Second Duck Split Opener

 

Fishing afternoons after duck hunting proved to be a challenge with fog, slick conditions, and a huge flood tide. Capt. Chris Cady managed to limit on Reds and Drum on Saturday with Capt. Doug Russell coming up with a few keepers of Drum and Reds. Shrimp and cut mullet are producing best over mud and grass. The emphasis around here has been “ducks” and the second opener was far better than expected for our clients with full limits for the majority and “bent barrels” for some others. 

 

We’ve got a full slate at The Lodge for through Christmas week and we’re hoping to shed a little water. The Seadrift tide gauge has been creeping from 2.15 to 2.65’ here over the weekend and that’s well over a foot more water than we should have. 

 

 

The much awaited second duck split opener turned out better than expected for our guests. While I’ve complained about Seasons far better than this one “to this point” the feeling coming off the weekends hunts is much like that of a pilot that made it to the runway with a dead engine. 

 

We’re under siege on the coast by a myriad of conditions that are not conducive for us including but not limited to huge bull tides and sever inland flooding, river flooding, flooded fields, fog, post frontal slick-offs, and scattered birds. While we have access to a vast amount of acres inland, there are countless acres that are flooded with failed crops that are inaccessible. This lends itself to a “quick pop” early followed by “we’ll just go sit over here and not fly” scenario. 

 

Extreme pressure inland landed limits for 4 groups Saturday morning with some as early as 7:20am. Two out of four of our bay shoots limited with the other two groups shooting poorly with enough birds to “get the job done”. We exerted plenty of pressure on the bay as well. Saturday we had tight fog but interestingly enough it had wind with it and that was a saving grace. 

 

Sunday, fog with a “slick off” pretty much sent things into a spiral with near limits coming on two of four bay shoots including some geese and the other two taking single digits. One of the groups absolutely should have “broke double-digits” but simply couldn’t hit them. Inland shoots pretty much came to a grinding slow down with one taking 20 birds and a goose and the others shooting low double digits. 

 

 

We are getting ready to break the new MLB Super Mag out tomorrow with the Dunn group from the Carolinas. If you are into Layout Boat hunting, “stay tuned”.