Monday, November 7, 2011

11/7 - FROM THE PAST..."ye ole back when"

Remembering this past week 2009......

(I kinda miss those lit'l Snappa's. But now, they've went away. Either all died, or hauled ass, during the mega-winter freezes of 2010. When water temps locally got down to 42 degrees. Just like any Snook populations we had built-up over the years of warmer winters. The smaller Mangrove Snappers were a real irritant up in the river, but as fall approached and they headed out to sea. We'd catch big one's up to 16" along the jetties rocks, along with a rare but super cool fish called a Black Margate. Also a fish that we built up populations of over the years of warmer winters.  The winter of 2010 is when we had alot of below 32 degree temps. And several absolute bone chilling mornings. I actually recorded 17 degrees at 8am one Feb. morning as me and a buddy headed out to fish from his Kayaks. Wow, we were crazy!! And we only lasted 3 hrs. Hopefully, no more winters like that for a long time.)

 

Saturday, October 31, 2009


10/30 - Is this really two days before November?

Had John G. and Jay aboard today. From Ohio and N.Y. They came down to J-ville for just a bit of messin' around and for a day of fishing. Well, we fished alright. Fished our tails off. Especially float-rigging, looking for some Speckley bastards....that's what I call them Trout when they're making me mad.


We fished and fished, moved around, sat in monster current, you name it. And never got the first Trout bite or Trout to the boat. It wasn't for a lack of trying or working hard. I know I worked hard on my end. I pulled my Achilles tendon behind my heel and it was throbbing with each step I took, and each time I yanked and cranked my giant length of chain and anchor back into the boat.


I swear it was noon or later, and we couldn't even give away a live shrimp to anything more than a Pinfish or tiny Jack. Which, this all started back last Tuesday when I was out with George and Tom, progressively got worse on Wednesday, with Mike and Phil, so it was no shock, that now by Friday, with the due east breeze and up coming full moon, that it may be a bit of a struggle finding quality Trout like species.


So I basically had to just give up. I was at the end of my line, by 1:00pm. So we sat on a spot, using 1 oz. egg sinkers, a real long leader, tiny hooks and light rods and the smallest live shrimp and pitched out behind the boat as it swung back and forth and caught about 20 Mangrove Snappers. With some really decent ones going into the fish box. We boxed 13 good fryers, 2 shy of our boat limit, before they shut off as the tide changed. Along with a Sheepshead and a small Black Drum adolescent Ladyfish.

I didn't want to attempt the jetties this morning, with the east wind and I'm sure, sloppy seas. But now as the tide changed and the wind laid down, I had no choice, but go look at it out there.


So we saved just enough live shrimp to go give a spot a try. We soft peddled our way out there. And once on the spot, it seemed we could easily fish.

With not a whole lot of sea legs, John and Jay could at least lean into the boat as we rolled in the swell, and froth. On the second anchor attempt, I was dead on where I need to be. We pitched out float rigs up to the rocks, and it didn't take long before John was hooked into something really nice.


Turned out to be a good size Redbass, that ran him straight to the bow. After a long day of no big pullers. Just the twitch, twitch of one pound Mangroves under his belt, he was a bit taken by the slam dunk and "see ya" attitude of the jetty junk yard dawg he had hooked up. It looked to be a Red anywhere from 26-30", it was hard to tell as it came near the surface....ONCE! Then, pop the hook let go and we had to quickly chock this one up to a "fishing experience".


Back at it we went. And again, it didn't take long before John was hooked up again. This time the fish went toward the stern, and then under the boat a few times. Coaching as much as I could, we really needed this one, "in the boat!"


After a good slug fest, John guided the Red to my waiting dip net. Unfortunately, depending on how ya look at it, the fish was 28-1/2 inches long. And a real beaut, with loads of spots.




Not a keeper, but a good catch none the less. Jay was ready to pack it in, or was a bit uncomfortable with the seas out there...."it was undetermined".

So we headed back to the dock to clean the Sheepshead and Mangroves.

Because John and Jay's fish had a date with the fryer at Singletons Seafood Shack. With 28 fillets they had almost 4 pounds of cleaned fish. And in my opinion, I'll take them nice small crunchy along the edge's fried fillets of Mangrove Snapper over a Redbass, any day!



So, the higher water falling tide in the morning has been a genuine struggle all week long. It's still so damn warm, and this weekend isn't going to help. Be it the backside of an El Nino year, no hurricanes, no tropical storms, or whatever it was that "didn't" happen this year. I'll take the latter, any day.



Because there's no way I should be out tracking Trout all week in the last days of October and not be able to find them where we fished. Last year at this time sure was a totally different story.

But no matter what, if you're willing to stick with me. We'll put fish in the boat, even if I have to anchor us up in the chop & slop, or take up Mangrove Snapper fishing.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

11/5 - More wind.

Damn, what's going on with this wind? This is now weekend #2, with gusts to gale force. Was out on Saturday morning. Had a "two hour kids trip". Had Sean, his wife, his 4 year old son, and his 6 year old daughter. Who looked to be the future angler of the group. From what I saw at the boat ramp, I was the only "charter" out there, today.

We deaparted at 9am. Yeah it was windy, cold and as the tide fell against the N.E. winds the river got good and choppy. The kids caught some Croakers, Seabass, Pinfish, and Piggy Perch at the first spot. But the wind was whipping the boat back and forth really good. So we ran to Atlantic ship yard to get out of the wind, and and there we couldn't get a single bite, with just plain ole dead shrimp on small hooks.......which seemed impossible.  So I moved around quickly, as time is of the essence with these trips. Still nothing. So we finished up the trip driving by the mega-yachts that are sitting along the docks there. The kids jus' made it, before starting to whine.

My biggest worry was for Sunday. Have had it booked with folks from out of town for weeks now. And of course they had one day and one day only to fish.

I watched the NOAA forecast intensely.......and yeah it changed from N.E. 20K for Sunday, back to what it was earlier in the week. Morning rain, and gusts to gale force!  Given the chance, my Sunday clients decided to postpone the trip to a later date.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING
NORTHEAST WINDS 20 TO 25 KNOTS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO
GALE FORCE. SEAS 10 TO 15 FEET SUBSIDING TO 9 TO 12 FEET DURING THE
AFTERNOON. INLAND WATERS CHOPPY. ISOLATED SHOWERS.

I keep looking ahead for a day during the week that I can go up to the St. Marys river jetties and trout fish. I certainly don't want to go to a new area with any wind over 10 knots. I want a decent day with the only challenge being "fish a new area".

 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

11/1 - Gale Force Gusts?.....are back!

I'm almost thinking that today, the wind is worse than when I was out with two folks on Sunday, actually catching Trout.

With not much to do in this weather. I've been checking out Moore Boats. And yes, I'm in love. Not to say I don't love my boat. But the things that you can do with aluminum boats is just so vast. That's why I love them!

Either way, here's another installment of education about aluminum alloy boats. If you have been a frequent visitor to this blog, you know I have a real facination with JET BOATS.

But the problem has always been, they're usually low to the water, having not much freeboard, are not all that large, and if they are they're made to run rivers in Idaho.

And they look it!

My friend Jay who I bought my boat from, found this new company in Maryland that's building large East Coast style hulls. Aluminum of course, adding Jet Drives coupled to none other than, DIESEL ENGINES.


If I was able to do it all over again, this would be the boat for me. A 28 footer like the patrol boat shown below. A single jet, connected to a diesel engine, configured for coastal fishing! No sand bar, no mud bar, would stop me. Plus, a turning ability second to none.

Watch this boat "slip" right into it's "lift" after coming to a real fast stop.

JETS, plus diesel, plus 5086 aluminum..... Holy smokes!

Look at that innovative bow design!