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Big Girl In tha House!!!!!
Folks I’m going to try and give y’all the full story here, but let me say that after over 12 hours on the water yesterday (5/22) my hands are not working right this morning. I would have normally posted this down in the fishing reports, but this one is special and Coachlaw has alread started rumors.....
I do have to once more send thanks out to Mr. 007 he was one heck of a guide and is really an all-around nice guy to boot!
Our day started at Fat Boys just as the light of the day chased off the darkness of the night. We were welcomed to some very strong east winds that had the water churned up and things didn’t look good. Though the water wasn’t the best we motored from the dock, 007 at the helm, and my son and I as his crew. Because of the wind we only went a short way from the dock when we set up our first drift, which last the better part of 2 hours. It took us from Fat Boys all the way across Jones to the mouth of the DiversionaryCanal. During this drift we picked up two nice reds, mine first at 23 inches which we kept because we had to surgically remove my Corky Devil from its stomach and my son’s fat 25 incher that was released to fight another day. My son’s red ate a Gulp Jerk Shad in the Lime Tiger color.
Our next stop was 007’s flounder hole up the Diversionary. The only problem was the winds would let us set up a drift like we wanted so 007 pulled the boat up to the bank as we set out the Stake Out Stik, BTW if you folks don’t have one of these you have to get one for your boat as they are one of the best tools for the fisherman ever to be made. It didn’t take 007 long to prove this was his flounder hole as he added two fat 19 inchers to the cooler. As for my son and I, I caught a rat red and a throwback flounder. My son continued his quest for the ultimate bay slam, as the day went on it is easier to list the types of fish my son didn’t catch on arties. It is a short list as the didn’t catch a hardhead, a black drum, a shark or a spanish mackerel, he did catch at least one of every other fish that swims in our bay complex.
From the Diversionary we headed over to GreensLake. The water really looked good in Greens but the fish either weren’t there or we really never figured them out. We were able to pick up some 14 ¾ trout and they seemed prefer Pearl and Chartreuse Brown Devileyes. After spending over an hour in Greens we pulled out to head for the south shoreline of WestBay. The wind was still kicking as we broke from the Intercoastal into the bay and the ride across was a little rough and wet but we made it and set up a drift in a cove that I had caught some fish over the past few weeks, but there were no takes, well trout that is as my son and 007 both boated big gafftops on jerk shad. We moved to the next cove west with the same results and this time no pulls at all. Our stomachs were mad at us and mine even thought my throat was cut, so we made a run to Sea Isle and had a great lunch at their marina. Very nice place and some good food so if y’all are on the water an hungry, I’d recommend stopping in for some good food.
We pulled out of Sea Isle and moved a little west to set up a drift in a likely spot but found no takers there, not even a bump. With the drift sock back onboard, we headed east back up the bay looking for another likely spot to try our luck. This is when 007’s keen fish finding senses kicked in as he turned the boat towards a cove that was protected somewhat from the wind. I do have to mention that the water along the south shoreline was in really great shape by noon yesterday, so that had added to our problems finding that special place to fish. Too much green water is almost as bad and no green water. When the water is churned up, and you find a spot that has better water than anywhere else you are likely to find fish. Well the fish must have been spread out all over the place on this day, well except the spot where 007 decided to set up our next drift. The drift started like most of the rest had, no takers but then we came to a spot where my son hooked up with a dink, then 007 had a good fish on then gone, then it was my turn.
I felt the lightest of tics on my line and as I tried to take up slack I found the fish was moving towards me. I cranked my reel as fast as I could to catch up and then set the hook into what I knew was a strong fish. The big fish moved pas the boat and behind us stripping line from my reel. At first I was thinking it was another solid red, but that changed when this big girl broke water to show us her back, it was a big trout. The fight continued for what seemed like hours, this big trout trying everything to get free. She tried the get in the drift sock but my son quickly pulled it into the boat. Her next try at freedom was the motor but some how I was able to keep her out of it. Once she came close to the boat so we all could get a good look at her, let me tell you there were three hearts beating really fast. Every time I would work her near the boat and towards the net she would say NO and strip line and I’d have to work her back to the boat. She made a few tries at running under the boat but I was able to stop her. Not sure at how well she was hooked I had backed off on my drag so this let her pull line more easy and extended the fight, but that was better than her pulling the hook and being gone. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, 007 pulled the net around her and my big girl was onboard.
Getting ready for the day of fish the night before I had been talking with my wife and had commented that it had been a long time since I’d caught a really good trout. Sure over the last few years caught a 25 incher here and there but you had to go all the way back to 1992 when I’d caught my personal best. I told her I felt like I was due for a big fish, and that is what had happened. My last personal best was a fish caught in the middle of the summer and went a 28 1/8 inches, but only weighted in at 7.8 pounds. Now I don’t really know what counts as a personal best, length or weight as the big girl yesterday was a little short than the other coming in at 27 ¾ inches but what she lost in length she more than made up for in girth. She went right at 8 pounds on my boga just after being caught but I knew from past experience that the boga was on the stingy side. She was weighed once more when we hit the dock at Fat Boys, with a crowd of people around. Fat Boys scale tipped at 8.1 pounds and she had been on ice for close to three hours by then, so unless folks want to disagree, I’m calling her 8.1 pounds as the official weight. I’m going to also call her my personal best as she is truly a fair fatter and prettier trout than the one I caught many years ago.
Back to the story, we did pull back in for another drift in this place and each time we came to this one spot we would pick up a few fish, no more big girls but more fun. After the forth drift we decided we knew were the fish were so we pulled back and put out the Stake Out Stik. We continued to catch some fish, and were join by a couple boats of West End Fishermen. I’m not going to try to list them all here, but I do have a picture or two of your Leader, WestEndAngler and his kewl boat as well as him landing a big lady fish that was a blast to watch. My son also had a great fight with a large lady fish that he had a blast with as well. All in All a super day on the water with friends, once more 007 thank you sir! Here are the pics………
BTW the big girl took a Woodpecker Bass Assassin on a 1/8 ounce head worked slowly off the bottom……
007 please fill in anything I've left out and once more thanks it will be a day I'll aways remember!
Oh the pictures of the A-hole didn't come out good enough to get his numbers but I'll post the pictures anyway.
I do have to once more send thanks out to Mr. 007 he was one heck of a guide and is really an all-around nice guy to boot!Our day started at Fat Boys just as the light of the day chased off the darkness of the night. We were welcomed to some very strong east winds that had the water churned up and things didn’t look good. Though the water wasn’t the best we motored from the dock, 007 at the helm, and my son and I as his crew. Because of the wind we only went a short way from the dock when we set up our first drift, which last the better part of 2 hours. It took us from Fat Boys all the way across Jones to the mouth of the DiversionaryCanal. During this drift we picked up two nice reds, mine first at 23 inches which we kept because we had to surgically remove my Corky Devil from its stomach and my son’s fat 25 incher that was released to fight another day. My son’s red ate a Gulp Jerk Shad in the Lime Tiger color.
Our next stop was 007’s flounder hole up the Diversionary. The only problem was the winds would let us set up a drift like we wanted so 007 pulled the boat up to the bank as we set out the Stake Out Stik, BTW if you folks don’t have one of these you have to get one for your boat as they are one of the best tools for the fisherman ever to be made. It didn’t take 007 long to prove this was his flounder hole as he added two fat 19 inchers to the cooler. As for my son and I, I caught a rat red and a throwback flounder. My son continued his quest for the ultimate bay slam, as the day went on it is easier to list the types of fish my son didn’t catch on arties. It is a short list as the didn’t catch a hardhead, a black drum, a shark or a spanish mackerel, he did catch at least one of every other fish that swims in our bay complex.
From the Diversionary we headed over to GreensLake. The water really looked good in Greens but the fish either weren’t there or we really never figured them out. We were able to pick up some 14 ¾ trout and they seemed prefer Pearl and Chartreuse Brown Devileyes. After spending over an hour in Greens we pulled out to head for the south shoreline of WestBay. The wind was still kicking as we broke from the Intercoastal into the bay and the ride across was a little rough and wet but we made it and set up a drift in a cove that I had caught some fish over the past few weeks, but there were no takes, well trout that is as my son and 007 both boated big gafftops on jerk shad. We moved to the next cove west with the same results and this time no pulls at all. Our stomachs were mad at us and mine even thought my throat was cut, so we made a run to Sea Isle and had a great lunch at their marina. Very nice place and some good food so if y’all are on the water an hungry, I’d recommend stopping in for some good food.
We pulled out of Sea Isle and moved a little west to set up a drift in a likely spot but found no takers there, not even a bump. With the drift sock back onboard, we headed east back up the bay looking for another likely spot to try our luck. This is when 007’s keen fish finding senses kicked in as he turned the boat towards a cove that was protected somewhat from the wind. I do have to mention that the water along the south shoreline was in really great shape by noon yesterday, so that had added to our problems finding that special place to fish. Too much green water is almost as bad and no green water. When the water is churned up, and you find a spot that has better water than anywhere else you are likely to find fish. Well the fish must have been spread out all over the place on this day, well except the spot where 007 decided to set up our next drift. The drift started like most of the rest had, no takers but then we came to a spot where my son hooked up with a dink, then 007 had a good fish on then gone, then it was my turn.
I felt the lightest of tics on my line and as I tried to take up slack I found the fish was moving towards me. I cranked my reel as fast as I could to catch up and then set the hook into what I knew was a strong fish. The big fish moved pas the boat and behind us stripping line from my reel. At first I was thinking it was another solid red, but that changed when this big girl broke water to show us her back, it was a big trout. The fight continued for what seemed like hours, this big trout trying everything to get free. She tried the get in the drift sock but my son quickly pulled it into the boat. Her next try at freedom was the motor but some how I was able to keep her out of it. Once she came close to the boat so we all could get a good look at her, let me tell you there were three hearts beating really fast. Every time I would work her near the boat and towards the net she would say NO and strip line and I’d have to work her back to the boat. She made a few tries at running under the boat but I was able to stop her. Not sure at how well she was hooked I had backed off on my drag so this let her pull line more easy and extended the fight, but that was better than her pulling the hook and being gone. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, 007 pulled the net around her and my big girl was onboard.
Getting ready for the day of fish the night before I had been talking with my wife and had commented that it had been a long time since I’d caught a really good trout. Sure over the last few years caught a 25 incher here and there but you had to go all the way back to 1992 when I’d caught my personal best. I told her I felt like I was due for a big fish, and that is what had happened. My last personal best was a fish caught in the middle of the summer and went a 28 1/8 inches, but only weighted in at 7.8 pounds. Now I don’t really know what counts as a personal best, length or weight as the big girl yesterday was a little short than the other coming in at 27 ¾ inches but what she lost in length she more than made up for in girth. She went right at 8 pounds on my boga just after being caught but I knew from past experience that the boga was on the stingy side. She was weighed once more when we hit the dock at Fat Boys, with a crowd of people around. Fat Boys scale tipped at 8.1 pounds and she had been on ice for close to three hours by then, so unless folks want to disagree, I’m calling her 8.1 pounds as the official weight. I’m going to also call her my personal best as she is truly a fair fatter and prettier trout than the one I caught many years ago.
Back to the story, we did pull back in for another drift in this place and each time we came to this one spot we would pick up a few fish, no more big girls but more fun. After the forth drift we decided we knew were the fish were so we pulled back and put out the Stake Out Stik. We continued to catch some fish, and were join by a couple boats of West End Fishermen. I’m not going to try to list them all here, but I do have a picture or two of your Leader, WestEndAngler and his kewl boat as well as him landing a big lady fish that was a blast to watch. My son also had a great fight with a large lady fish that he had a blast with as well. All in All a super day on the water with friends, once more 007 thank you sir! Here are the pics………
BTW the big girl took a Woodpecker Bass Assassin on a 1/8 ounce head worked slowly off the bottom……
007 please fill in anything I've left out and once more thanks it will be a day I'll aways remember!
Oh the pictures of the A-hole didn't come out good enough to get his numbers but I'll post the pictures anyway.
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