Blues R In

Went out Saturday morning with Justin. Blue fish are in and the stripers are slowing down. At least today with the blue sky in the early am they got board real quick.

 

New Kayak Works

Finally got out to the salty-water today. 1st time this season. Also the 1st time in my new Trident 15. What an awesome ride.

Got there at 5:30AM as someone was leaving. He told me the schoolies were up. I got out there a little ways and yes they were there and playful. Caught a few to 24 inches, then as the sun fully came up they shut down.

More yaks and boats started to arrive but nobody else was catching either. As I paddled along I kept spooking fish (that would not bite and seemed to be on the move). Then I finally had one willing to play. A boil… a splash…. a tug and a miss…. Re-cast to the same spot. Boil, splash, and hook-set. BANG! A giant tail rolls over into the water creating a lovely splash. As line proceeded to strip off of my reel, I hear a voice in my head tell me that have yet to catch even a keeper from any of my kayaks yet. I smiled then heard another voice saying, “Brian, don’t screw this up – K?”. OK, I thought.

Before I knew it the kayak must have been at 10 MPH. Looking at the shoreline I smiled as I realized that THIS IS ALSO MY 1st REAL SLEIGH RIDE!  WHOOOO HOOOO!

After a good fight, I landed the behemoth and got my 1st keeper of the year in on my 1st trip and in my new yak! What a great morning. I would like to thank a fellow NEKF member kenmathis for taking some pictures for me. Thanks again Ken!

Taped out at 42 inches and weighed 23+ pounds.

August 1st, 2008 – Joppa Night Trip

 

Promised some co-workers I would take them out on a trip. Actually tried 2 weeks ago on a Friday night but weather was really bad and had to cancel at the last minute..

 Got out around 7:30 PM or so and started to gear up. I stayed off of the flats for an hour or so until there was more water up there. Then about an hour before high tide we headed up. Fished with only a couple of bites (questionable though). Then we began to see and hear others around us catching them. I don’t like crowds though so we moved away. Each time I did though, I swear everyone followed me like I was on fish.  Still seeing people catch fish I was getting a little confused.

We tossed an eel out for good measure and after a lot of time in the water the line went off. But by the time I picked it up it was gone (eel too). Too much work for me with 3 people in the boat though so have to think that over a little better in the future.

Then some line got caught in my prop and in the process one of my co-workers (Justin) yells out loud, “I got one, I got one.” I said, hey don’t do that. He said “what?” I said, look around us now. As we looked up boats started motoring over to us like zombies in the dark. Justin fought the fish for a little while then I helped him land it.  A respectable 34″ 13 pound solid striper. Nice!

After freeing the line from the prop, I quickly switched my weightless sluggo to one on a jighead (similar to what I setup for Justin). Lathered up my bait with smelly jelly then probably 3 casts back I got whacked. At 1st I though it got off. Then nope, it is on. Then…. wow, this is a good fish. Whoops, it is gone. Nope swimming right at me. Around the boat / back to the front / taking lots of line. Finally got it tired out and with one hand on the rod and the other over the bow I lipped this toad of a striper. 21+ pounds and 38 fat inches. Wow, that was awesome. That is exactly why I fish. For that adreninline rush you get when hooking into, reeling in, and landing a fish like that.

As the night went on, there were still some more yahoos calling out kudos on big fish being caught, some good splashes, and the entertainment of the googans that should have been on the shore getting drunk but instead took the boats out.

Justin got his 1st striper that night and I was pshyced for him. Ken did not and I felt bad. But he has probably more gear than me and lives close to the salt so it is only a matter of time. Until then he wants to be called pepe le pu.