And yesterday was really the bomb......no less than 25 calls for either Sunday or Monday. Sometimes, twice by the same people!
Let me just say this, as I've said before.......30 days minimum for all Holidays please! Two weeks is what I like for any charter day. But the world has really changed. Back when I got started in this, Cell Phones weren't even all that popular. But of course I soon needed one, and my first was a present from my dad for my birthday. I used to book days from 3 to 6 months in advance at times. Now, I'm lucky if I get 6 days. It's a gimme-gimme, world now. And if I had 14 boats and 14 captains I could trust, I could possibly be driving a new Ford truck. But I don't. I'm one guy with 40 rods and reels, and only one boat!
Today, I had John K. his son John-John, and Kenny aboard. Great Guys!!! Fun to be with. We started the day as I usually do, scanning the water for the "FLIP & SPLAT" of a Pogie, outside the north rocks. We chansed them around a bit, right at the tip of the north. But the real schools were about a 1/4 mile over towards Ft. George Inlet. One toss of the net and it swam away.
Back to the rocks. Anchored up and it wasn't long before John was hooked up.
A pretty 32 incher in the net. One down, more to go? Not really.....John-john hooked into something absolutely monsterous. But it turned out to be a Dumpster lid sized StingRay that sucked itself to the bottom after John-john already broke a big sweat. I had to bust it off.
These guys are like me. The big reds are okay. But I like to E-A-T! and I love a fried fish sandwich. So we made a move. Not far at all, but it's where we stayed the entire rest of the day. WHY, once ya find fish, don't lkeave fish to find fish else where.
And we found them. THE NEST OF WHITING, willing and able to find their way into our fish box! And I ain't talking just small "dink" Whiting either. We had "bulls", the size of keeper Speckled Trout! Filling the box with close to 50, which equates into 100 fillets. Prime eating fillets, when tossed in Zaterains Country Fish fry mix and peanut oil.
COOLER FULL OF PRIME FRIED FISH SANDWICHES!
Using four, yes four pounds, of shrimp. They were chewing really good. As the guys waylayed the Whiting, I kept pitrching a Pogie out, and even though the rocks adjacent us didn't seem to be holding any Reds, I eventually hooked one and as it took line off the reel I handed it to John-john. It was a 26-1/2 inch keeper.
We never left this Whiting hot spot. Until the tide slowed and we started to swing on the anchor line.
It was a great day. I always like people who are like me. And I love a big fish-fry. And I love Whiting, too. So we fished the entire tide. So we packed it in and headed back to the dock.
Monday: 4 passengers, and then this Holiday is OVER.
Now, do ya think I can get people thinking ahead for around 4th of July? I know of one group, the Tanner clan. Greg Tanner will book his day early. Because I've been taking him and his kids for years. He knows the deal....
Thanks John. It was a good time, today. Hope to see ya'll again.
