Had some guys out today, for a half day trip. They called me at the last minute. I said, "okay, let's meet at the dock at 7am. The tide's gonna be super high, 6.7 feet, so we'll fish the rising tide in the morning."
They said, "oh no, we can't go in the morning. Can we leave in the afternoon? And then, we're heading home Friday morning."
So looking at my tide book, I took a guess-tamite and said, "Okay, let's try 1:30 to 5:30pm" Knowing all the while that the tide was going to scream hard. But how hard?
Doing well, just bottom fishing for some big Reds on my last trip on Sunday. I figured we'd just do that. I get to the boat ramp at noon, and I get a call.....It's my guys and they're right behind me, and like myself an hour and a half EARLY! I was early, because I'm always that way.
So, this puts us leaving, and the tide is MEGA-HIGH, and slack as hell! As I passed over the Wonderwood Bridge near my house and looked down. The I.C.W. was flooded. There was water, where water hasn't been in a long time. Higher then what any storm has put the water at lately.
"Oh, this is gonna be a killer!" I thought.
So, here we are out near the Little Jetties, after milling around for awhile. I anchor up. The falling tide starts pretty quickly here.
I pitch out two lines baited with cut Boston Mackerel. The only smelly bait I had. The bait stealers have a Hay-day on it, shaking the rod tips pulling on a free meal in the slack'ish current. How did I know it was gonna be this way?
One of the rods really shakes, and one of the guys reels in a 14 inch deep water, river Seabass! That's a nice one, for in the river, for sure.
We sat through plenty of bait peckers, as the current started to flow. But I eventually made a move, to an inside bend in the river where we caught the big Reds on Sunday.
"Jus' before the tide became "LUDICRIS", this week."
We sat and sat and sat, while I tried keeping 10 ounce bank sinkers on the bottom......Which wouldn't hold, in the current! Even on a inside bend in the river, while anchored up in just 26' of water!
Our half day was clicking away......No bites. The tide was way too strong.
Then came a Stingray. The same fella who caught the Seabass takes the rod. Heaving, hauling, breathing hard, sweating, he battles the alien hovercraft, as it rises 100 yards from the boat on the surface. My "little rods and reels, that can" which is what I call my 6' Ugly Stiks matched up with my mini-Accurate twin drag reels, are straining but still have some power left work the stinger to the boat. But the last 20 feet, I have to literally "hand-line", the garbage can lid to the boat.
We continue to sit in current that a small water skier could probably stand up in, behind my anchored boat!
Then, about 5:30pm, two ships pass right next to us....... the tide now lets 10 ounces stay on the bottom. And one of the rods doubles over.
FINALLY!
John's turn. He's an experienced fisherman, and he picks up my short rod and works the fish to the boat. as the ships pass right behind us.
The guys drank alot of beer while waiting. It was getting late. So they said let's pack it in and go eat. I felt the same way.
I had a feeling I'd have to fight the tide this week. And even today, fought with myself between just grabbing a bucket of dead shrimp and taking the guys Croaker fishing, versus trying to fish for the big Reds, in this excessive NEW MOON river current.
So, we took a shot at it. But, I know we could have went to shallower water, with lighter weights and lighter tackle and caught the hell out of Croakers, also. But, I went for the BIG FISH, instead.
Which was a tough call for a four hour afternoon trip. But we did get one. So I guess it was a success. It's never good to beat yourself up second guessing, anyhow.
Now, as of Sunday October 2nd the tide will finally drop below 6 feet, with the rest of the first week of October going back to normal tide heigths. Which is around 4 feet, between low and high tide.
I'll be out on October 4th, with one angler that day.
Let it be known;
the 25th thru 30th of October will again be the same way as this week. And I'm sure that's when everyone will want to go. The tides will again be over 6 foot, from mid morning working it's way to the middle of the afternoon again, by the 29th of October.
BE, FORE-WARNED!
