Lots of quick runs into the ramp to wait out the clouds.
The most frustrating part was the other people fishing... Made me remember how lucky I am to usually fish during the week.
We got to Panacea about 6:15 and there was a big cloud hanging over the bay and some lightning flashing.
So we postponed launching for a breakfast at the coastal.
About 7:15 it had cleared enough to run out... there were seveal folks at the ramp with the same idea.
Ran out about 100 yards and here comes a wall of water... back to the ramp for 30 min while it cleared.
Second try we ran out the channel to the end of the long bar just to see what the weather was like and pick up some pinfish.
Jason and Dave started casting while I fished for bait. We got through one drift to figure out where the wind was blowing us and then set up on our 2nd
Dang it if the three other boats at the ramp ran right up to us
They couldn't tell if we were trout fishing or bait fishing but they didn't care.
First a Carolina skiff cut our drift running right in front of us- close enough for me to look them in the eyes.
Then another skiff with three kids in it ran 20yards from us at full throttle.
Finally the third boat- who I think I know- ran up behind us cutting us off from behind.
Surrounded and Mad I surrendered and got out of there
I just don't get how you can run up on someone when there is the entire ocean out there.
I decided if that was going to be a theme for the day we were not going to hit any of JT's spots for fear of giving away the trade secrets
We ran back to a couple of deep protected holes ts to see what we could pull up and landed a few trout and blues- nothing impressive but eating fish.
Then another rainstorm hit so we started in. We could see the white wall of water coming and put the throttle down.
The rain drops were just hitting us and stinging- the visibility was diminishing by the second.
As we rounded the corner near Bottoms road I had to stop because there was a boat full of folks anchored in the channel
The rain caught us as we slowed to worked our way around them. If the rain had really hit before we got to them they would have been very hard to see.
THAT IS DANGEROUS!!!!
We hang out at the dock again for a little and then head back out to find the guy still anchored in the channel with lines cast back across it.
I slowed down and idled up to him and told him he shouldn't have been there. Another bigger boat had to come off plane behind us while he reeled in his lines.
I felt like a jerk telling a grown man that he was doing something stupid but what should you do in that situation?
At the point in the channel he was anchored it was maybe 30' wide. His 20+ foot boat was taking up half of it and his lines were crossing the rest of it.
Mr Boater- If you read this I'm sorry I sounded so frustrated but that was just dangerous. I could have hit you running in - or grounded the boat on the sandbar to your north. Then heading back out your blocking the only way in and out of the harbor. There was no way around you.
Finally back to fishing- we ran to another spot that has produced fish but is far from secret and it paid off...
My buddy Jason threw a gulp under a cork up to a ledge and it was fish on!
At first he thought it was a big sail cat but I could tell it was a good one and grabbed the net.
The boat was up on a 1' sandbar and the fish was out in the deeper water but he was going to have to fight it back through some shallow stuff.
So I hopped into the water and waded out a little from the boat to net the fish before it had a chance to rub the hook out in some grass.
Perfect 27 inch Red and Jason's biggest!
The hook fell out in the net and we were all giving high fives and whoopin.... Awesome fish.
Then on Jason's very next cast the Cork and hook went sailing- detached from his line.
The night before he had spooled up with Braid for the first time and used the knot they suggested - rather than listening to his fishing mentor (ME
)The knot has slipped under the pressure of the fish and came undone....
Had I not heroically hit the water to net his big fish it would have pulled the knot loose in a matter of seconds!
I am putting on a knot clinic for him next week
We finished the day by filleting up some trout and Spanish at the dock and having Posey's dockside fry them up.
That is the way to do lunch- $9 to fry your own fish that were swimming in the bay a little earlier in the day- big order of fries
The Red and Lunch redeemed the day... The people on the water make me think this is the last Saturday I want to fish for a while.
