report - 4th Annual NCKFA Oak Island Classic Kayak Fishing Tournament, by Alexi

 Last weekend we drove 8 hours to fish in the 4th Annual NCKFA Oak Island Classic Kayak Fishing Tournament.  The anticipation for this trip was intense.  It had been two years since we had been to this tournament, and supposedly we were much better fishermen now than we were then.

the launch pad

     Our first stop was the Bass Pro shop in Baltimore, Md.  We had 15% off one item coupons from the CBKA tournament.

Steve holds the coupon

We had been planning to use this coupon to it's fullest potential, perhaps buying the most expensive thing we could see useful.  However, upon reading the fine print, (always fine print) Steve discovered that this discount was only good for certain items; nothing expensive.  We picked up some popping corks having read on the magical internet that these would be useful to us in catching redfish and specs.

     Our second stop was Green Top.

taxidermy at it's finest

A family owned giant fishing and hunting store just outside of  Richmond, Va.  There I bought a Shimano Curado baitcaster reel and a Shimano Teremar rod that's probably too heavy for it, but will be useful to me in the future.

     Our third shopping stop was at Walmart.

even the outside is depressing!

Steve was getting his fishing license and we were both doing some grocery shopping for the next couple of days.  Some items in our carts; Cheese, bread, charcoal, mayonnaise, beanie weenie, ice, beer, water, beer, energy bars, and energy drinks.
     The motel was familiar.  We stayed there two years ago.  It's the Captains Cove Hotel. We got there just in time for check in.  Very affordable and not shady.  They do however say that even if you get skunked, you can always catch crabs at the Captains Cove Hotel.
     Upon arriving there was a truck in the parking area with four kayaks on it.  We started talking to Chad who was there to promote he and his dad's company that makes the T-bone.  It's an attachment that goes on the back of your pick-up truck to load your kayaks onto it.  Chad was also there to fish.  As he said "Beer, Beards, and Kayak Fishing!"          

captain's cove hotel

     We woke up early and went to our first pre-fishing spot, Bluewater Point Marina and Hotel.  The plan was to pre-fish four areas (four hours each) over the course of two days, and where we caught the most inches of fish total would be the tournament spot.  It was windy, to say the least.  I had some short fluke, or flounder as they say in North Carolina and most other places on earth besides N.J, N.Y,)  and Steve caught a redfish (as would be the pattern for my whole trip).

one of many Redfish

double spots

one of many Flounder

We found some really nice, out-of-the-way flats that should have been holding slot reds, but weren't, so we moved on to the next spot.
     The next fishing location was a fish desert.  It was Dutchman Creek. We were both skunked there.  
     We went back to the base camp and drank beers and cooked a Redfish, and talked with Chad.

cleaning the REdfish at the hotel

     The next day had a similar pattern.  In the first half of the day we went back to the same launch we ended the previous day with, even though it stunk like a dead skunk by the side of the road, but instead of going left we went right.  I caught flounder, Steve found a redfish.  I also ran into Phil who was calling out like a loon or an owl in some narrow little creek.  He thought I was one of his friends.  I thought he was a bird.  Since fishing was really not a priority for either of us, we paddled and talked for a bit.  It turns out the concrete ships at Kiptopeke are four hours for them, and four hours for us, so tentatively we planned on meeting there this winter.
     The second half of friday we spent at the spot we fished for the tournament two years ago, Varnamtown.  It's a small shrimping port, way back up the Eastern Bend.  This is where two years ago KGB, Steve and I saw tons of finning redfish on the flats.  I had high expectations.  Steve was skunked there, and I caught (my first) two Spec's simultaneously.

10" speckled trout

18" speckled trout

I had a popping cork floating behind me while I was casting a gulp bucktail along the shore.  I hooked up with a ten inch Speck on the Gulp Bucktail and was in the process of photographing it when my back rod went off.  It was an 18" Speckled Trout.  This was pretty much the highlight of my trip, though I wouldn't know it then.  That was the end of the day there.  Now we had to decide what to do for the tournament.

     Tournament day we went to Varnamtown.

launch at Varnamtown

We woke up late.  My alarm didn't go off.  Not too late, but we weren't there by 7 A.M.  Steve started the day off finding the Redfish in some shallow water.  The tide was out going, and they were in some shallow spit of water.  I wasn't getting into any action, so I went and did the float he did, and saw several Reds, but had no luck hooking into any.  My best fish for the day was a measely 14.5" flounder.  Steve's redfish was 19", a bit shorter than the one he had on the first day we were out there, which was a 22" Red.  He caught that one the same way I caught my Speck, with a drifting a fake shrimp under a popping cork.
     Later in the day we find a little spot that will forever be known as "shitstorm hole."

example of a shitstorm

I hooked into something big in this spot that cut me off on some oyster shells.  Then, as I was fishing the hole, I nearly lost my rod and my reel, and my boga grip.....but I didn't actually lose anything, because magically I stood up and walked across my boat and gathered my gear and sat back down!
  That was it for the tounament, we had to head back to the be at the door by 4.  We got there at ten of...Our fish were small, but it wasn't worth the chance, because what if everyone else's day happen to be worse....Of course it wasn't.

tournament headquarters

All in all, though we didn't "win" we were triumphant!!!!

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray": first week of Oct. fishing report by Alexi

     It was already dark out.  Steve had moved furniture all day.  I had just finished band practice.  Usually it's time to put back a few beers.  Instead we pile our gear into his truck and head east.
     There is no logical explanation for the false expectations we held in our heads.  Neither reports nor our own records  pointed us in the direction of having a "banner" night of fishing.  The only explanation I can give to you as to why we were ever so confident that we would catch keeper bass at Snake ditch, or Weakfish Point, or Oyster Creek Channel, or on the flats, is that we had left the fish biting last time we were fishing.  Our general confidence level was way UP!  That being said, I truly believe that there was a resident keeper bass lurking the other night in the deep recesses of Oyster Creek Channel, only we never made it there.
     The problem with working all day, and leaving to fish at midnight, is that by the time we got to the fishing spot the sandman was at our door, saying "sleep damn it!!!! You're tired."
     It is questionable wether or not we fished between the hours of 2 and 5:30 a.m.  Nothing was caught.  The current where we were was ripping, it was FULL of weeds, and the current and wind were in some kind of conspiracy.  We struggled through Snake Ditch, and by the time we were ready to take a nap, the sun was coming up "like a big bald head."
   

   

     We wake up late.  Within minutes of being on the water I hook into a short.

I think this is how the rest of the day is going to go, solid non-stop fishing action.  We fish at "Weakfish Point"  for a while and nothing really happens.  Some bass assassin tails get bit off, but that's it.
     Time slows down and speeds up at the same time.  Going from Snake Ditch to Oyster Creek Channel isn't far, but it always seems to take forever because at low tide it might mean getting out of the kayak and walking.  And so it did.  By the time I got there Steve was already there via a different route.  Drifting, jigging, trolling, casting.  Nothing is producing.  Finally after trying all of the usual spots in that area, I go for what I know best.  Bluefish with a bucktail.  Well, really I prefer to use a kastmaster for bluefish, but a bucktail is second best.  Cast far.  Count to seven.  Jerk it hard, let it drop, jerk it hard, let it drop, fish on....That's it folks, my (not so) secret bucktailing for bluefish from land near a channel technique.  I stayed for a few more casts, hooked into another short bass, then moved on.

     I went through one of the new channels on my way to the Sedge House and it was gin clear with not a fish in it.  Out onto the flats, I stood and took in the scenery.    I guess I was sight fishing, but since I didn't see anything it was more like site seeing.  In front of the Sedge House I saw a small school of medium sized bunker.  It was a good sign.  It's the biggest bait I've seen back there in a while.  Right now there's spearing, mullet, and bunker.  Where were all of their predators?  I had no luck in front of the sedge house, so as I was leaving I needed to switch from a bucktail to a topwater lure to fish the flats.  As I was reeling in my line to change the lure I hooked up with another short bass.
     I stood and paddled most of the way across the flat on the way back to the launch.  I saw one bass that I couldn't get a lure in front of because in the time it took me to ready the rod the current changed my position.   Back in front of the launch produced nothing, and
 usually it's not hard to pull a bluefish out of there.
    As you can see there were fish that were caught.   But the plan.  The plan to catch a 28"bass, or a weakfish.  That plan failed.  And failure, coupled with complete exhaustion, is a recipe for disappointment.  In the end, however, it's ALWAYS BETTER THAN WATCHING T.V.