Bonnetheads

We got out on the sand flats at the north inlet of Pawley's Island yesterday, and I got hooked up on my first bonnethead shark. There is a nice channel that runs between the mashgrass edge and the sand flat just inshore of the inlet, and we snagged a couple of sheepshead early but both but they got loose.

The water was flat and clear and only about 2 feet deep, and just as we were thinking about moving on I saw a 3-foot shark moving from the flat into the channel. I managed to flip a shrimp on a float rig right in front of his snout. Two quick turns and he bracketed the bait and snatched it up. As I set the hook, he took off and the light drag setting I had been using stripped dozens of yards of line on his first run. Not 5 seconds later, all of the tension left the line and I cussed the fish for snapping off before a good fight on light tackle. Then, to my surprise I saw the little guy swimming right back alongside the boat, bright orange float rig still hanging from his mouth!

I assumed the line had snapped somewhere above the leader, and I was determined to haul him aboutd by whatever means necessary. I set down the rod and grabbed the cast net, tossing out an ugly hast tangle of mono right over his head. He saw the cast and took off like a rocket, moving before the net hit the water. Unfortunately, my assumption that he had snapped the line proved incorrect as my new Penn reel started to head overboard. We managed to grab it on the gunwale before it went in the drink, and then the line really snapped. It would have been fun to land that shark - probable 15# or so. From what I've read, Bonnethead fishing is pretty fun.

Editor's note: the pic above is neither my shark or my boat. Just a grab off the linked article.

Turkey Season

These guys are really funny:



h/t Four Seasons of Birdhunting

Whaler update

This is what we are starting with:

My Whaler Renovation, Part I: The Plan

I am fortunate enough to the luckiest sort of son, the type whose dad owns a boat. A 1987 Boston Whaler Classic 15' boat, to be exact, with a 60HP OEM Evinrude outboard. After much soul-searching and deliberation this spring, I decided that the time was ripe to pump a little love (and money) into this able craft, all in the name of comfort and fishability.

ContinuousWave is a terrific resource for Whaler aficionados, and I was able to find numerous examples of other Whaler-refit projects as well as this little gem: an original wood-locating schematic. Armed with just enough knowledge about boats to make me truly dangerous, I've set out to make the following improvements this fall:

1. Install a fiberglass side console to replace the low-slung original mahogany;
2. Elevate the rear thwart seat to allow under-seat gas stowage (this hopefully will improve trim fore-aft), and install cushioned boat seats for the captain and first mate;
3. Fabricate a rear casting deck, which will increase stowage aft of the rear seats but also provide a platform, flush to the gunwale, from which to cast, pole, dive, etc;
4. Replace the anchor with one that fits the bow stowage locker;
5. Install foward cooler brackets to hold a large cooler - perfect for storing fish on ice, and providing a seat in the bow.

During the refit, I hope to retain as much of the attractive (but uncomfortable) mahogany fittings as possible. In addition, I am eyeing the following big-ticket items for future conquest: a poling platform for push-poling the flats for tailing reds; a new four-stroke outboard; and a custom fabricated bow rail of heavier-gauge aluminum that is more substantial but less obstructive than the current wraparound bow rail design.

Hopefully, I'll be able to post some pictures later this summer. Target date for completion: October 2009. Redfish, here we come!

The '87 Whaler in its current condition,
Capt. Jim at the helm (Edisto SC 2007).

Oh the places [we should] go...

The short list:

• Eastern Oregon, hun and chukar hunting;
• Cape Romaine NWR, fishing for red drum;
• North Dakota, pheasant hunting;

Suggestions, advice, and GPS coordinates to reputable honey-holes always welcome.

Wisconsin Grouse Hunting

Ah, the warmth of Finnish cooking in the Great North Woods of central Wisconsin.

Dad and I had the distinct pleasure of hunting Ol' Ruff for a week in October 2008. The hunting is tough, fighting thick brush and broken ground, and much unlike what's found in North Carolina.

Lodging, food and sage advice provided by Palmquist Farm.

The author and Dean, with his first Ruffed Grouse

Black Mountain Crest Trail

One of the most delightful hikes I've done recently was tracking the Black Mountain Crest Trail this summer with my sister Anna. The way we tackled it, the trail climbs 3100' out of the Bowlens Creek Trailhead (N35 52.611 W82 17.083) to the top of Celo Knob (6327') and then follows a knife-edge ridgeline 12 miles south to the summit of Mt Mitchell, NC. At 6684', Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi, but along the way you also have the opportunity to bag six other 6000' peaks and enjoy amazing vistas to the East and West. The trail is just a narrow track through chest-high blueberry bushes and scrub conifers, and is quite unlike anything else in the area. The latter half of the trail, south of Deep Gap, is used fairly often by day-hikers out of Mitchell, but on the northern leg you are more likely to see a bear than a person.

P.S. Make sure you work out in advance which member of the hiking party is responsible for retaining the vehicle keys for the 'End' trailhead. It is a long and demoralizing walk back.

View from the slope of Celo Knob, looking south along the

ridge of 6000' peaks that comprise the Black Mountain Crest Trail.