Back from the Outer Banks

We are back from our vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. If you've never been there, go. That is if you are like me and prefer the unspoiled beaches, vacant of hotels, conduminums, and high rises. It is a beautiful place.

I was disappointed in the fishing, but all of the locals told me it was perhaps the worst time of year for the fishing in my area. So I hope to schedule the next trip to coincide with some better fishing.

I will be back.

Now it is time to start getting ready for Deer season - and trying to mix in some hog hunts along the way.

Enjoying the Outer Banks

We are currently on vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our house that we rented is about half way between Nags Head and Hatteras. These beaches are the prettiest I've ever visited. They are as natural as any beach I know of. Large dunes, covered with sea oats and cedars, miles and miles of unspoiled beaches and maritime forests. It has been a good trip.

I came hoping that the fishing would be as good as I've always read about. Unfortunately it has proven to be quite a challenge. So far, I've caught 5 small croakers, 1 flounder, and two dog fish. That's it. None of the big reds, or small ones for that matter. No trout, no Spanish mackerel. Nothing but 8" croakers.

I'll try again tomorrow......Before coming I built a beach cart to haul all my gear to the beach. It has worked well with a few adjustments needed. First I need wider tires, mine are too narrow and sink in the thick soft sand. Second, we need better access to the beach, while a lot of beaches here allow for driving directly onto the beach, you definitely need four wheel drive to get there. Today we went towards Avon to another beach, It took me 20 minutes to haul all our stuff out there, the cart kept sinking in the sand, on the way back, I made two trips, hauling the cooler and fishing seat and then going back for the cart......it was alot of work. Especially since I didn't even get a bite......this evening we went to our beach in Salvo, I left the cart and carried only one rod and the fishing seat/bait bucket. and I caught 4 croaker.

Al in all its been a good week. We spent yesterday sight seeing, we visited the Hatteras Light house, and rode a ferry to Ocrakoke Island and saw that light house. the whole day was interesting and enjoyable. I am looking forward to the next few days.......I would highly recommend the outer Banks to anyone who, like us, tries to avoid the commercialism of other beaches. It is a great family vacation spot.

More to come......

Crappie Fishing

Today I finalized my trip with Captain Brad Taylor to go Crappie fishing this Thursday, June 11th. An outdoors magazine set up the trip for me and one of their photographers to interview a known guide and get pictures for an article I'm writing about crappie fishing. I must admit I've never been fishing with a guide before, so the opportunity is something I'm looking forward to. We will be fishing on Lake Murray in central South Carolina.

When we return I'll give more details on the trip, but not too much, you'll have to get the magazine when it comes out next spring to read the details, after all they have first publication rights to the article.

And in the next week the same photographer and I will be going bow-fishing for another article with the same magazine. Same scenario, more pictures and another article - this one's about bow-fishing along rivers during the day.

After ten plus years of sending out manuscripts and working on the craft of writing, the hard work is paying off. Now to branch out to regional and national magazines.......interestingly, most of the articles I've sold deal with fishing, and I hunt far more than I fish, I guess I need to work harder on the hunting articles.