two guys woke up and headed out of town.
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there,
I'll tell you how ol' Pompano and I had a bit of success out there...
*ok ok, now to the report*
Left Tallahassee with the Grey Ghost in tow around 5am, not a lot of traffic... awesome!
Get gas, ice, and snacks at the BP and got to the ramp shortly after.. FIRST ONES THERE.
Go to pay the ramp fee for the awesome new ramp at Mandalay and no box!? I put a $5 on my dash to show our intent. I'll tell you what, though, Thank sweet-baby-Jesus I put on some of that Sunsect before I left the house, because those YellowFlies were tearing George up and not messing with me at all! They were everywhere. I got bit by one, who flew up my knickers. ouch. Finally in the water and off we go..
Smooth ride out, a bit of chop out of the mouth, but still relatively smooth. Worked the a bit of the shore line, worked a bit East, worked a bit West, worked some rocks. For having the day off of work, I wasn't expecting to have to work so much for such a cassssuuuuall half-day on the water.
*kersplashhh* the mullet start jumping. IT'S ON!
Throw out our baits and proceed to get WHACK-A-MOLE'd for our first two passes. Some real quality Upper Slot trout, keeper red... Overslot trout. ALL real healthy. Saw quite a few reds, even! Here's the best part. One of my trout was dancing like a $2 call girl on the old vegas strip, going everywhere! Finally we see why: I get the trout boat side and this is a MASSSSIVE red trying to eat it! Incredible to see.
*BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!*
The weather was slicking out... we had to make the run.
*Out to one of our numbers we go... occasional 1' roller, otherwise smooth as can be.
*Discover a boat already there so we motor around looking at our maps and the bottom machine, finally set adrift. George is at the back, I'm up front.. I'm standing on the YETI looking around and see these MASSIVE eagle rays! I'm thinking, "oh sh*t!!! gotta be a co_____ GEORGE LOOK AT THAT CHOBIA!!!" Probably one of the largest chobia's I've seen in our area, an easy 50-60lb'er. pitched our jigs at her and she wouldn't take... Not that we were prepared for that fight anyways.
Not much after that so we headed to the hill, back at the ramp by 1pm. Hellofaday.
*question* at the ramp we noticed a couple guys in 2 or 3 CSkiffs tucked under the brush between the ramp and those electro-boxes, and a kayaker on the other side who started to paddle a rope with orange tape indicators on it across the river.. wth was that about? They didn't seem to happy we were there. *shrugs*
