01/27/2023 | A Few Dandies….Then BAM!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6vBBlmXLcg

Windy and chilly in and around the water today, but Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star caught a couple of good ones on his trip to the rip.

A few dandies.. and Bam!

Dogone washing machine off there most of today. Challenging.

Kevin from Lewes DE did the deed on our half stacks – too choppy to make a single twenty reef block unit. Got em overboard with fine accuracy though and pressed on.

Just a mess.. Current was pushing my boat into 19 knot winds – cuss & fumble, anchors humbled – knew I was on good fish but no real joy out of it.

Current tapered and a few good fish bit. Nice.

Whit’s 26.5 inch & Joe’s pool winning 28.5 very fine. Released about fifteen legal tog too.

Could have limited on sea bass. Not allowed because VA Private Boats suddenly catch more than they used to in two decades.

Real suddenly.

Hmmm..

System stinks. MRIP has GOT to go. Will if I can help it.

Trophy hunting for tog and caught a few. Tagged some and even had a nice tag return.

BAM!!!

Old tug skipper told me, “If you ain’t been aground, you ain’t been nowhere.” Given far less likelihood of calamity; same could be said for casting I suppose. “If you haven’t goofed up a lot of casts, you sure ain’t been fishing much.” Especially not if you use conventional tackle..

Was getting an update from Vic when a horrendous BANG!! occurred.

Oops.

Current ripping and a heavy lead; cast gone wrong landed on the wheelhouse roof..

Jump out of your skin Loud.

Was a decade or more ago when we had a good old time tog bite going – a regular then and still today, an angler who would qualify many times over for “Mugger Of The Year” while tog fishing, this nameless individual tried to swing a near double-digit tog when the hook pulled. Rod deeply bowed & weight of fish removed; the now greatly accelerated 12 ounce sinker continued on its trajectory and bonked me slam in the head..

Saw stars then I’ll promise. We swore we were going use orange cones and caution tape to cordon him off when he fished again.. Didn’t – would have been a hoot..

One more – Sept/Oct 1983 my skipper had been given a Diawa quick cast spinner (where your finger picks up the line as it flips the bail for a cast). In those days trout fishing (weakfishing) was mandatory come end of August. We were a couple miles below Indian river inlet when the Capt had me rig him up. He moved to an open area on the port side and gave the new system a mighty underhand cast (always underhand on a party boat so far as I’m concerned.) The four ounce sinker and accompanying strips of squid sailed up and away at a slight back angle and landed in the water on the other side of the wheelhouse.

He cut the line and retreated topside.. Didn’t wet a line again that day.

Looks like a couple more fishable days before it turns bitter cold next week.

Keep trying.

Cheers

Monty