Going Out June 24

[Better Late]

This is my first post on this site, so be gentle. Going out tomorrow with my teenage son hoping to find some dolphin. We've only had the boat since last July and this spring was our first trip to the big water. We have caught some kings and bonito but not the phins. Any suggestions on where to go leaving out of Holden Beach? I'm old school, learned how to fish running out of OI on my ol'man's charter boat back in the 70's. I have a couple dozen ballyhoo's, real and artificial and several different colors of nyon skirts. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Keith

[HOTSPOT]

Come on guys, jump in and help out. I am not familiar with that area.

[cablemaker]

Here is my thoughts,

Make the run up to Southport and go out Cape Fear for phins and head straight to the Raritan or Horseshoe, about a 21 - 23 mile run once you clear the inlet. Great reports coming from these two areas.

However, if you leave from Cape Fear and do not want to make that run, head straight to Lighthouse Rocks, then move to 15 mile area, then 18 mile area, and then you can work your way back in toward Lockwood Folly. You can also leave Lockwood and head to these areas as well.

Making the run up the waterway from Holden is only about a 20 minute run. Do not take this wrong way, but since your boat only been out once this year, the run up the waterway might be good to make sure all is good.

These are areas I hope to be at on Friday

If you want exact numbers, post up and I can send you some.

[Better Late]

Thanks Cablemaker, any numbers would be nice. The only solid number I have is at the Tower.

[cablemaker]

Here ya go.

Raritan Wreck - 33.32.503/77.56.897

Horseshoe 2 - 33.31.930/77.55.180

Lighthouse Rocks - 33.47.181/78.07.082

15 mile area - 33.38.785/78.10.210

18 Mile area - 33.37.396/78.11.611

Shark Hole - 33.37.445/78.12.986

Angel Rock - 33.35.590/78.14.997

Be Safe and Catch'em up and post a report with pics............

[Better Late]

Thanks man, we'll do our best and if we're lucky, we will definitley post some pics.

[Better Late]

Well, we made it out yesterday for one of the prettiest days I've seen on the water in a long time. Probably too pretty. Went to the lighthose rocks first and didnt do a thing. Almost had all my lines run over by another boater crossing too close to my stern. Any way left there and headed South to a ledge I had found earlier in the spring. As soon as I got baits in the water had a strike. Nice dolphin skyed the bait and was gone. Trolled a little longer and another air show with no hook up. I noticed some boats about 5 miles to my NW and fast trolled to them and found a reef they were fishing. Trolled back and forth over and around and had a strike while I was in the back of the boat rigging a bait. I pick up the road and nothing was there so I just freespoiled the real. In just a second, what turn out to be a nice bull (10-12lb) was on. Got him to the side of the boat and had the line in one hand and reaching for the gaff with the other and the line broke. No fish in the box. Had a lot of strikes and that one hookup. On another note as I was about to pull lines and head in my GPS and radio went DEAD. Luckily there was a boat nereby, so I ran over and told the Capt. my problem and he gave me a compass heading to take back to Lockwood Folly. Thanks to Capt. Keith aboard Standing Down II for the help. We made back in with lots of great stories and good memories of the day.

Thanks to all who helped. What a day!

Edited June 25, 2009 by Better Late...

[Ice Cream Man]

Glad you made it back safely ............

I am no expert , but do have friends that are & what I have learned from them is to keep your drag on the lite side, to prevent from putting large hook holes in your catches mouths allowing them to throw the hook.......

Another good tip for Dolphins or any fish is NEVER take their head out of the water before gaffing ........

Hope this helps ......... ICM

[Better Late]

Glad you made it back safely ............

I am no expert , but do have friends that are & what I have learned from them is to keep your drag on the lite side, to prevent from putting large hook holes in your catches mouths allowing them to throw the hook.......

Another good tip for Dolphins or any fish is NEVER take their head out of the water before gaffing ........

Hope this helps ......... ICM

Thanks ICM, I appreciate any and all advice. I'll work on the above two techniques on my next trip.

Tight lines

Keith

[schoolsout]

My drag while trolling is tight enough to prevent line creep....if a billfish swipes at it, it will pull out a little allowing you to drop the bait back ASAP. If a fish hits and seems like it is on, I push the lever to strike (8lbs for 30# gear, or thereabouts) then grab the rod out of the holder.

Sometimes, it seems like you are fishing with rubber hooks, though. Last trip out we had several that seemed like they were on, but spit the bait out as soon as drag went tight. Might have been billfish, but not sure.

Hope that helps.