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Fresh Fishing Reports from Hampstead

Short trips, fun weekend
Short trips, fun weekend
July 21, 2024
Ran a pair of "Kids' Fun Trips" over the weekend, beginning with a group cashing in their Christmas Gift Certificate. These two young anglers, ages 10 and 7, came ready to roll. Dad and grandpa were there to supervise. The weather has been spotty the past couple of weeks, with consistent wind and choppy seas, but we found a relatively sheltered piece of nearshore water and set out the Clark spoons in search of hungry Spanish mackerel. I'd like to say the fishing was hot and heavy, but the only thing hot and heavy on Saturday was the sun and the humidity. The little men were troopers, though, and they were on the job when the fish did bite. They were able to put enough keeper Spanish on the boat for a fresh catch dinner, and the smaller fish were consistent enough to keep boredom at bay. And really, that's the idea of these Fun Trips... it's not about filling the cooler. It's about giving the youngsters some time on the water. Sunday's trip was originally scheduled for Saturday, but due to the changing weather conditions I switched them around. Even after the switch, the forecast had me worried. As it turned out, though, we were surprised with one of the nicer days I've had in a while... at least for nearshore fishing. This couple was young, but not exactly kids. Their objective for the trip was just to try to catch something good to eat... and to have fun doing it. I was clear at the beginning of the trip that sometimes, these short trips don't give us enough time to find a hot bite, but they weren't concerned. They were just happy to get out for one more adventure before heading home to Raleigh. I changed up my rigging for this trip, downsizing to smaller, 0 and 00 Clark spoons. The Spanish are feeding on tiny glass minnows right now, so the idea was to, "match the hatch," so to speak. I'm not sure it had a big impact, but we did get into a few more fish than Saturday. We were able to land a few pretty decent Spanish (for mid-summer), and tossed back a few little ones and a stray bluefish. When the timer ran out, they had enough fish to take home for a couple of fine dinners. We're heading into the dog days of summer now, but there are still some fish around. Come on down and look us up.
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Sometimes a plan goes too well!
Sometimes a plan goes too well!
June 30, 2024
Had a last-minute, 3/4 day booking yesterday from a fisherman who, "just wants to catch some mackerel." With 8 hours to work with, I wasn't too concerned about getting into some fish. Unfortunately, with the wind and seas forecast, I wasn't sure we'd be able to get offshore for the bigger king mackerel. I'd been catching a number of undersized kings close to shore, but hadn't seen many bigger ones yet. But what we do have in abundance right now is Spanish mackerel. For those guys, we wouldn't have to be more than a half-mile off of the beaches. I told the client that if he was OK with this, we'd play it by ear when we get out of the inlet, and let the conditions determine how the day would go. I wanted to get out as early as possible before the day heated up, as the best bite is going to be in the coolest part of the day. He was OK with this plan, and as promised, he showed up a good bit before the scheduled 06:00 departure time. The breeze was already stiffening as I loaded the boat, and when we cleared the inlet, the swells were not too bad, but the wind was crossing them and creating a chop. I knew it would be a miserable ride to the offshore water, and because of the wind direction, it would also be a miserable ride home. Fortunately, the nearshore waters were relatively protected in this wind, and not as rough. I put out the Clark spoons and planers and turned back toward the shallower... and calmer... water. It took a few minutes to get to the fish, but then the action got pretty steady with a good class of Spanish mackerel, mixed with blues and the ubiquitous lizard fish. About an hour in, I asked the client to peek into the cooler and get a count, as I had lost track. We had seven fish on ice and had lost at least as many before they got to the boat. We talked about limits and how many fish he wanted to keep (and clean). The limit per person is 15 Spanish, so technically the two of us could take 30 fish. I warned him that 30 is a lot of fish, and asked if he could really use that many. He responded reasonably, and said he thought one limit would be enough. I let him know that if he caught a few extras, I didn’t mind taking home enough for dinner, but I didn’t need a whole pile of fish either. The fish kept coming, and he was getting better at landing them, so after a while I did another count. The catch had tripled, as we now had 21 fish in the box! I checked the clock in the cabin. It was only 09:49! He still had over four hours left on this 3/4 day charter. I asked what he'd like to do... keep fishing and catch a few more, or switch it up and try some slow trolling for kings? He considered the options. It was already blazing hot (into the 90s with high humidity). The wind was still freshening and white caps dotted the water offshore. After a moment, he explained that he didn't know what he would do with more fish, especially not something bigger. This was all he could handle, but he also said he was pretty satisfied, as this trip was already everything he'd wanted it to be. As a captain, this is the kind of thing you like to hear, but at the same time, I felt like he should at least get another couple of hours out of the trip. I offered to take him in at Wrightsville Beach and do a little sightseeing cruise, but he said he was pretty much done with the heat and he still had a long drive home. So we were back at the dock by 10:30, the boat was clean and stowed before 11, the client was on the way home, and less than an hour later, I was back in my easy chair and napping in the air conditioning. Pro Tip Time There’s a good reminder here if you are considering booking a trip. It’s always good to talk to the captain ahead of time and let us work with you to make sure you are booking the best trip for your money. So, for example, if you just want to stay nearshore and target Spanish mackerel (delicious and fun to catch), I usually recommend a half-day trip. Six hours is more than enough time. We don’t have to travel very far and we’re literally fishing almost the entire time. The point is, if you book a trip and choose to end it early for any reason, you’re usually going to be charged the full price. If it helps, think of it like this. You are buying a day off of the captain’s calendar. If you don’t use the whole day, we can’t put it back on the shelf and sell it to someone else. It’s always easier to negotiate for a longer day than to ask for a refund for “unused time.”
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Great time of year for short trips! Week
Great time of year for short trips! Week
June 1, 2024
Don't have a whole day to spend on the water? This is a great time of year for fishing nearshore, with Spanish mackerel running right off the beach. We can have lines in as soon as we clear the inlet, and seldom have to go more than a couple of miles to find the fish. We have half-day trips that can have you back at the dock in time for lunch. Or, if you're really tight on time, book one of our 3 hour Fun trips. These short trips are especially great if you have youngsters. What can you do in a couple of hours? On our last 8 hour trip, we fished offshore in hopes of dolphin (mahi) or king mackerel. Fish were boiling the surface all around, and the sonar was marking all sorts of stuff, so things looked better than they turned out. We found some mahi that were a bit too small, and dealt with some pesky (but tasty) sharks, but after most of the day and covering over 40 miles of ocean, we didn't have much to show for our efforts. It was a beautiful day and everyone was having fun, but the fish just weren't cooperating. These guys were hoping for at least a fish fry, and I didn't want them to go home empty-handed. I offered to head inshore and see if we could throw some Spanish mackerel in the cooler before I took them home. We were already almost out of time on the trip and we were in the hottest part of the day (not a great time for fishing), but I was confident we could pick up some fish for them... and we did. In 45 minutes we had put six fish on ice, lost several others, and had a good bit of action with the lizard fish (we throw these back) as well. So give us a call. We have plenty of weekend dates open right now and the fishing is only getting better over the next several weeks.
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What anglers said about fishing in Hampstead

As always talk with your Captain and keep an eye on the weather so you can pick the best day and trip for success. I enjoyed the small town and easy going marina. It all made for a stress free trip.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
As always talk with your Captain and keep an eye on the weather so you can pick the best day and trip for success. I enjoyed the small town and easy going marina. It all made for a stress free trip.
Grassy Sound Charters
Grassy Sound Charters Mount Washington, KY
Take it all in, even if the fish aren’t biting there’s plenty to enjoy around you!
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Take it all in, even if the fish aren’t biting there’s plenty to enjoy around you!
Blue Heron Guide Service
Blue Heron Guide Service