Basil Watts heard a turkey gobbler calling in the distance. It was early in the morning in a location where he had seen a gobbler the afternoon before. Setting up hastily to face the bird, he leaned his back against a tree and began calling to the gobbler.
Motoring through the near shore waters off Oregon Inlet, the captain scanned the early morning water for any sign of activity and also monitored four sets of trolling rods that dipped into the boats wake as the craft plowed through the rolling water.
Boats lining the banks of the Brunswick River south of the U.S. 17-74-76 Bridge between Leland and Wilmington have become part of the winter scenery. They create a flotilla rivaling the cruisers in Banks Channel during a busy summer weekend.
Striped bass anglers are hoping for a cold winter, which will push the fish down from the North Atlantic.