# 5/28 Onslow Beach Report (finally caught some fish)



## MCS (Aug 15, 2006)

Haven't been having much luck the past few weeks, so the wife and I decided that we would hit the surf by dawn. Rustled the kids up at 0400 and by 0500 we were at the beach. Perfect timing considering high tide was at 0559.

At 0600 the blues started biting. Wifey landed 3 around 1-3 lbs and lost at least 4 others. I landed 0 and lost 3. Typical though, because she can catch fish from a 1 inch rain puddle.

After running back and forth from pole to pole for 20 minutes, I finally sat down to smoke. The drag on my 525 started screaming. Whatever had the half of mullet I was using for bait in its mouth was moving. I fought it all the way to the wash and then felt the link go slack. I saw a glimpse of whatever it was swimming away, dorsal fin breaking the top of the water. 

No sooner did I sit back down, the pole that had the new Shimano Baitrunner that I boght on Friday on it started to bounce. I didn't have any luck breaking it in on Saturday so I was excited. Set the hook and brought in a 7 inch sand shark. Smallest damn one that I ever saw. Wifey was laughing and I was dejected. 

Time went by and the wife hooks up again. Whatever she hooked into was giving her a hell of a fight. She finally screams over to me "I can't." with a look of defeat on her face. My wife is a tiny Japanese girl, about 5'1, 105 lbs. This fish was kicking her butt. She has an Okuma 10' rod and reel combo, a real whippy rod. Personnaly I hate it, but she loves it. I grab the rod from her, and in a minute I pull a 27" 12lb chopper blue in. She started laughing her ass off because although she's caught ALOT of fish, she's never seen a blue this big before. 

So now the tally is Her 4 and me 1 (the 7 inch sand shark).... By now I was almost ready to cry. I see my pole bounce around again, and yup, you guessed it, Pee Wee Shark's twin brother. Now the kids are laughing at me. Make note to myself to cut their allowance in half.

Another 10 minutes later I see the pole with the Baitrunner slam over. I set the hook and pull up my first puppy drum of the year. 24" 12 lbs. Bout damn time. Now THAT's the way to break in a new reel. Funny thing is that two years ago, with my 7 foot BS rod and daiwa reel, fishing with store bought high/low bottom rigs (yeah, the $1.05 kind) with #3 J hooks, I caught between 20-30 drum. Since I've been a member on pier and surf, and after buying my Mag 525, fluoro leader, Suffix tri 17 lb test, Circle hooks, shock leader blah blah blah, I haven't been doing so well. I can't say too much though, because the rod I was using was still fitted with a cheapo bottom rig, since I didn't feel like snelling up another "Official" drum rig. 

Later on, I landed another blue (3 lbs) and the wifey caught a short flounder... real short... about 9 inches. I also landed the last of the baby sand shark triplets.

By 0930 the bite was over. Stuck around for another 2 hours

Final tally for the day.

Wife: 3 decent blues and 1 chopper
1 shorty flounder

Me: 1 slot puppy drum
1 blue
The sand shark triplets

All in all, a good day fishing on this Memorial Day. As I was leaving the beach, my only wish was that my best buddy was there fishing with us.

RIP MIKE BITZ, KIA An Nasariah, IRAQ 2003.


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## kev2 (May 22, 2007)

MCSgt:
I posted but no one offered any ideas in Jacksonville, I will be there for the summer, got any fishing tips or spot for the immediate area? 
thanks


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## MCS (Aug 15, 2006)

kev2 said:


> MCSgt:
> I posted but no one offered any ideas in Jacksonville, I will be there for the summer, got any fishing tips or spot for the immediate area?
> thanks



Unless you have a base sticker, the best spots for you to go around here are either Topsail or Emerald Isle....


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Great post glad you and the wife got into them. I remember that area from when I was a kid. Pop was/is a Marine and at that time he flew 53's & 46's and we lived across the river @ the air station (3 different times). Some of the best quarters I ever got to enjoy as a kid with fresh water and saltwater all within 10-30 min. from home.


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## kev2 (May 22, 2007)

Get on base ....no problem..I think

Yes can do: visiting brother and his wife ... DOD and the other is corp's version of AAFES...
They are new to area, any ideas where he and I can fish away....while we wait for the pier to be rebuilt ...


thanks much

PS: we will be the 2old fart vets limping the same way.


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