CBBT Thrs/Fri last week

[Salmo trutta]

I was fortunate enough to fish CBBT on Thursday and Friday last week. Those were the dates that perfectly fit into my schedule and Dpost wanted some company and it couldn't have worked out better. This is a late report and the fishing wasn't fantastic but it still was the CBBT. Schoolies there are decent size fish anywhere and they usually don't come alone. They didn't disappoint this trip either. We didn't find the mother load of birds but did find massive schools of fish on the depth finder but most had lock jaw.

I'm the type of guy who doesn't have a whole lot of patience and waiting for that sinking line to sink between the pilings is painstaking. Especially when a 1 oz jig head will get into the strike zone in seconds. But the first day Dave showed me that he not only could catch fish, but he could out fish the jigging rod and fire line thing with his fly rod. It was a humble experience but a learning one. On Friday I didn't learn and stayed stubborn with the jigging stick with occasional switches back to the long rod. But not before we hit the light line. That was also humbling. We couldn't see jack in front of us and we did all the right things. Except fish where the fish were. But everything looked perfect with birds working, rips forming, shallowish water..... you name it. We gave it a go, hooked up a few times and headed in after being up for almost 24 hours.

Dave can fish like he's in his 20's. He's hardcore, has the patience of... well... I don't know but he's got enough patience to stick with a sinking line with confidence while drifting through fish. If it were my fish finder and we had half the marks we saw on Dave's Larance, we'd be into fish consistently but maybe his was so darn accurate it was picking up fish farting and it magnified the situation. Maybe it pays to have crappy electronics? But I can't complain. We caught fish, made a friendship and figured a few things out. Nothing is ever dull and a fishing trip is never wasted. There's always learning to do whether you're DPost with 20+ years of experience behind the helm or myself with merely 4 or 5.

I then hit Ocean City, the land of the dead sea, with the family for New Years and inlaw visits. I snuck out on Sunday during a torrential rain and wind storm. Everyone looked at me like I was insane but didn't expect much different. Ryan was sleeping and I had the fishing bug. Sorry, can't help it if I'm near water. It's not everyday I'm surrounded by water for long periods of time. It just so happened that I did incredibly well fishing OC inlet from shore, end of the incoming tide in a perfect little unforeseen seam that would be overlooked by most. Except I was all alone and steadily into fish with the spinning rod. I kept thinking how perfect a situation it would have been for a long double handed spey rod and a 6-10’ sink tip. The fish only hit on the dead drift when my lure (4" storm shad) swung straight downstream into the seam. Every time they'd smack it, kind of like wet fly fishing with a fly rod. If I jigged the rod, it didn't get touched. If I reeled in... it got ignored. But if I let it sit in the current, it got SMACKED!

Great way to end the 2007 year. I fished again on the New Year and blanked out. Actually I fished the night before too but also blanked. But that short time when everything came together was why I keep trying.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

[dpost2]

Salmo,
It was a pleasure fishing with you and I learned a few things from you as well. Let's do it again. Check your bmail.

[TimeFlies]

Sounds like a tough trip, but always fun getting out. And your right, dpost2 will stick it out with the fly line - glad you both had a fun trip.

[Capt Harry]

Nice report!!! That's what it's all about, the one that keeps ya coming back.
I know DPost is tough like Lou. (Albright add, tough like Lou Tabory) When we went out one night, he had a blue fish make a mad dash on him. Fly reel handle busted his hand open it was spinning so fast. (His hand, not his nuckles people.) He was bleeding pretty good, wiped it off, threw a field bandage on, and continued fishing. Oh, and to top it off, I lost the nice bluefish at the boat for him to pour a little salt on that fresh wound. Sorry again on that one brother.
Later, Harry

[dpost2]

Harry,
I still say that if you were a real man you would have lipped that bluefish!