Currituck Sound Report July 11 -17

[LKNGreg]

Went crabbing in the Currituck sound starting from the Duck / Sanderling side July 11 – 17. Have a RCGL that allows me to use 5 pots, plus used one half pot off the dock in shallow water with a 16 foot flat bottom jon boat and a 20 hp outboard.   

Pulled pots a few times 12 hours apart and a couple of others 24 hours.   The sound was choppy all week with 15-20 mph winds.  Setting pots solo was ok but pulling pots solo a challenge.  Set pots in deepest water I could find about 1.8-2.5 miles heading West towards Conjock.  3 or 4 commercial lines were in the area as well that we stayed 100+ yards away from.   The flat bottom boat is great for shallow water but wish I had a v hull in the chop.  Something to think about and appreciate any feedback.   

On Saturday morning putting out the last pots of the week a commercial fisherman sees me from about a 1/3 of mile a way then starts heading for me.  In my mind thinking this is going to be ugly.  He and I would guess two of his sons along with a chocolate lab are in about a 34 foot wide beam working boat.   He slows down as he approaches my boat and I am expecting a confrontation.   He shouts out "are you missing any pots?"  I am dumbfounded – respond no I have 3 in the water now and two in the boat and have 5.  He asks if I am sure and indicates there are three pots set with pink buoys north of where we are now, and he offered to show me where they were.   I thank him for checking but assure him they are not mine.  He shared they have been in the same place for a week and is concerned they are missing.   Super nice guy was completely wrong with my first impression. 

Overall caught 62 keepers average size was about 5 3/4".   Did not count smalls.  For bait used frozen menhaden, chicken leg qtrs and a combination of leg quarters and sea mullet.  The menhaden ironically seemed to work the least with the combo of chicken and sea mullet working the best.   Did not take pics of crabbing due to the rough waters just a pic of the last nights finished product attached.     The half pot near the shore did not catch one keeper all week.   

Overall an ok week a little less numbers than previous years but we checked pots a little less with the choppy water.   Hope to get to the coast again this year and keep at it.   

Best,

Greg

[saxon4646]

Good deal on the crabbing. I myself have never had any luck using chicken in my pots. I have no idea why- the handliners use them all the time and do well. Also- I have found out that the deeper blue water fish- dolphin,
grouper, snapper, don't perform nealry as well as mullet, spots, pinfish. That is for me. I know others will have different results but on my 11th year this is what I have found out. If I may ask- how deep of water were you setting in? I used to fish Coinjock bay back when the sound was very freshwater- It was the BEST Bass spot in the country until hurricanes brought in all that sea water. That's been 40 years ago.

[tattoo]

nice report and catch

[LKNGreg]

At Saxon - The deepest water we were able to find was 6-7 feet.  The depth in the Currituck is not impacted by tidal flow but more by wind.  With a West wind blowing almost all week it added 1-2 feet in depth particularly on the eastern shore or were we kept our small boat.  The area that was most productive is marked with the oval on the attached image.    It was actually closer to Jarvisburg or about 10 miles south of Coinjock.    We crabbed the three areas indicated with depth levels.  

Each year we seem to catch a few more females which i think indicates the salinity or salt content is getting higher.  The area is also improving for Redfish another indicator of higher salt levels.