Not bad for the dog days!
August 08, 2021 Hampstead 2 photos

Trip Summary

The dog days of summer can make for tough fishing. Getting out early, being flexible, and staying positive are critical tactics to put fish in the boat (and on the table). Had two groups this weekend, with different expectations and plans. First, we had Marie, Mike, and their youngsters, Eli and Emma. Here on vacation from West Virginia, the main goal of the trip was to have a new experience... offshore fishing. Marie told me that they would like to have some tasty fish to cook up while on their vacation as well. We chose to keep it simple and do some fast-trolling for Spanish and King mackerel along the beaches. With a lot of bait nearshore, there was a good chance that the fish would cooperate. We had to cover a little territory, but once we found the fish, the excitement was on! We put 11 Spanish mackerel on ice, along with a cutlass fish (ribbonfish). Eli almost topped it off with a nice king mackerel, but the fish made a run under the boat and broke the line. We all finished the half-day trip with smiles. The second group had to reschedule from the Saturday trip, due to rough weather, so we booked them for the afternoon. This group, Jessica and Adam, and Kristin and Joe, are from here in North Carolina, but are new to offshore fishing. The initial plan was to go 15-20 miles out in search of dolphin (mahi-mahi) and big king mackerel. The group was most interested in catching fish and having fun, but not so much in filling the ice box. We got out to the first stopping point, but did not see much indication of fish on surface. Due to the heat, the fish were deep and lethargic. I knew that, with patience, they would start feeding as the afternoon temperatures started to fall. The sea conditions were really nice, but there was a solid ground swell rolling through every 7 or 8 seconds. On a hot day, these slow rollers are a challenge for some fishermen, and it didn't take long before we found that it was too much for some of the crew. We changed the plan, ran back toward the mainland. Sometimes it helps to get back in sight of land, and fast trolling is easier for some people to tolerate than the slow grind of live bait fishing. In this case, it definitely helped, so we pulled spoons for Spanish, and I watched some of the crew's color return to "normal". It took a little while as the afternoon temperature finally started to abate, but then we got into the fish and everyone got pretty busy. We caught a handful of Spanish for the crew to take home, along with some more ribbonfish. As the sun set, we pointed the boat back to the dock. As we entered the inshore waters, the last of the seasickness left and everyone was cheerful and excited by the time we tied up and sent everyone home.
Phillip Loughlin
Hampstead, North Carolina, United States
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Katfish Kayak And Fishing Adventures have a simple motto: If you don’t want someone to bring the fish to you, let them take you to the fish. They offer traditional fishing charters but also provide a mothership for Kayak fishermen. They can take you...

Other reports from this captain

Getting the youngsters on some fish and
Getting the youngsters on some fish and
June 22, 2025
I think one of my favorite things about running charters is getting the kids out on the water. They're always good for a surprise, whether it's handling rough seas or finding the fun in silly things... making up a fish dance, for example, or spotting things that some of us adults might take for granted. They're always curious and always learning. This is why I created our three-hour "Kids Trip" charters. This past Sunday, we had two kids' trips, back-to-back. It made for a long day, but it was a very good one! Our morning group was a rescheduled Father's Day gift, due to an iffy weather report on Father's Day. The wind and seas were about as nice as you could ask for, with just enough breeze to keep it from getting too hot, but not enough to chop up the gentle swell. These guys weren't really interested in keeping fish to eat. They just wanted to get out and catch some fish, spend time on the water, and have a fun morning. This is just what we did! I dropped the Clark spoons back as soon as we cleared the inlet, trolling south in 20-30 feet of water. With water temps near the mid-80s, I knew the fishing wouldn't be fast and furious, but there were plenty of hungry Spanish mackerel around to keep it from getting too boring. 13 year-old Mason did the bulk of the fishing, while his 5 year-old brother, Carson, explored the boat, ate lots of Sour Patch Kids, and basically had a blast. He'd occasionally ask to reel in a fish and was generally obliged. I think Dad had a great time just watching his boys do their thing, and he did a great job keeping them engaged during the lulls. As we wrapped up the trip, the catch was well over 20 Spanish mackerel, with a couple of blues and lizard fish for good measure. Our second trip of the day, with Chris, his the two youngsters, Stella and Solomon , and their granddad was just as much fun. The afternoon wind had kicked up as it usually does this time of year, so the seas were a bit choppy, but I don't think they even noticed once we got the lines in the water. There was some good-natured sibling rivalry as each child claimed a rod. Dad and grandpa played supporting roles, cheering the kids on with each fish. I'm afraid I lost track of the scoreboard, but they both did a pretty good job... especially considering how bumpy the ocean was getting. Stella definitely got the big fish of the day with a chunky Spanish, but Solomon made up for size with numbers. By the time we brought in the lines to come in, they had 15 Spanish on ice with a couple of shorts that we had to throw back, several bluefish (also released), and a couple of bonus lizard fish. I'd seen a lot of menhaden pods around, so I dropped a cedar plug way back, just as a Hail, Mary, in case a cobia or king was lurking around all that bait. Chris claimed that rod for himself. Sadly, that one didn't score for us on this trip, but I think just knowing it was out there added to the overall excitement of the day. I will always love running way offshore to chase big game fish, but it's hard to beat a day right off the beach with excited kids hauling in the Spanish mackerel. It's a reminder not to take the simpler times for granted. I know, for me, it will never get old!
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It's not always rough!
It's not always rough!
May 25, 2025
Ali and his crew booked an 8-hour day for Memorial Day. The weather was looking a little unsettled for the Monday, but Sunday was looking amazing with light winds and slight seas. Fortunately, we all had some flexibility and rescheduled the trip to take advantage of a gorgeous day on the ocean. The weather forecast was dead-on, and we rolled out into a gentle, 1-to-2 foot seas which allowed us to run at a comfortable speed out to one of my spots about 28 miles offshore. I've been itching to try this spot this season, but the weather hasn't been too accommodating. The water temps are still in the low-mid 70s, which is perfect for kings, cobia, and other early season fish. I figured it's still a little cool for dolphin (mahi), but you never know! There weren't many signs of life when we arrived on the site. I didn't see birds or baitfish, and the sonar wasn't showing much underneath us either. Nevertheless, I got some cigar minnows out on the light lines and settled in to start working the area. Ali and his crew are experienced pier fishermen, but were eager to extend their experience to offshore trolling. Like most of my offshore customers, they were really focused on the possibility of mahi, so I tried to keep their expectations realistic. I guess Mother Nature thought it would be funny to prove me wrong, and the first solid strike turned out to be a nice, slinger dolphin! Ben was first up, but after a couple of minutes, the fish threw the hook. Just as it did, though, another line went off. Ali grabbed this one, and after a sensational battle, the mahi came aboard and into the ice. Dolphin move in schools and feed together, and no more had I put the baits back out, we picked up a third fish. Seth took this one, and it was a tough fight. I'm guessing this was a hefty, male dolphin by the way it fought. Unfortunately, after plenty of sweat equity, the hooks came out and the fish took off. Things slowed down after that. The school must have moved off and I could not pick them up again. I kept us in the general area, but eventually spread out to the series of ledges hoping for a king, cobia, or even an amberjack. As I was watching some boats bottom fishing nearby, the downrigger rod started screaming. This had to be a king mackerel! Ali was first to the rod and I could tell when he lifted it up that he was in for a fight. However, the fish wasn't acting like a king anymore. It was thrashing some, but Ali said it felt like he was pulling dead weight. I was afraid we'd traded the king for a shark, but told him to keep at it until we got it in. After some time, Ali reeling and me moving the boat to close the circle, the fish finally came to the surface... sideways. The hooks had slipped out of the king's mouth and dug into his belly. I held my breath as Ali pulled him closer, hoping the hook would hold until I could get a gaff into him. Thankfully, it did! After that, things really slowed down. Most of the boats that had been in the area were leaving by this point, but I wanted to keep at it. I won't deny, I was hoping to get some more mahi action. That didn't happen though. After we'd covered several miles of ocean without so much as a good strike, I asked if the guys wanted to relocate... possibly moving close to the beach to put some meatfish in the cooler. The Spanish mackerel are running hard, and I figured this would be a nice addition to a mahi and a king. They agreed and we made a long, fairly smooth run back to the beach. The guys wanted to try jigging for the Spanish, so I set them up near the inlet. There were fish everywhere, but they did not seem to be interested in the jigs. Ali even tried a Rapala, but it was no go. Finally, I offered to set out the Clark spoons and do some trolling. By the time the lines were out, I was deeper than I wanted to be, but before I could turn the boat one of the rods went over hard. It looked a lot stronger than a Spanish, and when Ben got it in closer, I could see it was an Atlantic bonito. I was surprised to see that so late in the season.. and then surprised again when Ali pulled in another one. I made a few circles hoping for more, but the school must have moved off. There was no time to think about it, though, because suddenly we were into the Spanish. I was only running three lines, and two of them were constantly hooked up. After boating an even dozen Spanish, Ali said they had enough and were ready to go. That's always a good sign! Overall, we had a heck of a day and the season is just getting cranked up!
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