Saturday, March 10, 2007

3/9 - Cold & Windy, and a follow-up story.

W-I-N-D-Y....was the word for today.

More like, "an airborne attack from the North East, at 20 knots Skipper, should we drive up the sails??"

I was out early. And should have just stayed home. Because my heart just wasn't into it. It was a waste of shrimp and fuel for me today, I just wasn't in the mood for fighting the weather once again. It seems that's all I do any more.

At high tide I went and caught a bunch of small Trout on a MirrOlure on a submerged Mud flat, and that was about it. And constantly wonder why this spot never holds a single Trout over 14 inches, no matter what. So I'm Xing it off of my Map.

But, to FOLLOW-UP on a previous story....

I was catching zero, and ready to go home, by the tide got low'ish. And Nick who fished with me last week to get some "pointers & tips", comes on by in his 17' SeaChaser the Red Drummer.

We talk as I sat on a rock hard spot, with two lines out with light lead looking to get a Sheepshead bite...(waiting on the falling tide) in which I received zero. So Nick took off and went float fishing in a creek, and later called and said he caught an 18" Flounder. But his float rig wouldn't stand up for some reason. Since my power of observation is very keen, I noticed his big ole Float was too big for his trout lead when he came by earlier. I said, "Your floats to big for your lead, that's why....come over here and get a lead off me."

I was wanting to pack it up and go home. So Nick pulled up minutes later and I gave him a few weights to try. Because when Float rigging, your float must stand up straight, on the drift. (It's a trial and error thing, because 99% of the floats out there do not tell ya what size lead to use. The only ones that do are Salmon Stalkers, by Premier Plastics found in Cabelas.)

So, as Nick and I shot the bull for a few more minutes, I pointed to an area that he ought to try. I said, "You need to go over there.....and anchor up along that bank in 8-9 foot of water because if you don't I might." Since EVERYTHING....EVERYTHING lately is about the low tide, there ought to be some Trout in there.

So Nick takes off, and I go home. I get a call a a few hours later, while slopping together some thing that resembles a supper for myself. It was Nick, and he said he caught Trout, some small, some good keepers. I said EMAIL A PIC TO ME. And I'll do a follow-up story.

PICTURED ABOVE...a 25 incher. That has to be a 5 pound Gator Trout?

Man, was I happy for him, and sad I didn't go over to that spot I sent him too, myself.

But the point is, a day or two of "Coaching" can go a long way....a very long way. Although there was still some coaching going on today too, the guidance he received on our two trips together was worth their weight in gold. I hope, Nick is on his way to being a Full Time Float Freak now. He's got good tackle, he bought a G. Loomis Popping rod, and a Abu Garcia Chrome rocket reel. He's got a good fishing boat, that drafts no water, but has BIG water capabilities too. And now he's got an idea pf what to follow to find his own good spots, and get his own groove going.

And best of all, when he buys two dozen shrimp for a 1/2 day trip after work, he'll come home with Fish, not with two dozen shrimp still in his live well.

This is what a Private one person weekday charter can do for you. If you want to improve on your skills......FAST!

I get a lot of e-mails, and people think it's a magic spot, a magic day. There's no such thing as Magic, you have to learn to make your own magic. And that's called local fishing knowledge.

Or you can do what one guy does to me, and others. He follows me around all the time. His name I think is Doug, and we call him "the shadow". He knows just enough to be dangerous and maybe someday he'll get his boat shot with a flare gun and sunk at the jetties, if he keeps pissing people off. THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT.

Nick's another happy angler on his way to "float-freakdom". Now maybe he can teach me to play the Bongo's or something. Since he is drummer (percussionist).