In This Issue: Saltwater Reports Freshwater Reports Outdoors Sportsman Gray Trout Vinny Perino s Fish Grill Ferry Schedules Tide Chart

Transcription

1 In This Issue: Saltwater Reports Freshwater Reports Outdoors Sportsman Gray Trout Vinny Perino s Fish Grill Ferry Schedules Tide Chart November 15, 2005 Your Local Fishing News Covering S.E. North Carolina The Cover Gill Wetter for this issue: Capt. Amy McMullan fishing with husband Capt. Brant McMullan from the Ocean Isle Fishing Center caught a 41lb 6oz king mackerel Sunday the 6th of November on 8lb test Stren fishing line. This fish is a pending women s world record for the 8lb line class as it has topped the current record by half a pound.

2 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 2 In this issue Contents: Notes from the Publishers pg.2 Saltwater Reports pg.3 Freshwater Reports pg.14 Outdoors Sportsman pg.14 Gray Trout by Capt. Matt Wirt pg.10 Vinny Perino s Fish Grill pg.12 Ferry Schedules pg.3 & 5 Tide Chart pg.13 Service Directory pg.15 The Gill Wetter P.O. Box 569 Carolina Beach, N.C Phone: Web: photos to: photos@gillwetter.com or Mail photos to: Braggin Rights The Gill Wetter P.O. Box 569 Carolina Beach, N.C All photos will become property of The Gill Wetter. We reserve the right to edit any and all content sent to us. All rights reserved. Reproduction of contents is strictly prohibited without permission of The Gill Wetter. NOPE, NO GUPPIES FOUND HERE! We hope you enjoy this issue as much as you did our first! We will extend our first welcome below in this issue also since we are still a new pub. Our website will generally be updated shortly after each publication. All Outdoors Sportsman and hunting photos will be posted on our website. Just look for the Outdoors Reports menu button! We appreciate all the positive comments you left on our website. Now let s get to those fish tails and photos, Mark and Adam. Welcome aboard The Gill Wetter, Guys and Gals! We are excited to bring you a brand new localized publication covering fishing and outdoor sporting news from the southeastern region of North Carolina. Our publication will keep your gills wet with plenty of local fishing photos along with informative targeted local fishing reports for the salty dog in all of us, we are Your Local Fishing News. We will cover what s new and what s happening in Saltwater and Freshwater fishing for Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender Counties. This publication is first and foremost for you The Fisherman, The Angler, The Salty Dog, The Sportsman, or whatever you call yourself, so write us, us, sound off, and send us photos of your best catches. Here at The Gill Wetter we pride our self on being community involved. We plan on being a recognizable force in the involvement of the junior angler and outdoors youth. Good Luck, Tight Lines, and keep that worm wigglin! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! from the staff of The Gill Wetter. Owners & Publishers: Adam Burton Mark Mayo Editor: Mark Mayo Graphics & Layout: Mark Mayo Staff Writers: Adam Burton Jennifer Burton Ad Production Asst.: Jasmine Mayo Ad Sales: Adam Burton The Gill Wetter is brand new publication featuring localized fishing news and reports. We are dedicated to providing accurate local fishing reports and fishing news that covers Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender Counties in Southeastern North Carolina. We are here for the fishing public as an outlet for the unbiased publishing of personal images displaying their grand fishing catches. Those images that do not make the printed issues will be posted on our website along with all hunting photos. Chris Gilbert from Mt. Pleasant, SC with a nice Redfish caught on live mullet minnow and a nice King caught on live pogie fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Chatrers Mario Juarez from Wilmington with a nice Redfish caught on live mullet minnow in the creek near Southport and a nice King caught off of Oak Island fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnigs Charters.

3 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 3 Saltwater Fishing Reports New Hanover County Carolina & Kure Beach Capt. Matt Wirt with Reel Adventure Charters reports the red and black drum, flounder, speckled trout and sheepshead are biting well inshore. As the water cools down look on the flats in shallow water for big schools of reds. They will school up to stay warm and you can easily have fish days if you position your self correctly in relation to the school of fish. Gulp shrimp and jerkbaits worked real slow will produce the best results. The black drum and sheepshead are biting well near the rocks off of Fort Fisher and around the ADM dock. Shrimp, fiddler crabs or sand fleas will work best. The flounder action this year has been a lot slower either due to the late start in the weather this year or the years of pressure that have been put on the fish. The flounder are doing fairly well in the ICW and Snows Cut and if you are looking for a large citation fish I would fish the artificial reefs just off shore. Live mullet or jerk baits will produce the best results. HARBOR OAKS The Speckled Trout have taken up the flounders slack this year and have made a good showing. My bait of choice has been a 3 Gulp! shrimp in the new penny color fished around structure or oyster beds that have deep water access. Creek mouths are also a good place search for specks on a falling tide. Offshore the Gray Trout are right off the beach at the near shore reefs. Sting silvers work great and a curly tail grub on a Gitzem jig head will trigger even the laziest gray trout to strike. The false albacore are right off the beach on out to 10 miles. Mariah jigs work great and 3 to 4 inch white jerk baits will produce strikes as well. Use about 2 of 15lb fluorocarbon leader for best results. The king mackerel action is hot everywhere right now. The Dredge Wreck, School House or Frying Pan Tower should all have kings nearby ready to bite almost anything that moves. The wahoo are doing well in the stream with lots of large ones showing up. Go get em! Capt. Matt Wirt, Reel-Adventure. Com, (910) E-Z LIVING - RESORT STYLE! Driftwood Villas Angler Kevin from Carolina Beach caught Red Drum fishing aboard Reel Adventure Charters with Capt. Matt Wirt. ON THE WATER Your home with security & serenity, Harbor Oaks. Pool, Tennis, Party Room, Grills, Abundant Parking, Waterfront Lifestyle UNIT6B - 1BR deluxe + 25 boatslip. Renovated with tile + jetted tube. $16,000 less than current appraisal. MLS# $419,000 UNIT 10F Rarely available 3 BR high floor end unit, total renovation in Luxury baths and kitchen. Florida balcony. MLS# $750,000 PENTHOUSE #3-2BR, new kitchen with granite & stainless. Beautiful new tile, carpet, HVAC paint. 11th floor, tile balcony,, 30' boatslip. Don't wait to pay a million! MLS# $739,000 Charles F. Bell-Broker, GRI Member: Wilmington Association of REALTORS Low Price + Best Location! Across from Park Place. Walk to restaurants, Ocean, Lake. #302 Oceanview top floor, new tile, paint, HVAC. MLS# $199,900. SUN SKIPPER #11A Very neat & clean, only 130 steps to beach access. Fully furnished and ready for rental income or vacation getaways. May be the lowest price unit in Sun Skipper. Current owner has never rented. REDUCED! Lowest price on North end. MLS# $179,900 Graduate Realtor Institute Best Service Competitive Fee Third Generation Pleasure Island Resident Charles F. Bell Under Contract Linda Dameron Scott Sweetland and Scott Harris with a 25 and 30 redfish caught on light tackle aboard Reel Adventure Charters. Both fish were released and the 30 red was tagged. Fort Fisher Ferry Schedule 6.15 a.m a.m. 8.30* a.m a.m a.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m. * Summer runs only: May 24 Sept 5, 2005 ** Winter runs only: Jan 1 May 23, 2005 Sept 6 Dec 31, 2005 Crossing: 30 minutes Fare: One Way $1.00 Pedestrian $2.00 Bicycle Rider $3.00 Motorcycles $5.00 Vehicle and/or combination less than 20 $10.00 Vehicle and/or combination 20 up to 40 $15.00 Vehicle and/or combination over 40 up to 65 Ferry Information: (910)

4 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 4 Saltwater Fishing Reports New Hanover County Wrightsville Beach Capt. Rick Bennet of Rod-Man Charters Fishing Reports: Hi Folks, Only one word is needed to describe inshore fishing around Wrightsville Beach...HOT!!! Virtually everything is biting well and the moderate temps we are experiencing should keep the fish biting. The Rod-Man and his guests in the Cape Fear Red/Trout Celebrity Classic did not take home any trophies this year, but we did catch a bunch of trout and had lots of fun doing it. Now here s my report: Inshore: Speckled trout are about to bite the bottom of the boat out. Grubs, Gulp, twitchbaits, mirrolures, live shrimp...all are catching trout in the inlets and the creeks. Red drum are biting in the inlet along with some black drum. You can also find them in the creeks. Plenty of blues are in the inlet, particularly at high tide. While you ll have to buy your live shrimp there is some live mullet around in the shallows and the creeks on the falling tide. Nearshore: Gray trout are biting at the nearshore reefs. Jigging spoons work best along with live or cut bait. Some big reds are patrolling the surf and will hit just about anything. Send us your best photos... s: photos@gillwetter.com snailmail: Braggin Rights The Gill Wetter P.O. Box 569 Carolina Beach, NC Offshore: Reports are that kings are still around in good numbers in the mile areas. Grouper fishing has been super.(let me know and I can hook you up with a VERY GOOD grouper charter. Gulfstream: Wahoo and tuna, mostly blackfin, are biting well. LOT S of great fishing ahead..so... Let s Go Fishing!!! Capt. Rick Bennett, Rod-Man Charters (910) SAVE OUR POGIES Allex and Chelsea Lang with a Black Drum caught October 30, Photo courtesy of Capt. Rick Bennett of Rod-Man Charters. Mark Skeen caught this Trout during the Red Trout Tournament November 5, Photo courtesy of Capt. Rick Bennett of Rod-Man Charters.

5 Saltwater Fishing Reports Brunswick County Oak Island & Southport Will, from Oak Island Sporting Goods reports that fishing is still producing some very nice multiple catch days for the last few weeks. The lingering warm weather has extended fishing in a few areas, as well as brought other fish back into areas that they normally might not be this time of year. Offshore reports indicate that King Mackerel and different species of Bottom Fish are being caught quite well in the area of the South 40, Tower, and Horseshoe regions. The bait of choice has been cigar minnows and squid (cut or whole). Further offshore, has seen Wahoo being caught in the area of the Blackjack Hole using ballywhoo. Nearshore reports have been very good when it comes to catching Grey Trout. Large catches have been reported at the Wofes, AR420, and the AR425. Stingsilver Jigs and Hopkins Spoons have produced the results. Also in these areas, we have seen some large Red Drum (catch and release size) being caught using live bait. Some Flounder are also being caught at the AR425 using live bait as well. The pier and surf reports are still looking pretty good for Spots, Blues, and Whiting using cut bait. Trout and a few Flounder are also being caught as well, with some being caught in the surf. The trout are being caught on Curl Tail Grubs, DOA Shrimp, and Mirrolures. The Flounder are being caught using live bait or strips of Mullet. Backwater fishing is also doing well this time of year with Trout, Flounder, Red & Black Drum being caught along creeks lined with grass beds, the Intercoastal Waterway, and Southport Waterfront. A wide variety of bait is being used, including live, cut, and artificial lures. You might want to check with a few sources before heading out, as bait preference changes from day to day this time of year. As with any fishing trip, take a child, be safe, have fun, and enjoy the day, no matter the outcome. Will, Oak Island Sporting Goods (910) Southport Ferry Schedule 5.30 a.m a.m a.m a.m a.m a.m a.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m. Ferry Information: (910) The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 5 Got Pic s... Get Braggin Rights! Send us your best catch... photos@gillwetter.com Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnigngs Charters with a nice Red before release, caught on live mullet. Courtesy Oak Island Sporting Goods. A Nice King caught on live pogie off of Oak Island by Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters. Courtesy Oak Island Sporting Goods.

6 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 6 Saltwater Fishing Reports Brunswick County Ocean Isle & Holden Beach Barrett McMullan from Ocean Isle Fishing Center reports: Inshore Report: Cooler air temperatures over the past couple weeks has dropped the inshore water temperatures down into the 60 s in our area. The cooler water has sparked the speckled trout bite as inshore anglers have enjoyed the most success on live shrimp underneath a cork. Hot spots for trout action include the south side Little River jetty, the Ocean Isle Beach Bridge, Sunset Beach Bridge, Saspan Creek, and Shallotte River. In addition to the trout bite, the red drum bite continues fairly strong in the same places. Live mullet minnows on the bottom or live shrimp underneath a cork seem to be the baits of choice. This year s red drum fishing for this area has been spectacular compared to year s past. With the hot drum and trout action very little has effort has been put forth on flounder fishing by the majority of inshore anglers though they are still around in decent size and numbers to be caught. The spot run has continued strong over the last couple weeks with anglers and netters filling their coolers in no time. Bloodworms and the artificial Fish Bites and Gulp baits are working best for the spots. Nearshore: Perfect weather conditions highlighted by cooler water temperatures arriving to the area have kicked the nearshore fishing into yet another gear. Pogies have become nearly impossible to catch along the beaches for bait so anglers are using dead cigar minnows and jigging live cigar minnows in the 60-foot range to use for bait. An abundance of grey trout are covering nearshore artificial reefs and other significant structures. Using live mullet minnows fished on the bottom best targets these trout. The king mackerel fishing has gone super sonic. From 60 to 80 feet of water over any structure you will find an abundance of king mackerel. The king mackerel are holding in areas where there is a prevalence of live cigar minnows, glass minnows, herring or any other baitfishes. Spots that are continually producing limits of king mackerel are the Jungle, the 70-foot hole, and the Atlantic Ledge. Most fish are in the 8-12lb range but there are larger fish mixed in with the spikes. The grouper fishing remains hot as well. Fishing live baits such as cigar minnows, pinfish, or ring tails on the bottom over structure from 60 to 90 feet of water is yielding impressive grouper catches. The Ocean Isle Fishing Center fleet has been limiting out on gag groupers using this technique and has focused on fishing around known spots such as the Atlantic Ledge and the Shark Hole. If you go hunting for these creatures make sure you bring the proper heavy equipment as a 15lb grouper fights like a 300lb anything else. Offshore: The Gulf Stream fishery remains rather unmolested in this area as fishermen are focused more on the nearshore fishery. A satellite shot of water temperatures indicates a significant water temperature change between the Blackjack hole and the Steeples, which most likely means wahoo central. Cooling water temperatures and the migration of little tunny through the area means the wahoo will be in hot pursuit as the fish will typically school up in large numbers over structures along the break. Multiple fish and multiple hookups are expected on wahoo this time of year with many fish topping the 50lb mark. For those willing to make the long run the fishing should be rewarding. Side Note: Capt. Amy McMullan fishing with husband Capt. Brant Mc- Mullan from the Ocean Isle Fishing Center caught a 41lb 6oz king mackerel Sunday the 6th of November on 8lb test Stren fishing line. This fish is a pending women s world record for the 8lb line class as it has topped the current record by half a pound. The information is being submitted to the IGFA for review where it may become the new 8lb test women s king mackerel world record. Barrett McMullan, Ocean Isle Fishing Center (910) Editors Note: You may have noticed that Captain Amy Mc- Mullen and her 41lb. 6oz. King Mackerel made this months cover shot of The Gill Wetter. Great Job Capt. Amy! Capt. Brant McMullan of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center with a 20+lb gag grouper caught while fishing in 80 feet of water off Ocean Isle. Photo courtesy of Ocean Isle Fishing Center. Ocean Isle & Holden Beach - Advertise your business in this section of The Gill Wetter CALL

7 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 7 Saltwater Fishing Reports Pender County Surfcity & Topsail Hi folks Capt. David Baxley of Head- Hunter Outdoors with this weeks fishing report. The spots are still running in good numbers and are in the surf and sound now. The topsail creek channel at marker 98 and banks channel at the waterway are good spots according to all the boats I have seen catching fish there this week. The water is cooling off pretty fast with the temps in the low to mid 60 s now so if you want to stock the freezer,now is the time. Va. mullet are biting in the sound and surf also now. Shrimp and bloodworms seem to be working equally well now on both spots and mullet. The point down at the south end is producing some nice drum but its all about being there at the right time. The dredge dock is giving up some nice specks in the late evening and at night with a few drum mixed in. The off shore is coming in with kings in the 5-10 mile range and the false alberts showing up around the reefs and inlets. Watch for birds or the water boiling. Wahoo and sailfish are in the stream also. Capt. David Baxley of HeadHunter Outdoors Charters (910) Editors Note: Capt. David Baxley also heads up our Outdoors Reports on page 14. Adam Burton with a 18lb. king and a 12lb. dolphin caught while fishing with Capt. Alan Ambrose. Got Pic s... Get Braggin Rights! Send us your big catch... photos@gillwetter.com Your Saltwater Headquarters #1 DEALER IN THE COUNTRY CALL FOR NC S LOWEST BOAT PRICES OVER 200 BOATS IN STOCK NC s Largest Skiff Dealer Center Consoles, Dual Consoles & Walkarounds available Hwy 1 South, Sanford chatleeboats.com Serving Area Boaters for 38 Years. Sid Davis from Knoxville, Tennessee caught this 35 inch Red Drum while fishing aboard the Headhunter Outdoors with Capt. David Baxley.

8 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 8 Carey Fowler & Chris Cashwell with two Kings caught off of Ocean Isle Beach while aboard the Minnow Bucket. Thanksgiving Flounder & Trout Classic November 25-26, 2005 Ocean Isle Fishing Center (910) THE GILL WETTER SR. ANGLER WOW! Bill Clardy caught and released this 30 1/2, 8 3/4 lbs. Speckled Trout on mullet while surf fishing in Wrightsville Beach. Photo courtesy of Tidal Market. This Gill Wetter CB senior angler know as Papa Roscoe caught a 17 inch 3lb. Flounder and a 16 1/2 inch Speckled Trout.

9 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 9 Matt Tierney with an estimated 4lb trout that was 22 inches long caught on a live shrimp. He was fun fishing with Capt. Matt Wirt of Reel Adventure Charters. Kenneth Cecil from Wilmington caught this 9.9 lb flounder in the Cape Fear River on a mullet minnow. Courtesy Island Tackle/ & Hardware 2 Kings caught by Steven Godbold on the Minnow Bucket during the WBKMT (15th place weight overall). Get your photos posted here! photos@gillwetter.com Lisa from Ohio caught this Red Drum. How bout that Jack! Barry Singletary from Oak Island with a 3lb 6oz flounder caught Courtesy Yaupon Pier Jamie Wilson Trout during Red Trout Tournament 11/5/2005. Courtesy Rod-Man Charters Dwayne Anthony from Hickory with a 3lb 5oz flounder caught Courtesy Yaupon Pier

10 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 10 Gray Trout by Capt. Matt Wirt Gray trout, weakfish, or sea trout, there are many names for this species. I call them day savers. When the fall northeast wind is howling offshore and the flounder or reds don t want to cooperate inshore, the gray trout are usually a sure thing. These structure oriented fish provide excellent action and are great table fare. The gray trout is an aggressive species and will hit a variety of lures and live baits. Here are some tips and techniques that will hopefully save your day as well. The typical size of the gray trout in our area range from 12 inches (a 2 year old fish), up to some near 25 inches (an 8-9 year old fish). These trout grow rapidly and the average life span is 9 years. For a fish of this size I prefer a 7 ultra light action rod with 15 lb braided line. The ultra light rod makes it much more challenging and seems to result in a greater hookup ratio. These fish are often called weakfish due to their weak mouths. The lighter tackle with a light drag puts less pressure on the fish s jaw and you get to experience the full capabilities of this nice fighting species. Gray trout are opportunistic feeders. They are structure oriented and don t travel far to hunt their prey, instead they position themselves around structure and sit back and wait for the prey to come to them. They prefer near shore wrecks or live bottom areas such as John s Creek or AR When I am fishing an area of live bottom I prefer to drift and cover more ground. If we are targeting the structure I like to anchor up wind or beside the wreck where the current will allow me to present my bait or lure in front of, or beside the base of the wreck. Anchoring in the deeper offshore waters can be challenging to say the least. It might take two or three sets of the anchor, but you will be rewarded when it is executed properly. The weakfish is not a very picky eater. The larger fish will consume mullet, menhaden, small croakers, pinfish, and other baitfish. The smaller ones stick to shrimp, small crabs, and clams or scallops on the ocean floor. The gray will feed throughout the entire water column. I suggest having both live bait and artificial lures when targeting the gray s. When using live bait I prefer medium finger mullet on a Carolina rig with a number two hook, and just enough weight to get it to the bottom. We use 20lb Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon leader, it does a great job without breaking the bank. I have found that I can use a much lighter leader when using fluorocarbon verses mono because the fluorocarbon has a much harder coating and it is much more resistant to abrasion. As for lures, we have been using a product called Gulp that is made by Berkley with excellent results. This product breaks down little by little in the water and leaves an excellent sent trail. The 3 or 4 white curly tail grub they produce seems to be the best so far. When targeting Gray Trout with curly tail grubs it is very important to use a Gitzem jig head. These jig heads make your grub come alive! Instead of the normal up and down motion of most jig heads the Gitzem jig head goes side to side due to its unique design. This keeps your lure in the strike zone much longer and drives the trout crazy! I have also had success with sting silvers as well, with pink or white being the best color. 20 lb fluorocarbon leader works great for the jigs as well. Jig the artifical s with your wrist and not your entire arm. This will increase your hookup ratio and will prevent tearing the hook out of their weak mouth. The trout will usually bite on the fall, and you should have an automatic hook set on your next

11 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 11 jig stroke. Upon hook set, reel quickly five or ten times to get them away from the structure then back off and play it as easy as possible until they reach the net to avoid tearing the hook out of their weak mouth s. August to mid December seems to produce the best results and the early spring months are great producers as well. I prefer a water temp between 55 and 75 degrees when targeting the grays. When caught they should be iced as soon as possible. They have very tender flesh, are easily filleted and are great when fried. When targeting the grays positioning is everything. If you are ten feet to far from the structure you might not get a bite. It s all or nothing. Good luck and hopefully this will put you in position to put some nice gray s in the boat, and remember to leave a few out there for the next guy. Capt. Matt Wirt Sam Prosser with 2 monster red snappers caught somewhere in New Hanover County. Photo courtesy of B&B Bait and Tackle. Virginia O Quinn from Wilmington on 11/6/05 caught her first Red Drum, 6lb. 25 at the south end of Ft. Fisher on a finger mullet. Photo courtesy of B&B Bait and Tackle. Randy Boone caught these 2 bluefish and a 2lb. 11oz.18 citation pompano both caught on shrimp. Photo courtesy of B&B Bait and Tackle.

12 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 12 Got Pic s... Get Braggin Rights! Send us your big catch... Braggin Rights P.O.Box 569 Carolina Beach, NC Vinny Perino Graduated; from Culinary Inst. of America, High Park New York 1986 Family; from Palermo, Sicily Has been living in Wilmington for 10 years Job; Executive chief for Antonio s Pizza & Pasta Come by and try some of Vinny s special recipes at Antonio s open 7 days a week, Sunday 12:00 to 10:30 pm. Monday thru Thursday 11 :00 am to 10:30 pm. Friday and Saturday 11 :00 am to 11 :30 pm. Call ahead for something special Vinny Perino s Fish Grill Soft-shell Crabs with Broccoli Rabe and Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Ingredients: 1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed) 112 cup boiling water 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 scallions or small spring onions, root ends trimmed and sliced 1/2 cup sweet red vermouth Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon capers 12 small ( prime ) soft-shell crabs Instructions: Preheat the grill. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Trim away the bottom inch of the broccoli rabe stems. Blanch the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and plunge into the ice bath to cool. Drain again, pat dry, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in the boiling water for 10 minutes. In a 10 to 12-inch saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Toss in the scallions and cook, stirring often, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and vermouth and cook until the scallions are quite soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool to room temperature. In a blender, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, with their soaking water, the vinegar, capers, and the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside. To clean the soft-shell crabs, cut off the eyes and mouth. Season with black pepper. Grill, turning once, until crisp and red, about 5 minutes on each side. Divide the broccoli rabe mixture among 4 plates. Place 3 crabs on each plate, drip 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato pesto around the crabs, and serve immediately.

13 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 13 Tide Chart for Masonboro Inlet Latitude N Longitude W Adjust times by the following: HIGH LOW Carolina Beach -25 min. -25 min. Wilmington +3 hr,48 min. +3 hr,31 min. Little River +12 min. +23 min. New River -7 min. -5 min. Southport +12 min. -4 min. Topsail -3 min +38 min. Zack Tilley caught this 12.9lb Gag grouper on 11/01/05 20 miles out on Wild Rover II on squid. Photo courtesy of Island Tackle & Hardware.

14 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 14 Hold the Salt Freshwater Fishing Reports Chuck at Lanes Ferry Store reports that not a lot of fresh water action, due to all the guys & girls hunting that trophy buck. There was one good report of a 7 lb. Bass up around Croom s Bridge. The same gentlemen also had four other fish in the bag. The water conditions are some what coming back around to normal, meaning that the Bream bite will become a whole lot better. December, Jan, and February the Crappie hopefully will show up in size like last year. Not a whole lot of Crappie showed up last year, but the ones that did, were of really nice size. Lane s Ferry Store Boat Ramp Dock Grill Bait & Tackle on the northeast part of the Cape Fear River NC HWY 210 Rocky Point, N.C (910) North Carolina Record Flathead by Adam Burton Congratulations to Brian Newberger, an avid angler and member of the Fayetteville-based long Whiskers Catfish Club. Newberger came through on a 2004 prediction to catch a state record flathead, by the end of Not long after the stroke of midnight on Sept. 17, 2005, that prediction became the reel deal. A 78 lb. 52 inch monster flathead sealed the deal, using a live eel, and 50lb. test line. Newberger hauled in this record at the Cape Fear River above Lock and Dam #3. Keeping this possible state record alive was a seven hour long battle waiting for Riverside Sports Center to open. But the long wait was worth it when WRC biologist Keith Ashley verified the fish. This confirmed new state record was released back in the river just after 10am nearly 11 hours after it hit the live eel. The previous N.C. record weighed 69lb. and was caught in the Cape Fear by Edward C. Davis in July The current world record holder for Flatheads was caught from Elk City Reservoir in Kansas on May 14, 1998 and was a 123 pounder. Also, just something to ponder, or start planning to pursue, is that the record for the Channel Catfish is now up for grabs! Vick Germanaro with another nice Catfish. Courtesy B&B Bait and Tackle. Brian Newberger with his N.C. record 78 lb. 52 inch monster flathead catfish. Outdoors Sportsman Reports Hi folks Capt. David Baxley - Headhunter Outdoors with October 23rd outdoors report. In the near future I will be interviewing one of our local wildlife officers and will try to pass on some great info for our local sportsmen and women. The next hunter safety course will be held on Dec Contact NCWRC Officer Doug Jones at for more info. All you duck hunters its time to get your mess together!! Get the boat cleaned up and get it running right. Check your waders for leaks and touch up those decoys. Season comes in on Nov.11 till Dec.3. On a lighter note, I finally one-upped my buddy that I wrote about in last week s column but I can t rub it in cause he s gone to Montana for 10 days. That s O.K. because I got a 165lb. 7 point buck (photo located at - click on Outdoors Reports from the Reports Menu) on Saturday and I ll show him when he gets back. Remember to send some pictures of your fish or game to me or The Gill Wetter and we will try to put them on the outdoors page. Well that s for this week so here s hoping all ya ll tight lines or a buck in your scope. November 7th Report: Duck season starts Saturday and you better get it together boys. I saw quite a few birds this week on the sound and the USFW is optimistic about a good season for the eastern flyway this year Well that s about it for this week folks so remember to be safe and take a kid fishing or hunting. Capt. Davidin Burgaw and they were hunting in Hampstead. Well that s it for this week folks, remember take a kid hunting or fishing it s worth it. Capt. David Baxley Headhunter Outdoors hhti130@aol.com -- County Line Bait &Tackle reports: Tony Riggs got a 7 pointer in Pender County. -- B&B Bait and Tackle reports: Lee Chewning AKA Bigfoot from Wilmington with a 8 pointer. All hunting photos are located at click on Outdoors Reports from the Gill Wetter Reports Menu

15 The Gill Wetter November 15, 2005 page 15

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