The weather was beautifull and all my yard work was done so I put the bay boat in and went exploring some of the local waters. Always fishing offshore has given me a disadvantage living in Empire. Today I started out to the west and found the water a little dirtier than I had hoped. After 6 or 7 of these nasty hardheads I had to get out of the area.
I ran south and found some areas with clean moving water. The tide was incoming and I hit a spot that had redfish on every cast. I chose to sit there and have some fun while watching one of my buddys getting some trout and a bunch of redfish nearby.
There were some rats and a heck of a lot 16 1/2 to 18 inches. I kept a limit alive in the livewell while getting some good ones and releasing the smaller ones. This area was alive with reds. the catching was as much fun as I could have asked for.
The area is loaded with small mullet and I know the big trout are not far behind. After over an hour of this I got a water out of the cooler, sat down, and called my brother in Southington, Ct. wishing he was here. I needed to take a rest. When the tide slacked so did the bite. Having 3 nice reds on ice and 2 others in the livewell I went to some other areas. The water was a good color in drakes bay but no signs of any fish. I then went to an obscure corner of bay adams and found some water still comming in. The first cast to the point gave up a rat red. The second cast had the drag burning. This hog had every other red in the area running out of the way. I had to chase it with the trolling motor. This fish was not giving up without a fight and fight it did. What an adrenalin rush. When all was said and done the net was full. Although only about 29 inches it weighed 11 pounds on the grip.
After all got settled down I went back to the same point and made another cast. The cork goes down and the drag starts screaming again. My wrist is cramped and sore from all the catching I already had today. This one takes off around 3 PVC pipes marking the corner of an oyster lease. I have to get on the trolling motor and bring the boat around the poles in order to get a clear line with the fish. This one seems a little bigger than the one I just landed. The fish is bending and shaking the PVC poles. These are 2 inch pipes. After another long battle it gets around another pole that must have had a barnacle or got into an oyster because the 40 pound braid broke. The cork came up a ways out but once it went down again I never saw it again. Trust me I was looking hard for it. Got a call and had to head in so I still had 1 18 incher in the live well. Put it on ice and came in with a limit of reds.
As I was cleaning them I gave my neighbor a pair of fillets and I think it was cooked and eaten before I finished cleaning the rest. Love catching and giving cleaned fish to the friends and neighbors that are not able to get out.
Life is Good!
Fishing is not a matter of life or death. It's more important than that.
CAPT HOOP -- OUR FREEDOM
04-10-2012, 10:14 PM
A day off?
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