one angler left his spot to reel a bluefish ashore, another took his place. Fish were flopping everywhere and dozens more were tugging and trying to shake the lure. The blitz lasted until dark. By then, everyone had had a great time catching fish.
The Blues Brothers are not an ordinary group of fishermen. Each has his own area of expertise and has taken trophy class fish in fresh and saltwater. Most are very proficient when using fly, baitcasting and spinning tackle.
An amazing thing about this fishing event was the skillful manner in which each angler handled his tackle. Crowded conditions, strong currents, with bluefish tugging in all directions, could have caused serious tangles for a less talented group. It's also hard to imagine that hundreds of blues were caught without a single disagreement or harsh word spoken. In fact, the most common phrase heard, above the pounding surf, was, "Nice fish!" The fish might have stopped biting at sunset, but the memories of a fantastic trip will remain for a very long time.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
Freshwater spinning rods and reels used for bass and stripers on area lakes, will also catch trout and bluefish at the coast.
New Salt Water License Needed
Effective January 1, 2007, anyone 16 years or older will need a recreational fishing license for the coastal waters of North Carolina. Anglers under 16 years of age, will not need to purchase a license.
A Coastal Recreational Fishing License (CRFL) will be required for fishing sounds, coastal rivers and tributaries out to three miles into the ocean. Recreational anglers who catch fish from three miles to 200 miles offshore will also be required to have this license in order to transport fish back to the shore.
Prices for the CRFL will vary depending on residency, age, duration and type of license purchased. The annual cost for residents will be $15. A ten-day license will be $5. For nonresidents, annual cost will be $30. A ten-day license will be $10.
Hot Spots of the week: Stripers are hitting live bait in the mid sections of major creeks on both sides of the 150 Bridge. Fishing in Hicks, Stumpy and Mountain Creeks has been particularly good. According to guide Mac Byrum, catfish are hitting cut bait when drifting or trolling along creek banks in water less than twenty feet. The lake level is 2.9' below full pond and the water surface temperature is in the high fifties and low sixties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704-617-6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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