Leon and I had been out on the sound in the spring fishing his nets and had a great day - got a good many fish and enjoyed the day talking and pulling his few nets... good gray trout, a few specks, real nice bluefish and more than a box of fatties.

Leon's son, Rick had mentioned wanting to take Dad out for a day and asked if I'd like to come along sometime. I accepted, of course, and today Rick was without a charter so he called last night and said to be there at 06:00. No problemo!

I was up way early, got the trout box ready and the truck packed and just at 5:45 the light rain let up and it looked like it was going to turn out to be a great morning. Heavy weather was expected about lunch or there abouts and that would give us plenty of time to get in some great fishing in the overcast and cool morning.

The truck was packed, I was ready, I hopped in and "click, click, click"... nothing was happening.... "uh, oh... not now!"

Plenty of battery power, but no action.

"Well, I'll never live this down...."

I ran back in and called Leon real quick, he said not to sweat it he'd ride up and get me... I went back out and grabbed the trusty hammer and whacked the starter solenoid a good one and the green Hatteras spooge flew, hit the key and she fired right up... "uh, oh... I'll really never live this down now!" I said laughing to myself.

No time to do anything about it, so I headed out in the quickening light to flag down the boys and turn them around - they couldn't miss me - one road in - one road out...

Yep, they saw me and did a quick 180 and we were at the dock in minutes, a little late, but with good cheer all around we loaded up and hit the water.

What a great morning. Overcast, but cool Rick put his boat close to the markers and when we hit open water he planed her out and we scooted across the mill pond like sound cutting a rug to the fishing grounds he knows so well. I'm always asking questions and Leon loves to give answers and point out interesting things to me.

It wasn't long and the bow set down in the water as we glided in quietly and started fishing.

Leon hooked up first almost immediately and boated a nice gray trout, then had another on in a bit and Rick and I knew we had our work cut out for us. It wasn't more than a couple more casts and I had one too.

They were biting pretty well and I was trying to keep a bearing to cast in the same spot while the boat turned slightly in the light breeze. Leon stayed ahead and Rick kept the pinfish and lizard fish busy while we ribbed him - he was always ready right on time with the net and my fireline had him catching them in mid air - he's good with that thing! He must have played Lacross at some time or another.

Leon's bite slowed and suddenly I got a nice hit. Line started coming off the little reel as the rod bowed over and Rick hollard. "Speck! We're on 'em Dad, kick that anchor over", and it was done.

The heavy speck busted the water and the line peeled from the reel as it tail walked across the smooth water... "Ahhhhh man! You GOTTA love that!" Rick cried as I giggled like a kid. More than a few runs and I got it close enough to the boat to work it right up to Rick and he scooped it up with the net... a nice one.

He snatched that thing out of the net and said very matter of factly that there wasn't a more beautiful fish in the whole world - he was right, but I already knew that.

A few more casts and I had another one even bigger. The fight was on and Leon hooked and boated another gray as I worked a very nice speck to the boat and the net.

I asked Rick to hold those two up for a photo real quick as it was time to change out a mangled grub anyway and the time seemed right to grab a few pictures. About that time Leon had a speck on and there was no problem telling grays from specks - those spotted thangs hit light tackle like they're mad at it, and maybe they are.

Leon was 'oooooing and aaaaaing' telling us to look at that baby go as line screamed off his reel too - it's really amazing how hard they fight and how fast you can tell one species from the other.

We stood there in the boat and a put more than a few fish of both species in the cooler trying but loosing count quickly on who was ahead - the one thing we did know was that poor Rick was busy with us in true guide style and hadn't boated one yet.

I set the rod down, rehooked a new grub and played with the camera for a while as he fished and it wasn't too long before he had both a gray and a speck to the boat and in the box.

As quick as we were on 'em they quit and we talked, told stories and casted and jigged until Rick had enough and decided it was time to move around a little. He eased the engine into gear and crawled ahead between some crab pots pointing out to me where the pot was in relation to the buoy so I wouldn't hook one - it was good info, but I had a nice pot on before long anyway so he eased the boat up to it and told me to just shake the rod tip a bit - more good info and the hook came free and I was back fishing with no harm done.

We each caught a few more, Rick was slap wearing out the pin fish so he turned on the live well and started throwing them in. When he had a couple in there he got out the live bait cork and tossed one off the back of the boat in search of a real pig. He got a few strikes, lost a few pinfish but never did hook the leviathan he was after - it didn't matter we were having a good time.

We got some company and caught a few here and there, got some strikes, then it died and the word was to pull 'em up and we'd go for a little ride.

Leon and I talked about fishery stuff on the way and Rick whoaed her down real quick when he saw something and said: "Hey Mo, watch this!" He had a top water plug out of the holster in seconds, putting it right under a few birds that were working, the rod immediatly bowed up, line screamed off the small reel and a great long gar leaped out of the water....

"Marsh Marlin!... Hooked UP!"

I rolled! What a hoot! Marsh Marlin indeed!

Well it wasn't long before it blew the hook, but Rick advised Leon to throw right in behind the top water plug as he kept casting and losing 'em and it wasn't long before Leon, even with a teenie piece of grub left had one on and it was a nice one too!

Rick told me to let the grub work right over the top of the submerged grass and try for a speck down under the gars and blues higher in the water column. I got the hang of it pretty quickly - the fireline let me know exactly when I was in the grass, so I adjusted the retrieve accordingly, but had a pretty nice blue on soon anyway.

I told the guys I'd take just a couple of blues for breakfast and that's all I wanted, so we did put a couple in the cooler, but were really trying for specks. Leon boated a nice speck and I kept the bluefish and "Marlins" happy with grub pieces. I had a couple of Marshas on, but never got one to the boat. Leon did however, so I took a couple of pictures.

Leon reminded Rick that I would surely post the pictures and swear that's all they caught - we laughed at that one - Leon knows me all to well I'm afraid.

Some squalls were coming at us and we had to put on the rain jackets, the wind kicked up and we decided to call it a morning.

What a great day....

By all means if you get down here and want some sound action be sure to give Rick Scarborough, Captain of "Speck Tackler" a call at 252-995-4679 - you won't be dissapointed. Sailing from Hatteras, Every day weather permitting. Hit this mail link for more info: specktackler@fishmojo.com

Thanks guys - I had a blast.

Well.... time to get out the old knife and clean up some dinners.... nothing like a before and after shot to whet the old appetite.

Slam Dunk