For the Week Ending Sunday, May 7, 2017

Monday, May 1, 2017..."Shouldn't even have launched," said Ron, "but I did." He went on to say he fished Rudee Inlet from 5 to 7:30 p.m., catching two small bluefish while trolling and fighting the dreadful wind. "There were times when I thought the wind would flip me over," he added. "Going north was a breeze, south, not so much." He concluded by saying he got a pleasant surprise with some dinner fare: a 21-inch speckled trout.

Saturday, May 6, 2017...Some may be wondering what has happened to a usually healthy number of inputs for this report. Among the problems has been a steady dose of high water, coupled with closure of the West Neck Marina ramp for repairs. I also know one angler took a new job here recently that undoubtedly is demanding more of his time. Speaking for myself, I'm more than a little anxious to go looking for a few more fish. Reckon I'll be using the Pungo Ferry ramp, though, until the West Neck ramp reopens.

Sunday, May 7, 2017...This week included multiple trips to Rudee Inlet for Ron, as well as a trip to Milldam on Friday. The biggest take-away from Milldam was the high water. However, he did locate one crappie for his efforts. This morning, it was another trip to Rudee Inlet, where Ron met with excellent success. He caught his first keeper redfish, as well as seven more, plus a keeper flounder and a small speckled trout. He kept three of the redfish, as well as the flounder, for the skillet. "Cleaning the redfish was an interesting challenge," he said. "My first effort at scaling them didn't come out so well, but I figured it out and have some really nice fillets." He described those redfish as "fighting like a bandit" and said they were "a blast to catch on light tackle." They averaged 18.5 to 20.5 inches in length. Meanwhile, the flounder measured 17.5 inches.