[Mattfish]

Howdy all,

I have been a member here for a while but haven't done much fishing since I am fairly well "plastered" with work from the Seminary (Southeastern Baptist in Wake Forest).

I managed to scruff up some interest in our church here in Raleigh (Wake Cross Roads Baptist) and we plan on taking a group of men out on the Capt Stacey for some bottom-bouncing in the Gulfstream (full day trip). We will go out on May 31st-- good weather and classes have ended at the Seminary.

I have done this trip several times with other headboats in SC (Capt Dick, Hurricane Fleet), but this is the first from NC for me.


I am wanting to try something different-- get a little creative---I will be taking, hopefully, some fiddlers and some salted shrimp (salt makes them tough as leather) to use as well as the cut squid and mackeral they use. What other kind of fresh bait might you suggest? Will the mullet be hanging around the inlets and streams so that I can net up a few? Menhaden? I can't remember the seasons for these baitfish.



Also, I am taking my own bottom-rig (which has sat dormant for a while until I cleaned her up the other day and spooled with 65-lb Spiderwire Stealth). I am considering using some jigs-- DOA shrimp, hologram minnows, etc... What colors would you suggest? Just want to see what might be interested in something that looks alive.


Thanks to you all!

 

[rye]

Careful in using jigs/spoons and the like. I've done it twice and hooked up both times on nice fish. The down side was while I was fighting one in, they decided to move in the middle of the fight and didn't care i had one on the line.. drove off and eventually I lost the fish
The other time I hooked into a good one and it wrapped up EVERYONE on the back end of the boat. the mate was PO'ed (understandably) and got on me about doing it again. All they want you to do it stand there and drop their 1/2 inch bait chuncks down. Quality/Size of fish is none of their concern.

 

[Dave1273]

Quality/Size of fish is none of their concern.

That's why I very much prefer a charter boat to a head boat. On a charter boat, the crowd is smaller and everyone knows each other. Also, on a good boat, the crew seems to be concerned with size and quality of the fish caught. It is more expensive but I think it's well worth it.
Just my $.02

 

[sundrop]

Private is better but there is a big difference between $75 and $750+ and tip for the Mate. Just isn't feasible for everyone....

 

[Topsail Angler]

Mattfish - the finger mullet will definitely be around in the creeks and ICW then. Menhaden too.

If you can get a way with using artificial lures, you might want to try one of those new Shimano Lucanus jigs or the cheaper imitations. Or one of the Smith Dunk Shots in a glow color if you can find them. Either of them are meant for bottom fishing so you should hook the same type of fish as the other folks but have a better chance of getting the big one as you can deploy quick and don't have to keep pulling up because of all the little bait stealers.

 

[Mattfish]

Thanks for the help all.

As far as the boat pulling off in the middle of a fight, I haven't seen that on a headboat myself, and I've gone out on a good number of trips in SC (granted, they were 10+ years ago), and several people hooked into large groupers, sharks, and such, and the boat always stayed for the fight (a big fish landed makes the crew/boat look real good). If the Capt' Stacey does anything like what you talk about, it will be my last time out with them.


Thanks for the info on the Lucanus jigs-- I'll look for some when I come into town the day before.