The Gambler: Charter Boat Dedicated to Marlin Fishing. Among the Best on Hatteras Island

By Jim Field

During our last fishing trip this past Wednesday (post to follow), we were trolling in the vicinity of the Rockpile, in the company of a few other charter boats. One of these, Steve Wann pointed out to me, was the red-hulled Gambler, a highly respected charter boat that always seems to be in the money in big fishing tournaments. According to Steve, the Gambler is largely dedicated to catching marlin--that it's thing--and has quite a reputation on the docks. What's more, the boat itself is a converted lobsterboat, with lines characterized by a working house upfront and a longer cockpit that starts amidships.

Today I stopped by to see the Gambler upclose in its slip in Hatteras Harbor marina. Pictures as provided below. Most striking about the boat is its simplicity--nothing fancy and not a lot of gear showing. In the cockpit, just a fighting chair and two plastic chairs. On the bridge, a single narrow captain's chair, two teaser reels, and minimal electronics. You can clearly see its lobsterboat origins undergirding its current configuration as a Hatteras charter. Just goes to show: you don't need fancy to catch fish, you need knowledge, experience, and of course, a healthy dash of good luck. Everyone knows luck plays its part in fishing.

Finally, below the photos is an article from a local paper on the Gambler and its top-prize win in the Hatteras Village Offshore Open Fishing Tournament this past May.


Tucked between two larger Carolina boats


Her business card


Simplicity on the bridge


Lobsterboat in disguise--note the cabin windows/doors of the working house and elongated cockpit



Gambler takes top prize money in Hatteras Village Offshore Open
By IRENE NOLAN


The Hatteras charter boat Gambler, captained by Steve Garrett, took the top prize money in the 16th annual Hatteras Village Offshore Open Fishing Tournament. Fishing days were from Wednesday, May 12, through Saturday, May 15.

On the last day of fishing, Gambler boated and brought to the dock just before noon the largest blue marlin, a 530-pounder caught by angler Wayne Wray.

That gave the boat $29,750 for the largest blue marlin, $4,284 for third place in the Level 1 billfish competition and $4,624 in the Level 2 billfish competition.

Taking first place in the Level 1 and 2 billfish division was Waste Knot, which released two blue marlin and won total prize money of $22,270. Second place in those levels went to Qualifier with one white marlin and one blue marlin release for total prize money of $13,362.

Thirty-six boats fished in this year’s tournament, the first event in the North Carolina Governor’s Cup.

That is down from 47 boats last year and 51 boats in 2008.

On registration night, Tuesday, May 11, captains and anglers were speculating about why the number of boats in the tournament fell below the past few years.

The consensus was that it was a result of the economy and the fact that offshore fishing has not been at its best this spring because of unusually cold water offshore.

In fact, no tuna were caught in the meatfish division of the tournament, said the tournament chairperson, Beth Rooks.

Steve Garrett, the winning captain, said he was fishing 38 to 45 miles offshore to get to the Gulf Stream and good fishing conditions. Normally, he said, those conditions are about 25 to 30 miles offshore.

Garrett was fishing with a group of anglers from Roanoke, Va., and two mates – Dita Young and Darrin Callahan.

The captain said the Roanoke group usually charters his boat for the Big Rock Tournament, which is next month in Morehead City. The group that usually charters the Gambler for the Hatteras village tournament decided not to come this year, so Garrett called his Roanoke clients, who were only too happy to come to Hatteras for the tournament.

Other winners in the tournament were:

Gamefish division. Dolphin. First place of $4,080 to Impulse for a 39-pound fish. Second place of $2,720 for a 32.6-pound fish.

Gamefish division. Wahoo. First place of $4,080 to Release for a 39.7-pound fish and second place prize of $2,720 to Sea Toy for a fish weighing 34.4 pounds.

The entrants in the daily meatfish division split $13,175 in prize money. They were Impulse, Frequent Flyer, Sea Toy, and Brothers’ Pride.

The winners for daily marlin release points won a total of $14,450. They were Release on Wednesday with one blue marlin, Annie C on Thursday with one blue marlin, Wired Up on Friday with one white marlin, and Qualifier on Saturday with a blue marlin.

In all, anglers caught six white marlin, 13 blue marlin, and two sailfish. All but three of the blue marlin were released.

The tournament proceeds benefit Hatteras village non-profits and civic organizations.

Flora at the Beach. Shots Taken While Walking the Dogs Through the Dunes

By Jim Field

Well, we're already 5 days into our beach vacation and getting into a routine that is one of the comforting aspects of being at the beach: wake up early, read in bed, go back to sleep, breakfast, read the papers, then perhaps visit a tackle shop, chores on the boat, lunch, off to the beach for the afternoon, then cocktails by 6, then dinner, followed by a movie. Got to love it.

Part of the routine is taking our dogs--Tucker and Penny--for many walks. It's a blast for them, offering a whole new set of sights and smells and objects to discover and explore. And mark. We walk down a road at first and then return on the beach, making our way through the dunes. I took some photos of the beach flora; I found many dune plants to be beautiful in their simplicity, their color, their delicacy despite surviving in a pretty harsh climate--wind, salt, sun. Note the palms: we're in North Carolina but with tropical foliage mixed in. Pretty cool.


Dune grass--the best indicator of wind speed and direction


A vine trumpet flower similar to a petunia


A palm-like plant with vertical flower tower similar to foxglove


A prickly little cactus--don't step on me!

Flower similar to a Black-eyed Susan (may be one)


Pretty, delicate, yellow flowers

Amberjack Confusion. Trying to Sort It Out for Our Fishing Records. My Call: I Think We've Caught Both Sub-Species

By Jim Field

We have by now caught our share of amberjacks--a.k.a. reef donkeys--on the verticle jig. I believe we have boated Lesser both Amberjacks and Greater Amberjacks--thus achieving the amberjack Grand Slam (just made this up). In this post I have amassed some information to support my hypothesis. The key, I believe, is found in looking closely at the dorsal fins. The Greater Amberjack clearly has a verticle fin with a straight edge on the traling side. The Lesser Amberjack, I am thinking, has a "notched" trailing edge on the dorsal fin. Hopefully you agree with this call, Jon.


Amberjack Type 1: Lesser Amberjack, Seriola fasciata



- Biological description: The lesser amberjack occurs in the Eastern and Western Atlantic Oceans. In the Atlantic, it is found from Massachusetts to Brazil. This is a benthopelagic species, primarily found in depths of 55-130 m (180-427 ft). Maximum reported size is 68 cm (27 in) FL. It feeds on squids and fishes.


Amberjack Type 2: Greater Amberjack, Seriola dumerili



- Physical description: The coloration of the greater amberjack is characterized by a dark stripe on the head which extends from the origin of the first dorsal gin through the eye. The back is blue or olivaceous, and the sides and belly are silvery-white. Occationally there is an amber or pinkish cast to the body. Juveniles have have five or six dark verticle bars along the sides.

- Biological description: Greater amberjack are found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. In the western Atlantic, they are distributed from Nova Scotia to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, where they concentrate around reefs, rock outcrops and wrecks. Greater amberjack that are at least 5 years of age, or 33.5 inches long, spawn from March through July. They may reach a size of 6 feet, and weigh nearly 200 pounds. Voracious predators, greater amberjacks eat mostly crab, squid and other fishes found on reefs. They are often found in small groups and are friendly to divers.


Jon with an amberjack caught a few years ago. I believe this is a smaller Greater Amberjack. Note the dorsal fin and silver coloration


An amberjack caught by Jon on May 17, 2010. Note how different the dorsal fin is, with the notch on the reverse side. I believe this is either a Lesser Amberjack, or, something else entirely


Jon holding the Lesser Amberjack, which appears in this picture angle to be even smaller then when splayed out on the coffin cooler


An unknown fisherman with a smaller Greater Amberjack--note the dorsal fin and silver coloration


An unknown fisherman with a large Greater Amberjack

Drowning--How to Spot Someone in Trouble, What to Do to Help. A Primer from USCG Rescue Swimmer

By Jim Field

I came across the article copied below in a health care blog that I follow--it's being circulated widely given that it's summertime and we're all around the water a lot more than other times of the year. I thought readers of this blog would benefit from seeing it as well, given that we make an effort to be on the water (albeit not in the water) as much as possible in all seasons and conditions. The author is a former USCG rescue swimmer, and has contributed to magazines we read (e.g., SaltWater Sportsman). The photo at left was included to make the point that people drowning do not look like this--a representation often depicted in films and on TV, etc. Let me suggest we all spend 5 minutes to read it--in the off-chance that the knowledge and "heads up" may contribute to saving someone's life.

This Article Was Written By Mario Vittone
Mario Vittone has nineteen years of combined military service in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. His writing on maritime safety has appeared in Yachting, SaltWater Sportsman, On-Scene, Lifelines, and Reader's Digest magazine. He has lectured extensively on topics ranging from leadership to sea survival and immersion hypothermia. He is a marine safety specialist with the U.S. Coast Guard.

The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but this captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”

How did this captain know, from fifty feet away, what the father couldn’t recognize from just ten? Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.

The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC). Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene Magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this:

- Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs. Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

- Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

- Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

- From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.

(Source: On Scene Magazine: Fall 2006)

This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

-Head low in the water, mouth at water level
-Head tilted back with mouth open
-Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
-Eyes closed
-Hair over forehead or eyes
-Not using legs – vertical
-Hyperventilating or gasping
-Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
-Trying to roll over on the back
-Ladder climb, rarely out of the water.

So if a crew member falls overboard and looks O.K. – don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Marlin Magazine--Blog and Photo Gallery of Wanchese Custom Boats Under Construction. Perhaps In Another Life

By Jim Field

Marlin Magazine On-Line today sent me a blast email notice of a feature they just placed on their website having to do with new construction of sportfishing boats in Wanchese, NC. Of course, we drive by Wanchase on our way to Hatteras Village, and we passed right by the boatworks all winter when we took the Sea Ya Bea from Pirate's Cove marina out to (and through) Oregon Inlet enroute to tuna fishing. Because we revere this locale on Planet Earth for its fishing heritage, and we revere the boats--rather, the unbelievable fishing machines, the works of art, that they build here--I thought it would be nice to "borrow" this material for our blog.

Thus, below please enjoy the blog entry posted by Dave Ferrell, one of the mag's staff writers, and photos from his accompanying gallery. Cool stuff.


Monday, July 12, 2010
Wanchese Boatbuilder Tour

It's no secret that Wanchese, North Carolina, hosts one of, if not the largest, concentration of custom boatbuilders on the planet. (South Florida might be a close second, or even first, but who's counting?) These custom builders, and the men who taught them, continue to shape the style and performance of sport-fishing boats the world over. This is the birthplace of many of the innovations that make our sport and its boats safer, more efficient and more fun! From the old-time boat captains and builders like Warren O'Neal, Billy Baum and Omie Tillett, a new breed of Spencers, Manns, Howells and Baylisses have sprung on the scene to make something great even better - the Carolina sport-fisher.

This past week I was lucky to swing by a few of the shops in the Wanchese area with one of the world's best wireman and Outer Banks native, Capt. Charles Perry. Everyone up there knows Perry and more importantly likes and respects him, so there's no better fellow to hang out with while visiting the Outer Banks. (I stayed with Perry and his lovely wife, Jessica, and I have to say it was one of my most pleasant trips away from home. Thanks for all your hospitality and conversation!)

I was pleasantly surprised by the activity and the number of boats I saw under construction, and although the area has been hit pretty hard by the recent recession, most of the fellows I talked to had a project under way and one or two coming down the pike. There were exceptions, however, and some of the bigger names in custom building are out of the game or have reduced their operations considerably. So if you're in the market for a fine Carolina-built boat, you can still find plenty of top-notch builders ready to go to work for you.

I started off my tour at Ritchie Howell's shop, and although he had two boats in the shed, Howell was staying on top of his fishing game as well by working a Bermuda tournament. His boys let me look around the place, however, and I got some pics of the boats. (You'll find a gallery of photos from the trip in our newsletter and online.)

Ricky Scarborough had a 70-some-odd-footer that barely fit in his shed, but it sure was a gorgeous-looking boat. Its low profile and clean lines are going to make it look much smaller than its true size once it's splashed sometime later this year. It' very pretty, and the cockpit is huge!

During my visit with Paul Mann, I probably learned more about what makes a boat ride right in my 10 minutes with him than I've had in my entire career here at Marlin. After a brief tour of his expansive shop, he sat me down in front of a white board and showed me exactly how he (and Mann says, Paul Spencer) designs one of the best-riding hulls on the market. It's always good when you hear one boatbuilder tell you good things about one of his competitors.

After I left Mann's place, I jumped into the whirlwind of activity over at John Bayliss' shop. Bayliss has two monster-size boats well under way, both 80-footers, and one getting ready for delivery later this month. The place is hopping like the ground is on fire!

Freedom Boatworks is staying busy with a cool little 37-footer that it plans to finish this year, and since I've always been partial to the smaller boats, I can't wait to see how it handles when completed.

Take a look at the pics in the gallery and get fired up to start your own build - these fellows can't wait to get you out on the water in your very own Carolina-built sport-fisher.

Mega Restaurant Chains on Guard Against Over-Fishing: A Questionable Claim. More Goes Unsaid Than Disclosed

By Jim Field

There was an interesting story in the Wall Street Journal this past Monday, July 12, about the supposed practice of major restaurant chains--specifically, McDonald's Corp, Long John Silver's parent Yum Brands, and Red Lobster parent Darden Restaurants--to only buy fish from sustainable fisheries. To the extent this is true, I applaud the firms and their progressive supply chain practices. That said, I fully agree with the Greenpeace representative quoted in the story, who retorted: "The state of global fisheries is such..." that big chains "...don't have a sustainable source. They've just found a less bad source." In other words, things have already tanked, and keeping the world's population supplied with McFish Sandwiches is only going to make things worse over time. What I found especially interesting about the article was the companies' secrecy over which exact fish species they use for their sandwiches, and their contracting and purchasing practices. Implications: first, as a consumer, if the fish is white, you'll be eating it, regardless of its pedigree; and second, they will buy whatever they can get their hands on, and only worry about sustainability to the extent that it doesn't impact revenues. If they were serious about fishery sustainability, how about considering the idea of removing fish from their menus for perhaps a decade so as to let stocks recover. Would anyone miss this food item? Short answer: no. Just go for the chicken fillet instead.

Note: A big cheer for the Capital Grille chain--also owned by Darden--which pulled Chilean Sea Bass from its menu a few years ago because it couldn't find a reputable supplier. Now that is stepping up to the plate and doing the right thing.


Restaurants Mobilize to Save Fisheries
As Global Consumption Soars, Big Buyers Join Growing Effort Toward Eco-Friendly Practices Meant to Sustain Species

By PAUL ZIOBRO

The world's rising appetite for seafood is on a collision course with its wild fisheries, leaving restaurant companies and other big buyers caught in the middle.

Amid reports the world's oceans are in danger of being emptied of some fish, companies such as McDonald's Corp., Long John Silver's owner Yum Brands Inc. and Red Lobster parent Darden Restaurants Inc. have embraced the growing movement toward more eco-friendly seafood-buying practices.

Enforcement of federal fisheries conservation laws has helped the haddock, above, recover from declines.

They are working with scientists and nonprofit groups to ensure the fish they buy is sustainable, meaning caught in a way that doesn't damage the ability of the species to reproduce.

"We know if we go raping and pillaging it today, there's nothing left for tomorrow," says Ken Conrad, the owner of the chain of 10 Libby Hill seafood restaurants in North Carolina and Virginia and chairman of the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood-industry trade group.

Some experts say their efforts are coming none too soon.

A recent United Nations study predicts that unless something changes, nearly all commercial fisheries will be producing less than 10% of their onetime potential by the middle of this century. Already, almost 30% of the world's fish stocks fall into that category.

Production by wild fisheries has remained fairly steady over the past decade, totaling about 90 million metric tons per year, says the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. But annual seafood demand will rise to at least 150 million metric tons by 2030, it adds.

While some fishing-industry groups agree that they need to change the industry's standards, they think smarter fishing can keep fisheries from becoming depleted.

"We know where weaknesses are and a tremendous amount is being done to address those challenges," says Gavin Gibbons, spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood industry trade group. "The idea that vast fisheries broadly are headed to wholesale collapse contains a healthy dose of hyperbole and doesn't recognize much of the work being done."

Population growth and the public's growing appetite for seafood are only part of the problem. Mismanagement of fisheries and illegal fishing also have hurt some wild fisheries.

One glaring need for reform came from North Atlantic cod, the only fish McDonald's used in its Filet-o-Fish sandwich until the late 1980s. Newfoundland cod-fishing grounds became so overfished that the fishery shut down in the early 1990s. Fish suppliers and harvesters "destroyed the whole fishing area," says Gary Johnson, senior director of McDonald's global supply chain. McDonald's now uses five different whitefish species in the sandwich.

McDonald's, which buys 50,000 metric tons of whitefish a year, now judges fisheries on three factors: how closely they are monitored to ensure that, for example, fishing boats don't cheat on their quotas; whether enough fish are left to allow the stock to rebound each season; and the toll taken on the environment from the fishing methods being used. McDonald's says the vast majority of its fish now comes from sources that meet sustainability guidelines, such as those given by the Marine Stewardship Council.

In 2007, McDonald's stopped using Eastern Baltic cod because it was skeptical that the number of fish being caught was being recorded correctly. This year, after suppliers improved their reporting standards, McDonald's once again began buying Eastern Baltic cod, underscoring how large buyers can force change in practices.

McDonald's wouldn't disclose how much the tighter monitoring and pickier buying has added to its costs.

Not all of the large chains can expect their buying habits to trigger change, though. Red Lobster parent Darden, which buys 100 million pounds of seafood annually, decided shortly after it bought the Capital Grille chain in 2007 to take Chilean sea bass off the chain's menu because it couldn't find a supplier that used suitably sustainable fishing methods.

"We swallowed hard about taking it off [the menu], but we're such a small player that we would not be able to have an influence," says Bill Herzig, senior vice president of purchasing and supply-chain innovation. The company has only been able to persuade a few suppliers, including one Thai shrimp farm, to adopt sustainable practices.

Some species, such as haddock and Atlantic sea scallops have recovered from previous declines, after the U.S. government began enforcing parts of federal fisheries conservation legislation in the 1990s, says Ray Hilborn, a professor of aquatic and fishery sciences at the University of Washington.

As wild fisheries are unlikely to be able to meet the world's growing seafood demands, aquaculture—or raising seafood in enclosed, controlled environments—is one way to make up the shortfall.

But aquaculture has its own set of challenges. Farm-raised fish need more pesticides and antibiotics in captivity, and some fish, like salmon, have to be fed dye additives to give their flesh the orange hue consumers expect. Meanwhile farm-raised fish can have an indirect effect on their wild cousins because they consume feed that comes from the sea, which depletes the wild supply.

Darden works with the nonprofit Global Aquaculture Alliance on global standards for sustainable aquaculture. Darden also is pioneering new practices, including incorporating more grains into the diets of captive fish to reduce their reliance on seafood-based feed.

Greenpeace says that while restaurants and other large seafood buyers have become more mindful of the environmental impacts of their purchases, some are still looking too narrowly at sustainability.

For instance, large-scale harvesting of the Alaskan pollock, one of the fish McDonald's uses, affects the food supply of Steller sea lions and fur seals, says John Hocevar, Greenpeace's ocean-campaigns director. He encourages the large chains to invest in new methods of aquaculture that don't upset the environment.

McDonald's says it buys only Alaskan pollock that comes from sources certified by third parties as sustainable.

"The state of global fisheries is such," Mr. Hocevar says, that the big chains "don't have a sustainable source. They've just found a less bad source."

Team Kitchen Brings Home the Meat. Mad Dash into Deep Pays Off. "Not Wasting Ballies" Excuse for Trip

By Jim Field

Crew member Jon Kitchen and son Austin went offshore on Sunday and returned with a bluefin tuna in the box. Nice going Team Kitchen! Coincidentally, Dan, Fran (Jr.) and son Jack were in Dan's Boston Whaler in Indian River Marina and we happened upon Jon and Austin on their way out to the inlet, and we exchanged notes and "flight plans." Our party planned to catch flounder a few football fields away in Indian River bay; Jon and Austin in their Regulator, christened Finology, were planning to drive 40 miles to troll for tuna--and anything else that might come their way. Jon claimed that he had some ballies that he didn't want to go to waste--clearly looking for any excuse to get out on the water.

I asked Jon for notes on his trip:

- End point of transit: SE corner of the 19 Fathom Lump
- Tackle: zucchini spreader bar
- Water temp: 76.2 degrees
- Sea state: 6-8 foot swells 15-18 seconds apart (we could not see out of the holes from the deck of my boat)
- Gaff technique: perfect gaff stick.... one gill plate and the back of the head... gaff and bled in one step
- Master mind: Austin engineered the spread and cleared the rod to let dad catch a tuna
- Speed over ground: 25-28 knots back to the barn ... huge swells but we ran up and down at any speed... no bumps

Summary: just all in a day's work (entertainment) for Team Kitchen.


Jim's Blackberry captures Finology departing the marina


Jon with trophy off of Indian River Inlet (new bridge in background)


Jon and Finology firmly aground in a parking lot

Teach's Lair at Sunset--Just a Pretty Picture. Weather Foiled Us this Weekend

By Jim Field

Dan and I planned to fish this past weekend but the weather didn't cooperate. (Something new, huh?) So I went South alone and worked on the boat, knocking a few key things off the punch list. Had a very productive day. Went to Teach's for dinner about 8:00 pm and snapped this photo (with Blackberry) walking to the restaurant. Shows lineup of charter boats at right, looking out through the marina's breakwater into Pamlico Sound. Eating alone, I started with a pound of steamed shrimp (with Old Bay seasoning) and had blackened tuna entre--some of the best-prepared tuna I've ever eaten. Washed everything down with three draft beers. Returned to Sea Ya Bea and crashed. Woke up next morning and by 5:15 am headed North to Indian River Marina in DE to meet up with Dan and Fran. Rained all the way North and into DE. Met up with Dan--by this time it was noon--and went to his boat, cracked some beers, and caught up with each other. Jon and son Austin showed up with a binder of his recent fishing photos. Then Fran showed up; had a few more beers; and we eventually worked our way to lunch at the new marina facility. Great day despite being blown out for fishing. Good to see everyone.

Billfish Aboard the Sea Ya Bea--Great Trip with Ebners--Hopes for Summer Fishing Season Ahead

By Jim Field

On the weekend of June 17-19, the Sea Ya Bea and the Fields--Captain Jim and Andrew--had a special treat attributable to two developments. First, we had the opportunity to fish with the Ebners, Dylan and dad Steve. Dylan has been Andrew's long-time friend, among his closest of pals; Diane and I love Dylan--he's a great kid, easy going and with a good sense of humor. Steve is a high school teacher and lacrosse and football coach at Andrew's school, and we've known Steve over the years in his "dad of Dylan" capacity. Turns out, however, in inviting Dylan to Hatteras and talking with Steve about details of the trip, Steve became more-and-more interested in coming along himself, recognizing Hatteras to be a special place. Steve's family harks from and still lives on Martha's Vineyard, and he grew up fishing around the island with buddies and relatives--still has an uncle in the oyster business. Steve loves to fish. We love to fish. So Steve rearranged his calendar and then there were four. The best part for the Fields is that we finally had a chance to spend dedicated time with Steve--uncloned from Dylan--and become acquainted with him--something we really enjoyed!

Part II of the special treat has to do with the fishing itself--but more on this later. (Hint: billfish onboard.)

We departed Alexandria Friday afternoon and had an uneventful ride to Hatteras. Sunlight departed when we crossed onto Hatteras Island at Oregon Inlet, which meant Steve would have to wait until the return ride home to see the barrier island topography and sights (he was really excited to scope the place out). We checked into rooms at the Breakwater Inn and ate breakfast at Sonny's, shoving off from the pier at around 7:30 am. The forecast called for 10-15 knot winds from the NE and 2-4 foot seas. We set course for the 280 Rocks with the intention of trolling, and later on in the day, when conditions were expected to settle down, shifting to bottom fishing on the Rockpile. The water temperature was immediately warm out of the inlet, climbing to 76 degrees on the transit. We entered the Gulf Stream and its beautiful blue water without a noticeable temperature break, the gauge steadily rising to 82 degrees. We found ourselves in the company of perhaps 6-8charter boats; they were further east in the deep water hunting for billfish. There was a real possibility of catching tuna--they were in our spot only a few days before--so we concentrated on them. However, silence on the VHF radio suggested little was being caught, which turned out to largely characterize the day for all the boats. In addition, weather conditions turned out to be rougher than we hoped, the wind definitely notching up to 15-20 knots and the seas rising to 3-4 feet, 4-5 seconds apart--so not easy conditions to work with.

We were probably on the troll for 4-5 hours with nothing to show for our work. We had 3-4 knockdowns--something was stripping the ballies cleaning off our hooks. We ran into random weed and so stayed busy managing the baits.

Then, all of a sudden, the lovely sound of line peeling off a reel came to our ears. Steve, being our guest, took the rod and joined the fight. The fish had hit the shotgun rig--the blue/white Ilander way back. I looked aft and saw a fish leap hugely out of the water--I assumed we had a mahi. Steve worked the fish to the transom and to our utter surprise, we had caught a sailfish, an absolutely beautiful creature to see. We brought him to the port side, I grabbed the leader and positioned the fish at the waterline, grabbed its bill, and with a pliers removed the hook from its bill. A clean catch and release was executed. Once on its own, the fish remained stationary a foot below the water, and then kicked in its jets and darted out of site. (In my concern to release the fish safely, we didn't take the time to get a photo. Sorry Steve!).

Buoyed by our good fortune, we set course SSW for the Rockpile (10 miles distant) with the intent to troll our way there. About an hour later, we ran into mahi-mahis and eventually caught five. Steve landed a large, beautiful bull (see below). Dylan worked on two, and Andrew brought in his first personal start-to-finish mahi. Steve had never seen mahis in the water before--their neon-electric blue, yellow, and green colors. Each time we hooked one up and reeled it to the boat, others would gather and follow it to the boat. A really cool experience. Turns out nearly every boat landed/released a sail, with only one standout boat going 4 for 4.

Eventually, around 4:00 pm, we arrived at the Rockpile and attempted to bottomfish, which proved unmanageable given the current and steepness of the waves. We picked up and headed in, and managed to snap a 50 rod (first time) on a piling while backing into the slip. By the time we cleaned the boat and fish, it was past 9:00 pm, the witching hour when EVERY restaurant shuts down in the Village. We had planned to sleep on the boat, but being hot, dirty, and salty from a day on the water, we elected instead to find rooms, landing the last available units at each of two establishments. Hitting rock bottom, we trolled for food at the Red & White grocery and took our treats to our respective rooms. (How could we miss the restaurant payoff--good seafood, cold beer, etc.--for hard work safely accomplished!) The next morning we hit Sonny's again, and as per tradition, climbed Cape Hatteras lighthouse on the trip North. We also doubled-down on history and stopped at the Wright Brothers site in Kill Devils Hills.

For me, the trip was a huge success. We had gone out and caught fish. We landed a billfish and released it safely. We got Steve, Andrew, and Dylan their first mahis. We had returned safely. The four of us--dads and sons--spent time together doing something few people get to do--experiencing a day on the ocean surrounded by mother nature in all its beauty, dealing with its many challenges. Lastly, I got to know Steve, who is welcome to come along any time down to Hatteras. He's a great companion, a true guy's guy. Heck, he loves to fish; we love to fish. Say no more.

The adventurers moments before departing Alexandria
(left to right: Dylan Ebner, Steve Ebner, Captain Jim, Andrew Field)


Selecting a movie to watch--are we there yet?


The boys at the helm. Next lesson for Andrew: steering by the compass rose. Dylan holding VHF mike, preparing to hassle surrounding Captains


The sailfish as it appeared on the shotgun (i.e., way-back) blue/white Ilander lure
(Not my photo)


Tribute to the Atlantic sailfish--a spectacular creature.



Steve with his 19 pound bull mahi-mahi. This is a really nice fish!


Andrew and his first personal mahi catch. Congratulations!


Andrew and Dylan atop the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. Diamond Shoals between them stretching to horizon.