BigBendFishing.Net

Need thoughts:

Staying in Shell Point this week, and next for that matter, weather has been a mess. 20 mph, at least winds. Wednesday I decided I must put the boat in the water. On the way around from Oyster Bay, because the Shell Point ramp is still closed, I decide I should make a few casts despite the ‘breeze’.

I throw out the anchor near the bar out in front of shell point beach. Anchor slows me enough to fish the bar a little. Pull out a nice 19” trout, was thinking Redfish, but the trout was nice considering the conditions.

Anyway, get the boat around to the dock at the Web House, first canal in Shell Point. Fished a little last night off the dock and caught a really nice Redfish, 26.75”, perfecto…..a couple of catfish follow, end the evening. Bait trap is full and I have nowhere to use them due to the weather….I hope that improves this weekend.

This is kinda a working vacation for me so I am of to a client’s council meeting Thursday evening. The wife calls to let me know that there is a Jon Boat out in front of the dock, fishing. She’s thinking they must’ve seen the Redfish from last night. She even comments about how they circled back to make a few more casts to our dock.

I think nothing of it. We have been staying in shell point for the last 5 years with no issue, and then it occurs to me that something about them circling back doesn’t sound right. I had 5 rod and reel combos on the boat, worth at least $500 and a box full of boat supplies, including a jumper battery, etc.

At this point I am on the way to dinner with the client. I call the wife at the house with my increasing paranoia. She agrees and goes down to get the rod and reels out of the boat. When she gets down to the boat she notices the Jon Boat is idling at the end of the canal as night falls. Not fishing, just hanging out.

So what is the deal? Did they ‘scout’ the boat for night fall or were they legit? BTW, the Shell Point ramp is still closed.

I hate that I even have to think about this. I have left things in the boat dock at the Web House and at friends a few canals over for several years without thinking about thieves. What is different to make me this paranoid?

The jonboat may or may not have been legit. Thieves can can pop up anywhere. I wouldn't leave anything in the boat that's easy to just grab and go. Theft is rare at Live Oak Island, too, but every once in a while...

Fishing from Shell Point in a boat with this wind, I would go up Walker Creek and put the boat right up against the grass on the windward side of the creek, letting the grass knock the wind off. I would throw a spoon or spinnerbait right down the edge of the grass as I worked my way along.

When something seems strange it usually is....can't be too careful!!!!!

Never know what someones intentions are. Some nights, we are in those canals from dark-1am looking for flounder. I'm sure people think we're up to no good also.

I can't believe the things people leave in their boats at night.

I wouldn't leave any temptations in plain sight of others.

"Jee-sus H. Christ. Private Pyle, why is your footlocker unlocked? ..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DgQ7t5y ... re=related

They may just be like me and TIRED after fighting the wind and such and just wanting ta idle around and check things out before heading in it surprises a lot of folks what they see when they lay down the pole and just start looking

Charles wrote:"Jee-sus H. Christ. Private Pyle, why is your footlocker unlocked? ..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DgQ7t5y ... re=related

Boy, does THAT clip bring back memories... had numerous people ask if real boot camp was as bad as the movie and my response is always the same... the boot camp sequence of the movie lasted roughly an hour whereas the real deal was something you couldn't escape from for three months

You can never be too carefull. I was at the new Walmart on Thomasville road in Tallahassee a couple of years ago around 5:30 am one morning buying some ice when someone stole some rods and reels out of another boat in the parking lot - 5:30am. Don't thieves sleep in?

Geaux Fishin wrote:Don't thieves sleep in?

Probably hadn't called it a night yet

big bend gyrene wrote:Boy, does THAT clip bring back memories... had numerous people ask if real boot camp was as bad as the movie and my response is always the same... the boot camp sequence of the movie lasted roughly an hour whereas the real deal was something you couldn't escape from for three months

That sucks.
But I have to ask, Krispy Kreme or Dunkin'?

Reel Cowboy wrote:That sucks.
But I have to ask, Krispy Kreme or Dunkin'?

Looks like a Krispy Kreme to me This said, and will try to keep brief as admittedly derailing thread, I never saw a donut on the island

And "fatbodies" really do catch heck... luckily, I wasn't one, though as squad leader I had to watch platoon mates go through line and if lucky was left with 2 minutes to shove food in my face. During my time in the Corps, fatbodies had stripes painted across their sweatshirts, telling the servers to give them smaller portions. More than once mini-boxes of cereal fell out of a platoon mate's cammie pants pockets, with the result being DI's taking the whole platoon on "island hopping" campaigns to multiple sand pits

Lots of folks gig flounder up and down those canals. Not saying they were not up to no good, but I dang sure wouldn't leave my stuff there for the taking, and give them the chance.

Geaux Fishin wrote:You can never be too carefull. I was at the new Walmart on Thomasville road in Tallahassee a couple of years ago around 5:30 am one morning buying some ice when someone stole some rods and reels out of another boat in the parking lot - 5:30am. Don't thieves sleep in?

I park it where I can see it at all times to go inside wherever I am or move tackle electronics and rods inside the truck, or leave someone to stand watch. While I don't have very expensive stuff I do have a bunch of it. At the dock overnite it all goes. No rods electronics or tackle in the boat.