Living The Salt Life:  Our Day Fishing On The Vonda Kay

Wow this week has flown by so fast! Talk about the dog days of summer it is HOT here in Wilmington, North Carolina so what better than to go out on the water and go fishing right?    I really had no expectations other than the fact that I would like to catch a fish or two and just enjoy a pleasant day out on the water.  My expectations were exceeded so I had to share with all of you about our fun day!  Before I get started how is everyone’s summer going?  Is it hot where you are at?  I noticed a lot of my friends were getting some cooler temps this week and I was jealous 😉

So this year I got us tickets to go out charter fishing on The Vonda Kay out of  Wrightsville Beach and I could not wait to go.  I was so excited to just soak up some sun and catch some fresh fish for our freezer. Well we did catch fish because Captain Dave has a reputation for putting people on to the fish according to Google reviews well it’s true.  He of course can’t catch them for you and there really is a technique I noted because my son and husband were just reeling them in over and over.   I really do read reviews to help me make more informed decisions and in this case they did not disappoint.

To read the Google Reviews of The Vonda Kay click here.

 It had been a long time since I had been out on a boat so Captain Dave very patiently showed me how to hold the fishing pole and work with it on the boat.  I happily caught two beautiful grey snappers that were keepers so my mission was accomplished.  The crew was friendly and helpful and one of them is a local Chef and he cooked us up some lunch.  I ordered the Spicy Rudder Fish Taco and it was on point.  My son ordered the fried chicken wrap along with the bacon grilled cheese and by the way the Viking ordered one of those too.  It was all yummy.  For those that didn’t order food they really missed out.

We went pretty far out and I wasn’t sure if I would get sick or not but I didn’t at all if anything I worked up an appetite from all the fishing.  The crew keeps Dramamine on board if you need it but I had my sea bands on and they worked.  I have always worn them when I go out in the ocean and they have always worked so I don’t  know if I need them but I’d rather not find out LOL!  If you cannot be out in the ocean where you don’t see land this particular trip might not be for you.  I went on a cruise last year where we didn’t see land and it just didn’t bother me because I don’t think about it too much.

My Tips For Being Out On The Water

So here are my secrets to doing well on the water especially far out just in case you want to give it a go!

• Stay hydrated
• Wear Sea Bands
• Pack peppermints
• Don’t Think About It
• Let your body flow with the motion of the boat

I’m serious it works!

 

By the way I learned something on the day of our fishing outing apparently you are not allowed to bring banana’s on board a fishing vessel I know cruise ships allow them but they are apparently bad luck at sea.  We were all told to leave our banana’s behind and well we of course had banana boat sun screen and yep it had to be left at the dock.  All I know is we followed the rules and we had a fantastic day.  

I have to share that it was blistering hot but it did not feel hot out on the water.   I am so glad we wore sun screen yes we put it on before we boarded.   They have a galley on the board stocked with water, sodas, and beer well water was the beverage of the day for us and we drank lots.  When we got home a nap was in order and I slept a good solid couple of hours I was wiped out.  They will clean your fish at the end of the day in our case our son had somewhere he needed to be so we cleaned ours at home.  Of course being locals we had that option but other people we met  who were traveling still had theirs cleaned to cook up at their beach house or bring home with them.

Fresh Catch Post Coming Soon!

I think my son was the only one who caught a sea bass; he was the lucky one!  I am really hoping to go out this fall and catch some.  If we are able to make time to go back out we will most certainly be going out on The Vonda Kay or maybe even Captain Dave’s other boat out of Topsail.  Fresh sea bass caught out of the ocean is one of my all time favorite meals and it tastes better when you catch it yourself I think!

Oh one more thing….Captain Dave doesn’t know I’m writing this blog post I don’t even think he knew I was a local foodie/ suburban homesteading blogger.  I just like to shout out fabulous local businesses and give them the spotlight when I can.  I do hope he likes the post though!

My son caught about 7 or 8 keepers, my husband, 4 or 5 and I caught 2 and we have already cooked up some of the fish and it was delicious!  Stay tuned for my next post covering the topic of fishing which is going to be all about cooking up that fresh catch!  

I wish you all a beautiful week….until next time!

Fondly,