Forecast is looking completely epic! I bet it's going to be particularly killer with all the recent beach re-nourishment on CB. dlrouen: Can I hide under your house? I'm scared!
Funny man. Only if you bring some of your oyster stuffing. I'll provide le beer. It's at Pelican, right? Are you entering? I haven't checked the nourishment south of the boardwalk, but the North End has been really fun lately. Hopefully there will be a little something out there on Saturday - I would hate for Kelly to fly all the way to CB for nothing.
I'll be in it if they run it. Right now it is scheduled to be at Hamlet, same place as the last time. And of course on the smallest day we have forecasted so far. I need to get out and practice my ankle-slapping straight-handers. Hopefully my buddy will let me borrow his Eavy Simms since it qualifies as a short board. I forgot to post my oyster stuffing recipe! Unfortunately it specifically calls for NC Oysters (preferably Topsails), which are out of season until October.
I don't think the beach replenishment will be at Hamlet by Saturday. They are dumping sand at Perriwinkle right now. Ankle high and clean!!! Should be a sweet comp!
Local is the only way to go - none of that "Farm Raised" bull. Topsails are great, but my favorite is our Stump Sound. I try and take it easy since they are running a little scarce these days. ^ I wouldn't mind using Louisiana's bayou oysters. I snapped that picture at Felix's Raw Bar off Bourbon Street. Don't see too many of those around here. Now that we have a "non surfing related" thread section, we should start a recipe thread.
I was getting confused, I'm now pretty sure it's going to be at Sandpiper/Sandstone Surf Shop... that's where the last one ended up being anyway. Sand pumped city, but I'll be pretty surprised if they run it judging by the forecast. Those look pretty darned good. BTW, Stumps are only somewhat scarce because they are cultivated in marsh lease plots which are harvested on rotation. Googling the history of Stump Sound makes for some really interesting reading from an ecology standpoint. I like Topsails the best because they're on the other side of the ICW and get more direct, clear ocean water. They are also a different species than Stumps, not generally as big (and believe me--I like a good cow tongue like the one in your pic) but a little more salty and a slightly better cooked consistency (not as chewy) for things like the stuffing, stews and whatever else you have the inclination to cook with oysters. +1 on the recipe thread. I'll post up the oyster stuffing and my pocket flounder recipe when I get a chance to dig them up.... I need to make the pocket flounder again just to somewhat measure my ingredients since I usually just wing it.
Hey Erocker good luck if they hold it. I kind of dig you North Carolina types and your unity with mother nature. Hey answer me this: Do y'all have guidelines down thar aboot(whoa look at that combo a southern twang with a Canadian back to back) how often it is recommendedly safe to eat fish caught in y'alls local waters?? Now, I'm no fishing type though I used to like to use it as an excuse to drink beer on piers in the Outer Banks, but we get warnings around these here parts aboot eatin certain fish caught locally more than once a month. Y'all got that down thar? Man, North Carolina is such a more spiritual and in-tune with nature locale than New Jersey.............New Jersey really kind of sucks when you think aboot it, unless you're a thugster.
They moved it to Sunday because WBLA is having their Kona Watermen comp on Saturday. They also moved it back to Hamlet since apparently the pump is right at Sandpiper at the moment. I don't think it's going to make much difference though... knee high straight-handers don't care what block it's on. Bill, your "accent" is blowing my mind doonchenooo (N. Dakota accent). It all depends on what fish you are talking about. The lower you eat on the food chain the better off you are, but we often eat predators like Yellowfin Tuna (in season locally now), Wahoo and King Mackerel--all of which build up mercury. The thing is, most of the mercury builds up in the skin and not the muscle--so you're pretty much all good if you're not eating the skin. Also, we try to eat "teenage" sized fish like that since they usually have little to no mercury at that stage in life. Pregnant women should avoid them just to be safe. Oysters have a season around here from October through May. This has more to do with resource management than water quality issues although they are much less likely to have lots of bacteria in cold water. We harvest clams year-round. The marshes within a certain distance of marinas and development are permanently closed to shellfish harvest. All other species-specific closures are management related. And believe me man, not everyone down here is in tune with their environment.
Over harvesting is definitely take a strong toll on our local oysters, but it really damages our ecosystem in general. Our local flounder population is thinning out because they like to breed in-and-around the oyster estuaries. What's next on the list? Make sure to recycle your shells! CB has a drop off under the bridge and a few local restaurants have joined the cause. We bring the shells in - clean them with salt water - then spray them off a barge to create man-made estuaries in hopes that a few passing oysters will "settle down" and make a bed of their own. It's some really cool & tough stuff. Help out and spread the word.
