Recently, Chris M. a blog reader asked, "what is K.O.D. Dave?"
-Well, maybe you have to be someone fishing a given day and only that day, to come up with a saying like K.O.D. Chris. Ya know I don't pick the days. Other's do. And many times I know ahead of time what the given day will be like, because of the weather properties. And when I depart the dock and there's a due EAST blowin wind, and a high rising tide at the same time. I refer to this situation as a, K.O.D. Defined as; KISS OF DEATH! The hard East wind is tough enough to get away from in the Mayport area, let alone with the wind pushing a high tide in with it. And I know before we even depart the dock, "this is gonna be, kiss of death for the fishing."
Chris' email gave me an idea. Why not go over some of my more common fishing code lingo.
Please remember. I'm a humorous kinda guy. I like to laugh at a alot of things. Rather than cry or get mad. So many of my terms that I'll discribe here, were either learned from others. Or ones that I came up with while playing wordsmith, for fun. Many are true Capt Dave original's though.
One of my favorite things in LIFE is an I.G. situation. As a fishing guide, I.G. is what I live for. I.G. makes my job easier. And as an angler myself, "all I ever want is I.G." When you read in these reports, that we were in an I.G. situation, it means, "the anchor-line came tight on the first spot and the first cast, drift of the float, it was INSTANTANEOUS GRATIFICATION. Fish-On!"
I hate the HUB. I only wish I could price charters to make it worth my while and my customer's while to get the hell outa the HUB, especially on holidays. A Thesaurus will define a HUB as; A center of activity or interest; a focal point. And that's how I define it also. Where is the hub for a Mayport fisherman? My definition of the HUB is: Tip of the Mayport Jetties, down river to the little jetties area, to included BOTH 'bogus' Manatee slow speed zones north & south.
Which brings me to my next definition of this Anglers code lingo. CAULDRON OF HELL. You may only here me discuss the cauldron if you're on the boat with me. Actually, I like the cauldron. But I'm wierd that way. Most don't. The cauldron of hell is at the Little Jetties at the cross of the ICW in the St. Johns River. When there's a big time full moon falling tide, pushing against a due East of even South East wind at 20 knots plus. This area of the river will chop up bigger than a water spout at the tip of the north jetty in February! Usually, it's at the end of a long fishing day as we head back from down river that I'll run into the cauldron. And I tell everyone to "hold on.....I'm throwin the Disney World ride in, for FREE!" Because I'll lay on the throttle, and point the bow into it. We'll fly across the tops of the 4 foot folding white water chop as the ebb tide is bucked by the high easterly winds. You won't find a Carolina Skiff in the middle of all this enjoying the washboard thrill ride. But you'll find me there.
Let's throw in some fish species, to this Angler's code lingo:
- Brutus T. or Brutus T. Redbass = Redfish, a big Redfish with a bad attitude. Usually because of light tackle.
- 7 Striped Jetty Snapper = Sheepshead, usually a big female spawner.
- A GATOR = Everyone has their own definition. But mine is a 6 to 10 pounder. A genuine GATOR TROUT. (can also be just a "T"-ROUT, "T" from Gator. It makes sense to me.)
- A King-pin = Is a Sheepshead that bit a few times, and ya finally caught the bastard on the float-rig. Not big enough to be a super sheeps of any kind, but just a larger version of a dang, Pinfish.
Other fish & boating code names:
Azz Hander = A fish to big for you to handle.
Jack Crevalle = Yellow Submarine, when it comes to big ones.
Barracuda = Snaggle Toothed Ledge Trout.....or SATAN of the sea.
"your hooked to a jetty rock!" = Granite Grouper
Small King Mackeral = Snake
King Mackeral in general = Slimey's
Spanish Mackeral = Spaniards
200 pound Jetty StingRay = Alien Hovercraft
Flounder = Flattie
Small Seabass = Sea Buscuits
Weakfish = Yellowmouths
Black Drum = Redfishes Ugly Cousin
Mangrove Snapper = MANGO'S
Dolphins/bottlenose = "Flipper's"
The guy in the bass boat that just drove over your lines = Beldar Conehead, also: "CONER"
Plate Alloy = what the Jettywolf boat is built from. Thick 5083 marine grade alloy.
Bank Fisherman = LBA's...Land Based Anglers.
Any small fish that ate your bait = Baitstealers, bait snatchers, shit fish.
Porcupine = Fountain boat owners
Cuban Penis extender = GO FAST boats with loud exhaust pipes in S. Fla. Driven by a old white haired cuban guy w/ five girls in thongs on the bow. Also known as: the Strip club owner.
Ghetto Cruiser = big space ship looking, non fishing boat, C.A.D. designed to have the largest possible wake at any speed.
Okay, let's talk some tackle.....
- A "FAIRY WAND". Well, it's a rod. And too light of a rod. Because you may loose a good fish using that fairy wand (used in a sentence) It's the rods that my Trout fishing buddy D.O.A. Rob uses, to toss his 1/4 oz.D.O.A. shrimp lures. Ya' know how most inshore rods will say on them, 10-20# line, 1/2 to 1-1/2 oz. Now that's a rod that'll put a bit of back bone into a battle with a big Redfish in 20 feet of water......at least to me. Rob uses a rod that says; 7' 2-6# line 1/32 to 3/16ths oz. THAT'S A FAIRY WAND! He certainly won't be using that rod at the jetties, and if he does, he'll get his azz handed to him.(you learned above what azz handed meant.) And Rob's also a proud Spinner user, too. See below for Spinner definition.
- A "CORK". The overall term for any float used while fishing. It could be made out of styrofoam, balsa wood, plastic, or foam. But it's still just a cork!
- A "STRAIGHT HOOK". Any hook that isn't a "circle hook" or "treble hook". Doesn't matter if it's a Japanese Ari Gato, or Matzuo Ile Ezuto hook. It's a dang, straight hook.
- A "LEAD". The weight used on a float rig, is called a Trout "lead".
- A "SPINNER". To me it's also an; "egg beater"....also known as a Spinning Reel. I don't like them thangs. Kinda ugly and oh so obtrusive rod and reel combos. That seem to adorn all the the rack space of the local Wally World fishing department. I guess makes them highly sought after? Giant gangly guides are part of the spinning rods physique, and that rotating egg beater on the reel that supposedly puts the line on the spool straight. Yeah, yeah, it has it's usage, not my useage, though. Was initially developed so the average fisherman could actually cast with not much practice. And only on Saturday's....hahahahah.
I could go on and on. But I think ya get the jist of it. If I use code lingo during these blog reports and you don't know what I mean, just email me like Chris did. Email me, and I'll let ya in on the "code lingo".
Fishing a new lure on Tuesday the 19th with DOA Rob in his boat. Big time R&D (research and development....there I go again) with a Southern Louisiana Bayou, favorite.
Let's see if it'll be my favorite too. Before I tell ya' about it.