# Rotten mullet and missed state records



## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Here's the good word on the last two days of fishing. Started yesterday morning at Sandbridge pier around 7-ish to fish for drum. The pier was crowded as hell for a Monday morning, but word had gotten out that the big reds were in. There wasn't much going on and the end was packed. I put a rod off the end, and Salty had two in the mix. My other rod, a 9 foot Sealine X I just picked up this week, got tossed off the side on top of the bar with a finger mullet that had been thawed and refrozen 3 times.

Around 8:30, Salty noticed my rod moving and we ran to check it out. I had said that I would consider this week a success if I got a drum over 40"--long story short, I beat that goal by a few inches. The fish was on the deck for a few shots and back in the water within 15 minutes. Given that it was off the side with a piece of nasty mullet, Salty said I'd gotten the "Lucky Beeyotch Award." I'll post pictures when I return to Baltimore next week.

Since the pier was crowded and I had what I wanted, we decided to head back into the refuge. We walked back quite a ways and found a nice hole. Within five minutes, Salty was bowed up with a nice drum that went 32", then I got a 22" fish. After that, he took what looked like a little pup. It turned out to be the biggest stinking roundhead I've ever seen. And we didn't know how big until we went to have the fish weighed for a citation--it missed the state record by 3 ounces. And the funny thing was, he had another one that was only about an inch shorter. Again, pictures will follow next week.

Today we went back to the hole in Back Bay (neither of us are partial to pier crowds) but the NE wind had swung around to the west and pretty much turned the drum off. A few pups later we gave it up and headed to Chick's Beach.

I had fun pulling little pups in on sand fleas but we were about to give it up near nightfall when a school of marauding blues came through. There were literally thousands of them. Every cast produced a 2-3 pounder for an hour or so (we probably caught 50 or so fish) and Salty, who was fishing a plug, actually had a couple of hookups with two fish at once.

He joked tonight that after I post this report no one's going to believe us and that you guys will think we probably just sat around in some bar and got drunk and came up with this story. And that's not to say that that kind of behavior is beneath us, but this time we're telling the truth.


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

I believe you!

What a great couple of days! Can't wait to see the pix.

Congrats!


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

I got some 3 oz weights you can borro  .Good to hear you guys got to go fishing on Monday!SOB's like me have to put 8 hours in!
See you guys on the planks or on the surf!

Tight lines and I can't wait to see the pics


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## gus (Jan 24, 2002)

were those drum in the surf or beyond?


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## Doad (Aug 27, 2001)

Great report.

Man I want this knee surgery to heal!


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

Did y'all see the Pier Pic in yesterday's Hampton Roads section?


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Gus,

The big one was off the side of the pier but would have been within casting range--it was right on top of the bar. The other two came right out of the Back Bay surf.

And I left one detail off the bluefish blitz last night: they were chasing ballyhoo into the surf. You could pick them up off the beach.

Fact is, they're here. Just wait for the next NE blow and get your butts down to Sandbridge! Better yet, hike back into the refuge and have a whole stretch of beach to yourselves.


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## gus (Jan 24, 2002)

sf, thanks for the info, my old man (he lives in sandbridge and i grew up there) said he caught some on the north end. he told me that they were all in the surf, not beyond. he used cut bait.


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## Thoroughbred (Aug 1, 2001)

Sand Flea,

Congrats to the two of you! Can't wait to see the pics!


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## LongRanger (Oct 4, 2000)

Congratulations on a nice catch. I am sorry that I missed the run. Darryl and I had to work over the weekend. I will try to catch them in a week of two in VA or NC.

James


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Flea,

Nice report and congrats on a nice fish! Too bad you had to leave to state to catch it...FYI - Drum up to 48" are starting to arrive at AI.


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## Salty (Jan 10, 2000)

Guess I'll toss a few cents in; It was a heck of a two days. Flea got the big red he's been dreaming about for twenty some years and I came within ounces of a state record (almost scary to think about a whiting that can suck down a 5-6/0 circle hook). I can't wait to see some of the pics up here. 

One thing I might add- the big 32" had gill netting IN it. The netting was grown in and around the back of the gills. My best guess is that the fish got stuck in a gill net a few years back and got free but took some of the net with it, and the fish just kept growing around the netting. 

Then finish it all up with a blitz. An add on in there- the blues in there were so thick and agressive that Flea caught one on a sand flea that he was reeling in, and the blue hit it probably for no other reason than it was moving and there. 

Anyways, guess that's about it- 

Tight lines and blue skies, 


Salty


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

Those two days that the two of you spent out were well worth it. I am sure you are very busy in your lives. And each opportunity you get to fish together is probably few and far between. No better way than to have things go real well for you. Your two days probably have been better than a whole season put together for most of us. At least for myself. 
Fishing as I remember in the years gone by comes to mind reading the posts you and sand flea have posted. The pics will be a great addition to the gallery. Will definitely give readers something to look forward to in the weeks and months to come. 
Were you able to remove some of the netting before the fish went back?  Sure hope it has many more years ahead. To go thru what it did and live to be caught by rod and reel, that's one fish that deserves it's freedom. Kinda makes me teary eyed. For a moment I thought about hanging up my rod and reel for a while. Sure glad reality doesn't take long to set back in.


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## Joey (May 27, 2001)

Sweet report! Congrats on the fish. 

"Lucky Beeyotch Award" lol


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## cannotlogin (Sep 1, 2008)

nice!


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