JAM’s ADVENTURES

Water Temp was real warm this morning, and conditions were great, just no fish this morning..

But boy was it fun!!!!!   Over three weeks of non-stop catching  of Puppy Drum,  aka Red Drum, aka Spot Tails, aka my least favorite name Red Fish.   Anyone who resides in the State of North Carolina that calls this fish a Red Fish, is 100% Clue Less, and should be forced to hand over his North Carolina Drivers License, and escorted out of the State..

The Red Drum is the Official Fish of the state of North Carolina, there are 4 different categories of Red Drum that pertain to their size.   The First is Juvenile, this range is from Birth till they hit around 18 inches, the Slot (Puppy)or Keeper Size.  The Slot Size Fish  in NC is 18-27 inches, we refer to this size as Puppy Drum.  These are the fish that we have been catching for the past 3 weeks and mainly the size that we target for food.   The Third category of Drum is referred to as Yearling, this size is from 28-39 Inch Fish, and has nothing to do with the age of the Fish,  just the size, as Yearling Drum are actually several years old.  The Fourth category of Drum is Simply DRUM, some other names are Bull, Bull Reds or Citation Drum, these fish range from 40 inches to the unknown.    The Reason I say Unknown is that these fish can grow to around 100 pounds,  the Current   World Record: 94 lbs. 2 oz. by angler David G. Deuel in Avon, NC on Nov. 7, 1984.   A fish this size is over 50 years old.  The only real way to tell a Drums age is by studying their Drum Stones, the Rings in the stone are just like the rings on trees.

These are Drum Stones out of around a 26 inch fish, I take them all out of my Drum and Kellie makes Drum Stone Jewelry out of them.

My least favorite name for this Class of fish is Bulls, ya always hear them on the Florida and Texas based Fishing Shows; “Bull Red this and Bull Red that, when in actuality most of them have never seen a Bull Red in their Lives”.  and the fish they are calling Bulls are just little 11 pound Puppy Drum to us in NC.   

These are the last 12 Fish over 40 inch's, that I caught, due to the Beach being Closed to Human Access in the Spring

Many folks come from all over to Catch the Citation Drum Fish, I know of folks that have been chasing the Big One, for over 15 years and still do not have one to their name.  If you are Blessed to catch one of  the Drum Fish that are over 40 inch’s and you have a witness,  you fill out the paperwork in your local NC tackle Shop and you receive a Citation from the State of NC exclaiming your catch to be Exceptional, in the mail.  Suitable for Framing. 

To date this Award is one of the most memorable moments in my fishing history, the only thing that tops it is my Blue Marlin.

In my Career of Drum Fishing I have been Blessed 104 times, Catching 1o4 Documented Citation Drum, with my Largest one going 53 and 1/2  inches. 

The Reason Why I do mainly the Kayak Thang...Because you are not welcome here anymore, unless you have feathers..

With the Beach Closure Issue I have stopped fishing for the Citation Drum from the Beach because if its closed @ night and shut down in the beginning of March, your chances of catching the Fish of a Lifetime , has basically been demolished by special interest groups and the National Park Service.. 

Hence the Kayak Fishing Adventures.  I have managed a few over 40 from the Yak, but it just isn’t the same as catching them with your toes in the Sand…

She can't take much more of this, two more pilings on the beach, I fear this comming storm might just take the ole girl out.

Well it’s been a great time catching the PUPPY  to Yearling Class Fish these past couple of weeks but the storm fronts that have come through over the past several day have scrambled up the fish school.   Went out this morning and fished the beach alone, with no one in sight  for miles to the North and miles to the South.. No fish caught and no fish reported..

Another one bites the dust, found two more of the main Pier Suports on the Beach this morning.. Not Good, no beach come Spring, and now for one less Pier to fish from.. Most of us feel no longer welcome in our National Park.. Land of the Free... huh..

Got another big front coming, due to hit Friday into Saturday and might even bring us some snow.    Maybe it will re-scramble the school back together and we will be back on them..

Found around 20 of these yesterday, all along the North Beach of Buxton.

Until then its back to long beach walks, finding Sea Glass, Giant Welk Shells,

StarFish all over the place heck of a storm and another one on the way.. These suckers hang very very deep, huge sea's deposited them all ove the beach from Avon to Hatteras.

StarFish and looking for that perfect spot to hit when the conditions are Right…

Someone told me that this is a Ghost Shrimp, but if anyone knows what it is hit me up.. He lives very very deep too..

Boy  Kellie and I can’t wait for the Next Adventure,  just like life itself you never know what your gonna get…But I will tell you this we will have Fun in whatever we do….

Until Next Time JAM out

The water is gin clear only a day after the little blow we got

All I can say is WOW,  I have never been apart of a bite like this in  my life.  I have honestly lost track of how many fish I have caught, let alone how many I have seen beached.  With the brief SW blow I was afraid that it might turn the bite off, but it has not.   What an Adventure, 60 degrees t-shirt and Drum Fishin…..

Yesterday it was on in Buxton, today it was in Frisco.  The Buxton Fish are a little slower  and don’t pull as hard as the Frisco fish.  Which I believe is due to the water temps, 42 in Buxton, low 50’s in Frisco.  What a difference a few miles makes.

Dolphin Surfin

Saw an awesome display of Dolphins Surfing the waves, as they munched on Drum.   Wonder if they only eat one a day, as that is all we are allowed to take legally.  This moratorium on Drum was only supposed to be for 10 years and alas here we go on year 12.  It’s real easy to close something, but it never seems to get opened back up. 

Kellie workin at it..

If DMF was wondering where all the Red Drum are they should have done a count in the past two weeks. 

Ya see I was one of those that never saw a problem with the Drum population, and have spoken to many a Drum Biologist, who agree.. My question is why has not the 10 year moratorium, ended in the 10 years it was allowed to begin with.. Why can Va. keep 3 a day when NC is allowed only one… We won’t even go into Killing a Big one, but I would like to be able to do that again as well. 

There's one thing for sure, this one will never make it to World Record Size

Because you will never Break the Current World Record if ya can’t possess the fish to weigh it..

Enjoy….. JAM out

It was Kellie’s day off, and I asked her what she wanted to do and I knew the answer before I asked the question, “Go Fish” was her reply.  It was a no-brainer, reports had the Puppy Drum thick as Thieves for the past several days while I was away @ the Show in Raleigh. 

As we arrived Zack Gaskins un hookin a nice one, Capt Rick Scarborough of the SpecTackler hooked up in the background..

We hit the beach @ day break and the bite was all ready on,  watched Kevin McCabe bring in one then Zack Gaskins.  Walked down to wish them a Happy NewYears, threw out, and bang hooked up on my first cast.  From there ladies and gentlemen it was on.  Everyone that was there was bowing up left and right.  These fish were everywhere you threw.

Kellie with a Beautiful Red Drum, the first of many to come today, what a way to spend the day off.. As I write we are getting ready for the after noon bite on the incoming tide..

Kellie found a spot where she felt good and the next thing ya know, Ron Parenti called out to me as I ran by to grab a hold of Kellie’s fish, I was more excited then she was.  She got her first Drum back in Nov. and handled this one like an old pro. 

Zach with a nice over slot Yearling and Capt Rick Scarborough with a nice one. Fishing, all Year long is the name of the Game.

All around us were the best fishermen, both commercially and recreationaly, that this Island has to offer.  Some of the Best Boat Captains, Mates, and General all around fishermen were all the smiles.  Hookin up on just about every other cast. 

Zack with the release!!!!!

Folks this is light tackle action @ its finest, and ultra light rod, that maxes out @ right around 1/2 oz. and a 4 inch plastic grub and a lead head.   These little rods bend over almost to a 45, and it feels like they could explode @ any time.  4 to 15 pound fish on these little rods and any angler has his hands full and a smile on his face. 

Ended up wit around 10 or so, this one was midrange what we were catching..

It is quite an Adventure, and if ya ain’t doing anything and have some time,  LETS GO FISHIN!!!!!!!!!

4 folks Bowed up, Kellie gets all the Photo Credits for this Epidsode, as I was one of the 4 bowed up...LOLLOL...

35 Degree Air Temp, but the Fun kept ya warm...

ZACK ATTACK with a throw back Striper, there were a few specks mixed in as well.

Man, by far this was the best fishing of the year, if ya have time off, now might be the time to burn a couple of days.. Stop on by the Roost and See us..

When the water got to  low in the tide cycle the  fish stopped biting, and the current heading north was too much to bear, we called it a day.  Between us Kellie and I, we  caught 12 real Nice pups 2 of which went home with us for  dinner, and Drum Stone Earrings or Pendants..  

Feels good to have Drum Hands again, all scratched up by their Gill Rakers, Left the beach with my hands bleedin for the first time in a long time.. Felt Good … Gonna go get some more this after noon, cant wait…

Until Next Time   JAM out

Left out of Buxton on Wed. for the Big City of Raleigh (well it’ Big When your a Dune Billy).  We arrived @ the City Center Marriott @ around 4 p.m., it was an easy run to Raleigh from the Island as it only took us 4 hours.  The City Center Marriott was Beautiful, check it out totally PIMPED out and upscale.  Suzie, Dave and Steve Hissey’s Sister had us upgraded to a Elite membership class, which provided us exclusive membership in their consigliere program, and access to special parts of the Hotel.  Suzie saved the marina lots and lots of money, buy providing us these services. 

We ate and drank like kings, the Marriott has a 5 star restaurant right inside of it and it is quite the dinning experience.  Having been provide the special treatment package, Gianni The Owner and Chief of the Poseta Grill   http://www.postatuscangrille.com/  made it more than just a dinner, it was an event in dinning.  including him taking time off from the kitchen to come and say hello, and offer us a special desert tray, compliments of him and his staff.  What a class operation.  The whole place was opulent and reeked of Class, this Ex-Yankee, was very very impressed, as it is not my first rodeo in the fine dinning world.  having lived in NY, I have eaten at some of the finest restaurants in the world.  (No MacDonald’s is not on the list)

The Convention Center the Hotel was connected by an underground tunnel.

Thurs. was the start of the show, at a Dealer’s show you have to be one of the resellers of Big Rock Sports Tackle and Sporting goods.  Let me tell ya this, it was HUGE, the space of the Raleigh Convention Center is remarkable. 

It takes at least 3 days to hit all the Booths, and we hit them all..

I have been to several of these shows in the past, when I worked @ the last shop , and this one was the best that I have been to. 

There are lots of Deals and all the manufactures are present to show us all the new stuff for 2010, from Guns to Grubs,  you name the company and they are there. 

Daiwa Always has one of the Nicest Booths, they are the best of the best IMHO

I have been working on becoming a member of the Team Daiwa Program, and I would like to thank Kevin McCabe (TEAM DAIWA BEACH PRO) and Captain Scott Warren, Mate Kenny Koci of Big Tahuna Sport Fishing,  Hatteras N.C.  (OFFSHORE PRO’S)       http://www.bigtahuna.com/    For all their help getting me the opportunity to represent TEAM DAIWA as their KAYAK guy.  A very Special thanks to Scott Rogers of Rogers South East for making it all happen.  I look forward to making you all proud, and representing your products, and testing your prototype equipment.   http://www.daiwa.com/

The name of the game at the show is to purchase as much stuff as you might need for the year because the prices are discounted, so you can pass the saving on to you customers.  So that’s what we did, we hit every single booth in the entire show and made quite the order for Teach’s Lair Marina And the Roost Bait and Tackle.   http://www.teachslair.com/  Who without them this trip would not have been possible, The Marina paid for the whole trip, and for that I am grateful, Thanks Guys. 

After the purchasing was done it was time to blow off a little steam.  So Suzie, arranged a reservation @ Sullivan’s Steak House in Down Town Raleigh.  http://www.sullivansteakhouse.com/  Again, we were treated like kings and ate drank and were merry.  It was an Adventure in Fine Dinning, everything top shelf and First Class all the way.  if your in Raleigh and can get a reservation, you would love it. 

After the dinning event, 4 hours of fun and food with great folks, I gave Pumpkin Boy a call, as he lives right there in the Raleigh area.  Withing 10 minutes we were bellied up to the bar and having a blast.  It was great to see Phil in his town, and we partied till the wee hours of the morning, with Terry Stewart and his wife (TW’s Bait and Tackle) Nick Walker and his wife, Nick works for Terry and is a fellow Custom Rod Builder on the Island.  Porkchop and Scott Garish were there, as well as Steve and Dave from the Roost.  It was a blast and we closed the place. 

"GUNNY" R. LEE ERMEY and JAM "SEMPER FI" Great Guy, GREAT MARINE..

The next morning after a hearty breakfast we hit the show just to fill in the gaps and say our goodbyes.  “GUNNY” R. LEE ERMEY from American Pie and his own TV series Roll Call was @ the event, representing Team GLOCK, what a real real nice guy and one heck of a MARINE, because once a Marine always a Marine. 

Spent time chit chatting with him for a while and had my picture taken with him. 

With all our Goodbyes said, we turned in our catalog with all our purchases in it, picked up our new one and headed back to Hatteras Island.  Great Time, Great Food, Great Fun, Great Deals,  Thanks Teach’s Lair Marina for Sending us to the Show..

Until Next Time SEMPER FI JAM out