With the absence of any real, spring-like weather and the ever present cold wind from the north, Ocracoke off-shore fishing is managing to be quite productive for the first half of May.
Nat Schramel of the Flying Melon and his party of four slayed about 40 gaffer-sized mahi on board the always successful Drumstick with Captain Farris O’Neal and first mate Nick Piland.
A few days later the Hoggard party of five from Raleigh and Greenville chartered the Drumstick to the Gulf Stream and caught 13 mahi, 4 wahoo, 1 glass eye, 16 trigger, and 2 blackfin.
That same day, Chris and Trip Streuli took their family from Greensboro along with Cody Heffernan and Paul Stephens to the Gulf Stream and caught 251 pounds of fish aboard the Gecko with Captain Ernest Doshier’s team. The family comes here once a year for a family vacation. They reeled in 16 mahi, 3 wahoo, and 12 trigger.
Captain Ernie returned the next day and took Aaron Speaks and his friends from Raleigh out and nabbed 12 mahi. (Pictured.) The guys all went to NC State together and were here to party, fish, and catch up on old times together.
Gecko also took Scott Bair, Mindi Weikert-Kauffma, Marci Jo Barney, and Tristan Barney from York, PA on an off shore trip and scored 14 mahi and over a dozen trigger and vermillion sapper combined.
Apparently Bill Gilbert, owner of Anchorage Inn and Marina let a few fish slip out of his hands into the harbor, so he sent himself diving for the lost fish in the lake. You can see that video and more on the Anchorage Facebook page.