Variety off the North Carolina Coast

[alaskanaturally]

Here's an excerpt from an article published a few years ago.

Great Sport, Fun and Eatin’
by Martin Freed and Ruta Vaskys

We were floating, swimming and running through a dull and wavering gray haze attempting to escape from a giant fish that was fading in and out of sight like the mythical Grendel of Beowulf fame. Though our boat was quickly heading away from the critter, it was overtaking us. A few feet from the stern, it opened its mouth. Massive corkscrew teeth dripping with a combination of seaweed, saliva and blood looked ominous. It was just about to swallow us whole, when from deep inside the throat of this genetic aberration came an awful and horrible scream.

Awakening with a start, I realized that the scream was the captain blowing the horn of the Continental Shelf, indicating that it was time to unzip the sleeping bag, stand up and start fishing.

The trip actually began many hours earlier. We arrived in Morehead City at 4AM. Though the boat was not due to sail until 6, a pretty good crowd was already waiting. We stood around and talked with a bunch of the folks that had gotten there even earlier. One couple remarked they had arrived at midnight. “Just can’t sleep the night before going out on trip like this. Too excited.”

The conversation was a combination of self horn blowing and complaining. Sometimes in the same breath, these folks would brag about some great catch then disparage an awful captain they sailed with years ago. In other words they were saying: “If I catch fish, it’s because I’m a great fisherman. If I don’t catch fish, it’s because of the lousy captain.” No personal responsibility these days but all part of the game.

The crew of the Continental Shelf allowed us to board about 5 and the procession of gear and folks was impressive. Some seemed to have enough stuff for a transoceanic voyage on a raft. We call that the Kon Tiki complex: Take everything, even if there is only a remote chance of needing it because you may be able to catch one extra fish.

When the boat finally left the dock, after listening to all the hot air which was like chloroform, we were ready for a nap. But, curiosity kept us awake for a while. The crew was scurrying around getting everything together for the trip and subsequent fishing. The passengers appeared to divide up into three different groups: The sleepers, the players and the fiddlers.

The sleepers were gone from the world of the awake quite quickly. Some stretched out on the floor or seats of the cabin and others out in the fresh air on the upper deck. Some just braved the cold in their clothes while others, the Kon Tiki folks, brought pillows, sleeping bags, blankets and other paraphernalia. A few even had lawn chairs and one fellow actually carried a folding bed onto the boat.

Meanwhile, the players were shuffling decks and dealing cards. Some took their $0.10 bets very seriously and even a few friendly, non-physical altercations took place. These guys played up to the last minute before the fishing began.

The fiddlers, though a small minority, were so nervous about whether fish will be caught, that all they did was tie rigs and plot strategies to fool the fish. One would have thought that the scaled critters were so smart that humans, even with our large frontal lobes, have very little chance to fool the piscatorial geniuses that roam the seven seas. One of the strategies we overheard was to use glowing underwater tubes and soak the bait in pheromones that will stimulate the fish’s brain to bite even if they are not hungry. Of course, once the angling began these schemes were all forgotten and fish were caught by simply putting bait on the hook and dropping the rig into the water.

When we finished being nosey, the sleeping bags were rolled out and oblivion followed quickly. The next non-dreamland event was the boat’s horn.

At last, the fishing begins. With pieces of squid and mackerel on her hooks, Ruta’s 16 ounce sinker, with the aid of gravity, quickly brought the offerings to the bottom which was over 100 feet deep.

Immediately, a strong pull at the other end indicated that something substantial was attacking her bait. She jerked back but the telltale bouncing at the other end of the line was not present. Ruta dropped back and within a few seconds another hit but this time strong yanking indicated that the first fish of the day was on its way to the surface. And it was obviously sizeable.

After some give and take, a beautiful four pound seabass was brought over the rail. This species is one of the most desirable. In big city markets they sell for between $8.00-$12.00 or more per pound. After a fine dinner of baked sea bass, the reason for high price becomes obvious.

Seabass, Centropristis striata, are also known as black bass, black wills or even blackfish in some areas. This species ranges from Maine to the Florida Keys and around into the Gulf of Mexico. Two distinct populations exist: Those north and those south of Cape Hatteras. The boats out of Morehead City catch both

Seabass are reef fish and therefore found on rocky bottoms and wrecks. They are visual feeders and mostly caught during the day.

One really interesting fact is that seabass are hermaphrodites. They begin life as females. Usually, one large male is dominant in a school of these fish. All the others are females. If something happens to the male, the most aggressive and largest female reverses sex and becomes a male.

In the meantime, Martin was also in the midst of a battle. The sharp strike and bouncing fight indicated that he was tangling with a good size vermilion snapper. These guys are also known as beeliners and are perhaps the most desired species on these trips. They are a beautiful bright red color and have oversized eyes which indicate that they are either usually nocturnal and/or occupy very deep waters.

Vermilion snapper range from Brazil in the south, through the Gulf of Mexico past Bermuda to the mid-North Carolina coast. Though the water off Morehead City is about the northern limit for the species, these guys are still quite plentiful in this area.

Beeliners reach a maximum size of about 25 inches and can weigh up to about eight or 10 ten pounds. However, the average size taken by anglers is between a pound and two.

“Every day is different. It is a totally new experience. One morning the fish will bite until 10 then quit. The next afternoon the action could be hot and heavy,” We were talking with Captain Bill Davis the owner of the Continental Shelf. What he was relating was that the only thing that is constant, is change.

We were curious whether the species assortment changes with the season. What we learned from Captain Bill was that while there was some variation, for the most part daily conditions are more significant than the seasons. Current, wind and weather determine where and what they will fish for.

Another common species we caught that day is the gray triggerfish. Its body is light gray to brown. The fins are often marked with spots and lines.

This species is adaptable and found in a wide range of habitats: Rocky ledges and ship wrecks are favored. In the western Atlantic they are established from Nova Scotia to Argentina.

Triggerfish eat almost anything. Diet studies indicate that this species is a carnivore. Stomach contents include bivalves such as clams, mussels, scallops, barnacles, starfish and sand dollars. They also are efficient predators of small fish. Triggerfish have very powerful jaw muscles and teeth to crush their prey, so keep your figures out of the way.

Two facts about triggers are quite compelling. The trigger on the top of their heads is used as shocker that paralyzes prey with sound. The fish then approaches and consumes the helpless minnow. Another interesting fact about these guys is that the males guard the fertilized eggs until they hatch.


Seabass, triggers and vermilions are just three of the 12 species that we caught that day. The others included two different kinds of grunts, two species of porgies two to three pounds each, a four pound toro snapper, a small gag grouper, a Nassau grouper, small blackfin tuna and a few others yet to be identified.. It was the assortment of fish that one might expect to catch on a trip out of the Florida Keys

A couple of hints for a more successful trip: While the bait supplied by the crew will catch plenty of fish, you may want to make a stop at a fish market or bait shop and pick up some fresh shad, herring, mackerel or other oily bait fish. It appears that there is a slight edge with the fresher offerings. Also, if they are just nibbling, we found that by moving your bait slowly away from the fish after a light hit, they tend come after it with a hard strike.

A day on the Atlantic out of Morehead City is a great trip any time of year. However, in the summer it is a real treat. Not only will it be a fun voyage but it could also be a freezer filler with the finest fish available anywhere. Blue skies, azure water, loads of fish below: What more can the experience or inexperienced angler ask for?

[barra mick]

Nice read